Podcast appearances and mentions of ashton rodenhiser

From self-doubting doodler to skilled graphic facilitator, embracing the messiness of creativity can lead to transformative experiences. Societal pressures initially deterred my guest Ashton Rodenhiser from pursuing the arts in higher education. Instead she went to community college and then on to a role working in parenting programs and prenatal support, followed by transitioning to family support, a facilitation role that Ashton especially enjoyed.Ashton discovered graphic facilitation through a transformative one-day workshop, a pivotal moment that not only reignited her passion for creative expression, but also led to a career that seamlessly combines her skills in listening, facilitation, and visual communication. Throughout the conversation, Ashton reflects on the vital role of facilitation in helping others communicate their ideas, and how her experiences have shaped her current work, including her recent book, The Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting. With a focus on empowering educators to integrate visual note-taking into their classrooms, Ashton inspires listeners to rethink their creative potential and the value of listening and drawing as tools for learning.Ashton discusses the importance of developing a visual vocabulary, emphasizing that anyone can learn to draw, even if they start from scratch. CreativityFound.co.ukInstagram: @creativityfoundpodcastThreads: @creativityfoundpodcastFacebook: @creativityfoundpodcast and Creativity Found groupYouTube @creativityfoundpodcastResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsArtworks: Emily Portnoi emilyportnoi.co.ukPhoto: Ella Pallet Buy arts and crafts techniques books, plus books by some of my podcast guests, from the Creativity Found bookshop So MetaInspiring stories of resilience: overcoming struggles, finding purpose, transforming livesListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showPodcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by BuzzsproutSubscribe to the Creativity Found mailing list hereJoin the Creativity Found Collective here

In this episode, I sit down with creative entrepreneur Ashton Rodenhiser to explore the fascinating world of visual thinking and how drawing can be a powerful tool for learning, focus, and retention. Ashton shares her journey of capturing over 2,500 live presentations through drawing and explains how anyone—whether a student or executive—can benefit from visual note-taking, even if they feel like they “can't draw.” We discuss the science behind visual learning, practical tips for getting started, and how this creative approach can transform the way you process and connect with information. Tune in to discover how drawing can unlock new ways of thinking and boost your productivity! Continue the conversation! Conversation with Mayi Lenz Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mayilenz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conversation with Mayi Lenz Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ConversationswithMayiLenz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For show notes visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://conversations.mayilenz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

How One Artist Took Her Love For Art and Turned It into a Successful Business In this episode of the Millionaire University Podcast, host Brien Gearin talks with Ashton Rodenhiser, the owner of Minds Eye Creative, about the innovative business of sketchnoting. Ashton shares her journey from childhood creativity through the challenges of choosing a career path. She discusses the ups and downs of being a creative entrepreneur and how she translates complex words into art. Ashton also touches on aspects of personal growth, marketing, and the importance of pricing confidence in the success of a creative business.   What we talked about with Ashton: + Creative Path: From Childhood to Entrepreneurship + The Birth of a Business: Embracing Graphic Facilitation + The Impact of Sketchnoting in Various Industries + Navigating Business Challenges and Opportunities + Adapting to a Hybrid Model: The COVID-19 Pivot + The Art of Live Illustration: Techniques and Preferences + Embracing Technology: The Shift from Paper to Digital + The Lean Startup Approach to Creative Business + Overcoming Introversion: Strategies for Creative Entrepreneurs + Navigating Industry Challenges and Peer Pressure + Mentorship and Self-Reliance in Building a Business + Sketchnoting: A Gateway to Visual Thinking and Note-Taking + The Business of Creativity: Pricing, Value, and Growth   Thank you, Ashton! A BIG Thank you to Ashton and Minds Eye Creative for sponsoring today's episode and for sharing so much value! To check out Ashton's book Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting and learn more about Minds Eye Creative go here.   To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors.   Sign up for our FREE Millionaire University Business Course - Understand the 7 Phases of A business, so you know where you are now and where you need to go next! Go to https://www.millionaireuniversity.com/training.   Wanna get social? Click on any of the links below to connect with us. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok and LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you!   And if you want us to answer your business questions on an upcoming episode, drop us a line at support@millioinaireuniversity.com.     To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors.

How One Artist Took Her Love For Art and Turned It into a Successful Business In this episode of the Millionaire University Podcast, host Brien Gearin talks with Ashton Rodenhiser, the owner of Minds Eye Creative, about the innovative business of sketchnoting. Ashton shares her journey from childhood creativity through the challenges of choosing a career path. She discusses the ups and downs of being a creative entrepreneur and how she translates complex words into art. Ashton also touches on aspects of personal growth, marketing, and the importance of pricing confidence in the success of a creative business. What we talked about with Ashton: + Creative Path: From Childhood to Entrepreneurship + The Birth of a Business: Embracing Graphic Facilitation + The Impact of Sketchnoting in Various Industries + Navigating Business Challenges and Opportunities + Adapting to a Hybrid Model: The COVID-19 Pivot + The Art of Live Illustration: Techniques and Preferences + Embracing Technology: The Shift from Paper to Digital + The Lean Startup Approach to Creative Business + Overcoming Introversion: Strategies for Creative Entrepreneurs + Navigating Industry Challenges and Peer Pressure + Mentorship and Self-Reliance in Building a Business + Sketchnoting: A Gateway to Visual Thinking and Note-Taking + The Business of Creativity: Pricing, Value, and Growth Thank you, Ashton! A BIG Thank you to Ashton and Minds Eye Creative for sponsoring today's episode and for sharing so much value! To check out Ashton's book Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting and learn more about Minds Eye Creative go here. To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors. Sign up for our FREE Millionaire University Business Course - Understand the 7 Phases of A business, so you know where you are now and where you need to go next! Go to https://www.millionaireuniversity.com/training. Wanna get social? Click on any of the links below to connect with us. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok and LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you! And if you want us to answer your business questions on an upcoming episode, drop us a line at support@millioinaireuniversity.com. To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Writing Glitch podcast, host Cheri Dotterer welcomes Ashton Rosenhiser, a passionate visual note-taker from Nova Scotia, Canada. Ashton shares her journey of combining creativity with effective communication through her Minds Eye Creative Consulting venture. Tune in to discover practical visual note-taking strategies that can help children and adults enhance their learning and organizational skills.******************************************************************************This video podcast is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.********************************************************************************RESOURCES/COURSES MENTIONEDMinds Eye Creative Consulting https://www.mindseyecreative.ca/Join my events updates as Ashton joins us live in Fall 2024.********************************************************************************BOOKSHandwriting Brain Body DISconnect Digital Version: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/hwbbd On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Handwriting-Br...********************************************************************************TIME STAMPS00:00:03: Introduction of Ashton Rosenhiser as a visual note-taker.00:02:49: What is Visual Note-taking00:08:12: 3 Visual Note-Taking Strategies00:16:39: How to apply note-taking strategies for Students with Disabilities00:25:07: Visual demonstration of note-taking*******************************************************************************SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to the Audio version of the podcast here on YouTube or your favorite podcast app.APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-writing-glitch/id1641728130?uo=4SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5rU9kLxjkqJE5GbyCycrHEAMAZON MUSIC/AUDIBLE: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/894b3ab2-3b1c-4a97-af60-b1f2589d271fYOUTUBE: @TheWritingGlitchPodcast********************************************************************************MISSIONDotterer Educational Consulting, a Therapy Services, LLC company: To provide professional development to improve writing skills through efficient lesson planning for regular education classrooms.********************************************************************************WORK WITH US:Self Study Dysgraphia Course: Dotterer Dysgraphia Method: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/dotterer-dysgraphia-methodJoin Tier 1 Workshops.  Complete episodes with bonuses are included in the course. New episodes are added after the live events. https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/ti...***********************************************************************************FREE RESOURCESDIY Handwriting Paper. Watch this free webinar. https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/di...********************************************************************************Other ways to connect with Jonily and Cheri Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheridott...FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tier1...IG: https://www.instagram.com/cheridotterer/X: https://twitter.com/CheriDottererTikTok:

Discover how societal norms shape our perceptions of femininity and masculinity, explore the philosophy that 'how we do anything is how we do everything,' and uncover how this mindset can revolutionize your approach to personal growth. In our PowerMom Chronicles segment, Sandy shares game-changing life lessons, practical insights for improvement, and wisdom for mothers seeking strength and voice. Unlock the secrets to empowerment with Sandy Sembler, the mastermind behind the SakredShe Method. Join us as we explore how this revolutionary approach liberates women's pasts and empowers them to reclaim their inner strength. Timestamps: 00:31 How can the SakredShe Method help modern women liberate their past and reclaim their power? 1:50 How does society play a role in making women feel they need more masculine energy? 3:55 In your philosophy, you mention "how we do anything is how we do everything." How does this mindset contribute to creating a more profound experience in every aspect of life? 7:00 The Art of Creative Relationships program focuses on the last 5% of healing occurring in relationships. How do couples break the cycle of repetitive patterns and complacency to deepen their love and passion? 9:25 PowerMom Chronicles 9:35 A game-changing lesson life has taught Sandy 10:00 Practical lesson you can apply to improve your lives 11:20 A piece of wisdom for moms striving to find their strength and voice. 13:00 Best advice you've ever received? Connect with Sandy: Website Link: sandysembler.com Additional Link: https://sandysembler.com/quiz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandysembler/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandysembler/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandysembler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakredshe Learning to read is really important for all kids. But what if your little one has a hard time reading? It could be because they learn best by seeing things visually. Meet our visionary graphic recorder, Ashton Rodenhiser. With a passion for empowering moms, kids, and women, she transforms learning and communication through her giant charts and 'visual note-taking' expertise. Join Ashton at Sketchnote School and unlock the power of creativity in learning! Connect with Ashton: Website Link: www.sketchnote.school Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting - https://sketchnote.school/book/ Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/SketchnoteSchool TikTok - / mindseyecreative LinkedIn- / ashtonrodenhiser Twitter - / mindseyeccf Instagram - / ashtonmindseye Facebook - / mindseyecreativecf YouTube - / @sketchnoteschool Check Cristina Out: Blog: https://cristinafrancy.com/ Instagram: @notyourmommas.podcast Amazon Store Front: https://www.amazon.com/shop/notyourmo... Email for collaborations: hello@notyourmommaspodcast.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefrancylife/support

Welcome to the Evolvepreneur (After Hours) Show I am your Special Host Richard Wray Join me today where we dig deep with our guests and get you the best concepts and strategies to fast-track your business. My very special guest today is Ashton Rodenhiser ... Ashton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting. Over the years, she has brought over 2500 presentations and conversations to life either on paper or digitally. She's now on a mission to teach sketchnoting skills to students and professionals on how to use doodling and drawing as their best thinking and learning tool. When she's not working with clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada.

