Tag: Sketchnotes

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What do participants say about our Sketchnoting course?

As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the feedback we’ve received from participanting colleagues of the “StartSketch: The Basics of Sketchnoting” course. Some 161 colleagues from across the European institutions took part in this immersive, one-day, face-to-face training in the basics of visual thinking. Since end of 2023, we(*) ran 10 sessions in total, held not just in Brussels but also in Ispra, Italy, and Luxembourg.

An impressive 65% of participants responded to the post-course evaluation—a high response rate that we greatly appreciate. And their feedback? A staggering overall rating of 9.5 out of 10. Incredible! We’re deeply grateful for such positive reviews. They inspire us to keep sharing the basics of visual thinking with passion and professionalism, proving that there is a great need for more visual thinking as a tool for reflection and work within EU institutions.

Curious about the impact of the course, I turned to a generative AI tool to summarise participants’ answers to the question, “What is the most valuable thing you have learned that you will apply in your work?” The results were fascinating, see below, and I couldn’t resist illustrating them with a sketchnote.

(*) This course has been a labour of love from the start, and I must thank Catherine Focant, who co-created it with me. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, Catherine and I dreamed of introducing visual thinking and sketchnoting training within the European institutions for over a decade. Although we only had the chance to deliver the course together twice, her influence and input were invaluable. For personal reasons, Catherine couldn’t continue, which remains a source of sadness for me. Since then, Célia Pessaud has generously stepped in to co-facilitate the course with me. Her enthusiasm and dedication have been incredible, and I’m so grateful for her support.

To both Catherine and Célia, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for sharing this journey of spreading visual thinking skills within our European institutions. It’s been a joy to combine our passions and expertise to make this dream a reality.

What do participants say about our Sketchnoting course?

What said participants to the Sketchnote course
  • Sketchnoting is a valuable skill: Many participants found sketchnoting to be a useful tool for their work, allowing them to take notes, communicate ideas, and summarise complex information in a visual and engaging way.
  • It’s not about being a good artist: Participants learned that sketchnoting is not about creating perfect drawings, but about using simple shapes and visuals to convey ideas and information, breaking free from perfectionism.
  • Breaking down complex ideas: Sketchnoting helps to break down complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand visuals, making it easier to communicate and remember information, distilling complex ideas to their essence.
  • Improved note-taking and communication: Participants found that sketchnoting improved their ability to take notes, communicate ideas, and engage with colleagues and audiences, making communication more effective, engaging, and memorable.
  • Increased creativity and confidence: The course helped participants to think creatively and build confidence in their ability to sketch and communicate visually, encouraging creativity and having fun with the process.
  • Practical applications: Participants identified various ways to apply sketchnoting in their work, including taking notes during meetings, creating presentations, and communicating with colleagues and stakeholders, seeing immediate applications in their work.
  • Simple and fun: Many participants found sketchnoting to be a fun and enjoyable way to take notes and communicate, and appreciated the simplicity of the techniques and tools used, showing that sketchnoting can be a fun and relaxing process.
  • Improved focus and engagement: Sketchnoting helped participants to stay focused and engaged during meetings and presentations, and to retain information more effectively, helping in organising ideas quickly and efficiently.
  • Use of visuals and symbols: Participants learned about the importance of using visuals and symbols to summarize information, make notes more attractive, and communicate ideas more effectively, using basic shapes, icons, and symbols to represent ideas.
  • Applicability to various contexts: Participants saw the potential for sketchnoting to be applied in various contexts, including work, education, and personal projects, expanding the skill and making it applicable beyond work.
  • Visual thinking and empowerment: Learning to think visually and use sketchnoting to enhance understanding and memory was highly appreciated, empowering participants to continue sketchnoting and applying it in their work and personal life.
  • Practical techniques and tools: Participants valued the practical techniques and tools provided, such as basic sketchnoting principles, drawing simple and recognisable sketches, and using icons and colours, providing practical tools such as symbols, basic shapes, and techniques for drawing icons, faces, and connectors.
  • Creativity and inclusivity: Sketchnoting encourages a more engaging and informal approach to note-taking, making communication more inclusive, especially when working with colleagues or diverse audiences, and visualising ideas to make them accessible and engaging for everyone.
  • Learning by doing: A number of respondents noted that sketchnoting requires practice and attention but becomes easier with time, and that the course helped participants gain confidence in their ability to learn and apply sketchnoting techniques.
  • Training quality and resources: Several respondents praised the course’s quality, mentioning the professionalism, structure, and effectiveness of the trainers, and many respondents are looking for resources to further practice and improve their sketchnoting skills.
  • Positive training experience: Overall, the course was seen as inspiring, empowering, and a fun experience that boosted confidence in using sketchnoting regularly, providing a positive learning experience with praise for the instructors’ expertise, the course structure, and the supportive learning environment.

