November has been an interesting month, my highlight was the opportunity to work with a small group of people trying to determine the next step for a vital project that serves to transform the way the medical community and patients work with life-threatening illnesses and end of life issues. This was the capture of the AM conversation. The afternoon brought us to the next steps in an emergent way. It was a day of flow and an honor to be included.
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Everyone is creative. It's not a limited commodity. When I am working visually with groups, I often here expressions of "I could never do that" and that somehow people are letting me express their creativity for them.

Many things can stop us from feeling our own creative muscles, whether its drawing, writing, or simply how you face each day, and all of these creative limitations are simply being human. In this TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, she offers a way to not put so much responsibility on yourself for trying to be creative but simply acknowledging that it's not at all about you....

Thanks to Matt Cimitile, writer/multimedia man from USGS, you can see how a visual recording unfolds over 2.5 minutes.



This short video was made at the Coastal Zone 2011 Conference in Chicago where we designed a non-traditional plenary session. In a conversational setting, participants spoke from the heart as they gave examples of work around the country that inspired the creation of the first-ever US policy on managing the Coasts, Oceans and Great Lakes. An audience of over 800 people were held attention, laptops closed, cell phones in their pocket.

The chart was posted in the lobby where people could reconnect with the content and continue discussing the ideas over the next three days.

The National Ocean Policy describes how we should manage our coastal resources for future generations to enjoy. It's a milestone for the country but making it real will take doing things differently. We'll need to be creative, inclusive and think, as Jacque Hostler put it, for seven generations out.

The entire session was 90 minutes. With some editing we could speed me up (like the wonderful RSA-style videos) and overlay the spoken content but that is a much bigger editing process.

Good fortune shined upon me recently in the form of an invitation from my friend and colleague Anne Jess (doodlebiz.com). We both graduated from the Organizational Systems Renewal (OSR) program (osr-nw.org), now housed at Seattle University and Anne has diligently pursued creating a community of practice there for visual facilitation. First step: Introduction to Graphic Recording. And I was invited to help. Together we offered our group more than just twice as much value, it felt like some exponential number. Most of all it was fun for everyone and much was learned by all who attended. I cannot wait to do it again and apply my learnings!

A shout out to Lynn Carruthers at the Global Business Network (http://www.gbn.com/people/peopledetail.php?id=159) and Sophia Liang (http://www.graphicfootprints.com/HOME.html) for all I learned in their graphic recording 101 workshop through the IFVP (ifvp.org)... we used the same TED talk, "Why I Am a Weekday Vegetarian by Graham Hill.

See photos at my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23687479@N06/

I have had the honor of working with the Saint Mark's Sustainability Committee in their process of creating a plan. Teaming with Fermata Consulting, I get to listen, write and draw. I am amazed at how engaged people feel in the meetings and how the visual recording keeps us on track. They love having the reminder. Me, I get to see a whole new side of a christian community that is open, accepting and loving of all beings. They get the spiritual connection of sustainability work and it's a gift they give their entire community.

The world of early childhood learning is new to me and the importance of this critical development time is now cemented in my brain after this event.

A visual summary of our work at the Parent, Provider Partnership retreat with the National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds and the Washington State Department of Early Learning. What an honor to be with this group people!
NACTP_ParentPartnershipMeeting_March2011.pdf

Was honored to attend a meeting of a new group in Seattle, Women's Network for a Sustainable Future and hear Kevin Hagen speak from REI... here's my map of the presentation.
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The right tool for the right job, it's a great adage. And life on five acres really brings it home. I suit up in my Carhartts when I head outside to stay warm, avoid cuts and be comfy while keeping up with nature. Now my favorite Carhartt use is for visual facilitation. This toolbelt is the right tool for holding my refillable Neuland markers, my pencil and eraser. Again, all I need to keep up with the conversation! It also gives me a little bit of home when working out on the road. What's your favorite tool?

Now this was fun: A morning facilitated by Jim Dies and Bruce Anderson hearing about how people around the world make their world better by building connections and community followed by our own ideas. I was lucky enough to capture all this energy. More reasons to love Vashon!