DweezelJazz Art Blog » problem solving

The Value of Mind Mapping and the Benefits of Using Mind Mapping Software

DweezelJazz — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:44:27 +0000

I’ve found a number of software applications recently that have increased my productivity enormously. I was checking out some of the Apps available for the iPhone when I came across a mind mapping App. It reminded me of mind mapping which I hadn’t thought about for ages, and I wondered if mind mapping software for the computer would be useful. At first it seemed a silly idea, why not just mind map on a piece of paper. But I’m incredibly messy – my handwriting can be almost illegible, even to me, if I don’t take care in writing and I can never find the kit in one place – paper, colored pens or pencils – and so I never get round to it.

After a quick search I discovered several contenders and narrowed the selection to a program called NovaMind. I downloaded the 30-day fully-enabled trial version and used it every day, pretty much all day long, all 30 days. It’s a fantastic way to take notes, to think through things, brainstorm ideas, and to plan for projects. It’s a visual presentation and involves using color and symbols, along with phrases or key words. The NovaMind program is intuitive to use, is very versatile and works smoothly.

Example 1 of Mind Map Created Using NovaMind Software

A search for mind mapping on the Internet quickly gives the main ideas about how it’s done. The map begins in the center with the heading of the topic being considered, and from that point everything else branches out. It’s a visual representation of ideas and facts and it illustrates their relationships and relative importance. It’s phenomenal just how quickly it’s possible to review something in depth with a mind map.

Mind mapping experts suggest that key words are used rather than phrases, because the brain responds quickly to a key word and it makes it easier to remember. It might be more effective, but I very much like having full phrases. Not sentences, but enough words that I don’t have to guess my original meaning when I wrote the map.

Another liberating thing about a mind map is that you can go back later and add to it very easily, without disturbing anything already there. The magic of having mind mapping software is that it always stays neat and legible, and it isn’t necessary to redraw it if it gets out of proportion or is too big for the paper you started it on, because the software handles all of that for you. It’s also possible to link to web pages and other files and to specific branches in other mind map files. I use it for everything now, both work-related and personal.

Example 2 of Mind Map Created Using NovaMind Software

A mind map is also visually easy to remember, and makes for a great tool for memorizing information. The key to memorization is to review the topic frequently, especially for a short period right after studying it for the first time, and then periodically afterward until it’s successfully stored in long-term memory. It doesn’t take long, but the periodic reminder is key in moving the information from short-term to long-term memory. Once this has been done, the memories are securely stored in our long-term memory and no further review of the material is necessary, regardless of how much time passes.

Example 3 of Mind Map Created Using NovaMind Software

Mind maps make the review a quick and simple matter. The visual layout and color helps because apparently the fastest way to put something in long-term memory is by mentally photographing it. If we can successfully take a mental snapshot in all its detail, then that’s it, we’ll remember it long-term. If not, then we need to create associations within our mind to help integrate the new information into our memories. Color, symbols, pictures, drawings, spatial arrangement, links – all present in mind maps – help to create these associations.

Some years back I read a book about mind mapping and made a few small maps on paper. I found them intriguing and potentially helpful, but I didn’t use them often. Now I create new mind maps just about every day, and go back and refer to them almost as often. Without the software I simply wouldn’t do it nearly as much or as effectively.

Example of Summary Mind Map Created Using NovaMind

I’ve even created mind maps of mind maps, linking the branches of the summary mind map directly to the more detailed mind map file. This allows me to keep track of what subtopics I have on a given topic, otherwise I wouldn’t even remember what information I have in the computer. Organization isn’t my strong point, even in the computer, and if it were all done on pieces of paper, or in a book, I’d be totally buried. To my surprise and relief, having the software has enabled me to tackle all sorts of projects efficiently and effectively.

Mind mapping is a tool that seems so basic as to be, well, for the simple-minded. It’s a deceptively simple concept and, at first, might seem like overkill, but any help we can get with problem-solving, organization, and having a great place for just thinking up creative ideas, is a boost up.

