Electronics Weekly puts its questions to an industry figure: Anne Miller is an engineer, inventor and director of The Creativity Partnership. Her book, The Myth of the Mousetrap, is about how to get your ideas adopted.

What is the myth of the mousetrap?
The myth is that if you invent a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. The problem is, that as every creative person knows, it won't. It will deny that mice exist, that they need trapping and that your trap is any better than anyone else's. When they finally admit that it's quite good, they'll say they knew it all along.

How can a book make you into a creative person?
A book's not a magic wand, but it can help by giving you new insights into how things work, new tools to help you think and stories to inspire you. It also helps when you realise that new ideas always get resisted, so when it happens to you, don't get demoralised; get smart.

Isn't one's level of creativity 'hard-wired'?
To some extent, yes, our creativity is built in. However, just as with other physical capabilities, like our athletic ability, we can all get a bit fitter and faster with coaching and encouragement. Creative self confidence is important too. A lot of people falsely think they are not creative, so they really handicap themselves.

Is it possible to know where creative ideas come from in our minds?
It is a fascinating question... It is much more complex than the simple right brain/left brain story. The psychologist Damasio suggests it may come from the interaction between the emotional (limbic) and the rational parts of the brain and I rather like that idea. It would explain why emotional involvement is so important to creativity.

Is it just as important to know when to give up on your idea?
Absolutely, but it is not always easy. The great creative geniuses throw away hundreds of ideas for every one they really explore. They are also really good at flexing and morphing their ideas to overcome problems.