Episodes

  • All The Tips Season 16
    Jan 2 2025
    In this final episode of The Sketchnote Army Podcast season 16, we’ve compiled the tips from nine great visual thinkers into a single episode. We hope these tips inspire and encourage you on your visual thinking journey. Happy New Year!Tips from: Emily Mills, Joran Oppelt, Kelvy Bird, Javier Navarro, Blanche Ellis, Peter Durand, James Durno, Diana Ayoub, and Justin Hamacher.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover: The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power feature How vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes and How vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at https://sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroEmily MillsJoran OppeltKelvy BirdJavier NavarroBlanche EllisPeter DurandJames DurnoDiana AyoubJustin HamacherOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Emily’s websiteJoran on LinkedInKelvy's websiteJavier's websiteBlanche's websitePeter’s websiteJames' websiteDiana on LinkedInJustin on LinkedIn1. Emily’s TipsKeep on experimenting.Try something outside your practice but still creative.Be careful when sketchnoting becomes work then find something else to supplement that joy factor.2. Joran’s TipsOwn the problem.Break down the big thing into smaller digestible pieces.Ask for help.3. Kelvy’s TipsExperiment and try new tools/approaches.Preserve a sense of mystery and beauty in your work.Prioritize self-care both physically and mentally.4. Javier’s Tips Don't be obsessed with perfect illustrations. Work around your strengths. Improve your craft one step at a time. Ask clients a lot of questions before the onset of a project. Prep a lot. Always remember that it is all about the audience. Train your mind to be visual 24 hours.5. Blanche’s TipsTry different ways into the same activity.Keep experimenting to find your style.Keep a Sketchbook with you always.Only show the kind of work you want to do.Don't underestimate the background of being an entrepreneur as an artist.Appreciate the part that you do well.Drawing on public transport.6. Peter’s TipsCreate custom color palettes for each client/event.Manage self-negative talk and nerves through preparations and rituals.Approach your work as a gift to share rather than something to be self-conscious about.Being positive and supportive of each other's work.Look for inspiration from artists and eras that are not closely adjacent.7. James’ TipsSlow down to speed up.Abandon the idea of perfection. Practice, but practice makes proficient, not perfect.Learning the rules, principles, and elements of what makes a good art.Listening to understand.A drawing is not just what we intend it to be but also how it's understood. Make sure that we get it right in terms of what we pack into a drawing.8. Diana’s TipsJust doodle. Just let yourself go with the pen.Keep a sketchbook on you all the time.Talk to people. Find a community, a group of people who inspire and motivate you to think outside the box.Join the Think Visual Meet-up.9. Justin’s TipsDraw where you aren't conventionally permitted to do so. Push your boundaries of drawing. Have the easiest materials possible that you will use.Try to have you and your tools as close to each other as possible to develop that relationship and open those channels of expression and communication with yourself.CreditsProducer: Alec Pulianas Shownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!
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    47 mins
  • Justin Hamacher’s hand-drawn road trip leads to a visualization of Jungian insights – S16/E09
    Dec 27 2024
    In this conversation, Justin Hamacher delves into how drawing became a powerful tool for learning and recounts his remarkable journey through teaching, punk music, and Jungian analysis.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover: The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power feature How vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes and How vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at https://sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Justin HamacherOrigin StoryJustin's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find JustinOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Justin on LinkedInJungian workJustin's Upcoming book:The Visual JungJustin's Art WorkMemories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G.JungKnowledge In a Nutshell by Gary BobroffEgo and Achertype by Edward F. EdinderInner Work by Robert A. JohnsonJung and Shamanism in DialogueToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast. 0.5 Steadler fine liner marker pen Fabriano pad Neuland markers Copic markersTipsDraw where you aren't conventionally permitted to do so. Push your boundaries of drawing. Have the easiest materials possible that you will use.Try to have you and your tools as close to each other as possible to develop that relationship and open those channels of expression and communication with yourself.CreditsProducer: Alec Pulianas Shownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey, everyone, it's Mike Rohde, and I'm here today with Justin Hamacher. Justin, good to have you here.Justin Hamacher: Hello. Very happy to be here.MR: So you're an interesting guy. We've been connected for years and years, and you popped back up in my life recently. You've come from the design background a lot like me, but you've done a shift, which I found was really interesting. And it seemed like it could be really fascinating to bring you on the show, not only as a designer and what you're doing now, but you're also a visual thinker, and you've done something interesting in this new direction you've gone by integrating visual thinking into the training that you've taken. So rather than me try to explain it, 'cause I don't know the details, tell us who you are and what