Drawing notes
An essay…
In 2010/11 my approach to note taking and sketching changed dramatically overnight. After a tense moment between a student and I during a lecture, I walked to the train station conflicted. Then, I did what I always do, I started researching on the phone while walking to the train station. What I found changed me and it became my research topic for several years, culminating with my book Sketching as Design Thinking.
In that walk, I came across the work of Eva-Lotta Lam. Her presentation Sketchnotes / Visual Note Taking @ WebExpo Prague 2010 changed my approach and perception of what sketches are and their purpose. It also opened for me a new avenue of expression. Since that moment, I take, sorry, I draw notes everywhere I am: work, meetings, lectures, classes, and yep, church too. Drawing notes has become the default way in which I make sense of everything in my world.
My first drawn note was in 2011. I was visiting a church I had not been to before. I was feeling very insecure about how to go about drawing notes in the moment. It was a song that somehow moved me and I dared to do my first drawn note. See below:
Since that picture my drawn notes have taken many forms and styles. I am not satisfied with any but I enjoy seeing their development through the years. They are not posted in chronological order because that would require an organization beyond my willingness to organize. And trust me, I am very organized but the super, duper organization methods make me anxious. I collect each sketchbook once I finish it in a box. And you’d think I would date it on the cover but oh well, I forget.
Here we go:
My notes usually capture people’s attention and some times people have asked me to make them copies. I happily do it because I think it is something good to share. I have more notes but ahem, not sure where they are right now.
Taking notes this way keeps my mind focused. If the event—meeting, service, lecture, does not capture me, my mind tends to wander. Using my skills to take drawn notes allows me to not only keep my mind in focus, but also it gives me the opportunity to practice live sketching. As a result, my ideation process when working for a client, has become sharper over time.
I did not grow up taking my skills and talent seriously. And even after my professor Lope Max, told me I had what it took, it still took me a long time to invest in my abilities. All of that changed in 2010. And again in 2014. Since then, my creative time has become a sacred and welcome routine. I don’t often say that I regret things. But if there is one thing I would change in my life, is not taking my abilities seriously earlier. When I was a child I did draw all the time, everywhere. But I let things and people get in the way of that.
I love being a designer and an artist. I love creating daily. I have to start thinking of what to do with so many artworks sitting in my portfolios. That is for another day.
Love,
Alma