Ashton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity and over the years, she has brought over 3000 presentations and conversations to life either on paper or digitally. She's now on a mission to people the benefits of Sketchnoting. She's the founder of Sketchnote School where lifelong learners use visual to help them understand, retain and share complex information while having fun! When she's not working with students and clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada. Contact Ashton Rodenhiser: online community Sketchnote School - https://sketchnote.school/ (free and paid options) Dr. Kimberley Linert Speaker, Author, Broadcaster, Mentor, Trainer, Behavioral Optometrist Event Planners- I am available to speak at your event. Here is my media kit: https://brucemerrinscelebrityspeakers.com/portfolio/dr-kimberley-linert/ To book Dr. Linert on your podcast, television show, conference, corporate training or as an expert guest please email her at incrediblelifepodcast@gmail.com or Contact Bruce Merrin at Bruce Merrin's Celebrity Speakers at merrinpr@gmail.com 702.256.9199 Host of the Podcast Series: Incredible Life Creator Podcast Available on... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/incredible-life-creator-with-dr-kimberley-linert/id1472641267 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6DZE3EoHfhgcmSkxY1CvKf?si=ebe71549e7474663 and on 9 other podcast platforms Author of Book: "Visualizing Happiness in Every Area of Your Life" Get on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3srh6tZ Website: https://www.DrKimberleyLinert.com

Today on our podcast, Annie Gibbins interviews Ashton Rodenhiser. As the founder of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, Ashton's passion for helping people articulate their ideas converges beautifully with her creativity. Armed with markers, she's a master of graphic recording and facilitation, turning ideas into captivating visuals that transcend the spoken word. While Ashton may seem like the quiet illustrator in the room, her work is anything but silent. She adeptly simplifies intricate concepts into a visual language, empowering others to grasp and retain information while inspiring them to adopt her techniques. Having enlivened over 2500 presentations and conversations, Ashton's latest endeavour focuses on educating students on the potency of doodling and drawing as tools for optimal thinking and learning. Join us as we delve into Ashton's journey, exploring how creativity and visual storytelling revolutionise communication and education. About the host: Annie Gibbins, CEO of Women's Biz Global, empowers women to overcome barriers and lead innovative, high-impact businesses. As a global business and media influencer, she sparks engaging discussions on breaking barriers and driving innovation. Apply to be featured on Women's Biz Podcast https://womensbizglobal.com/media/podcast #anniegibbins #womensbizglobal #womensbizpodcast #womeninbusiness #businesswomen #femaleentrepreneurs #womenleadership #womenempowerment #businesstv #womeninleadership #careerwomen #professionalwomen #leadershipdevelopment #womenownedbusiness #inspiringwomen If you are ready to fast track your next success chapter, grab your free trial of Women's Biz Global https://womensbizglobal.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womensbizglobal/message

Carina talks to Ashton Rodenhiser about her career as someone who illustrates meetings so that visual communication is heightened for companies. Learn more about her book and community for this fascinating creative field!Learn more about at   https://www.mindseyecreative.ca/Episode 417 Illustration For Meetings with Ashton Rodenhiser_________Love to create, design and craft? Have you always wanted to know how to turn your passions into profit? Carina's new book – Design Profit & Prosper will lead you down the path of making your dreams a reality. Get your copy today! https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designprofitprosper__________About Carina Gardner:Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc.Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers.Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.comWatch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/My new book Make Art That Sells is out and I want you to get the Master Class for Free!Go to MakeArtBook.com and click on the Masterclass. Use the code CARINAPODCAST!I can't wait to see you there!

Interview with Ashton Rodenhiser, author of 'A Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting.'

Ashton Rodenhiser, is a visionary creative entrepreneur on a mission to revolutionize the way we think about drawing. She believes that everyone can harness the power of drawing as a thinking tool. In this episode, you'll learn about the art of sketchnoting, you'll discover practical tips for getting started with visual note-taking, and explore the benefits of incorporating drawing into your learning, note taking and communication skill set. https://sketchnote.school/Get Magic Mind to crush your 2024 new year resolutions fully focused!Get a total of a 75% discount with link + code on a 3 month subscription 1 month for free, when subscribing for 3 months at:https://www.magicmind.com/stringcastmediaUse code STRINGCAST20 for 20% anytime

Ashton Rodenhiser is a live illustrator who is passionate about doodling for mindfulness. She has brought over 2500 presentations and conversations to life. She is on a mission to teach sketchnoting skills to students and professionals so they can use doodling and drawing as their best thinking and learning tool. When she's not working with clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Contact Info Website: www.mindseyecreative.com Book: Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting by Ashton Rodenhiser Most Influential Person Maude Lewis; famous Nova Scotia folk artist Effect On Emotions How has mindfulness affected how I deal with emotions? Oh, my gosh, well, that is a big question. I am definitely a highly sensitive person. And I think it's helped me just be okay with that. We'll keep it at that. Thoughts On Breathing Oh, my gosh, what are my thoughts on breathing as it relates to mindfulness? Well, that I'm not so great at it. I definitely try to be mindful about breathing. But you have to really be intentional about it. This is something that I'm not so wonderful at.   Bullying Story I will tell you something that I learned a few years ago regarding a new definition for forgiveness. And it's really about letting go of the pain, so it doesn't hold you back anymore. Because it's not about forgiving a person; it has nothing to do with the other person. So, I feel like I take that philosophy into many different areas of my life. You know, so you could relate that to bullying. Because a lot of people who are bullied, they hang on to it. And they identify it; they name it; they create this into something that exists in a big way for them in their minds. And then they're not able to let go of it the way you're describing, and they think it's their identity. So it is so important to realize that it doesn't need to be your identity. It is making a very specific conscious decision to let this go. And it is a little bit about taking your own identity and power back and not giving it that energy. Suggested Resources Book: The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer Book: Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny App: True Voice and Insight Timer Related Episodes Creativity and Mindfulness, Learn and Meditate Your Creative Art Oasis; Faigie Kobre Exploring AI-Enhanced Storytelling; Richard Rosser Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I'm Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

In this captivating episode of Stuck In My Mind Podcast, host Wize El Jefe engages in a thought-provoking conversation with guest Ashton Rodenhiser, the founder of Mindsee Creative Consulting. The episode, titled "From Ideas to Images: The Creative Journey of Ashton Rodenhiser," delves deep into the world of creativity and visual storytelling, providing listeners with a rich and inspirational exploration of the creative process. The episode unfolds with Wize El Jefe reflecting on the value of in-person events and the connections formed at Podfest. This sets the stage for Aston Rodenhiser to share her experiences running an art festival and her belief that creative thinking will be a top skill set in the future. The rewarding aspects of her work, such as engaging in immersive conversations with individuals from diverse backgrounds, offers deep insights and perspectives, providing the audience with enlightening anecdotes that highlight the power of visual communication in creating human connection. As the discussion progresses, Aston sheds light on the challenges of maintaining creativity in both her professional and personal life. She discusses the balance and cognitive load required for her creative job and showcases the struggle of being involved in short-term projects while yearning for a lasting impact. The candid nature of the conversation allows listeners to gain a raw understanding of the complexities surrounding creativity and the pursuit of lasting influence in one's work. Visual learning and the power of storytelling is a recurring theme throughout the episode, as Wize El Jefe and Aston highlight the significance of combining images with words to enhance understanding and open up meaningful conversations. They underscore the importance of simplifying complex concepts visually to ensure widespread comprehension, emphasizing the pivotal role creativity plays in human connection amidst technological advancements. Wize El Jefe further shares personal experiences, highlighting his journey to embrace creativity through podcasting, while Ashton navigates discussions about her entrepreneurial journey and the steadfast dedication required for building skills and creating opportunities. The episode winds down with Wize El Jefe thanking various individuals, including the audience and essential workers, and expressing gratitude for the insightful conversation with Aston Rodenhiser. This leads to a heartwarming exchange where the host invites the guest to return for future episodes, fostering a sense of anticipation for a potential follow-up. Overall, "From Ideas to Images: The Creative Journey of Ashton Rodenhiser" delivers an illuminating exploration of creativity, visual storytelling, and human connection. Listeners are left inspired by the depth of the conversation and the unwavering commitment both Wize El Jefe and Aston Rodenhiser exemplify in sharing their creative experiences and wisdom.

In this episode I had the pleasure to meet and talk to Creative Entrepreneur & Live illustrator, Ashton Rodenhiser. She is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. For the past seven years, she has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting. You'll often find her with markers in hand as she's helping bring ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices. She's worked with diverse groups, from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. It may appear as if she's the silent illustrator in the room. In fact, she's helping to break down complex concepts and notions into an easily understandable visual language, helping others retain more information while inspiring people to continue practicing her techniques in the world. FOLLOW HER AT Website - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ Facebook -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCF/ Tiktok - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreative Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8egQ9KvwCLN8uAJN_OZJdg Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/ If you've found the Life With Francy podcast helpful Follow, Rate, & Review on Apple Podcasts Like this Show? Please Leave us a review here - even one sentence helps!  Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & Tag us so we can Thank you Personally! STAY IN TOUCH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINKTREE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTRAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This conversation was thanks to Podmatch an amazing community for podcast guest and podcast host to make amazing collaborations like this one. Sign Up with Podmatch using this link or paste this URL ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://community.podmatch.com/share/rp3hc8C55fs6bWwL Support and Join my Patreon community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/Lifewithfrancy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DOWNLOAD my Transform your Mind workbook for FREE here >>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3mhiGQ9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hope you have a blessed day. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Support this podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://anchor.fm/francelyn-devarie/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/francelyn-devarie/support

Creativity through the lens of a visual storyteller and professional doodler"I almost fee like it's my religion. I feel like I wouldn't exist without it."Ashton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting.You'll often find her with markers in hand as she's helping bring ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices.She's worked with diverse groups, from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. It may appear as if she's the silent illustrator in the room. In fact, she's helping to break down complex concepts and notions into an easily understandable visual language, helping others retain more information while inspiring people to continue practicing her techniques in the world.Website - http://www.mindseyecreative.ca/Website - http://www.sketchnote.schoolTwitter - https://twitter.com/MindsEyeCCFInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCFYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@sketchnoteschoolPinterest - www.pinterest.com/SketchnoteSchoolTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreativeLinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/ Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting - https://sketchnote.school/book/Free video lesson - Draw your First sketchnote in 15 minutes - www.sketchnote101.com 

Embark on a captivating journey into the art of sketchnoting with Ashton Rodenhiser, a creative entrepreneur redefining note-taking. From students to executives, discover how drawing can elevate memory and comprehension. Subscribe now for engaging conversations and unleash the power of visual learning!

Step into the colorful world of creativity with Ashton Rodenhiser on the latest episode of the Find Your Leadership Confidence Podcast hosted by Vicki Noethling!

Do you ever feel like you're not creative enough or that your meetings could be more engaging? If yes, then you are in for a treat! Join us as we chat with the magnetic Ashton Rodenhiser, an illustrator and visual communicator extraordinaire. She's not just passionate about her craft, but also believes in the power of visual thinking to simplify complex concepts. We delve into her entrepreneurial journey, the knack of not taking rejection personally, and why visual thinking is such a gamechanger.Our conversation takes an enlightening turn as we unearth the benefits of live illustration in meetings, conferences, and strategic planning sessions. Ashton, through her firsthand experiences, shares how this unique approach can bring a transformative change in communication and organization within teams. We also lay bare the intriguing art of sketchnoting. Imagine making your meetings more engaging, productive, and, believe it or not, fun! We challenge the notion that creativity is an exclusive club and encourage everyone to embrace their inner Picasso. As we draw to a close, we reflect on personal transformation and legacy. Ashton gets real about her journey, the physical and emotional toll it took, and the lessons she learned along the way. Her emphasis on an abundance mindset and openness towards others creating their own businesses will leave you inspired. By the end of this episode, you'll find yourself equipped to harness the power of visual communication, eager to infuse more creativity into your life, and ready to challenge and change your perspectives on creativity. So, tune in for this unmissable conversation with Ashton Rodenhiser and prepare to see the world through a more creative lens. Support the showGive the gift of books to your loved ones. Give them a 3-month Audible subscription.Amazon will send your gift recipient an email on the day you choose along with redemption instructions, or allow you to print and give it directly based on the option you select. The gift recipient can start their Audible Premium Plus membership right away. Current Audible members will receive all credits from a redeemed gift membership at once. Their current plan will not be extended or interrupted.https://www.amazon.com/hz/audible/gift-membership-detail