you do, and then if you'd like, go right into your origin story, like from a little boy, how did you end up to this moment now?JH: Oh man. How many hours do we have? Oh, I'll do my best. I'm so happy to be here. This is a wonderful base for the community to learn about individuals and how they use visual thinking.MR: Yeah.JH: It's striking to me how relegated it is by the educational system and by our employers and other places, really into a background or kind of novelty identity. For some of us, it's the way our brain works, you know? And it's so hard to have to put things into writing or words or other things without being able to be visual. So I'm really happy this is taking place. Let's see. So, I'll just kind of pop back to when I was little, and then we can work our way forward. Is that okay?MR: Yeah. Sounds great. Yeah.JH: Okay. So, one of my very first memories, I swear I'm not gonna talk for hours, I was just joking, is I remember being in preschool and drawing a bird and sitting there and not knowing any other kids. Actually, it was kindergarten because I knew the kids in preschool and, you know, feeling some anxiety, and the room seemed really big and there was a lot of other people around me, I didn't know. I wasn't afraid, but I was a very extroverted kid, you know, but cautious and a little shy.And I was drawing this bird, and I knew how to draw feathers on a bird. If I look back at the bird now, it's rather comedic, but at the time, for other little kids, they thought that was really cool. And I remember this one little boy coming over and he didn't know me, but he saw me drawing and he said, "Whoa, you can draw feathers on a bird. Oh my gosh." And he knew the other kids 'cause they'd gone to preschool or ...
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Diana Ayoub collaborates with clients using a user-centered approach to visual thinking - S16/E08
    Dec 17 2024
    In this episode, Diana Ayoub, co-founder of Sh8peshifters, shares her tech-infused upbringing, journey into sketchnoting, and efforts to build a vibrant visual thinking community through regular meet-ups.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover: The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power feature How vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes and How vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at https://sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Diana AyoubOrigin StoryDiana's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find DianaOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Diana on LinkedInDiana's InstagramSh8peshifters websiteThink Visual! Sketch Lab courseBook: Designing TomorrowAlan Chen's EpisodeToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast. Zig dual-tip brush markersTombow dual-tip brush markers ProcreateAdobe PhotoshopHuion TabletsNotionTipsJust doodle. Just let yourself go with the pen.Keep a sketchbook on you all the time.Talk to people. Find a community, a group of people who inspire and motivate you to think outside the box.Join the Think Visual Meet-up.CreditsProducer: Alec Pulianas Shownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey everyone, it's Mike, and I'm here with Diana Ayoub. Diana, it's so nice to have you.Diana Ayoub: Thanks for having me, Mike.MR: Yeah, so Diana is coming to us all the way from down under, and she works with someone who was on last season's Sketchnote Army Podcast, Alan Chen. They are the two superheroes that make up Sh8peshifters with an eight. Where the A should be, there's an eight, is that right? S-H-8-P-Eshifters.DA: That's Right.MR: Yeah.DA: Yeah.MR: Yes. You're probably one of the dynamic duo, I guess, going with the superhero theme, I guess. I don't wanna belabor it too much, but anyway you guys make up Sh8peshifters. You do amazing work. Both Alan and I thought it would be great to have you on the show since he was on last season, to kind of talk about your perspective about visual thinking in the world, in Australia, and with the clients that you work with, the students that you teach, but first, let's get started and learn who you are and what you do at Sh8peshifters.DA: Yeah, thank you, Mike. I'm very lucky to work with Alan. He's actually the reason I started this journey of drawing and sketchnoting again. But I guess going back to who I am, I'm a designer and illustrator, and I originally come from Lebanon. I studied my bachelor in graphic design in Lebanon. When I was growing up, I wasn't really pursuing drawing too much. It was more like something that I did in my textbooks in class. I just doodled while the teacher was talking, I guess to focus.I found that if I had a pen in my hand, I would focus more, but I never really pursued it as a hobby or anything. I just really enjoyed it. What I was really more into was technology 'cause I grew up in a very tech-savvy family. My dad was a software engineer. My mom teaches middle school students' computer and information technology. I taught myself Photoshop when I was 13, and I just really loved exploring software and, you know, doing animations and all these little things.I ended up doing graphic design and I worked in graphic design, web design for a while in Lebanon. And then I felt like I was kind of, let's say stuck creatively. I felt like I was being more like an operator for clients, just doing whatever they wanted on the software. So I decided to leave, and I pursued a master's in design in Australia. That's when I was introduced to a much bigger world of design in terms of design thinking and human-centered design. I realized that there's a bigger world out there of design where I could have more impact than just behind my screen, and I really fell in love with that again.At the same time, that's where I met Alan, who's now my business partner, but I was lucky to have him as a mentor for a few years. We ...
