In-Person, Remote, Hybrid…What to Center No Matter the Method for Meeting

sketched images of ways to design for connection as listed above, black text on white background with teal highlights.

Why do we create? Why do we meet? What drives much of our action as humans? Expressing our ideas and connecting with others in different ways is core to who we are. 

Stating the obvious here, this connection has been shaken up the past two years, and as we begin navigating in-person and hybrid situations professionally or personally, we’re rediscovering how to be with each other in meaningful ways. 

“Whether your team is in-person, remote, or hybrid, one thing is true in any form: Connection doesn't happen on its own. You need to design for it.”  – Priya Parker

As a graphic facilitator, I get to co-design for connection with clients. How do we do this, even…especially in the virtual environment?  A few of the seeds we can cultivate toward connection include:

  • Building in time for participants to share experiences outside of the work goals of the meeting

  • Creating opportunities for small and large group conversations

  • Thoughtful questions that support vulnerability

  • Creating visuals that highlight connections, shared ideas and values, or intentional visual metaphors deepen the opportunities to connect

If you’re curious to read more, here’s a post on why human connection is so important. 

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 


Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Invasive Species Video: Watch the fresh digitally hand-illustrated video here to learn about the difference between native, non-native, invasive species, and pests from the National Park Service!

Screen shot of digital illustration reading invasive species with illustrations of nutria, bindweed, a pigeon, bull thistle, zebra mussels, and emerald ash borer

In the Studio: I’m working on several projects from graphic facilitation design to more videos to a guide for children to explore our local river. Here’s a snapshot of what River Investigators might observe about their watershed! This booklet will be available this spring for visitors along the Cache La Poudre River.

Screen shot of a page of a children's activity book about river high and low flows, with illustrations of each and a raindrop explaining about flows.

How to Say No When it’s Right

Saying yes to opportunities, professionally or personally, can lead to some adventures you’ll never forget, or an opportunity to push your comfort zone and learn something new. 

Sometimes though, it’s important to say no – working on a priority where you need to focus your creative juices, or holding space for family or self-care. If you’re like me, saying no can sometimes feel like hurling yourself off a precipice into the unknown – will they be angry? Will this burn a bridge I’ll regret? Will there be NO RETURN? (Spoiler: no.)

I’m always glad I declined something if there was a reason not to – even if it was simply a feeling. Especially if I can do so in a way that feels honest and explains the why behind my decision. 

Recently, an interview I read with Ashley C. Ford that succinctly brought together some reminders about saying no, as well as how to do it gracefully. Here’s what stuck with me most

  • Be kind – just because you’re saying no doesn’t mean you have to be rude or cold

  • Being honest is better for everyone to avoid frustration and false expectations

  • Be clear on your priority/goals, and use that as a guiderail to be able to say no to things that aren’t working toward that, or don’t serve that

  • Turns of phrase I have already used when struggling with the right way to say no: 

    • I’m sorry. I don’t have the bandwidth for this. (So simple. So honest.)

    • This is an amazing opportunity. I hope you’ll keep me in mind for something in the future, but if I do this, I want to do it 100% and there’s no way I would be able to give you 100% right now. Or…

    • I want to do the best possible work for my clients that I’m wildly proud of. Right now I don’t have the capacity to give you that high quality collaboration. 

    • I can work on this, but I’ll have to let go of this other project. Which do you want me to prioritize?

Do you have guidelines for how to choose what to say yes or no to? How do you say no in a way that feels authentic and with integrity?

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 


Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Climate Change, Media, & Kids: A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of supporting a workshop hosted by NSF about how to leverage media platforms to tell stories and educate children on climate change. It was AWESOME and I can’t wait to see where this goes!

digital graphic recording of science of climate change for kids

ShapingEDU Pente Challenge: ShapingEDU was back for another innovative virtual event – a pitch challenge for teams working to improve the future of education in the digital age…with real cash as the prize! I got to support teams as they practiced “yes, and…” improv thinking for their pitches, and was an expert resource to help them create custom visuals for the pitch or work through complexity. I love that ShapingEDU always includes student voices!

Digital graphic recording of student panel discussing the future of learning in the digital age

Arizona HIV/AIDS Leadership Academy: Another cohort wrapped up by reflecting on leadership values and key takeaways to be better leaders working to End the Epidemic. I’m always floored by the vulnerability and support the facilitators hold for each cohort. 

