One of the most common questions I get about my work with graphic recording is …
Well, it’s been an interesting journey on how I really ‘fell’ into this but I’ll keep it short. I was working at a non-profit family centre where I learned about community development and facilitation skills. I got a position there facilitating workshops and programs with parents. It was great. I loved it. I wanted to move back ‘home’ and wanted to continue doing facilitation work so I sought out opportunities to do so. One thing led to another I heard about ‘graphic facilitation’ and thought it would be something I might find interesting. I took a day course and was hooked. It was a perfect combination of my passions – facilitation/group process and creativity. The rest is history, sort of?
So, ya as you have just read, I’ve never been to ‘art school’. Would I have loved to? Sure. Would I go in the future? Maybe. BUT what I love about the fact that I don’t have any formal education in ‘art’ is that it showcases to my clients and people who come in contact with my work is that it’s really about the PROCESS of VISUAL LANGUAGE and IDEAS – not art. Yes, it looks visually appealing but it’s about how we communicate complex ideas and concepts through the use of drawings and visual language
I came from a ‘facilitation’ background before dedicating my career to specifically graphic recording and graphic facilitation. These years of experience prepared me for
my work conveying ideas using visuals. I had that time to hone in on my listening and thinking skills which are just as equally important as the
drawing.
You don’t need to go to art school to learn and incorporate visual language into your
life and work.
I also love my journey because I believe if people learn the simple drawing elements they too can use drawing to convey messages, allow people to feel heard and remember
information. We need to switch our thinking about how we define ‘drawing’. We are talking about drawing as a thinking tool instead of something untouchable like typical ‘visual art’- something you hang on a wall.
If you are interested in learning that awesome skills of visual language feel free to check out my training schedule on my website for my list of Graphic Recording 101 workshops in 2019 across Canada. The next upcoming workshop is in Toronto, ON on March 1, 2019. Early bird registration ends on February 15, and I'm already at half capacity. So register today! No previous drawing experience required. Join in the fun!