Sketch first on paper to ignite true creativity

Early in my career, I discovered a curious habit: I’d rush to PowerPoint the moment an idea struck, only to stare helplessly at a blank slide for hours. Then I watched an Apple creative director sketch an entire storyboard on a five-meter scroll of paper—no computer in sight, just rapid black ink on white. His flow felt alive and organic, a vivid comic strip of possibilities. After that, I tried it myself. One rainy morning in my Tokyo apartment, I spread out giant legal pads on the floor and sketched dozens of miniature slides by hand. The coffee turned cold, my cat batted at stray pens, and I laughed at some ridiculous doodles. But by the end, a clear story arc emerged that never would have surfaced behind a screen.

This analog ritual taps a different part of the brain—one unshackled by software menus and slide layouts. It’s the beginner’s mind at work: unburdened by “how it’s done,” free to explore “what if.” When you sketch, every stroke is a hypothesis, quickly tested and discarded if it doesn’t excite you. In contrast, digital tools tempt us to refine too soon, tracking down fonts and color codes instead of experimenting with ideas.

Behavioral scientists call this divergent thinking—a state where quantity leads to quality. More ideas, even wild ones, expand your creative frontier. Later, you converge by selecting the best concepts, a process mirroring expert brainstorming teams. Going analog encourages risk-taking and playful curiosity, essential ingredients for breakthrough presentations.

Next time you hit a creative wall, step away from the keyboard. Doodle on paper with reckless abandon; let ideas fight it out on the page. Then watch as genuine, surprising narratives rise up.

You’ll shove aside your computer and grab paper and pens to scribble wild ideas without self-censoring. By clustering and refining those first sketches, you’ll quickly see the path forward. Keep shaking up your process—doodle on a train, draw on a coffee-stained napkin—until your next breakthrough narrative takes shape.