Digital graphic recording of HIV/AIDS leadership storytelling

Take Your To Do List from Overwhelm to On Point

If you love the feeling of crossing things off your to do list, I’m right there with you. And if sometimes you look at that list and put it right back down, walking as fast as you can in the opposite direction, once again, I’m with you. 

Which is why I want to share two easy strategies for making to do lists a little more manageable that came to me within days of each other: 

1.     Make it a Get To Do list*. One little word to help remind us all how lucky we are to be alive, doing work that makes the world better. 

2.     Make an Already Done List. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a minute or two to write down things you HAVE accomplished. Getting out of bed and brushing your teeth can 100% be on that puppy, and so can closing the biggest deal you’ve ever made with a dream client. You do you and celebrate those wins! This one is from @Lizandmollie, give them a follow!

*I can’t remember where I saw this one, so if you’ve seen this and have a source, I’d love to give them credit!

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 



Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

ShapingEDU’s Pente Pitch Challenge! The first of it’s kind, it’s Day 2 of the Pente Pitch Challenge where 5 teams of higher education dreamers, doers, and drivers from around the world are competing for funding toward their impact projects. From post-pandemic era best practices to immersive experiences to humanizing learning, today we find out who will win the big bucks!

All Parks Zero Landfill Initiative: Last week I had the enormous pleasure of working IN PERSON with NPS, the National Park Conservation Association, the National Park Foundation, and Subaru to bring the first Zero Landfill Initiative pilot project to a close. The three pilot parks shared best practices and reflected on how to carry this work forward. 

Adobe Creative Campus Collaborations: Another fabulous convening focused on Digital Literacy across the globe with Adobe! The highlight was definitely the Graduate Thought Leader Panel who knocked everyone’s socks off with their poise, eloquence, and big ideas!

10 Things about Creativity that Are Still True 10 Years Later

ConverSketch is officially 10 years old today! 

Thank you. You’re the reason I get to write this!

Anniversaries are a great excuse to celebrate and taking time to recognize milestones feels especially important right now as time is simultaneously flying, blurring, interpretive dancing - whatever it’s doing - during covid. 

Every year I like to share things that have resonated or I’ve learned as a self-employed creative. My hope is that you find something useful to try, or that validates what feels true to you, or might push your comfort zone a little bit, in the best way possible. 

10 is a nice number and feels like a big deal! So, here is my list of 10 Things about Creativity that Are Still True 10 Years Later:

  1. Creativity is Not a Talent... I often come back to this quote from Hugh Mcleod: “Creativity is not a talent. Creativity is a drive,” because it moves creativity from the pedestal of Something Only Some People Have to a Skill Anyone Can Cultivate. Do the work, do it to the best of your ability, ask how to get better, embrace the practice of what you get to do every day.

  2. Creativity Requires Rest. Sometimes it’s important to do “nothing”, to move in your body and integrate information, make connections, to disconnect, to rest well, to be kind and gentle with yourself. 

  3. Creativity is Authentic. Be yourself, your unique way of being and perceiving in the world is incredibly valuable and may inspire or make sense to someone in a way nothing else has. 

  4. Appreciation Feeds the Creative Soul. When I’m frustrated or drained, taking a minute to brainstorm what I appreciate in that moment is an energy reset. I remind myself that I have the great privilege of doing this work with people who are making the world better.

  5. Intuition Guides Creativity. In moments when I have felt something deep within, no matter how illogical it might seem, in those moments when I do listen to that inner feeling and go with it, I know in my bones it is the path to take in that time. Maybe not the easiest, but often ease emerges in ways I don’t expect.

  6. Creativity is Fun! Playing, experimenting, laughing, imagining, dropping into flow state, sharing an idea you’re proud of, drawing something silly to tell a story. Creating and holding space for fun sows seeds of creativity.

  7. Creativity is Curious. The more willing we are to ask questions and truly listen to the answer, the more delightfully rich an experience or conversation has the space to grow. What might happen if we say yes? What if I’m…not right? What might emerge if we let go of what we thought we knew and leaned into another way of thinking?

  8. Creativity is Human. We are delightfully imperfect and are fed by connection with others. When designing graphics or the process or questions, remembering that above all else we are humans. Despite the tech, the pace, the everything else around us, we all share this humanness. 

