I Just Can’t Wait: Eight Great Ideas to Celebrate!

Hey mate, ConverSketch is 8! Building my business as a graphic recorder has felt like fate, and I want to state a few of the most influential ideas I’ve been reflecting on as of late.

Okay, okay, I’ll quit with the rhyming…for now. Here are eight of my top insights over eight years in business that can be applied to creative work, or living in a fulfilling way no matter what you do.

1.       Follow what feels right: Do what feels right to you, not because everyone says that's what you should do.  And listen to that intuition (this is a biggie for me)!

2.       Say Yes: To new opportunities to learn, co-create, and feel a little uncomfortable. Those moments are often the most memorable or lead to bigger shifts. For me, this has meant investing in professional development toward digital graphic recording, marketing, video editing, and deepening my scribing practice. It’s also okay and very important to say No to some things.

3.       Focus on what you want: I love the saying “Energy flows where attention goes”. Focus your energy on what you want to accomplish, develop, or nurture, and watch how those ripples of energy come back to you!

4.       Have fun! Need I say more?

5.       It’s okay to do “nothing”: More and more I’m seeing research on how important it is to walk, stare, let your mind wander, doodle, and do “nothing”. This unscripted time is sometimes challenging for me to wrap my head around, but taking time away from a project often leads to breakthroughs or a different, more creative approach.

6.       Also working at it every day: No matter what your “it” is, build time to practice something you want to improve or cultivate. Marie Forleo calls it “hugging the slog”, and Hugh McLeod says “Creativity is not a talent, creativity is a drive.”

7.       Authenticity shines: We all know the Comparison Game is deadly, however I’ve found surrounding myself with a Brain Trust of colleague-friends I can ask for advice or look to for inspiration has been a game-changer! I’ve also practiced knowing my value…and over-delivering!

8.       Find Your Passion: Figuring out what you’re most excited about can help set you apart from other people who offer similar services. I am LOVING building creative partnerships with my clients where we can learn, reflect, iterate, and improve how visuals support processes and outcomes before, during, and after events.

BONUS: The more you give, the more you get: Be generous, over-deliver, and share. Blue oceans are more fun than red ones.

If you’ve been here a while, some of these might seem familiar. There are beautiful patterns in life and having the privilege of being in business for a longer period means some of those patterns are beginning to reveal themselves. If you want to dig into the archives, here are links to…

7th Anniversary

6th Anniversary

5th Anniversary

4th Anniversary

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. Woo-diggity!

Cheers,

Where in the World is ConverSketch? Here’s what I have on my plate while turning eight:

New Video Release! The Drawing Connections series for the National Park Service is back! This time, let’s take a trip down to Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve in the bayous of Louisiana to get a taste of the culture, landscapes, and proud history of the area!

Dallas, Texas: With a corporate leadership group redefining their future and roadmap! I can’t share the full drawings with you, so here’s a closeup of a little friend on the journey.

The San Juan Mountains: We just got back from a couple nights in the backcountry with great friends, some powder snow, and lots of laughs. Here’s to wild places, wild friends, and keeping a little balance (literally and figuratively, when you’re on a splitboard!).

Sustainability Research 2.0: How They’re Using Graphics After Workshops. Here’s what Future Earth did with visuals and photos from our systems thinking workshops last year focusing on the future of sustainability science and research!

A Finished Watercolor Commission! Now that it’s with its new owner, I can share this watercolor painting I’ve been working on over the past few months. Redwood Magic | 16x20 inches

Warm Wishes from ConverSketch

Many of us are wrapping up loose ends (and presents!) this time of year in the states, getting ready for holidays. The same is happening here at ConverSketch – one major thing I’m working on is reflecting and planning for the new year.

However, that’s for my next newsletter, because I haven’t put the finishing touches on some custom tools to help you do some visualizing too. Can’t wait? Here’s what we did last year.

This week as things have started to wind down, (also partially thanks to a wicked cold, partially because of a deadline to get a commission painting done before the holidays) I’ve had some time to pick up my paints again.

And I remembered how much joy it brings me to play with water and pigment, and create my interpretation of the dazzling beauty of the natural world.