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    35 mins
  • James Durno on Art, Innovation, and Lifelong Creativity - S16/E07
    Dec 10 2024
    In this episode, James Durno shares how growing up around art-focused environments shaped his creativity. He delves into developing diverse artistic skills, mastering spatial thinking, and examines the potential impact of AI on future generations.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover:The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power featureHow vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes andHow vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroWelcomeWho is James DurnoOrigin StoryJames Durno's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find James DurnoOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.James Durno's websiteJames Durno on LinkedInJames Durno on InstagramToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.One-millimeter B lead PencilsPolymer EraserNeuland markersCopic MarkersFabriano paperPaintTipsSlow down to speed up.Abandon the idea of perfection. Practice, but practice makes proficient, not perfect.Learning the rules, principles, and elements of what makes a good art.Listening to understand.A drawing is not just what we intend it to be but also how it's understood. Make sure that we get it right in terms of what we pack into a drawing.CreditsProducer: Alec PulianasShownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Everyone, it's Mike Rohde, and I'm here with James Durno from down in South Africa. Well, I guess it depends on your perspective, right, James? You might be up and maybe us in the Northern Hemisphere, maybe we're down, right? If you think about the way space works. Welcome to the show.James Durno: Good to be here.MR: James, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.JD: I'm an artist. I call myself a visual communicator because I communicate visually. I'm a visual thinker, but I come from a fine art background and illustration, cartoon, and commercial art background. I think that what defines my work largely is the fact that because of all of the different influences, I've kind of developed an offering and a way of working that's at the intersection of all of those different disciplines. My focus is largely on the kind of interdisciplinary osmosis that happens between fine art, drawing, painting different mediums, and then drawing those into the graphic recording and the visual communication space.I don't define myself as a graphic recorder as such although that's what I do. I think in terms of visual language and disciplines and a range of mediums and how I can pull those all together into something that's exciting and different from the norm. Then what comes me beyond that is actually, I'm a husband and a dad.MR: Excellent.JD: And a human being, you know, beyond and before that.MR: Always important to remember that. I think that's the most important thing we can offer, for sure. The word that struck me when you started to describe what you do is almost like a conductor of a symphony. So you're the one, you know, telling the symphony how to represent this piece of music in a sense except that it's your different disciplines kind of all coming together in this one pursuit of capturing what's happening in that moment. Would that be a fair way to describe it?JD: I think it's a fair metaphor. Also, I think if you think more in terms of jazz than say classical music or popular music, it's about on-the-spot kind of being able to reinvent oneself in real time. It's kind of also like cooking as well. It's about a range of ingredients and not really working according to rules at a certain point. Like, the master chef doesn't work according to a recipe, but understands the principles of flavor and texture and color and the harmony of the dish and what works.I think that goes for art as well. There's certain principles that we have. I mean, we're jumping straight beyond origin story and all of the stuff that would kind of be at the beginning of this conversation, you know, ...
