Many people feel that taking time to be creative is an indulgence, it's selfish, childish, pointless - but it isn’t, as Aime McNee argues in her TED talk - it's the missing pillar of self development, and as we spend more and more time consuming on our phones, we are slowly disconnecting from real life and missing out on so much of the real human connection that a creative act brings.

Making scientific and medical information accessible and comprehensible for patients and their families is essential. This is where visuals can really do some heavy lifting. They not only simplify intricate data but also make patients feel seen during what can be an overwhelming and daunting experience.

Even after more than 10 years of Live Scribing at events, there is still a group of non believers who see what I do as something performative and have yet to see the real value of what having a Graphic Recorder in the room can bring to an event. So I thought I’d put together a few thoughts on this.

After more than a decade of live illustration, rich picture creation, and explainer animation, there’s one visual metaphor that I keep coming back to: the humble roadmap.

Sometimes, it’s a simple squiggle with a few icons representing key touchpoints. On other occasions, it’s a more complex design, complete with barriers, obstacles, and forks in the road. Whatever the level of detail, roadmaps are an incredibly powerful way to make sense of various journeys.

It’s that exciting time of year when my calendar starts filling up with conferences and kick-offs! It’s also got me reflecting on how much has changed since I began my journey as a graphic recorder and visual storyteller a decade ago.

In all aspects of Visual Storytelling, it’s the visuals and the narrative that illuminate the way to understanding .. and never more so than when we are talking about explainer animations.

Explainer animations are short, engaging videos that simplify complex messages and make them easy to understand. They use a combination of visuals, text, and voiceovers to break down complicated topics into digestible pieces.

In today's digital landscape, attention spans are shorter than ever, and the competition for engagement is fierce. 📲💥 By utilizing rich picture illustrations, we can captivate audiences from the moment they lay eyes on our content, enticing them to dive deeper into the fascinating realm of citizen science.

So much has changed in the 10 years since I started Graphic Recording. This is how I now work as a Live Illustrator and Visual Storyteller.

I got started on my graphic recording and visual storytelling journey almost accidentally with a couple of doodles and sketchnotes… and it’s these three that stick in my mind the most.

What happens when you hire me as your live illustrator to do a graphic recording of your event. I share my process in this blog post.