  As a lean leader, I have facilitated countless meetings and events. Truth be told, I am a messy and disorganized note-taker with dreadful handwriting! So, I have significant respect for the people who can record the work and results of a meeting in graphic form. Ashton Rodenhiser is an experienced graphic communicator, and she joined me at the Edges of Lean to share her story and give us some ideas about bringing more images into how we capture meetings.  Ashton Rodenhiser   Ashton Rodenhiser is a passionate creative entrepreneur advocating for drawing as a thinking tool accessible to all, regardless of their drawing abilities. Through her company, Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, she has been dedicated to helping people communicate their ideas through graphic recording and graphic facilitation. With over 2,500 presentations brought to life, Ashton has demonstrated the power of visually capturing notes for improved recall and a rich connection with information. Ashton enjoys quality time with her family in rural Canada when she is not working.    KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST:   00:00:29 Drawing can enhance meeting capture. 00:08:09 Embrace the imperfection of creativity. 00:14:52 Graphic recording is accessible and efficient. 00:17:30 Visual storytelling is accessible to everyone. 00:25:55 Graphic facilitation empowers diverse voices. 00:27:58 Tangible paper creates memorable experiences. 00:33:17 Importance of transparent communication. 00:39:07 Value lived experiences in forming opinions. 00:44:45 Explore unique job opportunities through research and networking.   KEY TAKEAWAYS    Graphic recording and facilitation can be powerful tools for capturing and communicating the work and results of meetings and events. The imperfection of graphic recording allows everyone to see and connect with their wisdom and knowledge. Graphic recording can be a powerful way to make people feel heard and seen uniquely. Creating simple drawing elements like lines, squares, and circles can elevate information and highlight key concepts. Words are essential in graphic recording to capture the content and ensure the group's ideas are honored. Graphic recordings can be used as a living document, with people writing on them and adding sticky notes to keep the conversation going. The purpose of graphic recordings is to capture the conversation in time and facilitate ongoing dialogue and action. Memorable Quotes From Ashton Rodenhiser       "Bringing more images into how we capture meetings can tell a story and enhance understanding." CONNECT WITH Ashton Rodenhiser      Find her book: https://amzn.eu/d/b6moElC   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/?originalSubdomain=ca Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8egQ9KvwCLN8uAJN_OZJdg Twitter: https://x.com/MindsEyeCCF?s=20   

We're diving into the realm of visual storytelling with the illustrious Ashton Rodenhiser. No, this episode won't be "sketchy" in the way you might think. Instead, we're exploring the fascinating power of doodling and sketchnoting with Ashton, whose passion for breathing creative life into ideas is as infectious as it is inspiring. With a remarkable track record of revitalizing over 2,500 presentations through Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, Ashton has mastered the art of using both digital and traditional mediums to transform complex concepts into accessible visual narratives. And for those eager to delve deeper into the world of graphic facilitation, Ashton's book, "Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting," is a treasure trove of insights and techniques.   So prepare to unleash the power of your visual mind as we welcome Ashton Rodenhiser to the virtual lounge. Tune in and transform the way you capture and convey your thoughts and ideas. ⁠Show your work send your doodles!⁠ CONNECT: Buy the Book: https://amzn.to/40PLcIn Website - http://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ Website - http://www.sketchnote.school Twitter - https://twitter.com/MindsEyeCCF Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCF YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@sketchnoteschool Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/SketchnoteSchool TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreative LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/ Remember to subscribe to PR After Hours for more enlightening conversations, and if you found value in this episode, consider supporting our journey to 1,000 subscribers on Substack. Get Alex's book, THE PODCAST OPTION--NOW IN PAPERBACK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3MwoEXh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our entire library of episodes and more on the show website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PRAfterHours.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Announcer: ⁠⁠Mary McKenna⁠⁠. PR After Hours Theme: ⁠⁠https://filmmusic.io⁠⁠ "Bossa Antigua" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠⁠https://incompetech.com⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠CC⁠⁠. ⁠⁠Sound effects.⁠⁠ This PR After Hours Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2023, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alex-greenwood1/message

About Ashton Rodenhiser Ashton Rodenhiser is a creative entrepreneur passionate about spreading the concept that drawing can be used as a thinking tool. Anyone, whether they are students or boardroom executives, can benefit from visual note-taking. Even if you feel like you can't draw, it's possible to learn basic drawing elements to help you benefit from drawing your notes. There are studies that support visually capturing notes can lead to improved recall and retention and can help you focus and connect deeper with information http://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ https://sketchnote.school/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- About Chris Lautenslager The Prosperity Loop is an organizational model for building a virtuous, ongoing loop of shared organizational success. It is an inclusive, self-sustaining formula that encourages common purpose, cooperation, value creation, shared rewards and open communication throughout the organization. It recognizes that positive change starts with you, right now. The model is centered in achieving collective prosperity. This fundamental organizational redefinition addresses the cries for change that foster societal solutions to a more balanced life, business and community for business entrepreneurs, CEO's and their employees. The Prosperity Loop is the first of a larger series of movements to come from the GET LOOPED organization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When It Work Podcast https://getoffthedamnphone.com/podcast 00:00:00 Chris Lautenslager And Ashton Rodenhiser Pronunciations 00:00:25 Jeopardy Clue Jack The Dripper 00:01:57 Clue Jackson Pollock, Jim Carrey, Apollo 3 00:03:35 Bishops Or Cardinals? 00:03:47 Warnings Dont Take Points Off Stay Positive 00:03:59 300 For Catholic Stuff 00:04:25 Parish Priests Have Their Own Robe, Patron Saint 00:05:20 New Design Necessity Invention 00:05:54 Rome Landmark 620 footlong, 513 wide 00:06:35 Fast Sports Related Trivia 00:08:27 Insignia Correct, Chris Not In Military 00:09:13 Infinitive, Capiche, Title Nine, Baseball Game, Hitchcock 00:10:34 Travel To Easter Island, The Worlds Most Remote Airport 00:11:01 Easter Island Islanders Specialty 00:11:17 Travel For 400 00:12:15 Control Easter, Leroy, James Brown, Samuel L Jackson 00:13:02 Dutch Master Rembrandts Ears Chopped Off 00:13:44 Rembrandt, Vermeer, Aquarelle, Fossilized Resin, Traffic Lights 00:15:48 500 Points Native Canadian Broadcaster Paul Apaks Production 00:17:06 200 Points, Title Nine For 300 00:17:32 Mickey Roll, Kathleen, And Pavarotti 00:18:59 Martin Scorseses First Name, Middle Name Correct 00:20:13 Madonna Iconic Singer From The 80s 00:20:49 Mary Mastersons Scottish Middle Name 00:21:22 Book Summary Jd Salingers Catcher In The Rye 00:22:18 Artist 400 Andre Brayton, Surrealist 00:23:24 American Impressionist Mary Cassett, Model For Degas At The Milleners 00:23:49 Chris Wins Game, Discusses Prosperity Loop 00:25:29 Get Looped Small Business Appreciation Movement 00:29:02 Professional Speaker, Value Identification Process For Small Businesses 00:29:40 Chriss Ideal Small Business Event 00:29:58 Fun With Ashton, Creative Entrepreneur, Great Jeopardy Player 00:30:15 Chriss Mission Helping People Build Connections 00:33:10 Doodles Boost Memory, Engage Brain, Feed Instant Gratification 00:35:36 Graphic Facilitation For Learning And Growth 00:37:46 Diverse Client Base 00:38:31 Learning Diverse Industries Keeps Creativity Strong 00:39:02 Conclusion Thank You, Thank You!

In this captivating podcast episode, we journey into the world of live illustration and sketchnoting with Ashton Rodenhiser, the founder of Minds Eye Creative Consulting in Nova Scotia, Canada. Rodenhiser has brought over 2500 conversations to life through visual communication and shares her insights and experiences in this enriching interview.The episode kicks off with Rodenhiser painting a vivid picture of her creative surroundings in rural Nova Scotia—a beautiful place to live with inspiration drawn from nature and architecture. As a professional live illustrator, Rodenhiser describes her work primarily in two ways: in-person with large sheets of paper and markers or virtually, especially since the shift caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Rodenhiser's journey into visual communication began as a facilitator, emphasizing the importance of active listening and synthesizing information. She discovered the power of combining her creative aspirations with facilitation, leading her to the world of sketchnoting and graphic recording. Her work involves quickly translating complex concepts into a visual language during presentations, meetings, or brainstorming sessions.The podcast delves into Rodenhiser's recent book on sketchnoting, where she shares key insights and techniques for beginners. She emphasizes the simplicity of learning basic drawing elements and encourages the use of icons with multiple meanings to enhance sketchnoting skills.The discussion also explores Rodenhiser's role as a graphic recorder and facilitator, highlighting how visual communication helps break down complex concepts and provides transformative impacts on organizations. She shares memorable experiences where individuals felt heard and valued, emphasizing the importance of creating a space where everyone's voice matters.Towards the end of the episode, Rodenhiser invites listeners to connect with her, explore her book, and learn more about sketchnoting and visual communication. She leaves the audience with a powerful message about unlocking their creative potential.In summary, this podcast episode is a delightful exploration of the world of visual communication, sketchnoting, and the transformative impact of bringing ideas to life through live illustration. Ashton Rodenhiser's journey, insights, and passion for her craft make this episode an engaging and inspiring listen for anyone interested in unlocking their own creative potential.Ashton's Website Ashton on YouTube @ashtonmindseye on Instagram Ashton's Facebook page Copyright 2023 Mark Stinson

In this enlightening episode, we delve into the world of visual communication and creativity with Ashton Rodenhiser, founder of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting. Ashton, a passionate advocate for lifting the creative spirit in all, joins us to share her journey from corporate pressures to becoming a visual thinking expert. Discover how her innovative graphic recording and facilitation practices have transformed the way people absorb and retain information. We explore the power of sketchnoting, why it's a game-changer for better communication, and the impressive impact of turning ideas into visual stories. Tune in for a fresh perspective on unleashing your creativity and enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. Learn more about sketchnoting and using your creativity with Ashton's help at http://www.mindseyecreative.ca

Welcome to this week's episode of Her HypeSquad with Bosstrack where I sit down with Ashton Rodenhiser, Founder, Live Illustrator & Sketchnoting Educator of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting. We talk about visualizing ideas, idea retention, making others feel heard, and how AI will change creativity at work. About Ashton Rodenhiser Ashton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting. Over the years, she has brought over 2500 presentations and conversations to life either on paper or digitally. She's now on a mission to teach sketchnoting skills to students and professionals on how to use doodling and drawing as their best thinking and learning tool.  When she's not working with clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada. Contact Ashton: Website: http://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ Website: http://www.sketchnote.school LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/⁠ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindsEyeCCF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sketchnoteschool Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/SketchnoteSchool TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreative

In this enlightening episode of "Conversations with Rich Bennett", Ashton Rodenhiser delves deep into the world of sketchnoting and visual storytelling. Ashton emphasizes the power of combining words and pictures, highlighting an 89% increased likelihood of implementing information when presented in this dual format. She discusses the importance of creating an inclusive learning environment, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their physical or mental state, can access and understand key ideas. Ashton shares her personal journey into the podcasting world, her experiences being interviewed, and her unique approach to business, which leans heavily on intuition. The episode also touches on personal anecdotes, such as the story behind her wrist tattoo and the significance of her children's names. Throughout the conversation, Ashton's passion for sketchnoting as a tool for deeper understanding and engagement shines through, making it clear that for her, doodling truly goes beyond the margins.Here are links for you to bookmark, save, follow, memorize, write down, and share with others:home - Mind's Eye Creative Consulting (mindseyecreative.ca)FacebookAshton Rodenhiser (@ashtonmindseye) • Instagram photos and videosAshton R. | LinkedInmindseyecreative (@mindseyecreative) | TikTokJoin the 30 Days of Courage NOW, and you'll be part of a powerful FREE online event starting October 1st-30th30 Days of Courage — Courage 365 Tar Heel Construction Group Harford County Living Stamp of Approval for Roofing, Siding and Exterior Services Four Seasons Landscape & Construction Se While we perform the traditional lawn and landscape bed services, our passion is providing drainage Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFollow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingFacebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingInstagram – Harford County LivingTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTok Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Recorded at the Freedom Federal Credit Union StudiosHosted on BuzzsproutRocketbookSquadCast Contests & Giveaways Subscribe by Email ...