If you haven’t toyed with mind mapping, you might just want to give it a try and see if you like it. If you have, do you use it regularly? what about it do you find it useful? what’s your favorite way to mind map? do you use mind mapping software? do you have any special tips you could share? I’d love to hear from you, if you’d like to leave comments about mind mapping or whatever means that you’ve found beneficial for making sense of ideas and facts.

What Does An Artist Need To Know In Today’s Technological World?

DweezelJazz — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:46:29 +0000

This seems to be the time when ebook readers and very small portable computers are starting to really catch on, not to mention all the ways it’s possible to read content on smart phones.

I recently read an article, The End of Book Publishing As We Know It, on Michael Hyatt’s blog. In the article there’s a video showing a slim, portable, color-format reading device Time Inc has developed for magazine content. It allows for audio, video and normal text print content to be accessed very easily all in one place at the touch of a finger.

Time (no pun intended) will tell just how much these new devices and combinations of media will affect the conventional publishing industry, but it is already true that the publishing industry is experiencing tremendous changes.

There are many new opportunities available for the individual in this evolving technical environment. Software applications at relatively low prices have made it possible for individuals to learn how to accomplish things that used to only be possible for experts with very costly equipment. One such area is the ability to print a book using, for example, Adobe InDesign or even one of the applications made freely available by online book printers such as Blurb.

The tricky part that comes with having direct access to performing these highly specialised tasks is that in order to create quality products there’s a great deal for an individual to learn. It’s crucial to assess which facets will be important to forwarding one’s own work. There are a variety of reasons for limiting just how much you intend trying to learn to do:

learning a little of everything results in doing most things in a mediocre manner because there just isn’t enough time to truly develop more than two or three things fully and deeply
time spent on one thing means less time spent on another which could be more important in achieving your goal
you might end up spending much more time than you intended doing something you really don’t enjoy very much

So it’s really important to pick and choose what to learn, finding the balance that allows you to move forward with your goals, but doesn’t drain too much from your primary ambition and passion.

My primary passion is stories. I think I could do without many things, but not stories, and stories with pictures, well, I just think that’s the ultimate. I love movies, but have no interest in being directly involved in the film industry. So I’ve been concentrating on understanding what it is about the visual elements that go into art that make it successfully communicative, and what elements are important to a story to make it really interesting and exciting.

I’m still experimenting with just how my passion will express itself in my art. To try to get closer to this, I’ve been delving more deeply into color theory, composition, technique, and all types of art from fine art to illustration, cartoons, animation — everything I can set eyes on. I’ve experimented with digital painting, and more watercolor and egg tempera painting techniques.

I have also been studying writing, visual storytelling and story-boarding, and am writing a couple of fiction stories to see where they go. For the more practical side of how to communicate the art, and possibly stories, during the last year I have completed courses in all of the Adobe Creative Suite applications. My year’s subscription with Total Training will end on January 1st and so this spurred me to complete the InDesign and Illustrator courses during these last few weeks. I have also studied web design, print design, composition, layout, and a little about typography.

So that’s it for the heavy-duty studying for me, thank goodness! Now I need to develop my artwork so that it expresses my passion – and I’m not quite sure what that is yet in terms of style or subject. I think it might be bound up in expectation, and if I can let that loose, my style should just be there. When I write I have no expectation and my writing style seems to be there just simple and unsophisticated, for better or worse. I haven’t yet reached that with the art.

So here’s to the New Year, bringing new discoveries and challenges. If you have any comments on what you think it’s important to learn in today’s environment, and/or if you have any advice on reaching your own style, I’d love to hear them.

