Marney's Musings:
Maps for Magic and Metaphors
Artellagram 10-4-12




Recently, four year old Kai and I were having a conversation in which he explained to me the difference between the brain and the mind. He said, as if it was plainly obvious, "Mommy, you know. The mind is for 'think in'. The brain is for 'think out."

Naturally, I asked him to elaborate and he explained to me that "think in" was for when you already knew something and didn't have to think too much; "think out" was for when you didn't know something and had to think about it. He seemed to assume that this was obvious, and was a bit surprised that I didn't immediately follow his logic.

This funny incident got me thinking about thought, and, specifically, what does thinking look like? Whenever we can document our thinking process in visual form, we bring forth clarity, insight, and awareness.

 I think this must be why I enjoy creating maps so much: they put abstract thought into visual form. You can make a map for anything and everything. Maps tell us both where we are, and point us to where we are headed. Maps blend time and space, and tell us where we are in time, and when we are, in place.

In Mapping and Mentoring with Marney, we use a set of maps as tools that combine planning, progress, and productivity. We design maps for The Islands of Why, the Islands of How, and the Islands of Now. When a particular challenge comes up for an individual in the small group, we often map that, too. I believe that mapping opens us up to magic as we create time and space for our dreams and desires.

I love this particular format so much, because it combines the personalized, live attention from one-to-one coaching, yet also is bolstered by the supportive group atmosphere that allows you to witness others' individual growth, as well experience as the support of the small group as a whole.  I have found groups of 5 to 6 to be an ideal mix for this, and so all Mapping and Mentoring groups are kept to this small and very intimate size. It's a great way to nurture, as Kai would say, both the "think in" and "think out" process. :-)

“How we remember, what we remember, and why we remember form the most personal map of our individuality.”
– Christina Baldwin

If you’re intrigued by the idea of what creative mapping might do for your project, goal, or creative business, you might like to take a look at Mapping and Mentoring with Marney, which begins its 4th cycle on October 30 (applications due October 15). If you’ve begun to have a sense of direction of where you'd like to head, but could use an expert hand to guide you, this innovative program provides the structure and support to help you reach your goals quicker, more efficiently, and with greater results than doing it all on your own.

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