Mind Mapping Your Creativity: Why I Don’t Make Lists Anymore!

by Joel Annesley on 04. Oct, 2009 in Creativity, Motivation, Time Management

I’ll often come up with some of the best ideas at the most strangest of times. Capturing these ideas on paper has been my challenge. I often feel like I’ve got all these great concepts that need to map further, but by the time I get a chance to break it down on paper, the meaning gets lost in the process.

Little did I realise that the solution has been sitting on my bookshelf for some years, unread. It was a book by Tony Buzan called “Mind Maps At Work: How To Be the Best at Your Job and Still Have Time to Play”, which was a loan by my mother (Yes Mum, I’ll return it soon).

I decided to pick up the book and take a look, after hearing about the benefits of mind maps from numerous sources. It made a lot of sense. The reason why I’m encountering creative frustration is due to the process in which I’m expressing my ideas.

Buzan highlights the importance of using both the left and the right side of our brain. The left brain is described as our technical or analytical brain and the right brain is our creative brain. By creating a list, the concepts in my creative right brain gets diverted through my left brain before it lands on the page, meaning the original message is getting lost in the method of expression.

Mind mapping - start with a central idea and work your way out

Which is apparently where mind mapping fixes the problem. Mind mapping is a process of expressing ideas using a creative method. It’s all about branching out from one central idea using plenty of different colours and images. You’ll then proceed with an ever evolving branches firing out new ideas. It allows us to make new associations and links between different branches – which really is all about mimicking how the brain thinks.

Become Your Own Google

Buzan refers to mind mapping similar to being your own search engine. So think of it as sending out your own spider into the depths of you brain to index all your ideas by putting them on paper.

Forget Creating Lists

So basically – creating lists are outdated (unless of course its a simple shopping list). Creating a list is like indexing a single website. You can make a start, but you won’t even scratch the surface in comparison to what mind mapping can do.

Mind maps can be used in the workplace, in our daily planning and for our creative pursuits. However, I do have to admit that I don’t quite have the time or patience to be getting out the crayons and creating some wonderful looking illustrations. After reading about Tony Buzan’s mind maps, I discovered his mind mapping software.

I took a free 7 day trial and loved it. It’s simple to use, easy to alter or change and your canvas size is practically unlimited. You don’t have to be and artist and draw your own images.

After starting a few mind maps, my trial was up. So I spent $99 and bought iMindmap Elements. But to be honest – the cost was worth it. I can now have far more clarity with my projects knowing that I’m using more of my creative brain.