Phrenology, which attempted to divine character and mental traits by studying bumps on the head, is said to have inspired the current science of mapping the brain. That's what the call it today, but it's nothing new. Two bicycle makers invented the airplane and a goldsmith invented the printing press. From the Washington Post we learn that when Rita Rossi Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation, works on fighting cholera in India, she looks at social as well as biological approaches to a solution. For example, in addition to attacking the bacterium, she considers getting Indian women to filter their drinking water through their sari cloths.
Creative people open themselves to diverse ideas.
The more ideas they have floating around their heads, the better their chances of putting together a winning combination. They also increase their chances of success by using stimulation from random sources. The next time you're stuck, stop focusing on the problem. Get up, go somewhere, and explore totally unrelated subjects. Your intuition, if you let it, will make some surprising combinations.