Tales from New Jersey Part 2: What I Decided to Step Into and How It Went

Have you ever shared something that seemed like second nature to you, but when you shared it, people were delighted and learned something new?

Last month I got to surround myself and learn from others in my professional field at the International Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) conference. Here’s part two of my reflections from the event on where the field is headed and where I’m showing up.

For the first time, I presented a breakout workshop during the conference. At IFVP, I’ve always seen myself as a newbie, even though I’ve been a graphic recorder and facilitator for more than 8 years. I love teaching and facilitating, and I thought it was about time I offered something from my perspective back to my community. The topic? Email marketing that feels authentic AND builds your business.

Stepping into my expertise felt GREAT. People had a blast and applied what they learned. I may have flossed (the dance move, not the dental hygiene…At least not during my workshop). Sharing things that seemed obvious to me were revelations for my audience, and it was a treat to get to share more of my quirks and winning humor with my captive audience ;).

So I encourage you to consider: How might you stepping into ownership of your knowledge? How are you giving back to your community? Whether it’s volunteering or simply offering smiles to strangers, you can have an impact far greater than you know!

Want your meetings to have a greater impact? Let’s talk about how visuals can elevate engagement, understanding, and action at your event!

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 World is ConverSketch?

CU Boulder: Teaching a short-course on basics of visual communication and graphic recording for the Master of the Environment summer program. These students got it right away and immediately jumped in with two feet to re-design infographics on agriculture in Boulder County.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Back with the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force to support a Summit on Maternity and Infant Care for professionals across the state. A favorite session and graphic recording chart was on Mindfulness Meditation as a tool for self care. Namaste!

Aspen, Colorado: For the 10th annual Tech Policy Institute Aspen Forum! I learned about and scribed everything from “tech-lash” to cryptocurrency regulation to AI and machine learning and the role policy plays

Use This Handy Trick to Get the Hang of Drawing a Face in Profile

One thing that’s always been a challenge to me is drawing faces, and especially…the dreaded profile!

While not altogether needed in most live graphic recording work since I’m focusing on capturing the content high-speed so you can see what you’re talking about, sometimes I find myself wanting to draw a cool perspective, or have a bit more time to do some detail work, and don’t want my cool illustration of your ideas to end up looking like this:

Work by Picasso. Just in case you thought it was mine.

Wait…that’s actually pretty nice…

Anyway, you get the point.

So, I did some research and found this handy little trick to help with where to put all those little features that make up our faces…like eyes and noses.

This is just a beginning guide. Get creative! Experiment with different shapes of noses. What happens if you change the eyebrow ridge above the eyes? What can you do to make it look more male or female? Younger or older? How can you add emotions? Have fun and play with it!

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

You've got the team, I've got the markers. Let's talk about your next event that could use a touch of visual storytelling.

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

Currently: Near Baltimore, Maryland capturing a training on management and communication for the NSA. So yeah, I can't say much about it at this point... Other than it's always a good day when you figure out how to work in the Lion King.

Also:

The CSU Center for Public Deliberation is one of the gems that makes Fort Collins unique. I’m fortunate to be a graduate of the student training and continue to be involved as a Community Associate and help out facilitating or graphic recording for various dialogue and deliberative processes they facilitate. Earlier this month they put on a session called Beyond Partisan Politics: The Power of Authentic Engagement. During this session we learned the neuroscience behind why it’s so easy to get trapped in the downward spiral of False Polarization, and tips on how to have a productive conversation, even if you don’t agree with someone. Here’s the graphic recording chart from the evening.

Here's Why I've Been So Quiet Lately

With a warm heart…hello!

July and August have been packed with adventures spanning opposite ends of the spectrum… Starting and ending with two incredibly detailed explainer videos to be prepped and filmed in half the time it normally takes. I’m super stoked to share these videos because I experimented with new techniques and styles. They are scheduled to come out early in September, and you all will be the first to know when they are fresh and viewable!

In the midst of the video-making came a trip to attend the annual IFVP conference (aka the gathering of My People).  In my next newsletter I’ll be sharing my top insights from the meeting of the thought leaders and innovators I was lucky enough to draw, learn, and laugh with for three days.

After returning with a full mind and heart and nailing the second explainer video, gears shifted entirely when we packed up and trucked off to Idaho to raft the Middle-Main Salmon River for 11 days. Yep, that meant no cell service. No internet. We didn’t even have a satellite phone. Just the music of the river, the canyon wrens, our friends’ guitar and fiddle, someone calling “fish on!” and a few hot springs bubbling up along the way. Seriously.

It always amazes me how easy it is to fall back into the rhythms of our most basic needs: food, shelter, staying safe. And, more deeply, the need to connect genuinely with the earth, with ourselves, and with those around us. While it may feel counterintuitive or stressful to completely unplug, especially as a business owner, each of us that DO can immediately feel the power of giving ourselves this time to be present, disconnect and make room for some white space. That time to let ideas mull in the background and bubble up to the top of your very own mental hot spring can give rise to some of our most important and powerful ideas.

I always bring my paints on river trips and this time I was more intentional about making time to draw. Trust me, between rowing, unpacking the boat and happy hour, it takes discipline to get the paints out! Here are a couple of my favorite plein air sketches for you to get a sneak peek this week before I go posting them on Instagram. If you haven’t already, follow me there @ConverSketch for more behind-the-scenes graphic recording and watercolor shenanigans.