  9. Creativity can be Collaborative. Whether in person or remote, centering opportunities for meaningful connections and relationships and connections opens the way for sparks to ignite. 

  10. Creativity is Generous. There is no limit to our creativity or how we use it. The more we give, the more we get. When I am working in a mindset of abundance and generosity, that often inspires more of the same, creating ripples and waves out into the world.

Thank you for being the reason for this reflection, the Why behind ConverSketch. It’s an honor to partner with you to bring more creativity into the world together! 

For even more reflections and some tips for how to implement them, here are my reflections throwing all the way back to 2016:

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Filming the Latest NPS Drawing Connections to Climate Video: This video is all about Fort Matanzas National Monument in Florida, and how resilience to climate change is imperative for the unique habitat and wildlife species that call the area home. Stay tuned for the finished video later this year, and watch the  award-winning series here!

RespiraCon: How might we ensure everyone has access to important medical equipment, like ventilators, around the world? Experts explored the challenges and opportunities to leverage open-source technology and practice for more equitable, high-quality equipment on a global scale.

Calling All Complexity Navigators: 3 Visual Strategies to Get Clear on What Matters Most (Then Get it Done!)

Hand drawn turquoise text on white background illustrating three ways to work with complexity visually: Turn your notebook sideways, use a mind map, and a mountain metaphor to plan action.

Pretty much anyone reading this is used to juggling all sorts of things. I mean, just a couple, right?

When it gets complex or you start to feel overwhelmed, you don’t have to get caught in the weeds or keep re-hashing the same half-formed ideas! 

Here are some visual strategies you can use to refocus on what matters most, whether it’s your team’s vision or making time for your loved ones. You can use each one individually, or combine them to build on one another and move toward clarity and action!

  1. Let’s start with this Hot Little Tip graphic recorders love: Turn your notebook sideways for a quick mindset shift. Even turning the page from portrait to landscape can help shake up your thinking. This one is courtesy of Brandy Agerbeck (skip to about 5:40 into the video for more on this).

  2. Now that you’ve flipped your notebook like the boss you are, try creating a mind map of your project(s). Put your main topic in the center, then add themes or big “buckets” around it, then details around each of those. You can get as granular as you like (focusing on one project) or get meta and map out everything going on in your life – whatever serves you.

  3. Now that you’ve written out your mind map, you can climb Action Mountain! Start by picking one goal/vision/priority and put it at the top of the mountain. Then, work backwards from the goal: What are 3 major steps that you know when you check off, you’ll have moved toward the goal? Get as specific as you can so you KNOW when you’ve climbed that summit! Then finally, and this is perhaps the MOST important: Pick one thing you can do today or this week to start moving forward. 

*Remember: Writing things down is powerful stuff, so even 5 minutes of mind mapping then writing your action step is a HUGE move! 

For a different and more linear approach, check out this post on how to pull yourself out of an Overwhelm Spiral. 

What are your favorite tools to navigate our complex world?

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

Karina's signature

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Leave No Trace: This fantastic organization hosted a virtual happy hour with partners to give a few updates leading up to this year’s Outdoor Retailer.

Digital illustration of leave no trace virtual happy hour featuring brand updates, partner benefits, and vision for 2022

In the Studio: Drafting agendas and preparing for upcoming facilitation projects and moving video projects through script writing and storyboarding pieces of the process. While photographing this storyboard in natural light, the hens thought looked egg-celent.

Two hens, one black, one brown, examine an open notebook with pencil sketches on a concrete step.

How to Train Your Brain to Be Just Fine when Things go “Wrong”

Partially panted canvas of a river canyon with sky and murky water.

Well…that water doesn’t look like I wanted it to…

Can you remember a time that something went “wrong”? Trying a new recipe turned out…meh. A difficult conversation with a loved one. A creative project didn’t turn out perfectly on the first try.

How did you react? 

The sheer volume of curated feeds can make it easy to fall into a thought pattern that if something didn’t go perfectly right the first time, it failed

This is crazy talk. How can we expect ourselves to instantly be experts without practicing, experimenting, failing, pushing, learning, expanding, playing, falling…and getting back up? 