Today we are back in the air and we're traveling to Canada, in fact, heading to a somewhat famous location, Nova Scotia. And we are visiting our guest, Ms. Ashton Rodenhiser, who is a local resident in this wonderful part of the world. Ms. Rodenhiser is a graphic recorder and visual strategist who is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She's followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combine that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, you'll often find her with markers in hand as she is helping bring ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices. Ashton has worked with diverse groups from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies, and it may appear as if she is a silent illustrator in the room, while in fact, she is helping to break down complex concepts into an easily understandable visual language for better learning retention. Over the years, Ashton has brought over 2,500 presentations and conversations to life, either on paper or digitally. She is now on a mission to teach students how to use doodling and drawing as their best thinking and learning tools.  During our conversation, you'll hear Ashton explaining the terms and speaking about Graphic Facilitating. This is something I wish I had the patience for as it is such a powerful tool to have at your disposal. Have you ever had the opportunity to sit in a meeting, workshop, or training and be mesmerized by the art unfolding before your eyes? Truly incredible and as leaders this is something that we all have the capacity to learn and embody. If you want to stand out, create impact, and leave a lasting impression then learn this skill. Visit our website to access and download the full transcript, guest links, and episode notes - Coaching 4 Companies

Steve Harper Interviews Ashton Rodenhiser Founder of Mind's Eye Creative -- www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://onlineradiobox.com/search?cs=us.pbnnetwork1&q=podcast%20business%20news%20network&c=ushttps://mytuner-radio.com/search/?q=business+news+networkhttps://streema.com/radios/search/?q=podcast+business+news+network

Ashton Rodenhiser is the founder of Mind's Eye Creative, a company specializing in graphic recording, graphic facilitation practices, and live illustration.  In this episode, Ashton shares her journey, sparked by a workshop ten years ago, that led her to a career in art and design. We also talk about her process of bringing ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices, the concept and techniques of sketchnoting and how it helps people learn and retain information, the balance between creativity as a hobby versus as a job, and the significance of accessibility in live presentations. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Steve Harper Interviews Ashton Rodenhiser Founder of Mind's Eye Creative -- www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://onlineradiobox.com/search?cs=us.pbnnetwork1&q=podcast%20business%20news%20network&c=ushttps://mytuner-radio.com/search/?q=business+news+networkhttps://streema.com/radios/search/?q=podcast+business+news+network

My guest today is Ashton Rodenhiser. Ashton sometimes describes herself as a professional doodler, and she has published a book called The Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting. She's a consultant who uses drawing or visual note-taking as a tool to inspire thinking. She's helped everyone from students in the classroom to executives in the boardroom.◘Ashton's Websitehttps://www.mindseyecreative.ca/

Welcome to another enlightening episode of "Healthy Mind, Healthy Life," the podcast dedicated to nurturing your mental well-being and empowering you to live your best life. I'm your host, Avik, and I'm thrilled to have you join us today. In this episode, we're delving into the captivating world of creativity and self-care, and we have an extraordinary guest with us, Ashton Rodenhiser. Ashton is not just a creative entrepreneur; she's a passionate advocate for awakening the creative spirit in everyone she encounters. For the past seven years, Ashton has been on a remarkable journey, blending her love for helping people effectively communicate their ideas with the power of creativity. She's the founder of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, where she brings concepts to life through the art of graphic recording and graphic facilitation. So, grab a cup of tea, find a comfortable spot, and get ready to be inspired by the incredible Ashton Rodenhieser. Let's dive into the world of "Healthy Mind, Healthy Life." Before we begin, make sure to subscribe to our podcast to receive updates on future episodes, and if you enjoy what you hear today, consider leaving us a review. Your feedback means the world to us! Stay tuned for our future episodes, where we'll continue to explore the connection between a healthy mind and a healthy life, featuring experts, inspiring stories, and practical tips to support your well-being journey.

Steve Harper Interviews Ashton Rodenhiser Founder of Mind's Eye Creative -- www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://onlineradiobox.com/search?cs=us.pbnnetwork1&q=podcast%20business%20news%20network&c=ushttps://mytuner-radio.com/search/?q=business+news+networkhttps://streema.com/radios/search/?q=podcast+business+news+network 

My guest today is Ashton Rodenhiser. Ashton sometimes describes herself as a professional doodler, and she has published a book called The Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting. She's a consultant who uses drawing or visual note-taking as a tool to inspire thinking. She's helped everyone from students in the classroom to executives in the boardroom.◘Ashton's Websitehttps://www.mindseyecreative.ca/

What if you could boost your information retention by up to 29%? Buckle up as we chat with our guest, Ashton Rodenhiser, professional doodler and sketchnoter, and delve into the fascinating world of doodling. We discuss how doodling, often dismissed as a mindless activity, is actually a powerful tool for enhancing learning and memory retention. Ashton also offers tips to get started with sketchnoting, essentially a form of doodling, and emphasizes the importance of being present and engaged rather than striving to capture everything.Find Ashton Rodenhiser's book on Sketchnoting at https://sketchnote.school/book/Ashton draws on her rich experience to illustrate the challenges of live presentations, particularly with famous personalities who might be less than ideal in delivering their speeches. She shares her experiences of being on stage with a famous presenter who was all over the place, highlighting the need to be in the moment and fully engaged with the ongoing conversation. Finally, Ashton takes us through her personal journey from early artistic pursuits to becoming a professional doodler, the pressure she faced from her family, and her self-discovery along the way. We hear about her foray into the world of graphic facilitation and how she built a business around it. The conversation concludes with a look at the power of play in the work environment. Ashton speaks about her unique methods to incorporate fun and creativity into the workspace, further emphasizing the need to be present and enjoy the power of play.(0:00:16) - The Power of Doodling and DrawingDoodling can help think and learn, retain up to 29% more information, and sketch noting focuses on key points.(0:12:08) - The Challenges of Presenting With PowerPointAshton Rodenhiser shares her decade-long experience of listening, adjusting to conversation flow, and creating choreographed presentations.(0:17:26) - The Journey to Creativity and EntrepreneurshipAshton shares her journey from stay-at-home mom to professional doodler, emphasizing the importance of leaving room for the unexpected and mistakes.(0:26:31) - Impactful Choices in Work and LifeHer journey to balance work and life, and using her intuition.Support the showSupport the Playful Humans mission to help adults rediscover the power of play: Subscribe to the YouTube channel Subscribe to the Podcast Book a playshop for your team Support our sponsors

Ashton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. She has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting.You'll often find her with markers in hand as she's helping bring ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices.She's worked with diverse groups, from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. It may appear as if she's the silent illustrator in the room. In fact, she's helping to break down complex concepts and notions into an easily understandable visual language, helping others retain more information while inspiring people to continue practicing her techniques in the world.Over the years, she has brought over 2000 presentations and conversations to life either on paper or digitally.When she's not working with clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada.http://www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://twitter.com/MindsEyeCCFhttps://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCFhttps://www.youtube.com/c/MindsEyeCreativeConsultinghttps://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreativehttps://www.amazon.ca/Ashton-Rodenhiser/e/B0C4V1D7RV/ref=zg_bsnr_g_935522_bl_sccl_12/000-0000000-0000000Book Recommendation from Ashton, "Overcoming Underearning" by Barbara Stanny: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Underearning-Five-Step-Plan-Richer/dp/006081862X/Check out Red Stone Art Studio:https://redstoneartstudio.blogspot.com/https://www.instagram.com/redstoneartstudio/Support the showFollow Moms Who Create:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/momswhocreatepodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/momswhocreatepodcastMonthly Meeting Book Club - https://www.facebook.com/groups/momswhocreatebookclubWebsite - https://www.momswhocreate.com/

Steve Harper Interviews Ashton Rodenhiser Founder of Mind's Eye Creative -- www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://onlineradiobox.com/search?cs=us.pbnnetwork1&q=podcast%20business%20news%20network&c=ushttps://mytuner-radio.com/search/?q=business+news+networkhttps://streema.com/radios/search/?q=podcast+business+news+network 

Steve Harper Interviews Ashton Rodenhiser Founder of Mind's Eye Creative -- www.mindseyecreative.cahttps://onlineradiobox.com/search?cs=us.pbnnetwork1&q=podcast%20business%20news%20network&c=ushttps://mytuner-radio.com/search/?q=business+news+networkhttps://streema.com/radios/search/?q=podcast+business+news+network 

Guest BioAshton Rodenhiser is passionate about lifting the creative spirit in everyone that she meets. For the past seven years, she has followed her passion for helping people communicate their ideas and combined that with creativity by founding Mind's Eye Creative Consulting.You'll often find her with markers in hand as she's helping bring ideas to life through graphic recording and graphic facilitation practices.She's worked with diverse groups, from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. It may appear as if she's the silent illustrator in the room. In fact, she's helping to break down complex concepts and notions into an easily understandable visual language, helping others retain more information while inspiring people to continue practicing her techniques in the world.Over the years, she has brought close to a thousand presentations and conversations to life either on paper or digitally.When she's not working with clients, she's being silly with her three young kids and husband in rural Canada.ℹ️ IntroductionWelcome to another exciting episode of the Frugalpreneur podcast! I'm your host, Sarah St John, and today we have a fantastic showcase episode featuring Ashton Rodenhiser, the founder of Minds Eye Creative Consulting. Ashton takes us through their journey as a bootstrapped entrepreneur and shares valuable tips, tricks, tactics, techniques, and tools that helped them build their business from the ground up. What's fascinating is that Ashton started with just pen, markers, and paper, creating powerful visuals during group facilitation sessions. They didn't need fancy equipment or expensive subscriptions to get started. Ashton also shares their strategy of cold pitching, which led to incredible opportunities like drawing alongside Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak on stage in front of thousands of people. While Ashton admits that not investing in business programs or coaching slowed their learning curve, they found free online tools and trials to be incredibly helpful. Plus, Ashton emphasizes the importance of building genuine relationships and staying top of mind among competitors in their industry. This episode is packed with practical insights that you can implement right away in your own bootstrap business journey. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by Ashton's remarkable story. And if you have a story to share, don't forget to visit frugal.show/guest. Let's dive in!❇️ Key topics and bullets- Ashton's background and business journey - Starting Minds Eye Creative Consulting - Realizing the power of visuals in group settings - Transitioning to full-time drawing conversations - Minimal tools and equipment needed to get started- Ashton's bootstrap strategies and successes - Leveraging existing network and building one-on-one relationships - Receiving guidance and support from a facilitator friend - Using a cold pitching strategy to email conferences and introduce the business - Landing a speaking engagement with Steve Wozniak through cold pitching- Ashton's failures and areas for improvement - Lack of investment in business programs or coaching - Lengthier learning curve without guidance and tips - Realizing the benefits of investing in opportunities- Helpful tools and resources for bootstrapping - Utilizing free tiers of SaaS and software online - Testing programs with trials before investing money - Exploring annual subscriptions for cost savings in the long run- Building relationships and networking - Importance of connecting with people in the industry - Supportive nature of competitors in the field - Being top of mind for referrals from industry professionals- Encouragement to start putting pen to paper -...

