Create

Unleash your Creativity

The ability to be creative is one of the most important skills you can possess. Since a Mind map reflects your thoughts it makes it the perfect tool for capturing ideas. Each branch on a Mind map should represent an individual thought, each on of those thoughts should spark off another thought.

Think of a type of book, what springs to mind…fantasy, comedy, crime, romance. Think of fantasy…Rowling, Pratchett. Think of Rowling…Potter, Pratchett…Discworld.

While creating these ideas capture them on your mind map. So the above might look something like this:

The Mind Map Laws

When getting information out of your head using Mind Maps there is a specific process. The biggest tip here is to alternate between Content and Format – the content being the words on your map and the format being colour, images, codes and symbols. This way you are engaging both your logical and creative skills.

Creativity Steps

The following steps work either on your own or when working in groups

  1. Give yourself a time-limit (5-15 minutes)
  2. Start the clock
  3. Initially, spend some time drawing the central idea, the main topic, make sure you use at least 3 colours, this will focus you and trigger your imagination
  4. From here you can start branching off and laying down words
  5. At the point you will get stuck and won’t be able to think of anything else, when this happens focus on the format of the mind map, start doodling some pictures, colouring, highlighting words using codes, making connections using arrows and symbols
  6. When more ideas pop back into your head, lay down the words
  7. Repeat the whole process to the end of your time-limit.

If you’re idea isn’t completed at the end of 15 minutes, take a 5 minute break, do something physical, then come back for another session. At the beginning of each session always start with the format to engage your creative skills.