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Workshop on burnout

Burnout is a scourge that affects a large number of people, both in the world of work and outside. The European Commission is no exception. Since this year, a group of volunteers within the institution has formed a network to try to provide help and support. They are either specialists in burnout/mental health or are particularly interested in the subject due to a previous experience of burnout. I am happy and proud to be part of it.

At our last meeting, we discussed the conditions and characteristics that are conducive to leading an individual to burnout. We also discussed the aftermath of burnout, and this is what I personally focused on and took visual notes on. We talked about the warning and protection mechanisms that need to be put in place after a burnout, the sometimes radical decisions that need to be made, and the changes in attitude, behaviour, and mentality that need to be made in the ecosystem of our life.

The conclusion, not easy for everyone to accept, is that burnout is a life opportunity to get to know ourselves better by understanding the deep reasons that led us to it, and an opportunity to change the perspectives of our life. For this reasons, it is important to be grateful, to see the positive that burnout has brought us. The network will continue to work to provide preventive assistance to colleagues, to prevent burnout with more awareness, and to assist those who return to work after burnout.

And you, what have you put in place in your workplace to prevent and/or help burnout victims?

Workshop on burnout - Sketchnotes
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My Inktober 2024

For the edition 2024 of the Inktober challenge, I decided to complete the task by drawing each prompt with one continuous line, then to draw and post every day despite the demanding professional commitments. I made it! I thank all my contacts, known and unknown, for their support, positive comments of appreciation and all their likes on Instagram. It’s great to be part of this sketchers community!

The Inktober 2024 prompt list and my posts on Instagram

Day 1 – Backpack
Day 2 – Discover
Day 3 – Boots
Day 4 – Exotic
Day 5 – Binoculars
Day 6 – Trek
Day 7 – Passport
Day 8 – Hike
Day 9 – Sun
Day 10 – Nomadic
Day 11 – Snacks
Day 12 – Remote
Day 13 – Horizon
Day 14 – Roam
Day 15 – Guidebook
Day 16 – Grungy
Day 17 – Journal
Day 18 – Drive
Day 19 – Ridge
Day 20 – Uncharted
Day 21 – Rhinoceros
Day 22 – Camp
Day 23 – Rust
Day 24 – Expedition
Day 25 – Scarecrow
Day 26 – Camera
Day 27 – Road
Day 28 – Jumbo
Day 29 – Navigator
Day 30 – Violin
Day 31 – Landmark

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My takeaways from the ISC24TX

After 6 editions organised in Europe (*), the 2024 International Sketchnote Camp (ISC) crossed the Atlantic to be held in San Antonio, Texas, and was tagged with ISC24TX. The venue and the location (the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio – Texas, close to Mexico but still in the United States), and of course the majority of participants coming from the American continent influenced the three days of the ISC with an American-Tex-Mex touch; “Howdy, Claudio! :-)”. But this was also the case at the last ISCs with their own national touch.

ISC24TX group shot day1
The group photo from the ISC24TX organisers – See my ISC24TX photo album on Flickr

It took me some time to put down on paper my deepest takeaways from the ISC24TX. Here they are.

My ISC24 takeaways -Sketchnotes

The gratitude feeling

I have a great feeling of gratitude towards all those who allowed me to live the ISC experience. First the organisers who gave their heart and soul to welcome us and created this caring environment where sharing could take place, Prof Clayton, Mike Rohde, Steve Silbert and Ben Norris. Then to all participants, those present in the rooms of the university and those online, for the gifts they gave me (see next takeaway). I am immensely grateful to my family who helped and supported me to participate in this event far from home.

The intangible gifts

As a participant, I could already be satisfied with the goodie bag we received. It was full of items that make any sketchnoting geek crazy. What I learnt from the workshops may also have satisfied me. But the most precious gifts I’ve received are the intangible ones, the ones that participants give each other, at least to me: an incredible recharge of energy, inspiration, creating together, the care and kindness, and the joy of being there.