So, this week here’s a little painting I did for a friend. And a little reminder to take a deep belly breath (go ahead, do it now), and take a moment for you to do something that brings you joy during the holidays. Because that joy will shine to everyone around you, and is a gift in itself!

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?

New Jersey: With a new team as they co-created a shared mission, vision, and priorities for the next year. Although I can’t share content, here’s a snapshot of the visual agenda I created to set the tone for the day.

Las Vegas: With a group of data center industry leaders examining trends and sharing ideas. Again, I can’t share most content, but I can share this engaging presentation on social media.

In the Studio: Working on an illustration with the CIO at University of Pittsburgh to share his strategic vision with the rest of the Pitt community!

What’s Best for Your Event – A Graphic Summary or Chart for Every Session?

Often graphic recorders come prepared to capture every session in detail. However, sometimes we can be of greater service to the group by producing a single summary illustration of the high-level content of the entire day.

How do you decide which is the best approach for you? Here are a few ideas based on how I’ve partnered with clients to create the best outcomes for their specific needs.

Capturing in more detail is helpful when:

-          It’s important to capture many different perspectives and viewpoints to show all voices are heard and/or begin drafting a map of the landscape the group is working in.

-          Part of the event will be knowledge downloads, and part of the event will be tapping the wisdom of the room to address a challenge or problem. Having the information presented posted around as charts helps participants build on and remember what was shared as they develop solutions and next steps.

-          There are juicy keynotes or panels you want to capture and post as a gallery during and after the event to maintain momentum and inspire action with the group.

-          Groups will be taking ideas from plenary and developing them further in breakouts and need details to work with.

One chart for one hour of content from a panel — this was one of many graphics created over the day.

A summary graphic can be more useful if:

-          You’ve got concurrent sessions and only one graphic recorder. I often work with clients to design processes for staff or participants to capture key ideas and help me integrate them into the summary.

-          There is small group work without reporting back every time.

-          You want a slightly more polished piece to share during and after the event in reports, etc.

-          The content is sensitive but capturing the overall process and high-level ideas is valuable for participants. Sensing and holding the energy in the room is important for the process. I become part of the container for the group to move through their path, and the graphic summary can also hold that energy.

An example of a two day summary of back-to-back presentations for Houston Methodist Neuroregeneration Summit.

There are many ways to leverage a graphic recorder to best support your group. I love working with my clients leading up to the event to make sure the graphics are tailored to your needs and help move you toward your goals.

And sometimes, this is a “yes, and” situation – it’s important to capture content from each session, then after the event, I’ll work with clients to co-create a visual summary of the key messages to share moving forward.

Have an event coming up? Let’s connect and brainstorm the best ways to leverage visuals for lasting impact and engagement!

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?

Denver, CO: For the closing session of Regis University’s Orientation Forum. New students reflected on a day experiencing different parts of the Denver community, and shared what kind of community THEY wanted to create together over the next year…and beyond!

Washington, DC: With the Democracy Fund to begin creating a systems map of our country’s democracy. It was complex, challenging, thought-provoking, and the hearts and minds of the people in the room are extraordinary! And another example of a summary of content from the entire day.

Newest Watercolor Video is…Heat Illness: Fun for everyone, right? Here’s a video from the National Park Service on how to safely prepare for fun outdoors even in the heat of the summer.

Crossing the Divide – How to Find Common Ground Among Diverse Perspectives

Whether it’s national politics or internal to your organization, we all hear stories about polarized viewpoints, and the challenge of working across silos.

At the same time, we know that diversity is not only healthy, but also builds resilience when things don’t go as planned.

So how do you harness the inherent tension that bringing diverse perspectives, and potentially combative ones, together to build a strong, shared path forward?

Here are four suggestions for finding common ground from my experience as a graphic facilitator:

-          Create space for context setting and relationship building. Often overlooked or dismissed as “wasting time”, building in time at the beginning of the event, as well as throughout, to clearly outline the “why” of the meeting and for participants to get to know one another allows for more ease when conversations get difficult.