We’re human. We’re going to do things “wrong”. It’s beautiful! And, with practice, we can shift how we feel when things go sideways. Here are a few of my tried-and-true favorites:

  • Bring the humor. Try not to take yourself so seriously – it’s okay to laugh at how ridiculous mistakes can be.

  • Check your expectations. It’s fantastic to push yourself, and to expect that it will probably take a few tries to improve consistently. 

  • Practice kind self-talk. Imagine a friend is telling you about whatever it is that happened – what would you tell them? Now, bring that same compassion to yourself. 

  • Be curious. What can you learn from the situation if you let go of feeling like you need to defend what happened?  

  • Take five. Give yourself the space and time to take a break – do something you love to reset yourself.

Painting of a river rapid with pine trees on the canyon walls and yellow flowers and driftwood in the foreground.

Ahhhh, yes. That’s what I was going for. Why don’t things turn out perfectly the first time?

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 


Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

digitally hand drawn agenda with light blue sky, green grass and gray city scape background and black silhouette people with varying abilities around the agenda topics.

An agenda slide designed for a remote graphic facilitation process.

Special Education System Improvement: Remote graphic facilitation with leaders of education systems to improve systems to better support students with differing abilities state-wide. 

A scene from a storyboard work in progress.

Videos: From invasive species to more (award winning!) Drawing Connections to vets and climate change, the ConverSketch studio is humming along in 2022. These videos are still in various stages but I’m excited to share them with you in the coming months!

You DID That – Visual New Year’s Reflection for 2021

Seasonal successes reflection worksheet - black text on a white background hand-drawn worksheet.

If you’re like me, taking time to reflect on the year and set intentions for the next one can be a powerful practice. A few reasons I love it: 

  • Revisiting and celebrating accomplishments – work and personal

  • The opportunity to focus energy on what’s important for the future

  • It creates space to acknowledge and mark the passing of time (especially needed when during covid it can often feel like a “Blursday”)

But taking the time to “do reflection” also feels like it takes some effort. Where to start? Do I really have time for this? Have I even done anything worth reflecting on? 

I recently learned the term productivity dysmorphia: the inability to see our own successes or to acknowledge the volume of our own output. It can be easy to constantly be looking to the next thing without properly taking time to acknowledge the energy, creativity, critical thinking, and genius that went into what you’ve already done. We don’t need stats to know that the past two years have been hard. Burnout is real, especially for working moms: I salute you. 

To balance the societal current that is pushing us to do more, right now…I’ve realized I want to offer an opportunity to celebrate your wins! Right click on that worksheet at the top to download and fill in your own reflections.

If you want to do some future-focused work, I updated a visioning worksheet for 2022 – right click the image below to download it. I’ll also be participating in this Intention Setting Workshop on January 6th, co-facilitated by my wildly talented friend Abby Van Muijen. 

Hand-drawn digital worksheet, white background with black text and turquoise highlights. Questions are what have I accomplished, grateful for, letting go of, opening up to, attracting to my life.

More New Year, New Practices from the Archives:

A Gentle New Year’s Reflection - 2021

Reflect & Envision - 2017

Tips for creating a Vision Board - 2016

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

Karina's signature

Peaceful Holiday Wishes for You

Happy Holidays!

From my heart to yours, sending warm wishes for a peaceful and joyful holiday season. 

Whether you’re feeling extra festive or extra stressed (or both), here are some links to thoughts for the holiday season I hope might provide some helpful tips – from drawing winter trees and presents to taking a moment to breathe and recenter: 

 

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

karina's signature



Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

In the Studio: Working on wrapping up a whole flock of videos for Colorado State University. Here’s a snapshot of one I’m looking forward to sharing next year!

Strategic Facilitation: Hosting and guiding a process with a USFS Social Science Team as they reflect on the work so far and imagine the future with on-the-ground partners and leadership.  

River Reflections

Reflections on a side hike.

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a relaxing long weekend with loved ones and are refreshed to finish this year with your unique and spectacular style.

As for me, after 24 stunning days on the Colorado River, we’re back home and getting used to things like email. And ceilings. 

Spending so much time offline in a wild place lends itself to reflections on life, the universe, and everything. I hope you’ll excuse me while I share some of the things sticking in my brain and heart that I hope stay with me for a while. At least until the next river trip reminds me all over again*.   

Presenting: Some things I learned in the Grand Canyon

  • Disconnecting for any amount of time is really great. Yeah, yeah, I know…but seriously. 

