A phone call. Hello's. Inquiries and intentions. Philosophies and questions. Honest answers. Curiosity. More questions. Laughter. Perspectives.
A decision to go for it. A tight time frame. Jumping in....
On a second call, sensing a frustration with the immensity of the task and how to go about it, I asked, 'Have you thought of drawing out your overall vision - literally?'
"Uh..."
'It's not about creating something beautiful, it's about seeing your own point staring back at you. I find it really helps to make some marks on a page that help me see connections and the space in between, especially when doing a strategic planning initiative like you're jumping into. It can be a great place to start. Then we can make your thoughts into illustrations you can use to share your ideas.'
"I never thought about it that way. I think I'll try it.... "
These were some of the illustrations we created together, as we thought and talked strategically about shifts toward real-world experiences needed in education.
What we really need to learn (as students + teachers +...) is active citizenship!
It's incredible when someone else takes what feels like a risk (hello vulnerability!) and draws out what they are thinking. You can literally see and feel the way visuals can support us through the struggle of thinking something through! To run with the power of visuals is to have the ability to unlock new information - literally. I'm always humbled by visuals as I see this happen over and over!
In my client's words, "The images allowed me to be me and share with my energy and personality. Using visuals removed the barrier that written words can be during presentations. Ahead of the session, the illustrations pushed me to clarify the concepts and feelings I wanted to convey because I knew that there would be no words to prompt me. I think preparing in this way helped me to practice more effectively and convince my listeners that I create impact in my work. The illustrations also made me feel like there was an element in what I was sharing that set me apart, so, they boosted my confidence too."
THANKS for being such an awesome client and sharing your story with me! I love to hear stories of how visuals worked (or didn't!) for you. Reach out and share your story with me.
ALSO, I am excited to be building a longer term program to support deeper visual practice and learning. I plan to launch after the May DRAW it OUT workshop, and the May workshop (or another in person workshop) will be a part of the course (which will have a 3 month, 6 month and 9 month option). We'll see how it unfolds! Stay tuned!