-          Put more time than you think into developing questions to surface shared values, such as “What is important about the work we do?” can provide a window into the group. Having a few open-ended questions like “What should we do about __________?” provide space for participants to surface concerns or solutions the planning team might have missed, but are integral to moving forward successfully.

-          Build in less structured time. This is another piece that often feels like a “waste” of time, but is vitally important to cultivating trust and creativity. This is especially true if much of the agenda will be presentations or panels – you’ve invested in bringing all these important people together to work toward a goal, now give them the freedom to use those brains and hearts to do the work!

-          Draw it out with the intent of surfacing shared ground. Graphic facilitation or recording is a tool to leverage to literally show the group where they’re in agreement. Partnering with a graphic facilitator who can work with you to listen and capture through a particular “lens” to help surface shared values or tensions helps the group keep track of complex, moving parts to build a shared picture of what’s important.

Have you been looking for common ground on an issue? Click that button to explore how we can leverage visual tools for lasting success.

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?

The Colorado Front Range: Working with a public health team and their partners as they evaluate an assessment to use the data to support the community, and hospital managers to think more deeply about building trust in their teams.

In the Studio: Painting up another explainer video for the US Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS). This video will be available in October, but for now, here’s another look at a video created for the RMRS last year.

My Biggest Takeaway from a Workshop in Visual Practice Might Surprise You. It Sure Surprised Me.

As a visual practitioner, I attend a LOT of meetings and workshops. Last week I flipped from business-as-usual (I mean, as usual as it can be for a visual practitioner) to step into a workshop as a participant rather than facilitator or recorder.

Hosted by Kelvy Bird and Alfredo Carlo, I found myself surrounded with people who I consider thought leaders and experts in the field. Over the course of a few days, I’ve begun to make a profound shift in the way I approach this work, and on a deeper level, provided conditions for me to examine how I show up in this world and what that means for the work I do for my clients.

The Visual Practice Workshop exceeded my expectations and pushed me to think more critically than I have in a long time, which means it’s going to take more than the couple of days I’ve had to process. I expect that what I’ve learned will be infused in these emails/posts moving forward, and I’m excited to catch and ride this wave of learning and pushing myself.

Most of all, I’m looking forward to what the things I’ve learned and explored this week mean for my clients. Applying new models to facilitate understanding of the group and their ideas, moving into a deeper practice of partnership with my clients, and cultivating/holding awareness in and around my groups are filling my mind and heart with potential.

For now, what has settled in most deeply is the power of Breathing. Probably not what you were expecting, right? Me either – life is funny that way.

Whether it’s taking a deep breath at the beginning of a session I’m scribing to truly listen to the bigger message before jumping in, or taking a deep breath to allow myself the time and space to think at a more systemic level about ConverSketch or the challenges my clients are tackling, or reflecting on the cyclical nature of systems and what we can learn from them. There is much to learn from breath and I’m ready to dive in with you!

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

Cheers, Karina

Interested in testing out how to apply some new approaches to this work?

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

Phoenix, Arizona: Last week before heading to Portland, I spent the day with the ASU Technology leadership team to continue supporting them as they build their organizational culture.

Illustrated video for NPS: Today I’m in the studio for the National Park Service filming another public service announcement about how to fish smart and be healthy. You can watch the other finished PSA’s here.

Picasso Made Me Do It

I love this quote by Picasso because at first you think he’s being totally shady, then you realize…as Austin Kleon put it “Nothing is completely original. All creative work builds on what came before.”

I completely subscribe to this way of thinking, although it took a bit of getting used to and more than one "harumph, I'm totally original...". As a graphic recorder, I am always looking at others’ work to see how they approach an idea or what cool title someone else has come up with. As a dabbler with watercolors, I bow down to the people who came up with Pinterest and peruse it for inspiration or watercolor tricks all the time.

However, there are some key differences to good stealing and bad stealing. Mr. Kleon once again nails it:

So, the next time you’re feeling like throwing the computer out a window because that little cursor is just blinking merrily away on a blank document, or that canvas seems to be saying “What, it’s after Memorial Day, white is totally in,” you can take a deep breath, smile to yourself, and know you’ve got the Creative Genius of the thousands of years of humanity behind you. All you’ve got to do is tap into it, snag something interesting, then transform it to make it your own.

