ConverSketch is twelve!

Thank you for being the reason for many years of discovery, creativity, fun, and making meaning together.  Am I proud of what we’ve done together? You bet I am!

Last week was my first on-site job since the twins arrived! I had the delight to work with long-time clients the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Santicola & Co. to bring together tribal leaders and potential funding partners in a unique workshop.

Hello!

Here are a few updates as spring flowers emerge here in the Northern Hemisphere, and I start to emerge from the cocoon of newborn twin life: I’ll be returning to graphic recording part-time starting in April, focusing on virtual and single day local (Colorado) on-site projects.

September brought fascinating work with clients across the country and across sectors, but one theme kept emerging organically. This is one of my favorite things about being a graphic facilitator – we get to listen, learn and make connections.

There’s something that makes you feel more alive when you’re on campus at the beginning of the school year. There’s an energy that’s almost tangible – excited, a little nervous, curious, brave.

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, a book, or a brainstorm and felt like you needed to grab a pencil and paper to start writing things down? If so, you’re not alone! Here are three reasons to grab a notebook or scrap of paper and get your ideas on paper…

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…

Have you ever been wildly proud of something you or your team accomplished, but then wondered…Can this scale?

One of my favorite things about being a graphic recorder is that I get to work across sectors and pick up on patterns and shifts. For example, right now, three of my clients are all figuring out how to scale across the country in very different areas.

Many of you are folks I’ve had the pleasure of getting to collaborate with, and you’ve experienced the magic sparked by visuals directly.

Even if you get it, sometimes you need to persuade someone else why it’s an excellent idea to have a visual partner in the room. This is what I hear from clients time and again.

Someone carrying on for multiple minutes, seemingly without taking a breath, about a topic unrelated to the task at hand.

A person keeps bringing up the same axe to grind…over, and over.

Two people are whispering the entire time.

80% of the group has a laptop out and a slightly glazed look in their eyes.

Any of this sound familiar?

Whether you call them ground rules, group agreements, or community norms, co-creating expectations for how a group will interact is one way to design a focused and purposeful meeting.