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150+ Different Names for a Brain Dump

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Synonyms for Brain Dump - find 150+ alternate names | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #collections #bulletjournal

I don’t mind the term ‘brain dump,’ but I know many people don’t like it. Which got me thinking – what are some different names for a brain dump?

I use different names for brain dump all the time each month (or quarter) I tend to include some sort of thought-catching page. Though I didn’t realize it, I’ve done this in my bullet journal from the very beginning. I have to confess that since coming up with this list of alternate names for brain dump, I rarely title the page ‘brain dump.’

Here are some alternate names for a brain dump. I’d love to know what you call your recorded thoughts! Leave a comment below on what you call your ‘brain dumping ground’ page.

Edited – Originally Posted 05/09/2019

Need a different name for brain dump? I've organized 150+ alternate names for brain dump - perfect for your bullet journal or planner | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

What is a brain dump? And all things brain dump + 150 different names for brain dump | ChocolateMusings.com

First of All – What is a Brain Dump?

If you’ve never heard of or done a brain dump, it sounds weird. In my experience, you can do brain dumps in several ways. One way to think of it is downloading your thoughts from your head to paper or electronically so you can categorize them and organize them. Once you’ve written down everything flying around your head now you can sort through the information and ‘mine the diamonds in the rough.’ Meaning to pick out the good things and pursue them.

Another way to brain dump is to focus only on one topic and write about it. Though concentrating on one topic might be more brainstorming instead of brain dumping.

For a more in-depth explanation about brain dumps – check out this post.

Alternate Names for Brain Dump - Header | ChocolateMusings.com

Alternate Names for Brain Dump

Need a brain dump synonym? Though I’m 100% positive that this list is not exhaustive, it’s a good start. I’d love to hear your ideas – if you have a different name for a brain dump, leave me a comment below.

What names have you seen or brain dump page names you’ve used. I’d like to see your creations, too if you’re inspired by these different names for brain dump – tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

General

  • A to Z (a little doodle of Amazon’s arrow logo might be fun for this brain dump page)
  • All the Things
  • All the Things in My Head
  • Hello Thoughts
  • Jots & Tittles
  • Landing Page
  • Let me Sleep (this brain dump name is perfect if your thoughts keep you up at night)
  • Meeting of my Mind
  • Mind Tricks (Magic tricks come to my mind with this alternate brain dump name)
  • Mind Unzipped (wouldn’t this be a fun illustration?)
  • Mindless Wanderings
  • More than Just Shower Thoughts
  • Musings
  • Musings & Mutterings
  • Recorded Thoughts (this brain dump alternate reminds me of an 80’s tape deck)
  • Sandbox
  • Shower Thoughts
  • These are Mine
  • These Thoughts
  • Thinking
  • Those aren’t voices; they’re my thoughts speaking to me
  • Thoughtful Things
  • Thoughts – Everybody has Them
  • Thoughts Anonymous
  • Wander through My Wonderings
  • Wonderings
  • Write it Down! If you’re like me – you might need an instruction to write it all down instead of trying to remember the details. Sometimes you just need to a reminder to write it all down.

If You Feel Like the Thoughts are Neverending or Your Brain is Whining

My brain usually does this when I’m trying to sleep. I keep a notebook and pen beside my bed and just write things down. Here’s a little secret – I don’t even turn on the light when these thoughts keep me up. So you can imagine the mess on the page when I try to re-read what I wrote. And in all honesty, these thoughts are rarely worth keeping since they are more worries or things I already know.

