Digital Marketing

The mental map as a mechanism for creative thinking

Mind Map is perfectly suited to innovative thinking as it consumes all the skills commonly found with creativity, especially imagination, brainstorming and flexibility. Psychological research has identified several fundamental elements in creative thinking, including: the use of colors, shapes, dimensions, unusual elements, the adjustment of conceptual positions and the response to emotionally attractive objects, etc.

Mind mapping principles are a peripheral manifesto of all these defined categories: it is a peripheral manifesto of the entire thought process. The nearly identical nature of creative thinking and mnemonic (memory) principles confirm that the Mind Map is the essential and natural tool for these thought forms.

Correct application of the creative thinking mind mapping technique can enable individual mind mappers to create at least twice as many innovative ideas as a large traditional brainstorming group in the same time period. Tony Buzan (the father of mind maps) states that there are 5 stages in the creative thinking process:

1) The Quick-Fire Mind Map Explosion-

Start by drawing a stimulating central image that represents the general topic of interest. Your image should be placed in the center of a large blank page, and every idea that comes to mind on that subject should radiate from it. For about 20 minutes you should let the ideas flow as quickly as possible. Having to work at high speed triggers your brain from habitual thought patterns and sparks new ideas. Many of these new ideas may seem silly at first, however don’t ignore them as they often hold the keys to new perspectives and breaking old habits.

2) First Reconstruction and Review-

Take a short break, allowing your brain to rest and begin to integrate the ideas generated so far. Then make a new Mind Map, in which you identify the main branches, categorize, build hierarchies and find new associations between your preliminary ideas. You may notice that similar or identical concepts are present in several different places on your mind map. These should not be dismissed as unnecessary repetitions, as they are fundamentally ‘different’ in the sense that they are attached to different branches. These peripheral repetitions reflect the underlying importance of ideas that are deeply buried with your store of knowledge but actually influence all aspects of your thinking. Following the flow of your brain, the mind map scans your current thinking in this new center to replace the old one. In due course, this new center will be located in a new and even more advanced concept. Therefore, the mind map helps and reflects exploration and intellectual growth.

3) Incubation –

Sudden creative realizations often arise when the brain is relaxed, i.e. sleeping, daydreaming, running, etc. this is because such mental states allow the Radiant thought process to spread to the farthest reaches of the Parabrain, increasing the likelihood of mental breakthroughs.

4) Second Reconstruction and revision-

After incubation, your brain will have a new insight into your first and second mind maps, so doing another quick mind map burst will help. During this reconstruction stage, you will need to consider all the information collected and integrated in stages 1, 2 and 3 to make a complete and final mind map.

5) The final stage-

Now you need to search for the solution, decision, or realization that was your original creative goal. This often involves linking items on your mind map, leading to new insights and important breakthroughs.

With the introduction of scroll-based mind maps in recent years, mind mapping has become even easier. Mind mapping software like Tony Buzan’s iMindMap uses true mind mapping principles and duplicates the brain’s non-linear thought process, creating an explosion in creativity, innovation, and knowledge sharing. Computer-based mind maps can be just as effective as traditional mind maps as a creative thinking tool, if not more so!

Summary of the benefits of the creative thinking mind map:

o Automatically use all creative thinking skills.

o They generate increasing mental energy as the Mind Mapper moves towards its target.

o Allow Mind Mapper to visualize a large number of items at once, increasing the likelihood of creative association and integration.

o They allow people’s brains to detect ideas that are normally in the dark at the edge of their thinking.

o Increase the probability of acquiring new ideas.

o They encourage play, humor and innovation, thereby increasing the likelihood that the Mind Mapper will stray from the norm and come up with a truly creative idea.

o Try mind mapping software like Tony Buzan’s iMindMap and see how it helps further enhance your creativity.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *