When we capture a thought we give it a form or representation. This form is not the thought any more than the map is the land that it represents. However, it is very convenient to work with the form, as the thought may be stored and changed in a reproducible fashion this way. To capture is to map the fleeting nature of thought to words, image or equation. Capturing is achieved by using a symbol system from one of these areas and making a representation using those symbols. Before we discuss representations and forms, we need to summarize some general aspects of thoughts.
In what shape do thoughts come to us? A right-brain thought is an image. In your mind's eye you see a parent or a house you once lived in, a goal you want to achieve, a picture to paint. Images can come from past experience or be created consciously using visualization, a technique to create images which will guide your actions and perceptions (Gawain).
If you want to transfer an image to someone else, you will need to either capture it as image, transform from the visual world to the world of words, make a mathematical model, or diagram it. In the first case you will need a medium (paper or computer) and tools that work within that environment (Edwards). Your internal image becomes an external picture with colors and shapes.
Transforming an image by mapping it into words is incomplete, as words represent the commonality of humanity and not the uniqueness. Each word represents an aspect of human experience that is communicable (Fuller note on words). By connecting many words we aim to enable another human mind to share our image. In this ways some images become stories (with beginnings, middles and ends) and other thoughts become descriptions.
Another tool for transforming an image to paper is by a diagram or map. Diagrams contain entities (defined by words or equations), and have explicit or implicit structure between the entities. So we can say that diagrams represent relations between distinct aspects of an image. Maps and diagrams represent the connections and differences between entities. This process is known as visual thinking (McKim).
Making mathematical models requires identifying or isolating variables (the kind and quantities of species in a park), measuring the values of these variables, choosing equations to represent the value (typically over time), and testing the model against the data (Starfield et al).
There is a range of structure, with the more structured being easier to communicate, while the less structured is closer to our experiences. Each style of representation has strengths and limitations. One purpose of this paper is to help make you aware of how you capture thoughts, refine them, and make representations.
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