Ashton Rodenhiser is an internationally acclaimed graphic recorder renowned for her sketchnoting and graphic facilitation expertise. Since 2013, she has been capturing keynotes, meetings, and seminars through visually engaging illustrations. Hailing from Canada, Ashton has collaborated with prestigious organizations such as Microsoft, Amazon, Michelin and various national and international associations. The pivotal moment that altered Ashton's trajectory occurred in 2013 during a workshop on graphic facilitation. Inspired by the transformative techniques she was learning, she decided to pull from her passion as a creative and the skills she had developed as facilitator to launch her business, Mind's Eye Creative. Since then she's been on a mission to showcase and teach others the power of visual communication and visual thinking. Recognizing the profound impact of sketchnoting as a tool for thinking and learning, Ashton firmly believes in its power to help others engage creatively while deepening their understanding. It's her passion to help individuals express their ideas in imaginative and compelling ways. Key Moments [00:04:59] Ashton had entrepreneurial tendencies growing up and decided to start a business in graphic recording/facilitating after attending a conference. They were motivated to succeed and took initiative by sending thousands of emails. [00:06:40] Flexibility, time off, vacation, kids, studio, money control, hustler, pandemic resilience. [00:10:29] Ashton struggles with busy and quiet seasons, finding it difficult to balance work and follow up. They are trying to diversify their income streams and adapt to the online conference trend. [00:15:53] The importance of creativity and art in connecting with oneself and others, despite past experiences of creative suppression. [00:18:32] Promotes sketchnoting, offers free resources, and can be found on social media. Find Ashton Online http://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ http://www.sketchnote.school https://twitter.com/MindsEyeCCF https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/ https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/ https://www.facebook.com/MindsEyeCreativeCF https://www.youtube.com/c/MindsEyeCreativeConsulting https://www.pinterest.com/SketchnoteSchool https://www.tiktok.com/@mindseyecreative If you're enjoying Entrepreneur's Enigma, please give us a review on the podcast directory of your choice. We're on all of them and these reviews really help others find the show. GoodPods: https://gmwd.us/goodpods iTunes: https://gmwd.us/itunes Podchaser: https://gmwd.us/podchaser Also, if you're getting value from the show and want to buy me a coffee, go to the show notes to get the link to get me a coffee to keep me awake, while I work on bringing you more great episodes to your ears. →  https://gmwd.us/buy-me-a-coffee Follow Seth Online: Seth | Digital Marketer (@s3th.me) • Instagram: Instagram.com/s3th.me Seth Goldstein | LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/sethmgoldstein Seth on Mastodon: https://s3th.me/@seth MarketingJunto.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Description: Join us in this episode as we talk with Ashton Rodenhiser, the founder of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, as she shares her journey of combining her passion for helping people communicate their ideas with creativity. Ashton talks about her experience of drawing close to 2000 presentations and how drawing is not art, but a learning tool that can help you retain more information. We dive into the benefits of visually capturing information and doodling, and how anyone can get started with sketchnoting or visual note-taking. Ashton also discusses how she got started in her entrepreneurial journey, what graphic recording and sketchnoting are, and how she draws conference presentations. Plus, we debunk the myth that people can't draw and learn why it's a lie. Tune in to discover how Ashton has lifted the creative spirit in others and how you can incorporate doodling into your creative business. To connect with Ashton, visit her website: https://www.mindseyecreative.ca/ Disclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show. Do your due diligence. Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/drchrisloomdphd⁠ We couldn't do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show: CashApp- ⁠https://cash.app/$drchrisloomdphd⁠ Venmo- ⁠https://account.venmo.com/u/Chris-Loo-4⁠ Buy Me a Coffee- ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisJx⁠ Thank you to our sponsor, CityVest: ⁠https://bit.ly/37AOgkp⁠ Click here to schedule a 1-on-1 private coaching call: ⁠https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/book-online⁠ Click here to purchase my books on Amazon: ⁠https://amzn.to/2PaQn4p⁠ Follow our YouTube channel: ⁠https:⁠⁠//www.youtube.com/chL1357⁠ Become a paid subscriber and get membership access to exclusive, bonus, ad-free content: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christopher-loo/subscribe Thank you to our advertisers on Spotify. Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2023

Sometimes (actually often) in Podcasting, things go wrong, but luckily my guests are always switched on and ready to save the day... like this episode when I forgot to hit the record button!The wonderful Ashton Rodenhiser is a creative entrepreneur who is passionate about spreading the concept that drawing can be used as a thinking tool! It doesn't matter who you are, what you do or what your drawing ability is, everyone can benefit from visual note taking! She is the founder of Mind's Eye Creative Consulting, often to be found with markers in hand as she helps bring ideas to life… Ashton has worked with a diverse range of groups from non-profit organisations to Fortune500 companies.There are so many teaching points in this episode for anyone running a business, or needing to find ways to effectively and efficiently communicate ideas and concepts with the greatest level of impact.Enjoy!Links:Roberto on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/robertorevillalondonTailoring Talk on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/tailoringtalkpodcastCheck out Roberto Revilla London at https://www.robertorevillalondon.comConnect with Ashton Rodenhiser at http://www.mindseyecreative.caAshton's 15 minute Sketch Note Tutorial is here https://sketchnote101.comAshton's Mind's Eye Creative YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MindsEyeCreativeConsultingConnect with Ashton on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonrodenhiser/Ashton on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ashtonmindseye/Sign Up For Ashton's Free "Your First Sketch Note" Tutorial here https://subscribepage.io/sketchnoteCredits:Tailoring Talk intro and outro music by Wataboy on PixabayTailoring Talk Edited & Produced by Roberto RevillaSupport the show

Mat X and JD talk gardening with Ashton Rodenhiser of Minds Eye Creative, as we dig for metaphors, and plant ideas around devops.

