Brighten your Day with an Appreciation Map

This time of year in the US many of us think about what we appreciate as the holiday season begins. Even with covid, especially with covid, I have found that cultivating a practice of appreciation boosts my mood and energy.

Appreciation helps me put things into perspective, remember my privilege, and slow down to recognize all the beautiful things happening around us every day. 

To really cement this practice, shockingly, I like to map out visually what I appreciate. 

Even if you’re not “artistic” – there are simple ways to use size, color, and layout to make your notes more visual.

Last week I gave a brief overview of these tips in my Digital Visual Notes workshop as a “watch party” from the session hosted at ShapingEDU’s LearningHuman last summer. 

Here’s the link to the free one-hour session packed with ideas and tips to make your digital and analog notes more visual!

Why take the extra visual step? To boost memory, helping manage overwhelm, create deeper understanding, and for seeing patterns.

So, I encourage you to take 5 minutes and doodle out what you appreciate. Just write or doodle what comes to mind when you ask yourself: 

What do I appreciate today? 

Not keen on grappling with a blank sheet of paper? You can use this template. And if you want to learn to draw a turkey, click right there – both links take you to more resources on appreciation and gratitude.

I APPRECIATE YOU! 

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Currently in the midst of UNICON 2020: A global Executive MBA conference hosted by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. Here’s a snapshot of a Miro board I designed for an interactive session for over 400 participants!

Queer Student Panel: This intimate and authentic panel of students in the LGBTQ+ community at Regis University was by students, for students. They curated a space where new connections were made and stories were shared honestly and humbly.  

The Newest Drawing Connections illustrated video is out for the National Park Service! Take a journey through the history of Castillo de San Marcos in Florida and find out how it is affected by climate change.

Where is YOUR Team’s Energy Going? One Way to Clarify for Sure.

Have you ever thought about something, then a few days or weeks later, that little thought has popped up in your life as a reality?

It’s such a treat to experience “energy flows where attention goes” -- in my personal life, and with groups using the graphics I create with them.

The visuals serve as focal points for groups to make connections or build shared agreement, illuminate a previously murky story, and reflect on their experiences together. They can also become “professional vision boards” for the organization to keep what’s most important front-of-mind among the complex systems they’re working in, for the coming weeks, months, even years.

It’s delightful to notice when thoughts seem to bring things to life, and for me it’s important to take time to appreciate them. Paying attention and offering gratitude is one of my favorite ways to stay centered, especially in the crazy times (cough, holidaze anyone? Click that link for some strategies to take it on with style and grace).

This week, as folks across the US take time to practice gratitude, I’d like to say I’m SO appreciative for you, my readers! Even if we haven’t met in person, you matter to me and I put my energy into these missives because you’re worth it! So, here’s a favorite from a few Novembers past – let’s draw turkeys!

Looking for ways to focus your team’s attention on what matters most?

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your partnership, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers,

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

I’m on vacation this week! Thanks in advance for slower than usual response times. Here’s what’s been happening in November:

Denver, Colorado: For the second annual Water in the West Symposium. Professionals across the food, environment, and municipal landscape discussed solutions to the challenges around water in the high desert.

Scottsdale, Arizona: With an executive leadership team. While I can’t share what I captured, here’s a digital welcome illustration I created for the first morning.

Denver, Colorado (again): To graphic record a visioning and relationship-building workshop for the Housing Innovation Alliance Live Round Table. The Alliance brought stakeholders together and designed a conversation-based day to ideate around the concept of creating Attainable Housing for All.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: When the office is the children’s science museum, you know it’s going to be a great day. Explora Museum brought me in to capture hands-on presentations about how to integrate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, ARTS, and math) into early childhood education!

The CSU Powerhouse: Graphic facilitating for leaders in Colorado’s hydrogen energy development. The group shared the state of the science and explored Colorado’s potential to lead the path toward massive decarbonization by using hydrogen.

In the Studio: Working on several studio illustration projects. Here’s a snapshot of a digital illustration for the team at IPBES to bring the words and details of their capacity-building strategy to life!

Annual Gratitude Shower of Goodness

Hi Blog Readers,

I am SO GRATEFUL you're here!

This is one of my favorite posts to write, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that having an Attitude of Gratitude makes life absolutely splendid (also, if you click that link you can learn to draw a turkey!).

Time and again, when I’m focused on appreciating, that’s when I tend to attract exactly what I need. And the more I practice being grateful, the more I want to give!

There are a limitless number of ways you can cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude. Sometimes I make a list (love those), sometimes Spencer and I will go back and forth sharing things we’re grateful for when on a long drive, and sometimes I think about it when I’m exercising or painting.

This year, I want to give you a little Gratitude Doodle. You can write, draw, doodle, leave it blank and just think about what you’re grateful for… this downloadable image is for you (right click, save and print!)!

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, Karina

Want to thank your people? Let’s talk about how to use visuals to create meaningful gifts for speakers, employees, bosses, and more!

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

The Studio

This week and last have been full of a big studio project for Colorado State University’s new Women and Philanthropy initiative. I’ve been listening to focus groups of women of different generations (Traditionalists to Generation Z) and capturing them visually. These illustrations will be used to show themes and inform the University about how women want to give back!

New Mexico

Today I’m headed to Albuquerque to graphic record for the New Mexico Breastfeeding Taskforce Summit – they’re all about providing resources to hospitals, clinics and other healthcare hubs to support breastfeeding mothers.

The Attitude of Gratitude

Good morning!

It's almost Thanksgiving, a time in the US where family, friends, and sharing time together are front-of-mind for many people. We appreciate what we have around us and take a moment to fill our hearts with gratitude (and our bellies with home-cooked meals).

I have a lot to be thankful for. And it's no secret, but I've found this to be true on so many occasions I cannot toss it up to chance: The more I appreciate the things around me, even the tiny things like finding a penny on the street, the more I find to appreciate, the more good things seem to come my way. (Side note: every time I see a coin on the street I pick it up and give a little thanks for the abundance in my life.)

So this week I encourage you to take a moment to be grateful for something, even small things, throughout your day. Find a trigger and think of something that makes you feel appreciation -- maybe it's when you look at your phone, or get up to get a drink of water. Just take a quick moment to give thanks for something or someone in your life. Heck, if you notice it makes you feel good or you're attracting more people or things you enjoy, keep it up through the new year and beyond!

This week I'm sharing some tips as a visual facilitator on drawing a little turkey, starting with some simple shapes. Add as much detail as you like! And if all else fails, you can be grateful you're not a turkey.

(Hint: click on the image below to see the larger version on the blog)

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Now I want to hear from you!

Have you noticed a shift in energy if you have an attitude of gratitude? Do you have any tips on shifting from a funk to focusing on appreciation?

Upload your Sketch in the comments section below to share your unique style and inspire the community! And of course, any questions, epiphanies, and requests for future ConverSKETCHes!

If you liked this tip, please sign up for my emails and if you'd like, share this with people you're grateful for -- you never know how a kind word might affect someone's day.

Thanks for tuning in! Keep drawing and making your beautiful, authentic mark on this world!

Cheers, Karina



Grateful for your team and want to make your next meeting incredible? Get in touch with me to talk about your vision and how graphic recording can help people see how they depend on each other to get work done, and then let them know how much you appreciate them!

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

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Ever wonder what it looks like to see a graphic recorder in action? Here I am capturing key ideas from a group of more than 80 citizens talking about important issues about Downtown Fort Collins. The event was facilitated by CSU students trained by the incredible Center for Public Deliberation.

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And we're getting a new kitten! Here she is in all her tiny glory!