I recommend <a href=http://www.technologyreview.com/view/531911/isaac-asimov-asks-how-do-people-get-new-ideas/>this note by Asimov</a> on creativity.
It bears close reading.
I would add only that filtering out the many dumb ideas to find the jewels requires a vast repository of information about the world and about concepts.
Other concepts must be hypothetically adjusted for conformance.
Such adjustments must be logically possible.
In short, other world gestalts must be explored.