Clustering
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Clustering is a technique of producing texts recommended by the school of 'creative writing'. The supposition is that everybody has lots of fantastic ideas inside their brains which only wait to be put to paper; the problem being that one side of the brain won't let the ideas out of the other side of the brain.
So here's the theory: while fetures such as creativity are located in the right hemisphere of the brain, abilities such as logical thinking are stored in its left hemisphere. As a result, as soon as the right side of the brain says, 'I've just thought of something which you might call really brilliant" the left side goes, 'now, you wouldn't reaaly think of writing this stuff down, would you? It doesn't make any sense!" In other words, all our bright ideas are censored by our own brains.
This is what clustering recommends: just switch off the rational part of your brain for some time.
How do you do it:
1. Prepare your desk by getting the largest sheet of paper you can find, as well as a pen, colured pencils, and writing-paper. Also, you will need someone staying at your side who is not about to switch off any part of his body.
2. Relax. Get really distracted. Listen to music, talk to the sane person next to you. Don't think too much about what you are about to do.
3. This is where the clustering starts. The person next to you gives you a word, which you immediately write down on the large sheet of paper. This word can be close to anything - it may be easier to start with basic words such as 'love' or 'fire' or 'flower', but it doesn't matter really.
4. As soon as you have the basic word, go berserk on your sheet. Any association that comes to your mind, write it down. You link the associations by connecting lines. Mind you, these associations do not have to make sense! Try to let your subconscious out of its cage, don't censor your own thoughts. You do this for eight minutes. By that time, a huge cluster should have materialised on your sheet.
If, during this time-span, you feel rational thinking popping up, or you are just stuck somewhere, your assistant should immediately yell at you, slap you in the face, or, if you're into that kind of thing, give you a little equation to solve, for purpose of distraction.
5. Now you've got your cluster and about two minutes to form an idea about what you are going to write. If you haven't had the brainwave yet, look at your associations, combine them, choose the thread of words that appeals best to you.
6. Write your text. Its form/length/subject is whatever you choose it to be; just remember that a)the writing should be done in about 12 minutes and b)you are still switched to subconscious mode but, in order to actually write the thing down, you will now slowly reactivate the better half of your brain (and try not to laugh at that thought).
7. You're done! Store your text; you should wait at least a day before re-reading it/editing it/flushing it down the toilet.
So here's the theory: while fetures such as creativity are located in the right hemisphere of the brain, abilities such as logical thinking are stored in its left hemisphere. As a result, as soon as the right side of the brain says, 'I've just thought of something which you might call really brilliant" the left side goes, 'now, you wouldn't reaaly think of writing this stuff down, would you? It doesn't make any sense!" In other words, all our bright ideas are censored by our own brains.
This is what clustering recommends: just switch off the rational part of your brain for some time.
How do you do it:
1. Prepare your desk by getting the largest sheet of paper you can find, as well as a pen, colured pencils, and writing-paper. Also, you will need someone staying at your side who is not about to switch off any part of his body.
2. Relax. Get really distracted. Listen to music, talk to the sane person next to you. Don't think too much about what you are about to do.
3. This is where the clustering starts. The person next to you gives you a word, which you immediately write down on the large sheet of paper. This word can be close to anything - it may be easier to start with basic words such as 'love' or 'fire' or 'flower', but it doesn't matter really.
4. As soon as you have the basic word, go berserk on your sheet. Any association that comes to your mind, write it down. You link the associations by connecting lines. Mind you, these associations do not have to make sense! Try to let your subconscious out of its cage, don't censor your own thoughts. You do this for eight minutes. By that time, a huge cluster should have materialised on your sheet.
If, during this time-span, you feel rational thinking popping up, or you are just stuck somewhere, your assistant should immediately yell at you, slap you in the face, or, if you're into that kind of thing, give you a little equation to solve, for purpose of distraction.
5. Now you've got your cluster and about two minutes to form an idea about what you are going to write. If you haven't had the brainwave yet, look at your associations, combine them, choose the thread of words that appeals best to you.
6. Write your text. Its form/length/subject is whatever you choose it to be; just remember that a)the writing should be done in about 12 minutes and b)you are still switched to subconscious mode but, in order to actually write the thing down, you will now slowly reactivate the better half of your brain (and try not to laugh at that thought).
7. You're done! Store your text; you should wait at least a day before re-reading it/editing it/flushing it down the toilet.
