Hello Friend,

Next time you start to write an article, design a session, or generate ideas, I’d suggest you step away from your computer and grab a few blank sheets of paper from your printer tray. Instead, try harvesting your ideas via a Mind Map.

As humans, we’ve spent millions of years relying on and evolving the connections between our eyes, hands and brain. I believe that the hand/eye coordination required by writing or drawing links us to this heritage, activates more areas of our brain, and unlocks our body based knowledge. 

Position your paper horizontally, draw a circle in the center and write in your question/title/subject. As ideas come to you, connect them with a line to your central circle, so ideas radiate around like numbers on a clock. If you have a sub-idea, just add another circle and line to connect. Follow the flow of ideas, no need to be linear! 

Two suggestions if you get stuck:

• Draw blank circles for new ideas, as placeholders they often spark our brain to fill them in
• Take your pencil on a “walk”– draw doodles, lines, spirals, whatever -- just keep your hand moving as your brain processes in the background.

Add color as you draw, or use color afterwards as a way to categorize your ideas.

Let me know how it goes – send me samples! :0)

Warmly,
Emily