  • Don’t Judge My Thoughts
  • My 2-Year old and My Brain are alike – They Both Whine (of course you can substitute for any age that whines at you, 16 year olds, 12-year olds, 47-year olds. Whatever you need to compare it to)
  • My Brain is Whining Again
  • Anti-Meditating
  • Anything Goes
  • Free Your Mind
  • Get it all out
  • I’m trying to Quit…Thinking
  • Information Relay
  • Inner Monologue
  • Internal Broadcast
  • Brain Exclamations
  • Nonsense
  • Where Did That Come From?
  • Odds & Ends
  • Peculiarities
  • Random Thoughts
  • Straight out of the Brain
  • Stream of Consciousness
  • Stuff

Creative Names for Brain Dump

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the creative ideas just flow. There were literally times where I sat down and wrote an entire year’s creativity-based ideas in about 10 minutes. So naturally, I like to title these creative bursts appropriately so I can let my creative juices flow. Now, there are a lot of ways to illustrate each of these ideas.

  • Creative Juices
  • Crafting my Awesome
  • Creative Muse
  • Creative Space

Idea Generation

If you use your brain dump as a brainstorm page as well, you might need a page focused more on idea generation. Here are a few names for brain dump which focus on generating ideas. If you’re digging for treasure (in your thoughts, of course) look through the treasure/pirate section as well!

  • Fabulous Finds
  • Idea box
  • Idea Log/Journal
  • Think Outside the Idea Box

Lightbulb

  • Light bulb factory
  • Light switch
  • The Lights are On

Gold / Pirates / Treasure

  • Nuggets
  • Brain Nuggets
  • Thought Nuggets
  • Nuggets of Awesome
  • Pot of Gold
  • Thoughts of Gold
  • Gilded Thoughts
  • X Marks the Thought
  • Pirate Map
  • Mind Map / Mind Mapping (make it look like a treasure map)
  • Treasure Trove
  • Diamonds in the Rough
  • Diamonds and Coal
  • Treasure at the end of the rainbow
Pirate theme Treasure Map Brain Dump | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Travel

  • Train of Thought
  • Flying Through my Thoughts
  • Zoom
  • Zooming Thoughts

Weather

  • Brainstorming
  • BrainStorm
  • Down Pour
  • Lightning Strikes
  • Winter Thoughts
  • Spring Thoughts
  • Summer Thoughts
  • Fall Thoughts
  • These Thoughts Keep Falling
  • Thoughts Keep Springing Up
  • Thought Tornado
  • Snowflake Thoughts (because each one is unique!)
  • Stormy Thoughts

Zen

  • My Tangle of Zen
  • Too Tangled to Zen

Dark

  • Don’t Go There
  • Dark and Dreary
  • Dark and Dreary Wilderness
  • Mind-field
  • Fettered Mind
  • Unfettered
  • Do Not Enter (Police Tape Theme)
  • Outer Darkness
  • Brain Limbo
  • Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections

Animal / Bees

  • Barrel of Insights
  • Barrel of Thoughts
  • Buzzing Thoughts
  • Fluttering Thoughts
  • Idea Farm
  • Idea Keeper (like a beekeeper)
  • Untamed Thoughts
  • Wild and Untamed
  • Wild Thoughts Can’t Be Tamed
idea keeping is like bee keepeing

Creepy Crawly / Halloween Brain Dump Alternatives

  • Brewing Thoughts
  • Haunted House of Thoughts
  • Monsters in My Head
  • Spider’s Lair
  • Spooky Thoughts
  • Tangled Thoughts
  • Tangled Web of Thoughts
  • What’s Brewing

Harry Potter

Harry Potter themes provide a treasure-trove of different names for brain dump. Some of my favorites (so far) are:

  • Catch the Golden Snitch
  • Chamber of Secrets
  • Chamber of Thoughts
  • Fantastical Thoughts and Where to Find Them
  • Horcrux
  • I Think I Need Another Butterbeer
  • Magical Maladdies in My Head
  • Magical Thoughts
  • Maurader’s Map of Thoughts
  • Mischief Managed
  • Quiddich Field of Thoughts
  • There’s a Quaffle in my Brain (Someone let it out!)
  • Tom Riddle’s Diary

