Mind Mapping
Printed Page 168
To use mind mapping, write down a word or phrase in the middle of a large piece of blank paper, and then surround it with words and images representing other ideas that come to you.
Here are some tips for mind mapping:2
- Use images (sketches, doodles, symbols) in addition to words.
- Start with a word or sketch at the center of the page, then work outward.
- Print rather than write in script.
- Use colors to indicate associations and make ideas stand out.
- Use arrows or other visual devices to illustrate links between different ideas.
- Don’t get stuck on one concept. If you run out of ideas, move on to a new theme.
- Jot down ideas as they occur, wherever they fit on the paper.
- Be creative, and have fun with the experience.
The use of multiple colors, pictures, and symbols to create a mind map stimulates your thinking process.3 You use both sides of your brain and generate more—and more creative—topic ideas.