To create a mind map, begin with a central theme. This is usually in word form. If you are using a mind map to take notes in history class, for example, your theme might be "World War II." Enclose the central theme in a circle and draw branches leading away from it. Write words along the branches that relate to the theme, such as "Hitler," "Pearl Harbor" and "Russia." Continue adding branches to these secondary concepts as necessary.
The creator of the mind map technique, Tony Buzan, recommends that mind map branches be drawn as organically as possible to emulate the functions of the brain, meaning the branches should be free-flowing and be thicker at the center and thinner at the edge of the map. He specifies that color should be used liberally when mind mapping, as color stimulates the imagination. According to Buzan, the words in the map alone are not important -- the images that the words conjure up are the important features of the mind map.
Mind mapping is designed to emulate the functions of the human brain. The map imitates natural human thought, jumping from one idea to the next quickly, and branching out from one idea into many related ideas. The technique was intended to make taking notes and recalling information from notes easier. Mind mapping helps the individual quickly gather the salient features of the central theme.
Mind mapping encourages creativity on multiple levels. Constructing the map itself offers a chance for creativity, as the physical map may be as plain or as artistic as the mapmaker desires. Recalling information from a mind map also offers an opportunity for creative thinking. The sparse format of the notes allows for the brain to make innovative connections between ideas related to the central theme from a visual perspective as opposed to the purely theoretical perspective utilized by traditional notes.