Beach / Water

  • Beach It!
  • Beached Thoughts / Beached Ideas
  • Deep Thoughts
  • My Pool Runs Deep
  • Pool of Thoughts
  • River of Thoughts
  • Shell we Think?
  • Submerged
  • Swimming Thoughts
  • Think Tank
  • Thought Waves
  • Wading through Wonderings
  • Water under the bridge
Floral Doodles Bullet Journal Theme - Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #doodles #bulletjournal #braindump

Plants

  • Berry Picking
  • Idea Jungle
  • Idea Tree
  • Field of Thoughts
  • Idea Berry Bush / Idea Bush
  • Wilderness of Thought
  • Finding Roses Through the Thorns
  • Prickles in my Brain (Cactus)
  • Garden of Thoughts
  • Maze of Thoughts
  • Seeds of Thought
  • Don’t get boxed in, grow your way out
  • Idea Bush – Let your Ideas Grow
  • Delectible Ideas
  • Hot Dog! Those are a lot of thoughts! or (Hot Dog! What a good idea!)
  • Fruits of my Brain
  • Pot o’ Honey
  • M&Ms (musings & mutterings)
  • Thoughts are Poppin’
  • __________ Pieces (include your name – for instance: Tricia’s Pieces)
  • Seedlets
  • Seeds of Thought
  • Grape Thoughts
  • My Thought Vine
  • I Need Chocolate for these Musings (Can you tell where I got this idea?)

Science

  • Brain Waves
  • Radio Waves
  • Spectrum of Thoughts

Space

  • Brain Warp
  • Thoughts at Warp Speed
  • Galaxy of Thoughts
  • Out of this World Thoughts
  • Flyby Thoughts

Money

  • Penny for your Thoughts
  • If Time is Money, Thoughts Make Cents!
If time is money, thoughts make cents! Different Name for Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #bujo

Cartoon / Book / Quote

  • Think, Think, Think (like Pooh Bear)
  • Curiouser and Curiouser
  • Where the Wild Thoughts Are
  • Dump it to Crumpet
  • Fifty Thoughts Freed
  • Not All Who Wonder are Lost
  • Mindcraft / Mindcrafted
  • One Thought to Rule Them All

Games

  • Scribble Scrabble in My Head
  • Scrabble Tiles
  • Word Search
  • Crosswords
  • Know When to Fold ’em (Know when to keep ’em)
  • Brain Games

Gray Matter / Brain Anatomy

  • Wandering Through theBrain Folds
  • Gray Matter / Grey Matter
  • My Gray Matters
  • Cranial Purge

Close to the Name “Brain Dump” but Just Different Enough…

  • Brain Farts (though this doesn’t sound much nicer than brain dump – I thought someone might get a kick out of it)
  • Brain Dumping Ground
  • Download
  • Mind Dump
Idea Tree - Alternate Name for Brain Dump for your Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #doodles #lightbulbs
Hate the name brain dump? Me too. So I came up with 150+ different names for brain dump - perfect for themes in your bullet journal or just to change it up! | Chocolatemusings.com
Need a different name for brain dump? I've organized 150+ alternate names for brain dump - perfect for your bullet journal or planner | ChocolateMusings.com

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

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How to create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadows #tombowmarkers

Using shadows under lettering or around art creates a 3-D effect that can make your pieces come alive. They stand out against the background and create interest. However, creating shadows is the tricky part. Here’s how to easily create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers.

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

This tip is one I quite accidentally discovered. I discovered this trick while filming my July Plan With Me Video. I used Sticky Notes to block off areas of the page and watercolor paint around them. Well, let’s say I was a little bit too liberal with the water. And let’s face it, sticky notes don’t block all the water or ink. It’s a fun technique to try, by all means, but it is not one to use if you want solid, straight lines when you peel them off.

After peeling off the sticky notes and revealing a slight mess underneath, I decided to try to make the page look 3-D. Like I punched out pieces of the paper, and there was a shadow cast down below.