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Peter Durand uses visual thinking to bring clarity to complex problems - S16/E06
    Dec 3 2024
    In this episode, Peter Durand explores the power of using a pen as a creative thinking tool, the beauty of embracing iterative processes, and how collaborating with professionals from different fields has deepened and broadened his artistic perspective.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover: The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power feature How vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes and How vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Peter DurandOrigin StoryPeter's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find Peter OutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast. Peter on LinkedIn Ye Olde Website Peter on Instagram Show Your Work Book by Austin KleonToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast. Moleskine paperNeuland marker pensSharpie gel pensiPadApple penProcreateMuralTipsCreate custom color palettes for each client/event.Manage self-negative talk and nerves through preparations and rituals.Approach your work as a gift to share rather than something to be self-conscious about.Being positive and supportive of each other's work.Look for inspiration from artists and eras that are not closely adjacent.CreditsProducer: Alec Pulianas Shownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey everyone, it's Mike, and I'm here with Peter Durand. Peter, thanks for being on the show. It's so good to have you.Peter Durand: Thank you, Mike.MR: Well, let's just get right into it. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.PD: Well, first I wanna thank you for giving me the heads-up that I should dress in stealth mode with the black shirt and black cap. You know, this is the Captain America disguise.MR: That's right.PD: Yeah. Well, my name is Peter Durand. I go by Alphachimp, and that name emerged way back at the dawn of the internet when I was just starting off. I'm an artist. I went to art school. I was a squirmy kid sitting in math and science class, having a rough time tracking what the teacher was saying 'cause My mind was always in cartoon land, and I was always doodling and drawing.MR: Oh, yeah.PD: And it was only much later thanks to this book called The Sketch Note Handbook, that I realized I could have been using that the whole time to be a neuroscientist or PhD in physics. Yeah, I was an artistic kid, visual learner, and fortunately had parents that always supported that. Was surrounded by nothing but support to, you know, follow that direction. So, went off to art school in St. Louis, Washington University. Studied painting, printmaking 2D design, 3D design, but landed in illustration as a major and visual communications 'cause I wanted to tell stories. I really liked reading and comic books and graphic novels.And I think at that time, my real dream was to be whoever the dude or dudette is, who makes the illustration on the other side of a National Geographic foldout map. My grandfather was a geographer, so we grew up with a lot of maps and stuff, but I always liked the reverse side of those foldouts because they had little vignettes of watercolor paintings and, you know, it was like a full giant poster-size, graphic novel squee education thing. So that was my big aspiration when I went off to school.MR: I suppose it's easier to get paid as an illustrator than as a fine artist. At least regularly. Although maybe there's a few—Banksy maybe can defy that logic, I suppose, with his work.PD: My father was a lawyer, so I was actually born in Kenya because he went off to law school in the '60s after being in the Marine Corps. And he practiced law for one year and was super bored. And unfortunately, it was up near you, Mike. It was in Madison, Wisconsin.MR: Okay.PD: So he was in Madison, Wisconsin, and he was bored. He was like, "I don't think I wanna do this." Somebody had given him a brochure that he threw in his drawer for this thing called the Peace ...
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    51 mins
  • Blanche Ellis and the chance encounter that sparked a career in graphic recording - S16/E05
    Nov 26 2024
    In this episode, Blanche Ellis shares how dyslexia led her to discover graphic recording through a chance encounter. With a background in literature, music, and art, her work focuses on capturing the emotional essence of ideas and stories to build connections and understanding.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover:The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power featureHow vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes andHow vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Buy me a coffee!If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffeeRunning OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Blanche EllisOrigin StoryBlanche's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find Blanche EllisOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.WORK Blanche's website LinkedIn InstagramPERSONAL Instagram Spotify YoutubeToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Strathmore 400 sketchbooksWatercolorsSoft pencilsTextured paperNeuland MarkersMolotow MarkersiPadProcreateAdobeTipsTry different ways into the same activity.Keep experimenting to find your style.Keep a Sketchbook with you always.Only show the kind of work you want to do.Don't underestimate the background of being an entrepreneur as an artist.Appreciate the part that you do well.Drawing on public transport.CreditsProducer: Alec PulianasShownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey everyone, it's Mike, and I'm here with Blanche Ellis. Blanche, welcome to the show. It's so good to have you.Blanche Ellis: Thank you, Mike. No, really nice to be here, and I'm looking forward to our conversation.MR: Yes, me as well. We've run across each other I think on LinkedIn. I saw some of your graphic recording work. I thought it was really unique and interesting. Wanted to have you on the show. So, let's just begin right at the beginning. Tell us who you are and what you do.BE: Okay. I am a multidisciplinary artist. I've always done quite a number of things, often at once which I think happens a lot to