creating a mind map: getting started€¦ · a mind map is an eﬀective and compact way of...

Creating a Mind Map: getting started... by Marco Ossani

Creating a Mind Map: getting started...

What is a Map?

A map is a way of establishing and displaying relationships between objects (places, people, or "ideas") - and for using these relationships to interact with reality (seeing, analyzing, understanding, remembering...). !Drawing and decoding a map means using associations and connections, the way our brain is working. !When we use a map at conceptual level, it becomes a "metaphor" of reasoning and abstract representations.

2


3

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind Maps are visual representations of the thought process - they’re used to create a graphical view of the connections between objects, facts and ideas, harnessing the power of association (words, pictures, colors) of the mind. !Invented by Tony Buzan as a tool for taking notes and studying, have developed into an indispensable tool for learning, memorization and visualization, with countless applications in everyday life and in Business.


4

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind Maps are visual representations of radiant thinking: from a central idea originate some "branches": each branch corresponds to a topic, idea or concept associated with the central idea - "branching" continues with sub-branches to develop each topic, idea or concept. !Each branch is associated with one and only one word - please notice the use of colors and images associated with words, to give "depth" to the associations. !A Mind Map is an effective and compact way of visualizing a large amount of data, showing the connections between them.


If you are at your first experience with Mind Mapping, you are

about to make a real, life changing discovery… it’s very easy: the

necessary tools, in addition to your mind, are just a sheet of white,

plain paper (neither ruled nor squared, at least A4 size) and some

colored pens.

5


6

How to Draw a Mind Map

Choose a word (a suggestion? "Home"): write it clearly and "draw it" ("your" idea of home, it doesn’t matter if you are not Leonardo...), with colors, at the center of the sheet (landscape oriented) - this will be the your "central idea”. !Now start drawing "branches" (at least 6) starting from the central idea and radiating outwards: let your hand drawing them in different colors, a bit thick and curvilinear (not straight) - give them a free, "organic" shape (as the branches of a tree, or tentacles...).



Now write the first word that pops up to your mind when thinking

of "home" over the first branch: no matter how "weird" the

association is, let your mind ride free and associate a word to each

branch - if you can think of more words, just add branches - make

sure that there is a single word on each branch, clearly written

and about as long as the branch itself.

!Now you can go forward, and think of new words associated with

the ones on the main branches: let other branches (shorter and

thinner) radiate from the end of each branch: again, associate new

words to the words you have associated with a main branch, and

write them over the "son" branches.

!Always follow your thoughts, your free associations, and let

your map develop, with the only limit of your creativity.

7


8


Now you can start enriching your map, adding images (your own hand drawings) to each branch: because the descriptive power of an image is enormous - a picture evokes feelings, connections, emotions - our mind "thinks" by images. !It’s even possible to draw Mind Maps without words, only using images, as you can see in the following example (my "home" Mind Map without words)!

Creating a Mind Map: getting started...Creating a Mind Map: getting started...

9

The Laws of Mind Mapping

Especially at the beginning it’s mandatory strictly following few simple rules: we’ll call them the “Laws of Mind Mapping”: !• It all starts with a Central Idea - represented by a picture (and

maybe a few words ) - at the center of a plain sheet of paper large enough, in a horizontal position

• Branches (5 to 10) departing from the Central Idea (clockwise, starting at 01:00 hour) and connected to it

• Branches have a curvilinear, natural, organic structure • Each branch can give rise to other "children" branches

(secondary, tertiary, and so on...); branches get thinner as you move away from the center

• Each branch is associated to one single word, and possibly a picture

• Use colors (at least 3), and images wherever possible • Use symbols and graphics, fonts and shapes to highlight and

emphasize • Connect similar ideas occurring on different branches of the

map


10


These laws, encoded for the first time by Tony Buzan, have a deep neuropsychological foundation, that will become clear as you draw and revisit your Mind Maps: !• First, the structure (central idea and branches with

"hierarchically" different thickness): this is encouraging and following the natural development of "radiant thought”

• Images, symbols and colors: plenty of scientific evidence supports the evocative power of images ("a picture is worth a thousand words") - the use of icons makes the language more “universal”, colors enhance associations and emotional highlighting

• Only one word for branch: because "simplicity", is extremely important in design and effective thinking - a single word (and the "subtraction" effort required to select it) opens to new associations, being extremely more evocative than a phrase (that is "closing" a concept or idea)

Creating a Mind Map: getting started...Creare una mappa mentale: come e perché


For example, if I'm drawing a Mind Map about a project, and the

item to represent is "Split and control the budget": writing the whole

sentence on a branch means a completed, somehow "frozen"

concept. If I write on my branch the word "budget", instead, this can

generate two sub-branches ("control" and "split") each of which

generating new associations and new branches (what should I

check?, among whom do I split?), as in the example below:

11



12


The “educational” value of the Laws has been related by F.

