Similar to what we did yesterday,but now we will select one side of the map and take it a step further. While this happens, you may get another word or two for the original word. That is ok, just try to limit that so that we get a little further from the original (another degree of separation). These are a little harder to explain in words, so I will post mine immediately.
Try to at least come up with 12 new words today (meaning you might have one word for one circle and six for another). There are no goals for individual existing words like there were yesterday. Just set your associative mind free. Have fun and good luck.
You can see that I had the word āmyth/legendā associated with vampire come to mind during this exercise, so I added it (coded by Red Cirlce/Blue Text). The rest of the new words are Red Circle/Black Text.
This brainstorming is a fascinating medium for looking directly into other peopleās minds and seeing where the associations led. In fact itās a fascinating medium for looking at our own minds - the links seem to come out of nowhere (an argument against free will?)
I agree! I almost put in the instructions to not feel like you have to justify the words you wrote because they just sort of happen. I really like that symmetry and soldier derived from the same word and that ultimately they came from āsimpleā
In this case the goal is quick fire thought. So it shouldnāt take you ten minutes. Itās all about letting your gut lead with the first 12 words that come to mind. It is learning to trust your instincts.
You are correct. This practice is helpful in building unexpected associations. Word associations, when unique or unexpected, are a really helpful tool. It is similar to the ladder exercises and the linking exercise, but this one is relying more on gut intuition. For instance, from yours you now have āangstā, āfadeā, āmirrorā and ātrain wreckā all connected through the core dream. You have ādevilā, āchiselā, and ātoy pianoā connected through synthesize. Those are very interesting. As you continue, you can take all of these words and begin to link them in interesting ways to help you form lines. Youāll do that beginning on day 5 of mindmapping.
So something like āThe train wreck fades to angst in the mirror of some Indiana dreamā, I think, is a pretty neat line. If a song started that way, it would catch my attention. The same for something like āThe toy piano in the corner, the chisel blocking off your shoulder/Synthesize the devil, knocking back another bottleā.
Hopefully, these exercises allow you to have a quickly made boneyard of words that all share something at the core, even if it is many degrees removed. Then you can fill in the blanks.
This can be a great exercise if you are having a really busy day and only have a few minutes to practice.
Jodi Picoult (A novelist) has a famous saying: āYou can always edit a bad page. You canāt edit a blank page.ā All of these exercises are trying to focus on various ways you can stay away from a dreaded blank page. Jason Isbell often talks about how the best songs arenāt really written so much as edited into existence.