creative people. I'm a visual artist. I had my own practice of painting and drawing, and then I use graphics to facilitate the flow of ideas for other people and with organizations and workshops. Mostly with graphic recording, also a little bit with animation, a little bit with—or quite a lot with behind-the-scenes graphics. So not live, but working from conversations, documentation of sorts. And then I'm also a musician, and I'm a songwriter, so I spent quite a lot of years doing that in multiple forms as well.MR: Wow.BE: It all kind of wraps in and, you know, a bit of poetry, a bit of dance, a little bit of anything you can think of really is on my name.MR: Wow, that's really fascinating. So, I'm curious, you touched on a musician. Are there certain instruments that you like to play? Are you more of a vocal artist? Tell me a little bit about that. I'm just kind of curious.BE: Yeah, no, the voice is definitely my home. The voice is my first instrument. Singing harmonies is possibly the best feeling that I know in the world. Instruments, yes, I don't consider myself a great instrumentalist, but I play guitar, I play banjo. I used those, you know, to do songwriting and I perform with that. I even used to be in a band for a few years playing the washboard. Doing harmonies and playing the washboard.MR: Really?BE: Yeah.MR: Wow.BE: But mostly it's guitar and banjo.MR: Interesting. It sounds a little bit like Americana or bluegrass or something along those lines is the style I think of when I hear those instruments.BE: Mm. Yeah. Well, quite folk. So, I think—MR: Folk music, yeah, that's the word I was looking for, folk.BE: Poets with guitars, I think, is a good description. A lot of the music that I love, you know, Jenny Mitchell and Annie Cohen.MR: Yeah, of course.BE: That whole crew and the Ballad writers. So, storytelling for me is a large part of it. Like the music in itself and the rhythm and the physicality of that that goes beyond words, but then also the ...
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Javier Navarro applies fashion experience to make his visual practice unique - S16/E04
    Nov 26 2024
    In this episode, Javier Navarro, a former fashion designer, shares how his fashion experience adds a unique style to his visuals.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover:The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power featureHow vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes andHow vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:https://rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Running OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Javier NavarroOrigin StoryJavier's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find JavierOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Javier's websiteDrwaing Your Mind InstagramJavier on InstagramDrawing Your Mind LinkedInJavier on LinkedInToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast. Moleskine PaperWindsor & Newton PaperPentel fine tip brush penNeuland markersPantone Tria markersiPadProcreateTips Don't be obsessed with perfect illustrations. Work around your strengths. Improve your craft one step at a time. Ask clients a lot of questions before the onset of a project. Prep a lot. Always remember that it is all about the audience. Train your mind to be visual 24 hours.CreditsProducer: Alec Pulianas Shownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey everyone, it's Mike, and I'm here with my friend Javier Navarro. How are you doing, Javier? It's good to have you here.Javier Navarro: Hi, Mike. I'm very happy to be here. Thanks for the invite.MR: Yeah, no problem. We crossed paths—I'm trying to think where we did it. Was it through some workshop that I did? I can't remember which one 'cause I did a couple really close together. Was it the bullet journal one or was it something else?JN: It was the lettering one. MR: The lettering one.JN: I remember the lettering one very well because I was really looking forward to that one. So yeah, it was the lettering one. I know your work from before, and I've been admiring your work for a long time, but that is where we started contact. Yeah.MR: Yeah. That was sponsored by Sketch Effect, which I don't think they have—they didn't record it, but there are some tidbits online. I think if you go to Javier's social LinkedIn and such, you can find it, which we'll talk about later. But anyway, that's how we came across each other, and I started looking at your work and thought your stuff is really cool. I need to talk to this guy and bring him into the community, so people can find him and be inspired and maybe chat with him and be aware.That's the fun thing for me, is discovering new people. Just when I think that I've talked to everybody, I just know that there's another person, 10 other people that I haven't talked to yet. So it's a never ending quest in the podcast to get new people and try and fit as many as I can in a season. So, welcome.JN: Thank you.MR: Why don't you jump right into, tell us who you are and what you do, and then you can go right into your origin story. Tell us how did you get to the place where you are from when you were a little boy.JN: Yeah. Like you said, my name is Javier Navarro. I'm a London-based visual storyteller, and I've been working in—visual storytelling is an umbrella term that I feel comfortable with. It's encompassing, like graphic recordings, sketchnoting, digital visualization, you know, there are many names to what we do. I've been doing this for the last four years. My journey is quite a long one. I'm a former fashion designer. I've been working for 10 years in fashion, 10 years in homewears, and basically drawing since I'm four years old.Illustration has been part of my professional journey all the time in different shapes and forms, but I came to graphic recording quite later, and I will get deeper into that. The thing is that during the time that I work in product design, I fulfill the whole process. I've been working with all kinds of companies, like corporate, startups, design strategy, creative strategy, training in research. So I fulfill the whole creative process and I think that informs and helps pretty much my practice as a graphic recorder as well because having been on the other side for so ...