01:07 - Marlena’s Superpower: Bringing the Arts to Tech * Coming Into Tech as a Creative 04:42 - Parallels Between Art and Computer Science/Software Engineering * System Architecture * Spatial Thinking & Representation * Mind in Motion: How Action Shapes Thought by Barbara Tversky (https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Motion-Action-Shapes-Thought/dp/046509306X) * Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff & Mark Johnson (https://www.amazon.com/Metaphors-We-Live-George-Lakoff/dp/0226468011) 09:33 - Sketchnoting and Zines * The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking by Mike Rohde (https://www.amazon.com/Sketchnote-Handbook-illustrated-visual-taking/dp/0321857895/ref=asc_df_0321857895/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312021252609&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6623941144735025539&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9006718&hvtargid=pla-454389960652&psc=1) 14:19 - DIY Publishing and Physicality – The Power of Print * The Pamphlet Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamphlet_wars) 20:33 - Zines at Work & Zines in Professional Settings * Slowing Down Our Thought Processes * Using Diagrams to Ask Questions & For Exploration * Graphic Facilitators 31:11 - Target Audiences, Codeswitching, & People Are Not Robots 37:58 - How We View, Study, and Treat Liberal Arts – (Not Well!) * Formulating Thoughts In A Way That’s Available For Consumption 43:01 - Using Diagrams and Images * UML (Unified Modeling Language) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Modeling_Language) * Collaborative Whiteboarding Software and Shared Visual Language (Drawing Together) 50:41 - Handwriting Advice: Decolonize Your Mind! * SLOW DOWN * Write Larger * Practice * How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell (https://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Nothing-Resisting-Attention/dp/1612197493) 59:45 - The “Let’s Sketch Tech!” (https://appearworks.com/) Conference * Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/letssketchtech?fan_landing=true) * Podcast (https://anchor.fm/appearworks) * Newsletter (https://appearworks.activehosted.com/f/7) Reflections: Damien: Decolonize your mind. Jamey: Zine fairs at work and valuing yourself by taking up space. Rein: Creativity is good for individuals to explore, but when we share it with people it’s a way we can become closer. Marlena: Connecting arts and technology. This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep (https://twitter.com/therubyrep) of DevReps, LLC (http://www.devreps.com/). To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode) To make a one-time donation so that we can continue to bring you more content and transcripts like this, please do so at paypal.me/devreps (https://www.paypal.me/devreps). You will also get an invitation to our Slack community this way as well. Transcript: JAMEY: Hello, everyone and welcome to Episode 236 of Greater Than Code. I’m one of your hosts, Jamey Hampton, and I’m here with my friend, Rein Henrichs. REIN: Thanks, Jamey. And I’m another one of your hosts and I’m here with my friend, Damien Burke DAMIEN: Thanks, Rein. And I'm here in addition to with the host, our guest today, Marlena Compton. Marlena Compton is a tech community organizer, designer, and collaboration artist who has worked in the tech industry for 18 years. She grows tech communities and organizes conferences such as “Pear Conf” and “Let’s Sketch Tech!” Marlena has worked for companies like IBM and Atlassian. This has left her with a life-long appreciation for quality code, empathy, and working together as a team. When she isn’t working, Marlena enjoys lettering, calligraphy, and walking her dog. Welcome to the show, Marlena. MARLENA: Hi, thank you so much. DAMIEN: So I know you're prepared for this. Same thing we do for all of our guests, we're going to start with the first question. What is your superpower and how did you acquire it? MARLENA: Yeah, so my superpower is bringing the arts to tech and that is teaching people the value of creative arts—such as writing, sketching, music, and more—and how this relates to the tech industry, helping creative types feel more at home in tech, and helping folks who are mostly in the science track in school learn why they need the creative arts for critical thinking and thinking through problems. So it's like, you have to give people a space to do this learning from a peer perspective versus top-down perspective. This includes building community for folks to explore these things. JAMEY: So you came to tech from art previously, is that right? MARLENA: I have a wild academic background of interdisciplinary studies, which will not get you a job for anything but like, renting a car. [laughter] Or whatever and also, later I did computer science, but while I was getting my liberal arts degree, I did a lot of art history, a lot of painting, and a lot of theater. JAMEY: I wonder if you could speak to coming into the tech industry as someone who is already an artist and considers themselves an artist, like, how that translated for you. Like, what skills from being an artist, do you think were helpful to you as you were starting in tech? MARLENA: Sure. So I think that if you know that you're an artistic type, like I knew how important arts were for me. But I think for children often they get a lot of pressure to find something that will get them a job and it's not like this isn't for good reason, it's like we’ve got to be able to pay our bills. On the other hand, when you're a creative type, it's such a core part of your personality. You can't really separate it from anything and if you try to just tamp it down, it's going to come out somehow. So I was this college graduate and I was having a really hard time getting a job and figuring out what I wanted to do that would make enough money to support me. Computer science was literally the last thing I tried and I seem to do okay at it so I kept doing it. [laughs] And that's how I got into it. I wish that we had bootcamps when I started learning computer science, but there weren't any and so, all I could do was go back to community college. So I went to community college. I had to take every single math class over again. Calculus, I had to take three times, but I stuck with it. I didn't know if I could do it, but I kept taking the classes and eventually, it worked. So [laughs] that's how I got into the tech industry and it's like, it's totally okay to do this just to make money. That's why I did it. DAMIEN: So then coming in with this art background, which seems really broad and you didn't talk about anything specific, what insights and connections were you able to make between art and computer science, and art and software engineering? MARLENA: Sure. So for me, building software is a creative process. In fact, this is something I've believed for a very long time, because as soon as I got out with my newly-minted CS degree and I knew that I needed to create, draw, write, and do all of those things. Eventually, I started looking around for okay, what in computer science is kind of more visual place and it used to be people would think of diagramming software, HoloVizio, Rational Rose, which is that is quite a throwback. Who here –? DAMIEN: UML. MARLENA: [laughs] That UML, yes! I would look at these things, like system architect, where it's like the idea was that you could literally draw out pieces and then it would make your code, which was [laughs] I think an epic fail if you look at it from, did it actually ever write successful code? I have never – REIN: There's another option, which was the expense of architects draw the boxes and then the chief engineer put the code in the boxes. MARLENA: Well, but see, you need a brain in there and this is all about the brain. [laughter] MARLENA: Yeah. I think one transformation that my thinking had to go through so, I had to go from this computer science perspective of find a way to chop up all your thoughts into little, discreet, logical pieces so that you can make classes, objects, and things like that and instead look at the brain as an organ in your body. We take more of a holistic perspective where it is your brain is connected to your thoughts is connected to like your internal axes, GPS system, and mapping system and how all of that comes together to problem solve. REIN: Yeah. I love it. Without bodies, we couldn't think about things MARLENA: Indeed. This past year, I've spent a lot of time specifically investigating this connection. One of the things I did was read Barbara Tversky's book, Mind in Motion, and the premise of her book is that spatial thinking is the foundation of abstract thought. That is how you orient yourself in the world and how you perceive a space around you and yourself in that space is what allows you to organize ideas, take perspectives that are based in imagination, and things like that. REIN: Yeah, and this ties into Wyckoff's work on basic metaphors because basic metaphors are how we structure our thought, but they're all about the world. So thinking about the metaphor of containment, you have a thing, it has an inside and an outside, there may be a portal that gets you from the inside to the outside. So this is how houses work, right? This is how we think about houses. This is also how we think about relationships. It's how we think about code. And then there's you combine that basic metaphor with the metaphor of traveling; starting at a place, traveling along a path, ending up at another place. You put those two metaphors together, you can have complex thoughts about achieving goals. But these are all metaphors based on, like you're saying, our perception of living in a world that has 3D space. Yes, and maps are such a big part of that. So when I was reading through this particular book, she goes into things like maps, how we map ideas, and things like that and there is quite a bit of science behind it. And even for metaphor, she writes that metaphor is what happens when our thoughts overflow our brains and we need to put them out into the world. DAMIEN: So putting these thoughts, these ideas back out into the world and into some sort of spatial representation, is that how you view the tech notetaking, or diagramming sort of thing? MARLENA: Absolutely. So I guess, for listeners, I want to back up a little bit because I think something that Damien knows about me and also Jamey and Rein from looking at the biography is that I'm very into sketch notes. Just to bring us out of the depth [laughs] a little bit, I can tell you about why I turned to sketchnoting and why I started doing it. It was because I was trying to learn JavaScript and yes, Damien, I know how you feel about JavaScript, some of us like it. [laughs] DAMIEN: I don't want to show my cards too much here, but I will say the fact that you had difficulty with it is telling. MARLENA: Well, but I also had difficulty learning C, Java, Erlang. DAMIEN: So how did [inaudible]? MARLENA: Well, so I went to CascadiaJS and this was my first – well, it wasn't my first, but it was the language conference and I was just learning JavaScript and I didn't understand half of it. It just went over my head. So to try and create some memory of that, or try to figure it out, I started drawing. I had seen sketch notes on the web. They were experiencing a bump in popularity at the time. I think my Mike Rohde’s book had just come out and it helped. That was what introduced me to this whole world and eventually, we're talking about when thoughts overflow and you turn to metaphor, this is exactly what was happening for me was Barbara Tyversky refers to these pictures we draw as glyphs. They can be more complicated than language and that is why when we're really trying to figure something out, we're not going to be writing an essay, maybe sometimes, but for the most part, we'll start diagramming. JAMEY: I also wanted to talk about zines while you were on. I was thinking about zines when you were talking about this because I feel like there's a few different mediums of art that I do and some of them are more intentional than others. To me, zines are about like, “I'm thinking this and it needs to exist in physical space and then it will be done and I can stop thinking about it,” because it exists. MARLENA: I love that so much and it's exactly what zines are there for. So zines are DIY publishing and zines are the publishing that happens for topics that, I think it happens a lot for people who are underrepresented in some way. Because you're not going to have access to a publisher and it's going to be harder for you to get any official book out. But then sometimes it's also just, maybe you don't want that. Maybe you want your zine to be a more informal publication. I love zines how kind of – they are all so super niche like, you can put anything. Define the word zine, ha! [laughs] JAMEY: It's so hard. People will argue about this in the zine community for like days and days. Hard to define the word. MARLENA: And that's actually part of the power of zines because it means it can be whatever you want, which means whatever you want to create is okay. I think that's really what we're trying to get down into here is having different ways of expressing and problem solving be okay and accepted. REIN: Just something to point out that containment is a metaphor we use for categories. So we're talking about what is inside the zine category? DAMIEN: I want to go back to the well, Marlena, you said zines were do-it-yourself publishing, DIY publishing, but blogs are also do-it-yourself publishing. So zines have a physicality to them and feels like that's an important aspect. Can you talk about that, or why that is? MARLENA: Well, there are also digital zines, so yeah. [laughs] But. DAMIEN: Maybe five containerization and categories. MARLENA: [laughs] Well, if we wanted to talk a little bit about physical zines, that even is interesting and Jamey, maybe you have a few thoughts about this that you can share, too because there are just so many different ways to format a zine. JAMEY: Well, I know that digital zines are a thing and I've read some digital zines that I've very much enjoyed. To me, the physicality of zines is a big part of them and a lot of what's appealing about them for me. I think that part of the reason for that is that, as you were getting at, people can write whatever they want, people who might not have a chance to write in other formats and most importantly about that, you can't censor a zine. It's impossible because someone makes it themselves and then they give it to whoever they want to have. It's a very personal experience and there's no middleman who can like tell you what you can, or can't say. So I think that having that physical piece of paper that you then hand directly to someone is what makes that possible and not putting it on the internet is also what makes that possible. Like, you have this thing, nobody can edit what's in it. It's all up to you. Nobody can search for it on a search engine. If you don't want someone to see it, then you don't give them one and it's just a holdover from what a lot of media was more like before the internet and I appreciate that about them. [chuckles] DAMIEN: Yeah. To me, it sounds so much like the Federalist Papers, like Thomas Paine's Common Sense. JAMEY: Oh, those were zines for sure. DAMIEN: I wrote this thing, [inaudible] about, I'm hazing him out of here, read this. [chuckles] Those are zines, okay. JAMEY: And political zines are a huge subsection of pamphlets and all sorts of political ideology. REIN: And that's where printing started was with the publishing of zines, that's my argument. MARLENA: This is the power of print. It's the power of print and that power, it's something that you don't necessarily get with the internet. Zines are an archive as well and I don't think we can just say – So when I did the first Let’s Sketch Tech! conference, I had an editor from Chronicle Books come and she talked about publishing. When I was talking to her about doing this talk, what I thought was most interesting about our conversation was she said, “Books aren't going away. Books are never going away because we are so connected to our hands and our eyes.” Books are always going to be there. Printed, words printed, pamphlets, zines, I think they're going to outlast computers. [chuckles] Think about how long a CD, or magnetic tape is going to last for versus the oldest book in the world. DAMIEN: Yeah. REIN: And by the way, if you don't think that printing was about zines, go Google the pamphlet wars. We think it's about publishing the Bible, but the vast majority of stuff that was printed was pamphlets. Zines! DAMIEN: And we can look at things that have survived through a history and it's really truly about paper from Shakespeare's works to the Dead Sea Scrolls, this is how things have survived. MARLENA: And on another aspect of this is the fact that we are human, we have human eyes and those eyes have limits as to how much they can look at a screen. Looking at paper and also, the physical manipulation of that paper, I think is a very important aspect of zines. So my favorite scene ever, which is sadly lost to me, was this very small print zine and it was the kind that is printed literally on one piece of paper and this folded up. But it had the most magnificent centerfolds where you open it up and this is awesome picture of Prince and the person even taped a purple feather in the centerfold part of it and it's like, that's an experience you're only going to get from this kind of printed physical medium. DAMIEN: So yeah, I'm seeing a pattern here, communicating ideas through physical mediums. JAMEY: And I think that because zines are so DIY and low tech that people do really interesting things with paper to express what they're going for. Like, I've been doing zines for a long time with friends. But my first one that I ever did by myself, I had this black and white photo of a house that had Christmas lights on it and I was trying to be like, “How am I going to express this feeling that I have about this picture that I want to express in this media?” I'm like, “I'm going to go to Kinko's and make copies of this for 5 cents and how is it going to look the way I want?” So I ended up manually using a green highlighter to highlight over all of the Christmas lights in every single copy of the zine so that everyone would see the green Christmas lights that I wanted them to feel what I was feeling about. I think that's a pretty simple example because it's not extremely a lot of work to put highlighter in your zine either. But I think that people have to think about that and how they want to convey something and then people have done a lot of really interesting things like taping feathers into their books. MARLENA: Yeah. This is a way of slowing down our thought process, which I don't think we talk about enough because right now, in our culture, it's all about being