Mohidin, to various theories of the so-called Psychomotor

Domain, that is, learning manual skills, but also techniques

involved in art and sports.

!Tony Buzan has translated the teaching of the ancient Eastern

masters to their pupils, in 3 simple instructions to become a Mind

Mapper:

!• Agree - follow the Laws, abandoning preconceptions and doubts

• Apply - practice, creating and copying others’ Mind Maps,

applying the Laws - start developing your own "Mind Mapping

style”...

• Adapt - after having created many (more than 100...) maps,

follow your creativity and start experimenting, and, if needed,

move away from the Laws


13

The concentration to prepare for a creative and "manual" act, that

follows well-defined rules, promotes your mind to a state of

"mindfulness" which is by itself a stimulus for imagination and creativity.

To many extents, creating a Mind Map is an art, and as an art it can be

learnt, knowing the rules and the "tricks of the trade", watching the

Masters and copying their work, and practicing, practicing, practicing...


14

Our education is grounded on a logical, sequential, linear notation

system (think of a proficiency test, the note taking and note

making you’re used to...). So you shouldn’t be surprised if you initially

encounter some difficulty when creating a Mind Map and using your

free, branching, natural radiant thinking! Cultural and psychological

conditioning are real diehards!


15

Understanding and Overcoming the Obstacles...

Let’s go through the main obstacles encountered by beginners:

!1. “One Word per Branch” (OWPB): at their first trial, most of mind mappers

find "obvious" writing whole sentences. This generates "non-mind maps": it

doesn’t “call for” other words, it doesn’t "require" something else from our

thoughts... On the contrary, one single word is a "door opener" for more

words, encourages the creation of new associations… So, pour the phrases

that pop up to your mind into a "decanter" and let single meaningful words

“surface”. To practice this skill, choose short texts (e.g. encyclopedia entries)

and read them quickly, highlighting the individual "keywords"; then

organize them in a Mind Map to explore the rising associations and their

development with different keywords’ selection…

!2. The choice of the main branches (the BOI "Basic Ordering Ideas"): which

branches will be the main and which the secondary ones? As an example,

try to map these elements: "Defining Marketing Strategy, Target Clients and

Pricing and Advertising investments" - choosing keywords shouldn’t be an

issue, but it is possible to organize them in at least 3 different ways, as you

can see in the example below: there is not a "right" one - each solution is

just generating different associations, as you can see, highlighted in red, on

branch (1).


16


17

3. Limitations of using paper and colors: it’s not always easy to

have available at hand large sheets of paper, especially when

travelling. Small sheets of paper can limit the development of

our maps. Using different colored pencils or felt-tip pens can be

awkward, especially if we need to create “quick” maps. In this

case, the only solution is using a Mind Mapping software like

iMindMap 7…

!4. "I cannot draw ": a lot of people don’t think they’re "creative",

and feel "ashamed" to draw their own pictures - nonetheless

images are important in a Mind Map, and your own hand drawn

images have a special value! So try drawing: even if you are not

Leonardo, you’ll be able to "sketch" something that makes sense

for you and others! With a bit of courage and a lot of practice

you’ll make amazing discoveries about your drawing skills! Also

in this case, iMindMap software will help, allowing you to

search images on the web and immediately and easily paste

them on your maps…


18

Few Tips about Computer Mind Mapping...

The use of a dedicated software allows overcoming some of the typical "obstacles" to the adoption of Mind Mapping, and meeting some specific "practicability" requirements: !• Speed - to live "catch" what happens during a meeting, a

presentation or a brainstorming session • Ease of use - having easy access to the colors and images we

need • Flexibility - to easily review and correct/edit our maps, without

the "paper" constraints • Portability - Mind Mapping should be available on various

platforms (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone) • Sharing - Mind Maps are collaborative tools, they can be used by

a team working “together” and at different times.


19

The iMindMap 7 software has been developed by the team of Tony

Buzan (reflecting his teaching and the Laws of Mind Mapping),

thinking of applications to business: iMindMap not only allows you to

quickly and flexibly draw beautiful and effective Mind Maps,

stimulating creative thinking, but provides professionals with a

comprehensive tool for improving productivity of essential

activities (project management, meetings and brainstorming, process

planning and design, writing and reporting, time management).

!So, should we stop hand drawing mind maps? The answer is no!

Hand-drawing has a very important (depending on the individual)

kinesthetic element, missing when using software - this element

grounds the complex, deep and multisensory link between thought

and image generation (the gesture) - a hand-drawn map has a natural

"uniqueness" that gives it the creative and "artistic" edge over a

computer-drawn one.

!In a nutshell, continue drawing Mind Maps with paper and colored pens! Turn to software when communication comes into play, when

sharing, speed and ease of revision are essential.


20

creating a mind map: getting started€¦ · a mind map is an eﬀective and compact way of...

Documents