The precious connections

The connections I make at a sketchnote camp, and again at the ISC24TX, are precious. Whether it was:

  • reconnecting with old friends I hadn’t seen in real life for a long time (Mike Rohde, Prof Clayton, Rob Dimeo, Lorraine Kasyan, Ania Staśkiewicz, Peter Schmitt, Nathalie Grob, Joanna Redzimska)
  • connecting with new people, all interesting and beautiful persons (Alejo Porras, Emily Mills, Ben Norris, Ximena Vila Ferral, Cote Soerens, Ari Alvarez, Gabriela Borowczyk, Ola Krawczyk, Georgina Dean, Sarah Pressler, Omar Lopez, Shelaine, Raj Solanki, who else am I forgetting?),
  • thinking of all the visual thinkers friends who couldn’t be there but with whom I had a virtual connection in my heart (the list would be far too long to mention them all, so just Steve Silbert, Mauro Toselli, Sabine Soeder, and my Belgian friends with whom I organised ISC21BE).

I also really appreciated the connections between people and knowledge that are made through sharing skills and experience in workshops and informal conversations, such as on metaphors, mindful sketchnoting, archetypes, sketchnotes in presentations, hatching, and the business of graphic recording.

And what about the connection with San Antonio’s Tex-Mex culture? Thanks to my walks in the city, the fantastic night on a barge along the River Walk tasting typical Tex-Mex dishes, the great presentation of the city and its culture by Prof Clayton during his opening speech, the sketchnote loteria led by Ximena, and “El Marko” Neuland markers.

The sketchnoting community

This is probably my most biased takeaway because the sketchnoting community means a lot to me. At the European Commission, I work on building communities of practice. Therefore, I see the potential of our community and the great challenges we face. That gives me a mixture of feelings. On the one hand, it was a real joy to see our global community of sketchnoters come alive during the three days of ISC24TX, with a multicultural group of diverse backgrounds and practices in the room, with new members meeting the old, and everyone sharing, caring and learning from others. That’s what a community of practice is all about. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel that our community is still in its early stages, and there’s much more to do to make it strong and sustainable.

These are my takeaways from the 2024 International Sketchnote Camp. The next post is a follow-up to this one with my thoughts on how we could evolve as a community of sketchnoters. I am very interested in your opinion, please feel free to share it.

(*) Previous ISC editions

ISC24TX – 7th International Sketchnote Camp, San Antonio, Texas [Learn more]

ISC23NL LOGO

ISC23NL – 6th International Sketchnote Camp, Leiden, the Netherlands [Learn more]

ISC22PL – 5th International Sketchnote Camp, Szczecin, Poland [Learn more]

ISC21BE – 4th International Sketchnote Camp, Brussels, Belgium (full online due to the Covid pandemic) [Learn more]

ISC20BE – No ISC in Brussels, Belgium, as planned due to the Covid pandemic

ISC19FR – 3th International Sketchnote Camp, Paris, France

ISC18LX – 2nd International Sketchnote Camp, Lisboa, Portugal [Learn more]

ISC17HH – The first International Sketchnote Camp, Hamburg, Germany

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There is a hidden pattern in my event badge collection

My collection of event badges

As I sorted through my collection of event badges, dating back to 2005, I noticed an interesting pattern.

About half of these badges are from events where I was involved in the organisation – unsurprising, given my 20+ years in communication units at the European Commission. The other half, however, are from events where I served as a graphic recorder, harvester, facilitator, or sketchnoter – in essence, as a visual thinker.

Despite the evident demand for visual thinking skills, this role has never been officially recognised within the institution. Each time I transition to a new position or hierarchy, I advocate for this competence to be formally acknowledged in my job description. The necessity and utility of visual thinking in the EU institutions are clear, and I believe it should be developed and recognised across all EU institutions.

This conviction led me to create, with a couple of friends visual thinkers like me, a course on visual thinking for my colleagues, sharing the basics of sketchnoting to empower others with these essential skills. I dream of a future where the role of visual thinker is officially recognised within the EU institutions, enabling us to better serve our colleagues, European citizens and meet the growing demand for these capabilities.

Post first published on Linkedin.

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Multitasking doesn’t work, here’s what does – sketchnotes

Reflecting on my past, I once believed multitasking was the key to productivity and efficiency. It took a burnout to realise the harmful effects of multitasking on my mental health. Asana’s enlightening article delves into the neuroscience behind multitasking myths, revealing how it drains our mental resources and hinders efficiency. Embracing single-tasking has been a game changer for me. By focusing on one task at a time I’ve unlocked higher productivity and improved concentration.

