Creativity Web Home PageThe human brain is very different from a computer. Whereas a computerworks in a linear fasion, the brain works associatively as wellas linearly - comparing, integrating and synthesising as it goes.
Association plays a dominant role in nearly every mental function, andwords themselves are no exception. Every single word, and idea has numerouslinks attaching it to other ideas and concepts.
Mind maps, developed by Tony Buzanare an effective method of note-taking and useful for the generation ofideas by associations. To make a mind map, one starts in the centre of thepage with the main idea, and works outward in all directions, producinga growing and organised structure composed of key words and key images.Key features are:
Mindmaps are beginning to take on the same structure as memory itself.Once a mind map is drawn, it seldom needs to be referred to again. MindMaps help organise information.
Because of the large amount of association involved, they can be verycreative, tending to generate new ideas and associations that have not beenthought of before. Every item in a map is in effect, a centre of anothermap.
The creative potential of a mind map is useful in brainstormingsessions. You only need to start with the basic problem as the centre, andgenerate associations and ideas from it in order to arrive at a large numberof different possible approaches. By presenting your thoughts and perceptionsin a spatial manner and by using colour and pictures, a better overviewis gained and new connections can be made visible.
Mind maps are a way of representing associated thoughts with symbolsrather than with extraneous words something like organic chemistry. Themind forms associations almost instantaneously, and "mapping"allows you to write your ideas quicker than expressing them using only wordsor phrases.
More information is available in a Mind MappingFAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Document.
The Software section of this website contains details of several programs for Mindmapping. Programs formind-mapping include...
Feel free to send me your mind maps for inclusion on this page! GIFs,JPEGS or Windows Bitmaps are preferred.