Here’s how to be brilliant: try hanging out with some other people, brilliant or otherwise.
Richard Hall, in his excellent (or perhaps that should be brilliant) book ‘Brilliant Presentation: What the Best Presenters Know, Say and Do’ writes: ‘Brilliance lies in pubs and shops, not desks. This is a serious point. People working with other people will, on balance, be more likely to produce brilliant stuff then people flying solo. Brilliance is found outside yourself, not inside… …Brilliance comes from listening, absorbing and then recreating. Brilliance doesn’t exist in an intellectual monastery or nunnery.’
Pretty good, eh? I’ve certainly found that working solo can drive you a little bit crazy, as well as removing that perspective that’s both healthy and helpful for your work. You can achieve a lot on your own, but you can learn a hell of a lot by socialising with like-minded people. And completely different-minded people, too.
So, use the internet to meet someone (no, not like that). Get on a forum, or arrange a meetup, but just actually go and meet some people physically; it’ll result in a thoroughly rewarding interaction, during which you will speak and articulate your thoughts and ideas, as well as listening to someone else do the same. A bit like a good presentation.