| What is creativity but making decisions as you go | | | | maybe performance-anxiety. Mind mapping does |
| about achieving a goal? What colour should it be, how | | | | break it down forcefully, but sometimes it is just not |
| big, what materials to use and so on? | | | | there. The desire is missing. Walk away for a while - |
| Does it matter whether the first approach is perfect? | | | | it will come. Above all - do not agonise, never ever |
| No - look at cars and how they have improved. But | | | | agonise. A left-brain dominated project is never |
| without a starting point, we would still be nowhere | | | | spontaneous although it may be more or less |
| with automotive engineering. And so it is with writing, | | | | acceptable. But when the magic is missing it's not |
| design, even cooking. | | | | right. |
| Some clever editor told me recently that I trivialised | | | | Be decisive: "This is what I feel is right now. I can |
| mind mapping by referring to it as brain dancing. I told | | | | always come back to fix or improve it." Be bold - you |
| him that Tony Buzan who first created the process | | | | can go back. Once you have something you can |
| called it brain dancing. He was after software to help | | | | review, you are over halfway there. Never simply |
| him with it and I asked him: Why bother? Just do it. | | | | stare at the ceiling waiting for the light-bulb moment |
| Now - with the screen and keyboard as an element | | | | to hit you. Grab it - as Willie Nelson says: "The music |
| added to the mix, surely it will slow you down? | | | | is all around us. You just have to take it out of the |
| Creative thinking is quick and must flow easily. | | | | air. |
| Creative block has many sources - staleness, stress, | | | | |