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    49 mins
  • Kelvy Bird grounds her work in sustainability with a distinctively creative flair - S16/E03
    Nov 12 2024
    In this episode, Kelvy Bird shares how her artistic background influences her visual approach to scribing ideas and how it becomes a powerful tool for facilitating deeper understanding within groups.Sponsored by ConceptsThe Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover:The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power featureHow vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes andHow vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.Watch the workshop video for FREE at:rohdesign.com/conceptsBe sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!Running OrderIntroWelcomeWho is Kelvy BirdOrigin StoryKelvy's current workSponsor: ConceptsTipsToolsWhere to find Kelvy BirdOutroLinksAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Kelvy's websiteKelvy's BookOtto Scharmer BookOtto Scharmer BookBill Isaacs BookToolsAmazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.Neuland Outliner inkEagleCell Graphic boardsChalk markersMoleskine paperProcreateiPadTipsExperiment and try new tools/approaches.Preserve a sense of mystery and beauty in your work.Prioritize self-care both physically and mentally.CreditsProducer: Alec PulianasShownotes and transcripts: Esther OdoroTheme music: Jon SchiedermayerSubscribe to the Sketchnote Army PodcastYou can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or your favorite podcast listening source.Support the PodcastTo support the creation, production, and hosting of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, buy one of Mike Rohde’s bestselling books. Use code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com for 40% off!Episode TranscriptMike Rohde: Hey everyone, it's Mike and I'm here with Kelvy Bird. Kelvy, it's so good to have you on the show.Kelvy Bird: Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor and a pleasure.MR: We've been trying to get you on—I think I've been trying to get you on, you may not know this, but for the last couple of seasons and it finally worked out, so I'm excited. You do some really cool stuff. You're really unique, I think, in the visual thinking space with the way you approach things and the way you think about things. That's my perspective, is you're really unique. And so, I wanted to bring that to other visual thinkers who may not know who you are, right. It's such a wide community that there's little pools and spaces where you may not know things, so it's always good to reveal that, to make you known. I'll just turn it over to you. Let's first hear in your own words, who you are and what you do.KB: Well, first, thanks so much. When you said I'm unique, I had a little bit of like, "I am?" That made me happy. Anyone who's watching the video, I have to apologize for my particularly summer feral 90-degree look, but for those of you listening, I hope you'll be spared. I'm Kelvy Bird. I grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York State. Just about an hour North of New York City. My whole family was from the city originally. I grew up near the woods.And a big part of my origin story, those people who do know me have probably heard this many times, is that my parents split up when I was three, and so I grew up going between households, between rule sets, between cultures. They were very culturally—well, I mean, not so much culturally different, but there were a lot of differences between the households at that time in the '70s. Both homes were in the woods, and so I have a strong continuity with nature. Also, that led to my probably keen sense of observation. When I'm in spaces I'm always kind of at the edge of a system before engaging with a system just from a very early childhood, you know, a safety mechanism of—MR: It's what you operated then?KB: Yeah. I mean, it's like, you wanna know that—if you're unsure of environments, you know, you kind of check it out before you really immerse yourself in them. That's really lent itself—well, I probably became ascribed in some ways because I have that natural inclination to observe. I studied art and art history at Cornell in Upstate New York and graduated, I think like '88 or '89 in the Reagan years when there was like, you know, "What could you do as an artist?" You could work in a gallery or a museum to feed your art or you could live in the woods and make candles. What I had planned to do was, I envisioned a really quiet slow life for myself. Which has been very much the opposite of what unfolded.MR: Of course.KB: At some point, so I was making art and then I was out living out in the Bay Area after school and I was doing collaborative art, and then I met some people who—Chris Allen, who was working with Matt—well, was working ...
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    53 mins