I'm also really good at stealing!

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

Let's talk about your next event that could use a touch of visual storytelling.

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

“Your work is exceptional, your focus and your desire to push to get to a truly great end product is impressive and it’s exactly what we needed.”

— Stephen Skrenta, Owner of Acabonac Farms

I’m happy to share the video I created for Acabonac Farms’ Pasture-Finished Beef company based on Long Island, New York. Their cattle live their entire lives on grass pastures that have actually historically been cattle ranches for over 350 years! Who knew cows thought the Hamptons are the place to be? Click on the image above to watch the video!

Short & Sweet - Where in the World is ConverSketch

Good morning!

It's time for some experimenting here at ConverSketch. So this week I'm keeping it short and sweet with few words and mostly images of what I'm working on. 

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Last week I worked to graphic record and co-facilitate a workshop with researchers and practitioners that help ensure disaster recovery work includes and is sensitive to the culture of the people affected.

I've also been working on a heap of videos this fall -- here's a snapshot of me painting some veggies for a restaurant in downtown New York City that is seeking to triple the impact of every dollar through its business model, and a screenshot of a video for the National Park Service on smart wildlife watching (click to see it!). Other videos in the works include research on bovine tuberculosis, fish consumption advisories, climate change in National Historic Parks, and fire mitigation strategies for homeowners.

Finally, I've been working with the Conservation Leadership Through Learning Master's program at Colorado State University to do a short training series on basic facilitation and graphic recording skills for conservation professionals. Here they are facilitating a World Cafe.

I need your help! Did you like this shorter email? Not so much? Please let me know so I can send you Email Goodies that spark creativity and are full of interesting little nuggets to make your day better.
 

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

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.

How does a creative entrepreneur who enjoys predictability relax?

One of my favorite ways to wake up in the morning is the sound of birds singing.

Especially the sweet, gentle sounds that pull me gently from my slumber, but even the more, shall we say, insistent ones right outside my window are welcome to my ears. 

Why? 

Birds are a reminder for me of the importance of trust.

They trust that when they take their first flutters from the nest, they will be able to take flight. They trust that the sun will rise and they will sing their songs. They soar through windy skies, zip between tangled branches, or over steep ledges, because they trust what they are meant to be doing.

Wanting to have a pretty solid idea of what is likely to happen in the future is human nature. Some of us are more uncomfortable with not knowing than others, and of course practice makes progress.

I am one of those humans who generally enjoys some level of predictability. 

If there's one thing you can do in life to eliminate said predictability, I'm pretty sure that's to be a self-employed consultant. Add into that the fact that for many of my graphic recording jobs, I am not really sure what's going to happen during the session, but I will be expected to hand over a beautifully finished chart by the end of it. Uncertainty much?  And I must really enjoy this lack of control thing as I've recently delved a lot deeper into painting with watercolors (check the end of this email for more deets). Which tend to do what they want. 

Cue increased heart rate and impulse to reach for a glass of wine. 

Instead of letting my mind worry (a misuse of imagination, according to Dan Zadra), I take a few deep breaths and focus on trusting that everything is working out exactly as it's meant to.

And the birds can help us humans out too. Listening for as many different bird songs as I can is a fun practice that helps me get present and relax.

Then it's time to take action! Because as much as I trust that everything is unfolding divinely, you gotta do the work too.

Click on the image below to see the larger version on the blog.

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Do you have any tips or tricks to share that help you focus on trust? Share in the comments below so others can benefit from your wisdom. 

If you liked this nugget of wisdom, 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 you can trust to capture the essence of your next event? Click to get in touch about your next meeting or event that could use a touch of graphic facilitation magic.

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

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This month I've been working on my watercolor painting skills, leading to the creation of several Colorado wildlife paintings including this little flammulated owl.  If you'd like to see more paintings and work in progress shots, give me a follow on Instagram. If you like what you see and you're interested in purchasing fine art prints or greeting cards, let's chat!