dangling ideas

Methods & Tools

Centering

Mindfulness (aka zazen or non-doing). Currently this is a series of entries around my efforts to learn the quieting practice of zazen. See also, the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist who teaches mindfulness as part of stress-reduction. (JKZ video: Mindfulness Talk at Google (2007)

Visual

Index card: spontaneous, with color pencils and rhyming words

COPY patterns to enter the space of Another (Kuba Krazy)

Doodle (on the computer, as with the Illustrator doodle above, or by hand)

Mind Map. A tool for brainstorming and divergent thinking as I free-associate. Most fun with colored markers. (Example)

Kerouac on Spontaneous Writing (or Drawing, I think)

Diverge or Converge?

Sometimes it just isn't clear if I should be focusing in with a clear plan and end in mind or if I should be organizing to let something surprising break through the surface. A doodle-diagram gave me a start in thinking about this:

diagram

The right-hand column seems to more goal-oriented: "Write a novel." "Enter a photo contest." "Retool my website." It's about putting aptitude and skills to work.

The left-hand column is more about working a mystery. I think I've been here, mostly trying to figure out a new technology or how to start/finish a difficult project. But I'm sitting here thinking that I don't have enough tools to do this justice.