faster, being lull 10x and making a zine is a great way to reflect on things that you've learned. So I would really like to take a minute to just talk about zines at work and zines in a professional setting because I've noticed that one thing people think as soon as I start talking about zines is why do I need this in my job? Why do we need this in tech? I think that zines are a great way to help people on teams surface the unspoken knowledge that lives in the team, or it's also a way to play with something that you're trying to learn and share with other people. I’d like to hear Jamey, do you have thoughts about this? JAMEY: I have a thought, but I'm not sure how directly related it is to what you just said and I feel self-conscious about it. [chuckles] But I like to teach people to make zines who aren't familiar with zines, or haven't made them before and the thing that I try to teach people that I think zines can teach you is that you can just do this. It's not hard. Anyone can do it. It doesn't take a specific skill that you can't just learn. So they're accessible in that way, but I think it's also a bigger lesson about what you can do if you want to do something and that's how I feel about tech. If you want to learn to code, it's not magic, you can learn how to do it. If you want to do a zine, you can learn how to do it. To me, those thoughts go together. I feel like that wasn't exactly what you just asked, I’m sorry. DAMIEN: I liked it, though. [chuckles] MARLENA: It does tie into the fact that it's important to help people feel at home at work. Well, you're not at home at work, but to feel as though they are in the right place at work and this type of making zines and allowing people to surface what they know about your system, about what you're building, about ideas that your team is tinkering with. This kind of format gives people the space to surface what they're thinking even if they're not the most vocal person. DAMIEN: So one of this really ties into what I was thinking. When you said zines at work and there's a couple of great tech zines which I love and I think should be in a lot of offices. But the idea of actually creating one at work, something happened in my chest when I thought about that idea and it's because it's a very informal medium and tends to be informal and whimsical and you just kind of do it. I realize how much that is counter to so much of how tech teams and tech industry runs where it's very formal. You can't just ship code, you’ve got to get a pull request and reviewed by the senior engineer and it's got to fit our coding standards and run in ordering time, or less. [laughter] That can be very, I'll say challenging. JAMEY: I think that's also exactly why it’s easy and fun to learn about tech from zines because it feels so much more approachable than a formal tutorial and you're saying like, “Oh, will this be too hard, or what will I learn?” There's all of this baggage that comes along with it where it's like, “Oh, the zine is like cute and whimsical and I'm going to read it and it's going to be interesting,” and then like, “Whoa, I just learned about sorting from it.” DAMIEN: Yeah. Just because you’re writing software, or doing computer science doesn't mean we have to be serious. [laughter] Probably needs to be shouldn't be. REIN: It also makes me think about a shift that I would really like to see in the way diagrams and things like this are used, which is that when you're asked to produce an architecture diagram, you're generally asked to produce something authoritative. It has to be the best current understanding of what the organization has decided to do and that doesn't leave any space for exploration, or for using diagrams to ask questions. I think that's bad because naturally, on a team, or in an organization, everyone has their own models. Everyone has their own local perspective on what's happening. If there's no opportunity to surface, “Hey, here's how I think this works. Can I compare that with how you think this works?” You can't maintain common ground. I don't think producing a lot of words is a great way to do that. I think that's very inefficient. I also think that having an hour meeting with twenty people where you all talk about it is also inefficient. So I'm wondering if diagrams can be useful here. Relatively, it’s a little bit quicker to draw some boxes and connect them with arrows than it is to write a 1-page report. I'm wondering if we could promote more people putting out these low fidelity diagrams that are, “Here's what's in my head,” and sharing them, if that would help us maintain common ground. MARLENA: Absolutely, and I love the way that you brought up this situation where everyone is – because I think we've all been in these meetings where it's like, there are some technical hurdle, decisions have to be made, technology needs to be chosen, libraries needed – that type of thing. What I experienced was it was hard for me to get a word in edgewise. REIN: Yeah, like if you have twenty people in a meeting, at most three of them are paying attention and about half of them are going to be underrepresented in the meeting for a variety of reasons, if not more. MARLENA: Yeah, and well, I'm just going to say yes. For underrepresented people, this happens a lot. So one of the things that I like to promote is taking apart the traditional jam everyone into a room, let the conversation naturally happen. I'm just going to say it. I don't think that works too well and honestly, I think that a zine format, or even if it's just like take a piece of paper, let people diagram what they think is interesting, then trade, then your team is having a zine fair. [laughs] REIN: Or if you do that to prepare for the meeting and then the meeting is going over them. MARLENA: Sure. Yeah, and maybe the discussion is like a facilitated discussion. I did a lot of Agile team stuff, including I had to go down the route of learning how to facilitate just because I couldn't get a word in edgewise on my team. So I started looking at different ways to how do you have a discussion when it's like, there are two, or three people who always talk, nobody else says anything, but everyone has thoughts. It's really interesting what happens when you start trying to change how a group is having discussions. REIN: It also seems like it's super valuable for the person doing the facilitation because they have to synthesize what's happening in real-time and then they come away with the meeting, with the synthesis in their brains. Part of which they've been able to put into the diagrams, the drawings, and whatever, but only a part of it. So it seems like if you have some external consultant come in and draw diagrams for your team, that external consultant then leaves with a bunch of the knowledge you were trying to impart to everyone else. MARLENA: I don't know if that's necessarily true. In the world of graphic recording, those folks go to all kinds of meetings and I think it's true that they are going to come away with a different set of thoughts in their head, but they're also not going to have the context of your team. REIN: Yeah. MARLENA: And that's a pretty big part of it. But I know Ashton Rodenhiser, she's a graphic facilitator who does this and she'll go into meetings like the one we're describing, and while people are talking, she's drawing things out. It's really interesting what happens when people see their discussion being drawn by a third party. I've seen this happen at some conferences; it's really great way to change the way you have discussion. REIN: Yeah. So for example, we do incident analysis, we do interviews with the people who are there, and we review slot transcripts. What we find is that the people who are doing the interviews, conducting the analysis, facilitating the reviews, they become experts in the systems. MARLENA: Ah yes, because so much – it reminds me of how teaching somebody to do something, you teach it to yourself. So they are having to internalize all of this discussion and reflect it back to the team, which means of course, they're learning along with the rest of the team. REIN: Yeah. So I think my point was not don't hire consultants to do this, it was keeping them around after you do. MARLENA: [laughs] Wouldn't it be amazing if having a graphic recorder, or a graphic facilitator was just a thing that we all had in our meetings? REIN: Yeah, or even something that was democratized so that more people got the benefits of – I think doing that work has a lot of benefits to the person who's doing it. JAMEY: This is making me think a lot about the way that you engaged with something, or the way that you express it, depending on who your target audience is. Like, if I'm taking notes for myself in my own notebook, my target audience is just myself and I write things that won't make sense to anybody else. If I'm writing like a document for work, the target audience is my team, I'm writing in a way that reflects that it's going to be read and understood by my team instead of me. I think that a lot of what we're talking about here with zines, diagrams, and things like this is kind of an interesting hybrid. When I write a zine, I'm doing it for me, it's benefiting me, but not in the same way as notes in my notebook where I don't want anyone else to ever look at it. So it's like, how do I write something that's benefiting me, but also has an audience of other people that I'm hoping will get something out of it? I think that's a bit of a unique format in some ways. DAMIEN: That's interesting because everything I hear from novelists and screenwriters, it's always “Write the book, write the movie that you want.” You're the audience and if you love it, not everybody's going to love it, [chuckles] but there are other people who will, chances are other people will love it. If you write something for everybody to love, nobody is going to like it. MARLENA: Yeah, I think so, too and you never know who else is going to be thinking the same way you are and sometimes, it's that people don't have a way to speak up and share how they're feeling in a similar way. So I actually love that zines allow – I think it is important to be making something that is from your perspective and then share that. That's a way to see who else has that perspective. DAMIEN: But I also understand this need to, well, I'll say code switch. This need to code switch for different audiences. [chuckles] Rein brought up UML. I learned UML in college back in the long-ago times and I hated it. It was an interesting thing to learn, but an awful thing to do because all of my UML diagrams had to be complete, authoritative, and correct because I was doing them for my professor and I was a TA. I thought, “Well, if I had large amount of diagrams describing large systems, looking at them could be very informative and useful.” But no one in the world is going to write those things because this is way too much work unless I'm allowed to be informal, general, not authoritative, or complete and so, I'm realizing these tensions that I've been going on in my mind for decades. MARLENA: Well, and there's programs. Using those programs was so clunky, like adding a square, adding a label, adding a class, and pretty soon, if you were trying to diagram a large system, there was not a great way to change your perspective and go from macro down to micro and zoom out again. Whereas, this is, I think what is so great about the human brain. We can do that and we can do that when we're drawing with our hands. DAMIEN: Yeah. There were promises of automated UML diagrams that you get from type systems and static analysis and I think I saw some early versions of this and they created correct UML diagrams that were almost readable. But going from correct and almost readable to something that's informative and enlightening, that's an art and we don't have computers that can do that. MARLENA: Right. Like, humans are not computers. Computers are not human. [laughs] When is it not Turing complete? [laughter] I think that initially people really wanted to be robots when they were sitting down at the computer and I think we're going through a period right now where we're rethinking that. REIN: Well, in part it was management that wanted people to be robots. DAMIEN: Which reaches back to the industrial revolution. MARLENA: And still does. What I love is that having this conversation about how we work and how to build software, it brings up all of these things, including this type of management wanting people to be robots, but we're not. What's interesting to me and what I think is that if we could shift our perspective from let's make everyone a machine, we're all robots sitting, typing out the stuff for people. If we could shift to thinking about building software is a creative process, people are going to need sleep. If you want them to solve your problems, they're going to need different ways to express themselves and share ideas with each other. REIN: It's really important to uncover facts about work and human performance like, even if you have rules, policies, and procedures, humans still have to interpret them and resolve trade-offs to get them done. You can have two rules that are mutually exclusive and now a human has to resolve that conflict. Also, that we think that the old paradigm that Damien was talking about, this Taylor’s paradigm, is that manager decide how the work is to be done and then workers do what they're told. But workers, to do this, have to think about high level organizational goals that are much more abstract than what the people designing the work thought they would have to think about. I think if you can uncover – this is all creative problem solving and it's a part of the day-to-day work. DAMIEN: Yeah, that command-and-control structure was always a fantasy, less so in some places than other places, but always, always a fantasy. REIN: Even the military is reevaluating what C2 means in the face of overwhelming evidence that humans don't work that way. DAMIEN: It's nice to pretend, though. Makes things so much simpler. MARLENA: What's interesting about this changing paradigm in how we view this management and control piece is how this is manifesting in the world of academia, especially in the world of liberal arts, because liberal arts colleges are not doing well. [laughs] In fact, Mills College here in the Bay Area is not going to be taking freshmen next year and they're going to close. But I think there's a theme of education in here, too in how people learn these skills, because we've been talking about zines. You do not have to have a degree to know how to make a zine and that's awesome! [laughter] Along with these other skills and I know that there are a lot of people in tech, who they went through computer science program, or even a bootcamp and maybe they did some science before, maybe not, but they're still going to these creative skills and it may be, I think a lot of folks in the US and in tech, it's like you weren't in a position to be able to study art, or to get that much exposure, because it was about survival. Survival for your whole family and there's just not the time to try and explore this stuff. I would love to see more space in tech for people to explore all of the creative arts and see how does it help you express yourself at work. The most concrete example I have of this is writing up a software bug. So I used to be a tester and I could always tell who had writing skills and who didn't based on how they would write up a bug. [laughs] DAMIEN: No, and I can definitely feel that. I work on a team of one for several projects. So sometimes, I have to write a user story, or a bug and I have a very strict format for writing bugs. It's basically, it’s write on a Cucumber and yet I will take minutes and minutes and minutes to properly wordsmith that bug report for me [laughs] so that Tuesday – MARLENA: As you should! Doing a good job! DAMIEN: So that Tuesday, when I read that I know right away what it means and what it says. Whereas, I can write something quickly that might be accurate, but would be difficult for me to understand, or I can write something quickly that could be in complete assuming that I found the bug. I'm the one who put the bug in there; I know everything there is to know and still come back to this, no clue. I don't even know what the bug is. I actually have to throw away a feature this week because I had no clue what I meant when I wrote it. MARLENA: I used to actually give a talk about this, how to write up bugs, because it was such an issue and if you don't train developers and other folks who are looking at an app to write them, then it ends up, the testers are the only ones who can write it up and that's not okay. [laughs] DAMIEN: And when you talk about a talk, how to write a bugs, there's some obvious mechanical things. How do you reproduce this? What did you expect to happen? Who's doing it? That sort of things and these are very clear and obvious, but then there's the actual communicating via words issue. [chuckles] How can you write those things down in a way that's easy for the next person to understand? I spend a lot of time doing that sort of thing. It's hard. It's an art, I guess. REIN: I want to turn this into an even more general point about the importance of the discipline of formulating your thoughts in a way that's available for consumption. So as an example, I used to write notes in a shorthand way where if I thought I knew something, I wouldn't include it because I already knew that I don't need to take a note about it and what I've found is that I couldn't explain stuff. I couldn't integrate the new knowledge with the old knowledge when it came time for me to answer a question. The approach I've been taking more recently is formulating my thoughts in a way that if I had to write a blogpost about that topic, I can copy and paste things from my notes, ready to go, and just drop them in. That's the thing I do for myself, but what I've found is that I actually understand stuff now. DAMIEN: Yeah. I've had the same experience writing things that I thought I understood. This is the rubber duck story. You think you understand something so you try to explain to somebody else and go, “Oh, that's what it was.” But since we have Marlena here right now, [chuckles] I want to talk about using diagrams and images in that process for a person who doesn't work that way usually. MARLENA: Indeed. Well, one of the things that I think we hint at in the world of tech—this is interesting because we've all been bashing the UML and all that stuff, but it did give us a set of symbols for visual representation of programming type things. Like, you make the rectangle for your class and then you put your properties in the top and the methods in the bottom, or something like that. Something that I've noticed in the sketchnoting world is that sketchnoting 101 is how to draw at all. How to feel confident enough to put your pen on the paper and draw a line, draw a box, draw a circle, make