Dive into the Asana article for six actionable tips on mastering the “art of single-tasking”, empowering you to stay focused and achieving your daily goals. Plus, check out my attached sketchnotes capturing the essence of the article.

Multitasking doesn’t work, here’s what does - sketchnotes

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The Return of the Sketchnote Army Traveling Book

In the quaint village of Merate, just a stone’s throw from Milan, Italy, the year 2016 witnessed the inception of an unusual tale. Mauro Toselli, with a craftsman’s touch, conjured a rugged, handcrafted notebook – 112 pages of uncharted potential, encased in a shield of his own making. This was no ordinary notebook, it was destined for a global rendez-vous, passing through the hands and markers of the sketchnoting community.

If you don’t want to read what follows but just discover the stages of the book’s extraordinary journey then see the visualisation I made of it.

Mauro unveiled his project in a blog post, imparting instructions to those future recipients who would guide the Sketchnoting Army Traveling Book through its global pilgrimage. Mauro poured his heart into this project, unleashing it into the world with a mission to return home by 2018. With emotions and a longing to release his creation into the unknown, Mauro sent it across 12.450 kilometers to Pastor Gary Lau on Hawaii Island. Perhaps a destination nearer than the ends of the world would have made the parting more arduous.

Nevertheless, from that day forth, the notebook assumed an existence shaped by the destinations, moods, and decisions of the sketchnoters yet to encounter its pages. Its journey unfolded, chronicled by sketchnoters proudly displaying their contributions with the #SABookjourney hashtag on the ever-scrolling tapestry of social media.

Yet, as the days unfolded, Mauro’s initial script began to blur. The one-week tenure prescribed for each sketchnoter’s custody stretched, and the once-vivid digital traces on social platforms dimmed. The notebook, akin the mythical Loch Ness denizen or a phoenix reborn from the ashes, would appear and vanish from the tapestry of time, adorned with new sketchnotes.

Two years waltzed by, and the notebook, a wayfarer with a mind of its own, resisted the call to return to Milan. It traversed short distances and quantum-leapts, like the 16.600-kilometer leap from Claire in the Netherlands to James in Australia in July 2017.

As time wore on, the apparitions of the notebook grew rarer, and, on occasions, it seemed lost. Then came the unforeseen twist – the advent of the Covid pandemic in 2020. Stranded in France during the lockdown, the notebook, alongside sketchnoters, confronted the indiscriminate virus. Yet, some, bound by an unyielding resolve, launched appeals across social networks, seeking tidings of the elusive book. Amid whispers of the notebook’s demise, a few tenacious seekers tracked it down, compelling it back on its journey. But the world had changed, and the notebook navigated a less conspicuous route, eluding the notice of the old guard.

Emerging from the labyrinth of the Internet, the notebook resurfaced in 2022 in the possession of my comrade Valentine in the realm of Belgium. In Belgium, where I reside. From that moment forth, my gaze remained steadfast upon it until, at last, it rested within the cradle of my own hands.

The prologue to the notebook’s homeward journey had commenced, unbeknownst to Mauro, its father. Before orchestrating its clandestine return, some sacred duties still beckoned. In the company of my confidants organisers of the International Sketchnote Camp of 2021, we bestowed our collective sketchnotes upon its pages. And, in due course, I, too, inscribed my own sketchnotes upon it.

For its final sojourn to encounter new sketchnoters, the tome accompanied me to Leiden in the Netherlands for the International Sketchnote Camp 2023. The elder members of our sketchnote community found themselves stirred at the revelation of the notebook’s presence at the camp, and for some, it marked a reunion after the passage of many a year.

The SATravelbook at ISC23NL

As for the fledgling members, their enthusiasm knew no bounds upon encountering this roving tome, bearing the signatures of numerous sketchnoters. Mike Rohde radiated joy as he cradled the notebook once more, a book he had adorned with his signature six years prior in the confines of his abode in Wisconsin, US.

The SATravelbook at ISC23NL

In hushed tones, I confided in Mike, unveiling my covert plan to reunite the notebook with Mauro in the coming weeks. A clandestine pact to keep silent, letting the illusion persist that the notebook had rekindled its worldwide trip after its Leiden escapade.

Amidst the camaraderie, on a sunlit Sunday in October 2023, after a day exploring Lake Como, I surprised Mauro with a package from my bag, marking the poignant end to the notebook’s odyssey. See what he said about this moment on his blog.

This was the Return of the Sketchnote Army Traveling Book.

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