  • Near Bullet Journal Failure! Peeling away the (supposed) blocked off areas - what a mess! How do I clean it up?
  • Fixing the issue with faded drop shadows gives the page a cool look and transforms the mistake! | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #bulletjournalfix #mistake

Supplies You’ll Need:

Supplies you need for creating perfectly blended drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #blending

Tombow Marker Fun – Combining Colors

Tombow Dual Brush Tip Marker Bouquet | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarkers #markers

You’ll know that combining colors is fun if you’ve ever experimented with Tombow Dual Brush Markers. One marker essentially absorbs part of the pigment from another marker if you press the tips together or mop up the color from a palette like a paintbrush.

One nice thing about Tombow markers is that they are self-cleaning. Use the brush tip (or bullet tip for that matter), and the absorbed pigment fades into the marker’s regular color. If using a dark color with a light color, there’s no residual effect except you might be left with a bit of staining on the tip of the light-colored marker.

Colorless Blender Marker – The Key to a Perfectly Blended Shadow

Tombow Colorless Blender - The Key to Making Perfectly Blended Drop Shadows - tips, tricks & how to create perfect shadows using the Tombow Colorless Dual Brush Marker | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarker #dropshadow

Up until now, I never used the colorless blender for anything other than attempting to blend two colors together. (Which, by the way, I find only works well on marker paper – not even 32 lb super smooth paper.)

But then a stroke of genius hit me! If I absorb some gray into the colorless blender, the gray will fade automatically to clear. Which is precisely the effect I wanted! The colorless blender is the key to creating a shadow that softly fades away with your Tombow markers! And you can do it without rubbing holes in the paper by blending too. You can even create faded drop shadows without water.

Watch the Video to Create Perfect Fading Shadows with Tombow Markers

Watch the July Plan With Me Video

The inspiration for creating faded drop shadows using Tombow Markers. See the mess I made & how the drop shadows cleaned up a mistake.

Here are some examples of what you can do using this method to create shadows with your Tombows:

  • Shadowed Boxes + Blended Handlettering with Tombow Dual Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #lettering #weeklyspread
  • Boxes for appointments and to-dos, large spaces for writing and notes below - I love the flexibility of bullet journals! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weeklies #weeklies
  • Minimal watercolor Weekly - Bright colors + drop shadows make the colors pop on this page | ChocolateMusings.com #weeklyspread #bulletjournal #bujo
  • Large boxes on this weekly spread take care of your appointments and to-dos. Bright, fun colors keep you interested | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weeklyspread #weekly

How You Can Easily Create Shadows Using Tombow Markers (2 Methods)

If you press the tips of the markers together, the colorless blender will absorb some of the pigment from the other pen and will mark with that color until it runs out. I found two easy ways to create this effect.

Method 1:

Create a perfectly blended drop shadow - kiss the colorless blender + gray Tombow Markers together then use the colorless blender - you'll get perfectly shaded drop shadows! Get the full tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #tombow

Kiss the markers together at the tip and slowly rotate the colorless blender, so it is evenly saturated all the way around.
Now line the area with the tip to get the darkest shadow against another object or mark. The pigment will eventually be used up, and you’ll have to ‘refill’ the colorless blender with more gray and complete your shadows.
Don’t start in the same place every time – you’re most saturated pigment will always be at the beginning. So if you need to evenly distribute a shadow effect, start at the top one time, and the bottom another time.

Method 2 (Shown in the Video):

Scribble on a plate with Markers to absorb a different color on the tip of the marker - the color will slowly fade away as you use the marker - Get the full blended drop shadow tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #tutorial #howto

You could scribble the gray marker (or another color) on a palette or plastic bag or plate (like the ceramic plates from your kitchen). Then roll the tip of the colorless blender around to absorb the pigment.

The example video above uses this method to create shadows with the Tombow colorless blender. Because it the fastest way to cover a larger area. I found pressing the tips together took much longer than scribbling on a plate because of how often I had to refill my shadow color. But if you don’t have a plate or palette, then, by all means, use the first method.

