The Clothesline Method

A Simple System for Tangled Thinking

The Clothesline Method is a deceptively simple, tactile system designed to help thinkers—especially neurodivergent ones—externalize, clarify, and organize complex or messy ideas. It began as a personal practice: hanging blank cards and written notes on an actual washing line strung between trees. Over time, its underlying logic revealed a deeper structure rooted in mathematics (specifically, geometric series) and became one of the foundational tools of the Mangrove system.

1. Just Start

Begin with what you’ve got. Scribble thoughts on cards, notes, or sheets—half-formed or otherwise. The key is to get it out of your head and onto the line.

2. Externalise and Spread

Pin your notes onto the line—real or digital—without overthinking. Let the spacing between them create rhythm. You’ll start to see clusters, gaps, patterns.

3. Emergent Structure

From this external spread, clarity begins to emerge. The line allows for fluid reordering, grouping, and combining. It’s not about premature structure—it’s about surfacing what’s already there.

4. AI-Powered Reflection

Within Mangrove, AI can now assist: summarizing, tagging, or prompting next steps. But the system remains human-first—playful, visual, and calming.

Whether used as a digital framework or a physical kit, the Clothesline Method helps you move from chaos to coherence—one peg at a time.