Mind mapping
Visit the mind mapping page on the Learning Lab for more information about how to create a mind map..
Artist statement: mind mapping
If you don't know how to start writing your artist statement, mind mapping words and ideas that relate to your creative practice is a good way to visualise concepts and create relationships between them.
Mind mapping activity
This activity is best done on paper, however, if you have a mobile device with a drawing app, you can create a digital version in the same way.
For your artist statement mind map, get your creative work together and look at it as a whole before you start. This can help you to identify key themes and the development path of your practice.
Read other artist statements (see Artist statement: written examples), as these can help you to think about tone and vocabulary for your own writing.
Think about the following topics and how they relate to your creative work.
- Audience/purpose – who are you writing for? What is the purpose of the statement?
- What: Think of words that describe the format of your creative work, materials used, ideas and themes explored.
- How: Think of words that describe methods, process, and techniques you use in your creative practice.
- Why: What is the reason for your creative practice? Why is it important to you and your community?
- Context: What is your place in a continuum of creative practice? What are your influences and where do your ideas come from? Think of words or phrases that describe where you are in the world and how this affects your work.
Materials
Paper and coloured pens/pencils or any digital drawing application on computer or mobile device.
Write down words and ideas that relate to your practice.
The image shows handwritten text, "Me as a Textile Designer", in a box in the centre. Various branches of sub-topics are handwritten around that text.
Some of the sub-topics include:
- Daily search
- Botanicals
- Guache
- Pencil
- Methodical
- Collective goal
- Collage
- New technologies
- Craftsmanship
Organise:
Once you have some words written down from the first part of this activity, you can organise related ideas. You may prefer to keep working on paper or drawing app for this stage or start grouping your ideas into a text document. Using colour pencils, highlighters etc. can help you to visualise the relationships between words and ideas.
As above, the image shows handwritten text, "Me as a Textile Designer", in a box in the centre. Various branches of sub-topics are handwritten around that text.
In this iteration, sub-topics are highlighted in different colours and linked together into groups.
The groups are:
- Ideas and inspiration
- Future
- How
- Value and beliefs
- New approach
Group the words and ideas that describe aspects of your practice.
As above, the image shows handwritten text, "Me as a Textile Designer", in a box in the centre.
There are five branches leading from the center, each labeled with a question.
The branch labeled "What is your approach to design?" has the following sub-topics:
- Color combinations
- Motifs symbols (everyday things)
- Personal creative dialogue
- Botanicals
- Nature strips
- Suburban architecture
- City/wildness connection
The branch labeled "What inspired you?" has the following sub-topics:
- Soft forms to convey emotions
- Soft structure
- Mood/meaning associations
- Craftsmanship/hand processes
The following items under "new technologies" are labelled as "processes"
- Processes:
- Natural fibers
- Hand dyed yarns
- Knitting
- Experimental & fresh
The branch labeled "What values or beliefs underpin your work?" has the following sub-topics:
- Ideas energy flow
- Collective goal
- Enthusiasm
- Full drop collective
- Holistic: concept to product
The branch labeled "Where do you see yourself in the future?" has the following sub-topics:
- Change in industry
- Smaller considered manufacture of textiles
- Australian designer/makers
- Sustainable
The branch labeled "How do you work?" has two groups of sub-topics:
The first
- Lino
- Gouache
- Pencil
- Ink
The second
- Stamp
- Cut
- Collage
- Methodical
- Constructed
Identify topics:
These will form the sentences or paragraphs for the next stage of the process.
This image refines the previous image, it still has the handwritten text, "Me as a Textile Designer", in a box in the centre. There are five branches leading from the center, each labeled with a question. Each branch has a list of sub-topics and a label underneath.
The branch labeled "What is your approach to design?" has the label "DAILY SEARCH & CREATIVITy". The following sub-topics are also diaplayed:
- Color combinations
- Motifs symbols (everyday things)
- Personal creative dialogue
- Botanicals
- Nature strips
- Suburban architecture
- City/wildness connection
The branch labeled "What inspired you?" has the label "INTEREST IN PERSONAL NARRATIVE". The following sub-topics are also diaplayed:
- Soft forms to convey emotions
- Soft structure
- Mood/meaning associations
- Craftsmanship/hand processes
The following items under "new technologies" are labelled as "processes"
- Processes:
- Natural fibers
- Hand dyed yarns
- Knitting
- Experimental & fresh
The branch labeled "What values or beliefs underpin your work?" has the label "COLLABORATION". The following sub-topics are also diaplayed:
- Ideas energy flow
- Collective goal
- Enthusiasm
- Full drop collective
- Holistic: concept to product
The branch labeled "Where do you see yourself in the future?" has the label "HUMAN & RELATABLE". The following sub-topics are also diaplayed:
- Change in industry
- Smaller considered manufacture of textiles
- Australian designer/makers
- Sustainable
The branch labeled "How do you work?" has the label "SMALL BUSINESS".
It has two groups of sub-topics:
The first
- Lino
- Gouache
- Pencil
- Ink
The second
- Stamp
- Cut
- Collage
- Methodical
- Constructed
Further resources
Further resources
Mind mapping an artist statement
Explore these skills in a real world context.