Setting Goals to Achieve Our Dreams

DweezelJazz — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Do you ever lose sight of where you’re going in life?… …what it is you’d like to accomplish? An excellent way of focusing your efforts is to write down your goals.If things are a little hazy, creating short-term and long-term goals can be amazingly helpful. For example: 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 5-year and life goals. Making a list of perhaps ten things you want to accomplish in each of those time frames can generate an enthusiasm and focus that doesn’t seem to occur when we haven’t concretely defined our goals.Keeping these lists conveniently available for viewing is tremendously important. There are so many things happening on a daily basis that it can be difficult to keep in mind what we really want to accomplish. It’s so easy to get carried away in the flow of daily tasks and whims. This is great too, but if we have goals that we really want to reach, we need a way to regularly remind ourselves of them. Putting the lists out where they can be seen on passing, or, keeping them in a notebook ready to hand, or maybe on your computer desktop.The energy created by doing this propels us forward much more quickly. This is most likely because our minds are that much more organized as a result. We become more aware of what’s important to us, and are able to choose our activities more appropriately.It’s very likely that some of the items on those lists get done sooner than their estimated time slot. Crossing them off, after the accomplishment, is extremely satisfying and this becomes an additional source of encouragement. Every time we see that we’re actually making progress, it boosts our confidence and we become even more energized.The lists don’t become stagnant because they change just as we do. As we achieve the tasks we set, new ones emerge; and as a result of our experiences and evolving ideas, the goals might need adjusting from time to time. They become an integral part of our conscious awareness, a map to help us forward.What we achieve can have such a deep effect on how we feel about ourselves. The ramifications this can have in terms of the satisfaction we derive from our lives can be more than we might at first think. Creating these lists of goals is inexpensive and easy to do and it’s a fantastic tool for moving us toward the accomplishment of whatever it is we want most.

How To Discover Our Passions

DweezelJazz — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000

If you want to know more about someone and what they think about different things, a good way to find out is to ask them. This can also work extremely well for ourselves!That might sound like a funny idea, but there are times when we don’t know what we’re thinking or feeling about a situation, a person, or even our life. There may be some niggling sensation that tells us we do have thoughts and feelings about something, but we may not have the time, or take the time, to stop and listen to what they are. They can become buried, difficult to isolate. A good approach to find out what’s really going on is to ask ourselves.A particularly important facet of our lives that can be very fulfilling is doing something we really enjoy. Becoming completely engrossed in an activity can lead to a sense of satisfaction, contentment and accomplishment.Some people know what they like to do and they do it. They can become so involved in their passion for it that they become experts and they naturally develop strengths that cause them to excel in it. They eagerly put hours into cultivating their interest, and while it might be hard work some of the time, they have the motivation required to persevere until they achieve what they want. It can frequently follow as a simple progression that a person like this ends up pursuing their genuine interest in some form of career or employment.For others it may not be so easy. Some of us may not even have fully figured out what exactly it is we like to do. There can be many reasons for this, but it happens all too frequently that we don’t have time to investigate what we like simply for the pleasure of it. Or maybe we have the notion that it wouldn’t be an acceptable way to spend time, perhaps it doesn’t seem useful enough.It is amazing though, the variety of extreme and bizarre activities people have managed to turn into a hobby and then, eventually, a means of income.Whether it’s to find a new career that is more directly related to things we love to do, or whether it’s to find out more definitively how we would most enjoy spending our spare time: there’s a simple set of questions we can answer for ourselves in order to begin to discover more concretely what it is that we like especially.List three, four or more of your most favorite:magazinesbooksknown hobbies or fun things you like to dotopics of study or readinghistorical periods or eventspeoplelegends or interesting topicsfilmsGive as many short (one or two-word phrases) of explanation that you can think of for liking each of your choices. For sure there are more questions that can be added to that list to reveal us to ourselves; answer as many questions as you can think of to get your answers.Patterns begin to emerge in the answers and this enables us to see more clearly what is most important and appealing to us. The answers can be a real surprise and it’s lots of fun to find out what we may not consciously know about ourselves. This secret life can hold some gems that might dramatically change our outlook.Do you have unknown passions waiting for you to discover? Try it and see!

