Maps of the Imagination

This is one of my favourite books I have read over the holidays, and has influenced my work/ideas for this unit quite a bit...

I was interested in ideas about maps and 'mapping the self' and so this was such an interesting read, linking the making of maps to literature and creativity in the arts in general.

I found so many amazingly enlightening things from this book that I even made mind maps of little interesting snippets and quotes, as it gave me so much to think about. 

TO LEARN HOW TO READ ANY MAP IS TO BE INDOCTRINATED INTO THAT MAPMAKERS CULTURE.

One of the main things that I am taking with me on this project is the idea of BLANKS.

The first chapter, A LANDSCAPE OF SNOWS begins with how we start with a blank; A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES.

So many interesting points such as: blanks being left intentionally, decorating maps as opposed to displaying knowledge, not having every piece of every information, hiding knowledge and secrets; maps represent the need for our information, but how much do we need to show, reveal?  

It also mentions a lot about blanks in literature for example The Great Gatsby, 'writing on the principle of an iceberg, there is seven eighths underwater for every one eighth that shows'...

Hiding connections, creating ambiguity, creating a narrative...