Mindmapping

Mindmapping is a graphical technique to help you solve problems. Mindmapping intends to find the creative ideas you already have stored away in your brain, consciously and sub-consciously, and bring them out for you see. And for you to show everyone else, if you like.

Joyce Wycoff, in her book, Mindmapping: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity and Problem-Solving wants to help you tap your creativity.

Your brain is a storehouse of information. Some believe it's capacity is greater than all the libraries in the world combined. It might not seem like it when you are trying to remember where you put your keys or the name of the new neighbor you met yesterday. But it's there, and you need to be able to get at it.

It's generally accepted the brain is made up of two halves. The left half handles language, logic, sequences, processes, details, and judgments. The right half handles images, rhythm, music, imagination, color, patterns and emotions. According to Wycoff, creativity comes from exceptional interaction of both halves of our brain. Mindmapping intends to facilitate that exceptional interaction.

She defines creativity as "seeing things that everyone around us sees while making connections that no one else has made."

Here is the basic idea behind mindmapping:

1. You need a piece of paper and something to write with.
2. In the center of the paper, draw a box and write the focus of your thinking. One or two words that describe the problem or situation you are thinking about.
3. Focus on thinking about the topic. As thoughts come to mind quickly write down the key words. Draw lines showing how the key words connect to the focus topic and to each other.
4. Let the ideas and thoughts flow from the central focus and from additional key words. Draw lines to show the connections as they appear in your mind.

According to the author, two things happen when you write your ideas down:
1. Your mind is free to go on and think about other ideas, and
2. Associations are made with the written ideas.

Mindmapping: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity and Problem-Solving goes on to discuss the application of mindmapping to:


Creative Writing
Business Writing
Project Management
Managing Meetings
Presentations
Listening and Note Taking
Personal Development


Remember, there are no wrong mind maps!