Mind Maps – Life Elements
I’ve been interested in the process of visually representing our thoughts for quite awhile now. Back in my twenties I found out about The Grove consultancy in SF and thought that would be pretty cool work: enabling “organizations, teams and individuals to visualize and implement change.” Plus, I love color so any practice that involves using a lot of it gets me interested. They don’t call themselves “mind mappers”, I don’t even see any comparisons to mind mapping on their site, and they’ve got their own unique techniques and tools, but essentially they’re mapping the mind. I have not pursued it as a career, but the “thinking visually” seed was planted.
More recently, one of my favorite sources of guidance on creativity and productivity, Mark McGuinness, has mentioned it in his Creative Pathfinder course, as a tool for getting the abundance of ideas we creatives tend to have out of our head, where we can make sure they are captured (and filed away for future reference) and play around with them (rearranging, seeing connections, etc…) And shortly after I met Peter Russell (and was impressed by his flow of thought), I discovered that he worked with Tony Buzan (the originator of mind mapping), in the 70s, to teach the process, and continues to use it for much of his work.
Lists rein in the free-ranging movement of the brain, reducing it to stasis and establishing narrow neural pathways of thought that increasingly reduce the probability of creativity and recall. The reason why lists do this is that they act in direct opposition to the associative nature of the brain. As an idea is set down it is “finished with”, divorced from the ideas which precede or follow it…once you have understood the infinite associative nature of your brain, you are in a position to help it help itself.
-Tony Buzan and Barry Buzan, ‘The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential
Suzanna Stinnett, who leads the Bay Area Bloggers (BABS) group that J and I are part of, is a creative inspiration (productive, innovative, and generous) for me and she’s a regular mind mapper too. She brought one of her current, in process, maps to last months meeting and it lit a little fire within me, to get mapping. I particularly like her approach which incorporates visual elements beyond just words, color, and direction symbols (arrows, etc.) She’s using collage, sketches/paintings, sticky notes, even doodles, which I see as expansive for our minds, and therefore our life!
My maps show me what I am struggling with, what I need to focus on, and where the joy is.
-Suzanna Stinnett
In my late twenties I started really struggling with issues of holistic health and happiness and my creative flow started to dry up. It’s been a challenging journey towards awareness, clarity, and abundant, vibrant energy. Through a variety of positive practices I am connecting more regularly with the happy, healthy state of Being which is the essence of each of us, and my creative energy is flowing more freely. Still a lot of releasing, unblocking, letting go and opening to do, but that’s what it’s all about – the process of life.
So my first mind map (started in October and expanded in January) is quite basic (in technique/style.) It’s a big picture view – ’Elements of my Happy, Healthy, Productive, Prosperous, Creative, Connected, and Positively Contributing Life’ – which contains four major elements:
- Daily Practice
- Great Work
- Learning
- Connecting/Collaborating/Sharing
I felt myself pretty tightly controlling the flow of ideas while creating it, so as I continue playing with mind maps I will be encouraging myself to Let Go and let the flow of thoughts/ideas/hand be free and un-edited. It’s the same thing I’m really working on in my writing (fiction in particular) – to basically tell the inner critic to take a hike because what I have to offer is worthwhile. That’s not to say that everything I’m producing is going to entertain/inform/inspire/guide others. That’s not the point. The point, I believe, is to honor our best and brightest potential, our inner wisdom and unique “voice”, by Letting It Flow. And as we get comfortable with that, through healthy regular practices (like meditation, movement, breathing, drawing/painting, writing, mind mapping, etc), our creations grow and evolve and we find the work that is meant for sharing.
I think some guidance from the masters will help me develop this new skill and plan to start with these two books:
-The Brain Book: Know Your Own Mind and How to Use It
-The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential
Related Posts
- Creative Pathfinder – Learnings, Weeks 5 – 8
- Creative Pathfinder – Learnings Through Week 4
- Science And Nonduality Conference – Impressions
- Creative Pathfinder- Learnings, Weeks 13-16
- What Do I Want to Grow?
