Mapping

A visual brainstorming technique used in improv and creative practice to stimulate lateral thinking and engage specific creative faculties. Drawn primarily from Tony Buzan's Mind-Mapping method, the technique offers improvisers a way to make their brainstorm process spatial and visible rather than purely verbal. In rehearsal and devising contexts, performers use mapping to externalize associations, drawing connections between ideas, themes, or character relationships on paper, flipcharts, or Post-it Notes. The process encourages "off road" thinking, as Robert Newton describes it, bypassing the linear habits of verbal brainstorming to activate different creative muscles. Beyond individual preparation, mapping also appears in ensemble work: groups can collaboratively chart the emotional terrain of a scene, trace narrative threads, or explore thematic connections before stepping into performance. In applied and business improv settings, mapping extends to strategic planning, where participants visually chart obstacles, goals, and collaborative pathways to achieve outcomes. The technique's value lies in making the invisible architecture of creative thought tangible, allowing improvisers to discover unexpected associations that purely verbal or in-the-moment approaches might miss.