Notes:

By the way, you can do this with any water-based marker. The process is the same!

Question:

What other ways do you use the colorless blender marker from Tombow?
If you want to learn how to handletter using Tombow Markers – check out my workbooks below!

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Large Brush Tip Markers

From Drab to Fab #2 Finishing off the Fancy Title – Part 2

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Now What?

In the earlier drab-to-fab headers post, I showed you how to create a header for a page – I use my fancy headers like this on collection pages where I might spend a little more time creating the page because I will refer back to it time and time again. The header looked great ‘as is’ but outlining around the edges of the text is another fun way to enhance the look of the header. Now we will create a border for the header.

Read the original post – “Have 10 Minutes?” 10-Minute task list, clear your mind and the clutter.

Create a Border for the Header

You could call it good. And it would be good! I decided to go a bit further and outline the outline of the text – essentially creating a border for the header. I had all the swirls and flourishes in place – so I knew where the edges were.

Step 1: Outline

To create this outline, don’t worry about all the nooks and crannies of the text, just stay an equal distance away from the edges of the design or text.

Step 2: Blend in a Shadow

After I did that, I wanted some edges on the outline so I could color it in almost as a shadow – but with the same blended technique used on the number 10. I did this just to add more color because the blue blended so beautifully together. So I added more lines along the bottom and the right sides of the outline. Then I added more and more outlines for more depth. I’ll use these lines to know when to start the color blends.

The darkest blend will be the closest to the outline in this case since that is where the darkest part of the shadow is. But you will still start with the lightest color on the outside then blend darker and darker.

Create fancy titles - add even more emphasis by outlining and color blending behind the title, create a border for the header and make it stand out even more!

Finishing off the Page:

Sub-Headers & Mind-Maps & Task Items

Sort the 10-Minute Tasks into categories by location and create headers for the categories. For my collection, I laid this out mind-map style (start in the middle with the main item, then sub-items expand out, then add list items beyond the sub-headers). I like this method because no one sub-header has more importance than other headers so I don’t neglect the tasks listed at the bottom and only do the items at the top.

I am practicing a new all-caps font so it was a perfect opportunity to do some extra practicing. If you look closely, you can see that I needed to move a couple of tasks. Whiteout tape is a good source for quickly masking mistakes.

So there you go! Please let me know what you think and what you do to dress up your collection pages.

Dress up your Bullet Journal Collections with Fancy Titles - step-by-step instructions to create this one + Printable

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully and don’t be afraid to find your inner muse.

~Tricia

Save this layout to Pinterest for later – while you are at it, follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration!

Follow @ChocolateMusingsCreates

From Drab to Fab #1 – Headers, Calligraphy & Outlines – How to Make Fancy Headers Part 1

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Turn a Drab-Looking Collection into Something Fabulous by Adding a Fancy Header

I love to make pretty headers for my bullet journal. Here’s a guide to dress-up your collection. Organizing the information in the journal is another way to make it pretty. I like lists, but I also enjoy variety (thus a huge reason why I like bullet journaling – I can change things up every single day for variety). Here are some ways to make your lists ‘pretty’ or just change-up the format.

But I also know that another key part to refer back to information is to make it look amazing. Making fabulous headers is a very easy way to dress up the page – especially if a majority of the content is a list. I realize that a lot of lists are day-to-day tasks compiled on Daily Spreads or Weekly Layouts. Not every list needs a fancy header. Personally, I just list those out and check them off when done. Because the next day or the next week, I turn the page and rarely refer back to that page again.

Dress up your Bullet Journal Collections with Fancy Titles - step-by-step instructions to create this one + Printable

A Collection is Different

A collection is something that you’ll probably refer back to time and time again and probably won’t be recreated regularly. These are the ideal page to dress up the titles and organize your lists into unique spreads. A collection is a little more special than a calendar spread. So it can look a little more special.