  • When scouting a challenging situation -- let’s use a massive rapid as our metaphor, shall we? -- sometimes the route that looks scary is actually easier. Picking a smart, solid path into the big waves and going for it might be easier than fighting the current to get where it looks safer. 

  • It’s okay to not always be doing, or helping, or working. It’s okay to just be. 

  • This slowing down may require practice. For me, starting by just taking 5 minutes after a meal to sit and digest helped develop a habit of pausing, appreciating, and taking a moment to look around to be present.

  • Trusting ourselves and listening to gut feelings are handy skills for navigating most situations – challenging and otherwise.

  • We cannot expect others to read our minds. It helps to approach a disagreement with curiosity, not hostility.

  • I recognize the immense privileges I enjoy to be able to do a trip like this: the indigenous lands we were on, taking time off from work, my physical and mental abilities, and the equipment, knowledge, and skills to get ourselves through 280 miles of remote desert river corridor.

  • There are powerful forces in the world, like big rivers. Sometimes we don’t need to, or simply can’t, muscle through. A successful route may require thoughtful observation, looking for what’s not necessarily apparent on the surface or at first glance, then working with the forces at play. Get the right amount of momentum and angle to move through. Then make adjustments – not fighting – but pivots to square up to the big waves. Then, remember to plant your oars and enjoy the ride.

Scouting Lava Falls, the biggest rapid we rowed.

*If you’re thinking “Wait a minute Karina, weren’t you rafting the Grand Canyon, like, last year?” Close – our most recent trip was just a couple of years ago, and we spent a few weeks on river trips this past spring. This was our third trip rafting down the Grand, and we felt wildly appreciative to win a last-minute permit this year and had to say yes to the opportunity.

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers, 

Watercolor in a side canyon.

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

This week I’m getting back in the studio working on video projects and strategic planning process design. For now, I’ll leave you with some photos from the trip.

Sunrise at a river camp.

The boat I rowed with Apollo’s temple in the background.

River selfie!

Hello from the Grand Canyon!

That’s me planting the oars to get us through Upset Rapid - I made it through and was not upset about it.

You’re getting this email while I’m rowing a raft down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. For 24 days, we’re camping on the river’s edge, exploring side canyons, and completely disconnected from phone and internet from October 28th through November 23rd

If you’re keen to read about why this sort of trip is important to me and my business, here are a few posts inspired by my time on the river: 

Curious to explore the Grand? Google Street View allows you to take a virtual tour of this spectacular wild place, even exploring a few side hikes – like this iconic view at Nankoweep Overlook

We feel lucky to have pulled a follow up lottery permit at the beginning of August. A little context on how permits work: Typically, you apply in February for a permit for the following calendar year - so in 2021, we put in for trips that would launch in 2022. If people cancel their trips, the Park Service releases a limited number of follow-up lottery launches for the next 3-4 months….and with less than 1 in 1,000 odds, we were successful!

Here are a few photos my partner took during our last trip spring 2019. For more of his work click here

Sometimes we’re able to hike up away from the river for a new perspective. We still feel pretty small.

Three of our boats floating through time in a quiet stretch of river.

One of the magical side canyons we are fortunate to hike on the trip.

Thanks for being part of my community, and I’ll look forward to connecting when we’re back!

Cheers, 

karina's signature



Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Adobe EduMAX: Adobe always hosts a delightful virtual experience, and 2021 EduMAX did not disappoint! From hearing about innovative digital literacy work from around the world to having a front row seat to the most mind-blowing virtual magic show I’ve ever seen, the Creative Campus community shared, learned, and collaborated!

digitally hand-drawn canvas of presentation by Vincent Fu, medical student and creative

National Parks Zero Landfill Initiative: After a pilot with a handful of parks around the country, the Zero Landfill Initiative is facilitating a new cohort of ZLI parks. This online meeting shared best practices from pilot parks and created space for new parks to ask questions and imagine what they might do! Here’s a Jamboard template I created for the workshop.

T-Mobile for Education: During EduCAUSE 2021, a group of higher ed leaders got together to discuss access, equity, technology, and learning. Here are some key ideas from their conversation!

Digitally hand-drawn meeting notes about access and equity using technology in higher education. Text is black on pink background with people with various skin shades talking with each other.