Adieu for now. It’s good to be back.

Click on the images below to see the larger versions on the blog.

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I'm on a boat! Here I am in my plein air river studio -- the 12 foot raft I got to row down the Middle-Main Salmon. Lots of gratitude to my amazing husband for outfitting me with the sexy boat + setup for this trip!

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A post-trip shot of a two page spread of our camp where Indian Creek (on the right) joins the Middle Fork of the Salmon (on the left).

If you liked this, please sign up for my emails and if you'd like, I'd be so grateful if you shared it with your friends!

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




Need someone to be the balance between focused and creative for your next event? Click to get in touch about your next meeting or event that could use a touch of graphic facilitation magic.

Complexity - 3 Reasons to Draw it Out

Hey folks!

Lately I've been working as a graphic recording artist with clients with complex ideas -- things like greenhouse gas accounting, a Bitcoin start-up, and a Colorado medical care group trying to increase efficiency and communication across regions.

So today I wanted to share some reasons why getting visual can help you move forward on that dauntingly complex project, idea or conversation. I've also put together a sketch to help you start by yourself, or you may want to map things out with the help of a graphic recording artist.

1. Feel less overwhelmed. If you've got a start up, or a strategic plan process to put together and facilitate, or a group of movers and shakers in the room to work on a challenge, it can feel overwhelming to see the big picture. Start getting all those ideas, questions, connections and resources down on paper (or whiteboard). You'll be amazed to see where you have the most energy, where to focus resources more effectively, and how next steps appear when you start to organize your ideas visually.

2. Simplify your message. Getting all the moving parts drawn and written out shows you your strong points and can illuminate what I like to call your Soul Purpose -- the core reasons for what you're working on. From there it's easier to refine your story and get it to your audience.

3. Get on the same page. Often when a bunch of smart people are in the room, the conversations are lightening quick and full of energy. Mapping out the key ideas of the conversation makes sure that each person in the group is using the same language and any underlying assumptions are more easily clarified for a more productive meeting and shared understanding.

Now, here’s this week's drawing tip:

If you're not sure how to get started, try a mind map. Start by writing the main idea or topic in the middle of a page or board, draw a circle or rectangle around it, then write related or supporting ideas around it using lines and circles to connect them. Using different colors and connecting lines can help you keep track of themes and relationships too. For example, red might mean lots of energy or a challenge, and blue might mean a positive connection.

Wondering how to give those little people a curious, determined look? Find out how to add emotions to your drawings and why that helps your memory of the conversation!
 
Ready to give it a go?           (Hint: click on the image below to make it larger)

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Now I want to hear from you!

Have you ever used a drawing to map out a complex idea, by yourself or with a group? What helped you get started, even if you were feeling overwhelmed? 

You can 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 friends you think might need help drawing out a complex project.

Thanks for reading! Keep drawing YOUR inspiration, whatever that looks like for you to make your unique, positive difference in the world!

Cheers, Karina




Do you need help mapping out your project or clarifying your Soul Purpose? 
Get in touch with me to schedule your private Visual Mapping Session and get energy and momentum to move that idea forward!
 

Things are getting high-tech around ConverSketch headquarters! Something new will be coming to the ConverSKETCH emails...can you guess what it is? No, it's not a mountain bike tuning tutorial...even though that is a bike stand...Stay tuned for more!

ConverSKETCH - Draw on the Power of Emotions to Connect to Your Audience!

Hello and welcome to this week's ConverSKETCH!

It's been a full two weeks since the first ConverSKETCH was sent out, and I have been inspired by your stories about how you've been using the drawing tips!

From enhancing student understanding with whiteboard drawings in higher education, to encouraging nephews to get creative with drawing their family and pets, I have loved hearing how you're taking these tips and making them your own!

Research shows that graphic recording, drawing and doodling helps you be more creative, collaborative and understand ideas better. Did you know it helps you remember nuggets of information better too? And this week's drawing tip will help you make your drawings even more memorable!

Now, here’s this week's drawing tip:

Did you know that if you associate a memory or idea with an emotion you're more likely to remember it? Now that you've mastered drawing people, try adding some emotion to their faces to really get your idea across. (Did you miss the first ConverSKETCH? You can see it on the blog!)

Not sure how to show the difference between surprise and scared? Use eyebrows to make emotions pop in your drawings.
 
Ready to give it a go?

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Now I want to hear from you!

Come on over to the blog and upload your drawing in the comments section to share your unique style and inspire the community!

What variations did you come up with? How are you using this Sketch? And of course, any questions, epiphanies, and requests for future ConverSKETCHes!

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Last week I went to Mexico City to work with BASF Chemistry and IdeaGuides for a creative brainstorming session...EN ESPAÑOL! While I can't say much about what they talked about, I can share this image above of some of the brainstorming methods they used. 

Fun fact: the phrase for "brainstorm" in Spanish is "lluvia de ideas" which translates to "rain of ideas"!

Did you like this drawing tidbit? 

Please sign up for my emails and if you'd like, share this with all your friends you think might enjoy some fast, free and fun ConverSKETCHes!

Thanks for reading! Keep drawing, and do the best you can to make your unique, positive difference in this world!

Cheers, Karina