Side note: I have (for over a year) kept my collections intermingled with my weeklies and monthlies. Since starting my new journals, I have a planning journal and a permanent collections journal and I love it!

Learn to create fancy titles like this in your bullet journal, includes step-by-step instructions + a printable

10-Minute Collection – Title

I created the “Have 10 Minutes?” collection page in my Bullet Journal on a whim. I started making a list in Google Keep on my phone (you can read the post here and a follow-up here) but then I decided to move the content over to my collections in my Bullet Journal because I knew I would use (more) it if I wrote it down.

My ideas are best started in pencil. Just like a rough draft when writing a paper, the pencil provides a good outline, but you can change it easily as the ideas develop and progress.

Ways I Dressed Up the 10-Minute Collection:

  • Title – added a fancy-schmancy title with blended colors outlines and swirly-twirly flourished fonts
  • Sub-Titles – separate sub-titles for each area of my room help organize the page
  • Organized Lists – Classify each item and list them under the correct sub-title
  • Mind-Map Layout – Change up the layout – the title doesn’t have to be at the top. Put the title in the middle of the page and spread the sub-categories out and around the title.
  • Uniform Font List – use a uniform font to write out all the items in the collection

Dressing Up the Title:

The Number

Starting with the number – I wanted that to be big and bold but have a unique look. I looked through my font list on my computer and chose Algerian. I think this is a pretty standard font on most computers. If not – you can find it on fontsgeek.com or myfonts.com or a variety of other font websites. I chose this font because it was thick in parts, thin in others, I liked the flip on the 1 (the serif) and the line on the right side kind of like a shadow.

I sketched out the number and made it bolder than the referenced font so I could blend colors from lightest at the top to darkest at the bottom and have more space to color it in.

Tip: draw inspiration from fonts, but if your font doesn’t look exactly like what you see – now it’s yours.

Create fancy titles - start with a pencil outline in your bullet journal and add the words

Blending Colors

Start with the lightest color as the base when blending. Then add the next darker color slightly overlapping the lighter color and so on. I added black to the bottom in this case. Use the lighter color to smooth the edges. Then use the colorless blender or a water pen to further even-out the color. Don’t blend too much or you might make the paper pill.

Tip: Blending colors can sometimes make messy edges on the outside. Outlining the text after blending can ‘clean up’ the lines or disguise uneven edges.

Create fancy titles - blend the colors together

Finishing the Blending

I find that I when I use the next lighter color to blend – it ends up looking more even. But sometimes you need to use the colorless blender to smooth out the edges. The blending marker I have has a stained tip, but if you clean it after each use (just rub it along some paper until it goes clear) it will be fine. I have noticed that the tips of the lighter colors will stain, but that doesn’t matter.

Flourished Text

After sketching the number, I wrote the text in script font. But I didn’t add all the flourishes. I wanted the word ‘have’ to mingle in and out of the numbers – so I could rearrange the text to adjust placement. Once I liked the layout, I added the flourishes with a pencil. After working through the flourishes, I added the thick and thin lines of the text.

Normally I’d have used a brush pen to make the thick and thin lines, but I decided to use a mono pen and thicken the lines on the downstrokes because I thought it might be hard going across the center of the two pages.

Tip: Anytime you pull the pen or marker down, that would be the thick line. When the lines turn up or are horizontal, those are the thin lines.

Create fancy titles - outline the main text, then fill in the downstrokes on your faux calligraphy

In the next fancy headers post, I will show you how to outline the text and finish off the spread.

If you’re just anxious to have the header, you’re in for a treat. I have it available in my shop! Click here to visit.

 

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully and don’t be afraid to find your inner muse.

~Tricia

Save this layout to Pinterest for later – while you are at it, follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration!

Follow @ChocolateMusingsCreates

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Want to know what I used in this post? I’ll tell you. (Contains affiliate links – if you click-through and end up purchasing a product, I receive a small commission – though the cost is the same to you.)