Speaking of Expectations…A Very Exciting Personal Update

Last week I shared some thoughts about how we can reinvent expectations together to counter the burnout many are feeling.

This week I’d like to share a personal spin on the theme of expectations. I’m delighted to get to finally share with you…

I’m pregnant with twins!

We’re feeling effervescent, they’re due in mid-December, and everyone is healthy.

What does this mean for ConverSketch?

• I’ll be taking a few months for parental leave from roughly December-February depending on when they make their debut

• I’m planning to begin working again part-time in the spring – recognizing this timeline will likely evolve and solidify as we get our bearings as parents

• I will not be traveling beyond October and will be tapering work in November

• If we’re already working together on a project, if the pregnancy continues as we expect, I’ll make sure we’re wrapped up before parental leave.

• For new projects during the time I’m away, I am wildly appreciative to have a network of phenomenal graphic recording and graphic facilitation colleagues to connect you with – so keep planning for visual thinking, creative process design, and meaningful connection.

Please feel free to reach out with questions – I want to make sure all of YOU, my wonderful thought partners are taken care of!

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.

With prenatal bliss,

Where in the World is ConverSketch?

Pivoting from In-Person to Virtual: Last week, a team of fire social scientists and I made some tough calls due to covid and other unexpected challenges for participants. We went from a 2.5 day in-person meeting to a 1-day virtual meeting with additional follow up in a few weeks to discuss their work, create a strategy for the remaining funding, and envision what the long-term could look like to continue this work. Sensitive content has been blurred out.

In the Studio: Working on several illustration projects from core values and purpose to integrating the complex landscape of socio-ecological systems into a branded illustration for an upcoming conference I’ll be graphic recording.

Collectively & Creatively Reinventing Expectations

Have you felt it?

During and as the pandemic has evolved, I’ve heard and felt the same thing you probably have.

“I’m so busy…”

“It’s crazy these days.”

“Parenting and working is just…a lot right now.” (Understatement)

The burnout is real. So is the creative reinvention.

What can we do to dial the intensity of expectations down together, collectively and creatively?

If you work with people, here are some suggestions I’ve see and heard lately:

• Establish communication norms. Is there a platform where instant replies are/aren’t expected? One group I recently graphic facilitated articulated that a Teams message could be sent any time, and the recipient would respond when they were able. More urgent matters were direct phone calls.

• Practice a monthly Deepening Day. This team also imagined a once-a-month day dedicated to any sort of personal or professional development the person felt would best serve them. Ideas ranged from attending events to making time for extended lunches with partners or colleagues to setting an away message from email to focus on deep work.

• Live the values: Whether you’re a leader or a co-worker, shifting culture starts with each person on the team. Demonstrating by not responding immediately to every email, or sharing insights from your Deepening Day, or taking those vacation days can all contribute to shifting the pace and expectations we hold each other to.

And really, take that time off to breathe.

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?

In the Studio: Working on video storyboards, synthesis illustrations, and preparing to facilitate a workshop here in Fort Collins next week. Here’s a close-up of one of 11 regional local food gatherings around the state of Colorado I’m visually distilling for display at a Summit happening this winter.

Back from the River: There’s nothing like six days completely offline to refresh and reset. Here’s a painting of the stunning canyon created from camp one evening.