The Journal Archives – Solid And Supple
October 2, 1997:
In this entry I quote The Astrologer’s Manual by Landis Knight Green:
In Buddhist and Hindu Philosophy the conscious sense of purpose is called dharma, the law for living and developing one’s own character through fulfilling the right duties. A person’s entire horoscope is a key to understanding and defining these duties; however, it is the Sun that dictates the exact nature or heart of this conscious and mature relatedness. The planets which form aspects to the sun show exactly how this is carried out. Naturally, this refers mainly to a person who has developed self-awareness to a degree where he can determine many of the conditions of his present, as well as future, life. In the I Ching, he is called a “Superior Man.” Astrology, as it is being discussed here, would have little meaning for someone who is not assiduously seeking the truth about his being.
The solar individual is enlightened to the degree that he can utilize, direct, and project his energies and his will precisely there that life has the greatest meaning and value.
-L.K. Green
The conscious person (solar self) is even more receptive (lunar self) so that he can continue to learn the laws of life that make his survival easier while he develops himself spiritually.
October 5, 1997:
I want to ponder what is happening w/ my existence and how to react to it. And, more importantly I think, what I want to happen and how to work towards that. I feel like my life is 90% (mas o menos) me struggling against the tide.
What are the lessons I need to learn?
In The Wisdom of Insecurity by Allen Watts, he talks about how we are all searching for comfort and stability, but that those things are illusions, so we are really just fighting off life. Is that true? To a certain extent I believe it is, but where is that line between building a solid foundation and being able to sway and bend with the wind. If only I could solve maybe one mystery, maybe I’d get some confidence which would give me more energy to keep striving.
Today:
I am very happy, and grateful, to report that there is little struggle in my life these days. Still plenty of challenges, yes, but I have learned (by much trial and error) that struggling against them is a waste of energy and serves no purpose. I do a lot of “swaying and bending with the wind” while at the same time making that foundation ever more solid and stable. I don’t think there is “a line” between the two.
Through meditation, mindfulness, reflection, observation, exploration, study, and practice, I have come to see that the foundation is our infinite soul and the more we are aware of it and honor/care for it, the more it will keep us steady in the worst of storms and serve as firm ground for our personal evolution.
I’m beginning to believe that the insecurity Alan Watts is referring to is a result of our clinging to and grasping (things, people, events, expectations, etc), not wanting to accept the inevitable changes of life. But, with a strong foundation, supple body/mind/energy/spirit, and awareness of the infinitely fluid rhythm of life, we can begin to embrace it in all it’s magically mysterious glory. So that’s what I’m going for these days, thirteen and a half years later.
November 3, 1997:
Life seems so short to me sometimes, oftentimes, so I want to jump in and swim and be carried by the stream – without checking to see how cold the water is or if there’s a big rapid or waterfall ahead or a rock or branch in my path. I get bruised a lot. Cuts and scrapes are inevitable, cracking my head open kinda sucks, for awhile. If only I could figure out how to really apply this metaphor to my life. Just because the water is warm when you jump in doesn’t mean it stays that way. Life is not static. I’m not sitting in tide pools very often (I don’t like pollywogs sucking on my toes.) And how do I know if there’s a strong current up ahead – I can only see about 2 feet in front of me. And, even if there is , is it worth the risk if I really want to get there and there’s no way around? These are questions I can’t answer so I usually/sometimes decide that the only way to know is to find out.
Today:
Life is not short! At the same time, though, each moment is passing, replaced by a new one. The more richly we experience our Now, the more satisfying our life will be. That river metaphor is a bit muddy but I do think that we all must find a balance, that works for us, of being safe and grounded and diving into the rough waters and getting banged up a bit.
I’m feeling pretty good about my balance these days.
January 4, 1998:
I’ve been feeling that I’ve been sacrificing and avoiding focusing on my inner reality and my future goals and dreams and my healthy. Well, I would like those to be my new focuses – I believe they are way more important to true peace and balance than the exterior realities (distractions and diversions a lot of the time) and they have been sorely neglected for a long time now. If the Universe is listening, I say a little prayer to be thankful for all I have and to ask for the strength to make these changes in my life and stick to my goals.
Today:
Thanks for listening!