them into objects, whatever. But once you're past that introductory, when 101 level of sketchnoting and you've done a few, the next level up is to start creating your own language of visual representation, which I think people kind of do, whether they intentionally do it, or not. I kind of find myself doing it. The way that I contain categories of information in a sketch note, I've kind of come to a particular way that I do it. That type of thing is because we don't talk about creativity and representation; we don't take the time to do these things. They're not really a practice. Everyone kind of just does their own and I've been on teams that, or I've tried to be on teams that had a fairly mature way of having a wiki, you're going to talk to each other, Agile teams. Still, we might have a wiki, but it's not like we were always drawing together. I'm interested in have you all had experiences on your teams of drawing together, collaborating on one drawing at the same time? REIN: Yeah. We use a collaborative whiteboarding software to do various things and one of them is drawing boxes that represent systems and architectures. One of the exercises we sometimes do is we say, “You get this part of the board, you get this part of the board, you get this part of the board. I want you each to diagram how you think the system works now and then in 15 minutes, we're going to look at them together.” MARLENA: Yes. That type of thing, I think it's so important and I wish that more folks did it on their teams. Have y'all found that you have any visual representation that has started repeating itself, like say certain part of a system you usually draw in a certain way? REIN: Yeah. We've definitely developed a language, or a discourse over time and some shorthand, or mnemonics for certain things. We’ve not standardized, I think is the wrong word, but we've moved closer together in a more organic way. DAMIEN: Which is how language develops. MARLENA: Indeed, indeed. But this way of having this shared visual language together is going to give you a shorthand with each other. Like, when you have a map, you have a legend, and I think that it's important Rein, like you mentioned, not necessarily having standards, but having some common ways of drawing certain things together. That type of drawing together is very powerful for developing your collective way of visualizing a system and thinking about it. REIN: And another thing I want to highlight here is that if you ask four people to diagram and architecture and you get four different diagrams, that doesn't mean that one of them is right and three of them are wrong. What that usually means is that you have four different perspectives. MARLENA: Yes. We all have our internal way of mapping things and it is not a right, or wrong, a good, or bad. It's just, every person has a different map, a way of mapping objects in the world, that is brain science stuff. DAMIEN: I get the opportunity to reference my favorite, what I discovered just now, today, I’ll just go with today's zine, Principia Discordia. JAMEY: Oh my god, that’s my favorite! DAMIEN: Marvelous work of art. They say in Principia Discordia that the world is chaos. It's chaos out there and we look at it through a window and we draw lines in the window and call that order. [chuckles] So people draw different lines and those are the diagrams you’re going to get. JAMEY: That’s so beautiful. REIN: I have to interject that John Haugeland, who's a philosopher, said something very similar, which is that the act of dividing the universe into systems with components and interactions is how we understand the universe. It's not something that's out those boxes. Aren't something that are out there in the universe. They're in here in our heads and they're necessary for us to even perceive and understand the universe. DAMIEN: Which gives us a whole new meaning to the first chapter of the book of Genesis. But [laughs] we don't have to go that far down the road. MARLENA: Well, even if we think about color and perceiving color, everyone's going to have a different theme that they see. It's going to like – REIN: Yeah, and there's philosophically no way to know if red for me means the same thing as red for you. MARLENA: Mm hm. DAMIEN: So applying that same standard to our technical systems. Some senior architects somewhere might draw a diagram and goes, “This is the truth of what we have built, or what we should be building and that there is no external representation of truth.” “Oh, look, the map is not the territory! We can go through this all day.” [laughter] REIN: And the interesting thing for me is that this is something that there are Eastern philosophies that have figured out long before Western philosophy did. So while Descartes was doing his stuff, you had the Jainism principle of Anakandavada, which is the manifoldness of the universe. There's no one right truth; there are many interlocking and overlapping truths. JAMEY: How does this relate to a GitHub [inaudible]? [laughs] DAMIEN: [overtalk] It means your diagramming is direct. REIN: It certainly says something about distributed systems and in distributed systems, we call this the consensus problem. [laughter] DAMIEN: I love the fact that Git was built to be this completely distributed, no single authority source control system and now we have GitHub. MARLENA: Indeed. REIN: I want to know how I, as someone who has terrible handwriting, can feel comfortable doing sketching. MARLENA: Sure! I just did a whole meet up about that. It's not just you, I think that it's 75% of engineers and we emphasize typing. So what I tell people about handwriting, the very, very basics, is slow down. Not what you want to hear, I know, but it makes a huge difference. So this past winter, my pandemic new skill that I learned is calligraphy, and in calligraphy, they tell you over and over and over to slow down. So that's tip number one is to slow down and then number two is try writing larger. Whatever it is you're writing, play with the size of it. Larger and slower generally gives you a way to look at what you're writing and which pieces like, there are probably some letters that you dislike more than others when you are writing and you can take those letters that you really dislike. Maybe it's just a matter of reviewing like, how are you forming the letter? If it's all of them, it'll take you longer, but. [laughs] JAMEY: When I was a kid learning cursive for the first time, I really hated to do the capital H in cursive. I think it's like an ugly letter and I think it's hard to write and it was hard to learn. My last name starts with H so I had to do it a lot. I just designed a new capital H and that's what I've been using in cursive since I was like a little kid [laughs] and nobody notices because nobody goes like, “That's not how I learned cursive in class,” if they can read it. That's how I feel that language, too and we're talking about the way language evolves. People will be like, “That's not a real word,” and I'm like, “Well, if you understood what I meant, then it's a word.” DAMIEN: Perfectly fine with it. JAMEY: And that's kind of how I was just thinking about handwriting too like, what is there right, or wrong if you can read what I'm expressing to you? [chuckles] DAMIEN: Yeah. If you look at the lowercase g in various glyph sets, you have to actually pay attention and go, “This lowercase g is not the same symbol as this lowercase g.” [laughs] You have to totally call your attention to that. They are vastly, vastly, different things. MARLENA: The letters that look the same, though are capital T, I, and F. DAMIEN: You don't put crossbars on your eye? MARLENA: Well, I'm thinking in terms of like, for calligraphy, when I got into the intermediate class, I had to come up with my own alphabet, typography, design my own alphabet. Those letters were so similar, they just gave me fits trying to make them all different. But I think it's important for people to practice their handwriting. I know that we all just scribble on the pad for charging, or whatever. You just scribble with your fingernail and it doesn't look like anything. But keeping that connection to your handwriting is also an important way of valuing yourself and this space that you take up in the world. I think it's really good if you can get to a place where you can accept your own handwriting and feel comfortable with it. Since I am into stuff like calligraphy and lettering, it's definitely part of my identity, the way that I write things out by hand. It's physically connected to you, to your brain, and so, things like that, we want to say everything is typing in tech, but there is a value for your confidence, for your brain, and for how you process information to be able to write something by hand and feel confident enough to share that with somebody else. JAMEY: That was really beautiful, actually. But I was going to ask, how do you think your handwriting relates to your voice? Because when you were saying that about feeling comfortable with your handwriting and how it's like a self-confidence thing, it made me think of the way that people also feel and interact with their voice. Like, you always hear people, “Oh, I hate listening to a recording of myself. I hate listening to my voice.” MARLENA: Well, there's that whole field of handwriting analysis, just like there's that whole field of body language and that includes what someone's voice sounds like. It is attached to your personality and how you're thinking and how you're working with ideas. [laughs] So it's not like I'm judging someone when I look at their—sometimes I am, I'm lying. Sometimes I am judging people when I look at their handwriting. I mostly don't. Honestly, I think we've lost so much education about handwriting in schools, what I dislike about that is, we were talking about the power of print earlier. Well, if you feel uncomfortable writing your name, if you feel uncomfortable writing down what you believe and sharing it, that's the type of censorship, isn't it? So I think handwriting is important for that type of thing, but I think it is connected to your personality. JAMEY: It says something about you and when you put something out into the world that says something about you in that way, it's kind of a vulnerable experience. MARLENA: It is, and you're showing people how you value yourself. I think that's partly why a lot of times in tech, we've minimized the role of handwriting so much that nobody feels comfortable sharing their handwriting. Well, it's not nobody, that's a big generalization, but a lot of people don't feel comfortable sharing their handwriting and that is a loss. That is a loss for everyone. DAMIEN: I love what you said, in part because I didn't want to hear it, when Rein asked, “How do you improve your handwriting?” You said, “Write slower and write bigger,” and I knew right away that that was correct because that's the only thing that has worked when I was trying to improve my handwriting. But I gave up on that because I didn't want to; I don't want to write slower and bigger because of what you said—taking up space. If you look at my handwriting historically, it's been not taken up – very little space, very little time. I don't want anybody to have to wait for me to finish writing. I don't want to use this whole page. I don't want to think my writing is so, so important that it's all big on the page, but allowing myself to take up space and time is how I get to better handwriting. So that was just such a beautiful way of putting it. MARLENA: Well, I read this book called How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell and it's a wonderful book where the book blows me away and it's hard to talk about it because she has packed so much into it. But it's thinking about how we make ourselves go so fast and it's about the attention economy. How we are trying to speed ourselves up so much and I think that handwriting is part of this. If we are going to take back our own lives, that includes being able to slow down enough to write your name in a way that feels good to you and share it. I like what you wrote in the chat, Damien, but I'd like to hear you say it. DAMIEN: I wrote it in the chat so I wouldn't say it. [laughs] “Decolonize your mind.” It was a message to myself, decolonize your mind. The idea that you don't get to do nothing, you don't get to take up space and time. Yeah, and so that's just, it's all these things are so tightly connected. MARLENA: So I think y'all are ready for me to tell you the story of how I came up with a first Let’s Sketch Tech conference and this conference happened maybe 2017, 2018. I always forget the exact year, but it was post Trump getting elected. Now the Women's March, right after Trump got elected and sworn into office, was a major point in time and wake up call for me. I've always tried to learn about politics, intersectionalism, and things like that, but this March showed me the power of making something with your own hands and showing that and sharing it to someone else. I wanted everyone to feel like, even in this era of Trump, we still have the power to make something meaningful and share that with our own hands. So that was when I decided to start emphasizing more and learning more about the connection between art and tech. I'd been doing sketch notes and it sort of struck me that there was not much of a community out there that handled this topic, which I thought was just kind of strange. When I looked at sketchnoting itself, it seemed like more was happening in the world of design. Well, what about engineers? I've had to draw out things so many times to learn them, to teach somebody else, to understand what's happening and so, that's when I put together this Let’s Sketch Tech conference. I wanted people to be able to retain the power to make something with their own hands, because that can never be taken away from you, whether you have internet connection, or not. But even if you do have the internet connection, combining these together is just so powerful. So that is why I started this conference and this community and it's pretty deep. I don't bring it up all the time because it's kind of a lot, but yeah, and we had a great time. DAMIEN: Thank you so much, and thank you for sharing that story and everything else you've shared with us. How do we feel about going into reflections? I think I'm going to be reflecting on in the broad sense, it's what I didn't want to say earlier until Marlena called me out, decolonize your mind. But in a smaller sense, it's how much of my view of the tech industry, my work in there, and the environment there should be formal, structured, strict, authoritarian. I had all these ideas that are still, unbeknownst to me, having a huge influence about how we can work. The idea of a zine fest at work seems so outrageous to me because it doesn't fit into those ideas and so, I'll be reflecting on well, where else am I seeing this stuff and how has it prevented me from doing something so very effective? [laughs] I said, zine fest. I used to think I was too young to mispronounce zine, but whatever. [laughs] Who’s next? JAMEY: I can go next. So my two favorite things, I think that got said, one of them was also about like the zine fair at work. I host zine fairs in my hometown and the idea of like, well, if you both draw something and then you trade, you're having a zine fair. I absolutely love that. And then my other favorite thing was about the talk closer to the end about valuing yourself and the way and taking up space and all of those things. I feel actually like I want to mush those two things together because talking about valuing yourself, like really resonated with me the way that I do zines in my regular life, not in tech. But I think that inside of tech is a place where there are people that I really want to see value themselves more. It's a system that has a tendency to shut people down and keep talented people and I want to imbue that kind of confidence into a lot of engineers, especially newer engineers. So I think that I really like this idea of a zine fest at work, and maybe that can, in addition to helping teach us about our systems and stuff, help us encourage each other to take that time to value ourselves. REIN: I think what struck me about this conversation the most is that creativity is good for people, personally, individuals to explore our creativity. But when we share it with other people, that's a way that we can become closer. I think that for the work to happen—because to some extent, I tried to apply these ideas at work—people have to build and maintain common ground with each other. I think that encouraging people to be creative and to share that creativity—you typically wouldn't ask a junior engineer to draw an architecture diagram, but I think you should. MARLENA: I hope that after listening to this, people definitely ask their newer folks on their team to draw a diagram, then we’ll share and trade with them. I think what I've learned from this conversation is, well, I think that it validated, more than anything, the ideas that I'm trying to spread about connecting arts and technology. It was wonderful to hear each of you talking about the struggles and challenges that you have at work in bringing this together because it is a different way of thinking. But I feel so positive whenever I talk about this and seeing people be able to recognize themselves and seeing some doors and windows open about how they can incorporate the arts a little bit more into their tech lives is the reason why I do this and it's been such a privilege to share this with all of you and your listeners. So thanks for having me. DAMIEN: It's been a privilege to have you. The idea that we can start out with like, “Let's draw pictures as engineers,” and ended up with, “Oh my God, how do I become fully human?” [laughs] It's really amazing. JAMEY: Yeah, this was really great. Thank you so much for coming on and talking about this. MARLENA: It was a lot of fun. DAMIEN: Marlena, why don't you give your Patreon and your podcast? MARLENA: Sure. Well, I started the Patreon because it was an easier way for folks to sign up for the meetups that happened in Let's Sketch Tech. We do a monthly meetup and I'm starting to plan the conference for this year. There's a free newsletter, but if this podcast is giving you life, if you're getting oxygen from this conversation, I highly suggest checking out the Let’s Sketch Tech Patreon, sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to my podcast, Make it a Pear! I talk a lot about creative process in tech. DAMIEN: Awesome. Thank you so much and thank you for joining us. Special Guest: Marlena Compton.

Matt is joined by Ashton Rodenhiser, who has become a fixture at many conferences where she provides graphic recordings of various talks and presentations!

Matt is joined by Ashton Rodenhiser, who has become a fixture at many conferences where she provides graphic recordings of various talks and presentations!