Thinking Our Way to Success

DweezelJazz — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000

One of the most precious commodities we have in life is the ability to think. Our thoughts alone can give us tremendous freedom, regardless of our outer circumstances. They determine how we approach situations, how we make decisions; and this in turn directs and forms many of the circumstances we find ourselves in.Habitually following certain thought patterns can continually regenerate the same, or similar, unwanted results in our lives. If the thoughts are habitual it’s unlikely that we’ll recognize how they are affecting our outlook and responses. They can be so familiar to us that we consider them to be part of who we are, or how life is, and we can perceive them to be inherently unchangeable.We may rely on other people’s conclusions and experiences in forming our own. There are times when it’s important, even necessary for survival, to follow someone’s ideas and to do what they say.Social obligations demand that we follow a set of general predefined rules. But ideally these should be as limited as possible to maintain a positive social structure without greatly compromising the individual’s personal liberty, especially freedom of thought.It takes practice to identify and understand which thoughts are our own, and which ones have actually been formulated by our culture and social environment. Even when we are very young it is important to be encouraged to think for ourselves and experiment with finding out what happens when we make our own choices. It is possible to allow babies certain freedoms in which they gradually find their own strength. It’s unfair to dictate to or carry the young for any great length of time, because in doing so they are not being encouraged to trust in themselves and act on their own accord.Taking into consideration other people’s views allows us to add many new ideas to our own. The ability to weigh these in their relevance to our lives can accelerate the process of learning and identifying positive and helpful outlooks.Swimming with the crowd is a great time saver on some occasions.But, for a satisfying, fulfilling life we need to know when and how to be our own agents.Each person is unique, with their own particular set of interests and passions. In order to discover these fully we need to know our own thoughts and feelings. Once we know who we are by what we think and feel, we can find a way to express this in our lives. This is the first and most important step to real success.

Tackling a Difficult Task

DweezelJazz — Tue, 29 May 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Have you ever stalled when youâ€™ve had lots of things to do, knowing that one of these tasks needs to be done before the others? This can be more of a problem if that particular task is more difficult to accomplish than many of the others on the list. The temptation is to get on with all the other things that need doing, hoping that something will occur to you about how to make a start on the first one. Sometimes this is helpful, but very often it simply puts off the moment of attack to accomplish the deed.Before long it is no longer even possible to do the other things that are on the list because it is clear that something ought to be done about the first. This dilemma can feel a bit like being frozen in the headlights of some big truck, time ticking away, pressure building up, and the mind a complete void of thought about how to go about starting. Enough of this and fog builds up in the brain and soon nothing gets done.It is, of course, much easier to just get on and do the thing! But thatâ€™s often the real problem: waiting for inspiration about where to start. A good way to jump start the mind is to brainstorm. If it is a one-person task this can be done very effectively by writing down ideas. The action of actually writing something, no matter how ridiculous it might seem, triggers more ideas and starts the creative juices flowing. Once that happens, it is much more likely that a solution will present itself, and much more quickly than simply waiting for an idea to pop out of the blue, or the truck headlights.An effective way to trigger some thoughts is to ask some questions and write down the answers: What exactly needs to be done? Why? What is important about the way it gets done? What is the long-term and/or short-term goal of doing it? Why is it important to you to do it?Before long, ideas will be flowing. After the main flurry of questions and answers, it is then possible to arrange and order them according to task flow and relevance. This can be done by creating a list of activities based on the brainstorming results, or, if the task is more complicated, it can be beneficial to create a diagram showing visually the relation of items to one another.Often the hardest part of doing anything is starting it, jumping into the seemingly unknown and trying to move forward. Pushing a pen or pressing the keys on a keyboard to get those thoughts going, often clears the path and shows we really do know how. When I remember it, approaching things this way can save me a tremendous amount of time and hassle.