Q&A with Mitch Ditkoff

If you’re looking for a book to help you manifest an inspired idea, pick up a copy of Awake at the Wheel. (I personally liked the second half even better than the first.) The author is a wonderful, smart, huge-hearted guy named Mitch Ditkoff. Here’s what he has to say about the book:

Who is Awake at the Wheel for?
Four kinds of people: 1) anyone with an inspired idea; 2) anyone who needs an inspired idea; 3) anyone stuck along the way of trying to manifest an inspired idea; and 4) anyone committed to helping others think outside "the cave."

What is Awake at the Wheel about?
Awake at the Wheel is about the creative process--what it takes to originate, develop, and manifest powerful, new ideas. The story follows the arc of the hero’s journey--in this case, the fictional first inventor of the wheel, an outcast Neanderthal named Og,a man who found himself completely consumed with a breakthrough idea in an age when even the idea of an idea was completely unthinkable.

Why did you write the book?
I wanted to provide a guidebook to help people close the gap between thought and action. Many people I know have had at least one idea that was a difference maker. But how many of those people have successfully navigated their way through the often lonely and difficult process of manifesting that idea? Not too many. I wrote Awake at the Wheel to raise the odds of those people succeeding.

Why do you include creative thinking techniques in the book?
Because Awake at the Wheel is more than just a fable about the creative process. It’s also a “how to” book--how to get out of the cave and think more creatively. But not just think. Act, too. Yes, the 35 techniques in the book help people conjure up big ideas, but they also help people close the gap between thought and action. Creativity without action is useless--good for cocktail party banter, but little else.

Is it true you are giving away $1,000 to the reader who submits the best, new creative thinking technique?
Yes. The contest is one way to create an online community of aspiring Ogs, one way to get readers sharing their insights and wisdom with each other. Too many potential innovators out there are struggling alone with their ideas, dreams, and inventions. The contest will stimulate more connection, collaboration, and creative community.

Note: To learn more about Mitch and his book, visit his website at www.awakeatthewheel.info.