Visuals for a Better World
“Could this meeting have been an email?” Sometimes ….yes. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. When you need to meet, make it count. Maximize your time together – and bring a sense of usefulness, a higher level purpose, or connection in how you gather. Here are some quick tips to diagnose if this … Read more Things that are pretending to be good meetings – and how can visuals make it better
My first freelance facilitation project, twelve years ago, was for a 3-hour offsite meeting. I charged them 3 hours to design and facilitate a 3-hour retreat – but I charged them $25/hr because that was the hourly rate of the office staff. A grand total of $75. It was a rookie move. I remember some … Read more Business skills for creatives and graphic facilitators
When it started getting dark at 3pm, we knew it was time to reach out to our graphic facilitation community and compile our annual wrap-up post. This time last year, we asked what the field of visual practice needed to do next – but was avoiding. This year, we wanted to know what advice our … Read more How to Have Better Meetings in 2019
Updated September 2019 with some new titles! Summer is in full swing – hopefully this means you’re working at a slower pace lately, and maybe have a little extra time to flip a few pages at the beach. Personally, I’m trying to catch up on my reading-for-fun. I asked the Drawing Change team to send … Read more Our Favourite Visual Facilitation Books
It’s time for a Frequently Asked Questions! Summer roundup of questions I’ve been asked from folks new to the field lately: I’m new. How do get started as a graphic recorder? I love this question. Welcome, fellow visual thinker! Six opinionated ideas and highly subjective advice: Start. I want you to START drawing! I am … Read more How to Get Started as a Graphic Recorder
Most creative people want to make stuff, not run the business side of things. Maybe this is familiar: you’ve launched your visual practice business (great!) and it’s been more than a year (congratulations!) and now maybe you’re wondering – how do I get more of the work I really want? I’m home from teaching “Beyond … Read more Growing your Visual Practice Business
It’s time for the annual wrap-up from some of my closest graphic facilitation and graphic recording colleagues. Last year, we shared what we noticed about about human nature or communication (because we’re at hundreds of meetings!). This year, the questions are a little harder. Consider the work of visual practitioners we admire: how do they … Read more 2017 Trends in Graphic Recording
the Question Well tool Hello! We’re Jennifer Shepherd and Sam Bradd. We’re visual practitioners, educators and facilitators. We live across the country from each other in Canada, and have collaborated on a range of writing projects about visual practice in the last few years. This tool below is an excerpt from a chapter you’ll find … Read more Question Well: A Reflection Tool for Visual Practitioners
It was a great phone call to receive: would Drawing Change like to coordinate a team of 8 graphic recorders, to capture 54 sessions over 2 days with 2,500 business leaders from more than 100 countries. Absolutely! If you ever get a call like this, – or are hiring a large graphic recording team – … Read more How to Lead a Graphic Recording Team for Big Events
Visual practitioners, what techniques do you use to Listen for Diversity? Do you have a tip about how you work? Interested in seeing one of your tips spread wider? Take this 2-question survey! I’m hosting a session called Listening for Diversity at the 2017 International Forum of Visual Practitioners conference this June. I’m excited to … Read more Listening for Diversity – share your tips with visual practitioners
I’m a graphic facilitator, and I want to plant a seed for other non-Indigenous practitioners who work with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. The seed is Cultural Safety. Cultural Safety means that I work in a particular kind of way—with Cultural Humility—when I work with Indigenous people and others who are different from me. … Read more Using Cultural Safety and Humility to Become a Better Graphic Facilitator
Are you wondering how to edit graphic recording posters into digital files? You’re not alone. This summer, I had the privilege of mentoring some amazing folks new to graphic recording. They were not new to visual thinking, but new to using giant paper and working live. I loved hearing how they are excited to help groups be better … Read more How to Edit Graphic Recording Posters
People care when they see their ideas matter. And that’s why I love my job. Here’s my talk from Creative Mornings Vancouver. A big-hearted community creates this interesting, free breakfast event each month in 120+ cities around the globe. Proud to be part of @Vancouver_CM today + excited to announce @wacom‘s giving away #BambooSpark units #madewithwacom pic.twitter.com/a0XVM5p00h … Read more Graphic Facilitation at Creative Mornings Vancouver: Visual Language
I made this Creativity Planner for my Creative Mornings Vancouver talk and want to share it with you. This free, visual template can help you with creative goal setting. Because let me guess — you’re fantastic at brainstorming for your clients, friends, and others. But when it’s time for you to focus on your goals, you find … Read more A free Creative Planning visual template for you