Mapping a Mess of a Mind

I specifically remember a day last year when I admired students' mindmaps and thought to myself "I wish I could do something and have it turn out like that but boy am I glad I don't have to do that, I can't even draw a straight line." Well...so much for that.

After receiving our first creative project assignment, of course- a mindmap, my brain began to flood almost immediately. The thought of connecting objects and ideas that aren't usually attached in any way, shape, or form seems a bit abstract and difficult to me. The funny thing is, I couldn't stop myself from trying to do it for hours after leaving class. I sat in the cafeteria and thought, "fork-prongs-tuner-piano-keys-lock-combination," or "cereal-flakes-dandruff-blizzard-shovel." I let my eyes wander in room, trying to mindmap my way so that my laundry basket connected to my jar of candy; my ipod to my accounting textbook. Connections are all around us, waiting to be made.

I am only beginning and haven't had the "AHA" moment of what my central concept is going to be, but hopefully I can get on a roll once I do figure it out and be able to connect ideas as easily as I could during lunch. And who knows, maybe my drawings will surprise even me. But, for now, my head feels like when my closet decides (or I allow it)to throw up all over my floor; a mess.