How to brain dump your thoughts: Creators

How to brain dump your thoughts? Anyone, no matter in what field, benefits from this handy exercise. Find out how to use this powerful technique, clear your mind, and boost your productivity level. 

Being a blogger, and also making reels as a vlogger, I value finding ideas.  Creativity can be slow on certain days.  I need to balance productivity, with no burnout as well.

Writer’s block can happen to anyone.  Adopting the right habits helps.  In this post, I’ll highlight how braindump activity is a savior for content creators, as well as anyone else.

The gains aren’t just for creators.  It supports you in your personal and professional life.  Say not to mental clutter, and favor clarity and speed.

I often share techniques for blogger and digital solopreneur self-improvement.  In another article, I shared about the benefits of 6 thinking hats.  You may wish to find out more.

Why brain dump

As a content creator, you have lots on your plate.  Find out how you can make the most of the method.  In personal life, family, friends, and your peers need your attention.  With so much happening around, you need time to focus and think.

Mental clutter happens to anyone, at least sometimes.  Having a clear mind is crucial for creativity.  Taking regular breaks helps.

Burnout is a reality, and can also happen to anyone.  In chaos, you might forget to take a rest.  However, doing so is a must.

Poor time management skills delay progress. Develop the right habits and stick to them. Adopt handy proven techniques to work smarter.

How to brain dump your thoughts

To carry out the powerful technique, there are various ways.  Use handy exercises to facilitate achieving it.  Choose whichever best suits you from my list.

How to:

1. Freewriting
2. List Making
3. Consciousness Writing
4. Automatic Writing
5. Mind Mapping
6. Sketching
7. Collages
8. Photographic Dump
9. Speech-to-Text Software
10. Voice Recording
11. Voice Memos
12. Brainstorming Apps
13. Note-Taking Apps
14. Mind Walk
15. Journaling Prompts
16. Have a conversation (with someone)

Some ways are best for those who enjoy writing things down.  Others are more visual or auditory.  You can go for traditional manual methods, or choose apps.

If you try one out but don’t like it, switch to another. Consider your best learning style and format. For example, I like text and videos. Podcasts are good, but I tend not to use them often.

An overview of the listed ways

Use freewriting to capture your unfiltered thoughts.  List down your thoughts, ideas, challenges, and so on.  Through consciousness writing, write down a stream of thoughts, no matter how little or no sense they make.  Get a timer, close your eyes, and automatically write all that comes to mind.

Start a mind map with a topic and add branches to it. Use keywords and sub-topics to visualize your thoughts. Other visual ways are sketching, making collages, and photographing.

Coming to the more digital and less traditional approaches, you can opt for apps. Take notes, and record your voice. Speech-to-text apps are popular on phones. While some of these ways are text-based, others are in audio formats.

If you enjoy nature and need a digital detox, find inspiration in nature. Either jot down your ideas or record your voice. I believe it’s easier to talk while you stroll or jog.

Use journaling prompts to evoke specific things. For example, use them to find and work on your goals.  Some apps support it.

If you crave social connection, talk to a close one.  A trusted friend can understand and provide support.  Without judgment, you can open up and benefit from their point of view.

Illustrations for content creators

These are brain dump examples for content creators.  I’ll start with those for bloggers, and then move to vloggers.  Writing and making videos have some similarities, as well as differences.

When I blog, I have certain specific needs in mind. While vlogging, there are often other things to consider. Both also sometimes overlap and have certain common things.

Brain dump ideas for bloggers:

1. Find article topics 
2. Brainstorm article headlines 
3. Find better creativity 
4. Develop key points 
5. Outline and develop content 
6. List potential research sources 
7. Find quotes to support views
8. Find strong facts and stats
9. Ensure clarity and conciseness 
10. Plan preferred marketing channels 

Examples for vloggers:

1. Generate potential video topics 
2. Identify lucrative video series topics 
3. Structure content 
4. Find the best video titles
5. Plan your storytelling 
6. Plan and organize B-Roll shootings
7. Identify and avoid repetitiveness
8. Find the right CTAs
9. Refining content for better engagement 
10. Brainstorm potential collaborators

In your personal life, the technique helps as much.  Use it to clear your mind.  You may need it to organize your thoughts.  It helps to work smarter and for better productivity.

In another post, I highlighted tips for better success with idea generation.  You may want to read it to find out more.

Challenges and barriers 

It can be hard to find ideas.  Sometimes, maybe you experience a lack of inspiration.  It could then be hard to focus.  As I already mentioned in the post, apps are another source of help.

Using AI to brainstorm can be helpful.  It’s often quicker to find ideas.  However, if you aim for original content (as I do), do go through it.  Edit any notes manually, instead of using AI content as it is.  

While you can find certain things, such as topic ideas from AI tools, other things you can’t. Your personality comes from you as a person. Genuine thinking and human content are valuable, as they tend to stand out.

When you’re short of ideas, find others who can provide support. Talk to someone who can bring additional options. Join Facebook groups and Reddit forums. Clear your mind, and feel fresh outdoors.

I like to spend time in nature.  On my Instagram, you can find some of my reels.  My garden brings me serenity.

I enjoy using note-taking apps.  As I have them on my phone, I can jot down updates anywhere, quickly.  Paper notes are good, but I can’t have them with me all the time.  Misplacing important sheets of paper would be regrettable, losing information.

The methods of idea generation are all handy.  Find one or a few that you prefer.  Make the most of them for the better.  Read about the advantages and drawbacks of digital and paper planners.

Conclusion 

After reading about how to brain dump your thoughts, go for it. If you haven’t already tried the technique, there’s no better time to start than now. Bloggers, vloggers, other types of creators, and anyone else can benefit in life.