To acquire a new skill, we may follow a recipe, or maybe we cook by instinct and follow our gut. Either way it requires us to begin. From there, the path involves cultivating three these three things. Let’s define each of these elements in the context of being a service professional learning something new.
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This post is for those of you who are on the fence about making a decision—any decision—because you or someone close to you feels lost in the F.O.G. (Fear, Obligation and Guilt)
Here are Lessons for Cutting Through the Fog from visual-thinking gurus Austin Kleon & Mike Rohde; a first-time sketchnoter; a hollywood producer; and, former US Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara.
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From Stanley Kubrik's A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Sometimes it appears as 65% or some other percentage. Yet rarely — if ever— is that number attributed to any clinical research.
Our friends at ImageThink point towards a likely source of this idea.
Research conducted by Richard Felder resulted in a standardized test called the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) which sorts learners according to several different spectra, including visual-verbal.
And who doesn't love themselves a standardized test?
But that research was done well before fMRIs became available to measure brain activity and produce activation maps showing which parts of the brain are involved in a particular mental process.
(Felder's research was done primarily with — gasp! — engineering students.)
Unlike standardized tests, fMRIs work by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur in response to neural activity. When a brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen and, to meet this increased demand, blood flow increases to the active area.
The resulting activation maps can show us how our brains biologically react to thoughts and external stimuli. And what have these images revealed? Learning is a whole brain activity and no matter what kind of learning activity we are engaged in, we are making movies in our mind.
Now, for me — a former art school student, professional image maker and chronic daydreamer — saying that 83% of people are visual learners is like declaring:
Or this claim from our favorite fake news newspaper, The Onion: “Study finds High School students retain only one-third of obsolete curriculum over summer”
So, why then is the 83% stat slung about so freely?
photo: The Uniform House of Dixie by Dystopos (Flickr Creative Commons)
A huge motivation may be our human need for social proof — also known as informational social influence — in order to validate an activity.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
Simply put, people want to make sure the behavior is alright — whether that behavior is wearing leather pants to a wedding, sporting a bow tie and a mullet hairstyle (which I did briefly in the late 80s) or allowing someone to draw big pictures during the boss' big presentation.
Think about the social calculus of High School, but with strategic planning sessions, careers, and mortgages on the line.
Ultimately, any professional who takes a chance to incorporate a new and artsy element, like graphic facilitation ( ! ), to a corporate event is taking a risk.
Granted, this particular risk (graphic facilitation) does not involve potential bodily harm or worldwide economic collapse.
No, this risk is of something much worse in the eyes of many — the fear of failing publicly.
More specifically, the fear may be of wasting time and treasure on something that does not yield concrete, quantifiable benefits.
Matthew McConaughey in his breakout role from Dazed and Confused (1993)
Hence, the affirmation that 83% of us need visuals to help us on our learning journey may be just the thing to make a jittery client feel alright, alright, alright!
photo: Stefan the Photofan (Flickr Creative Commons)
In a 2013 article in Scientific American, Sophie Guter asks if teaching to the student's style is bogus.
This may be anathema in a world of user-centered design and student-centered learning environments, but from her vantage point, she finds an educational landscape where many researchers suggest that differences in students’ learning styles may be as important as ability, but that empirical evidence is thin.
There is no shortage of ideas in the professional literature. David Kolb of Case Western Reserve University posits that personality divides learners into categories based on how actively or observationally they learn and whether they thrive on abstract concepts or concrete ones. Another conjecture holds that sequential learners understand information best when it is presented one step at a time whereas holistic learners benefit more from seeing the big picture. Psychologists have published at least 71 different hypotheses on learning styles.
Perhaps, this speaks less to learning styles — visual vs. kinesthetic vs. linguistic vs. mathematical — and more to this fact: any disengaged person ain't learning much.
A surefire way to engage learners of any age, is through consciously crafted stories and experiences that involve multiple senses and trigger multiple parts of our brains — without cognitive overload.
(Hello, Ritalin!)
ABOVE: Illustration by one of my heroes, Dave Gray (source: Flickr, Creative Commons)
Because we are all visual learners — even blind folk, as you will learn by reading further down — I have collected some videos that have expanded my own horizons when it comes to understanding brains, visuals, and learning.
Below are several subject matter experts who explore the complexity of human neural networks to reveal rich constellations of biology, cognition, creativity and learning…
“This rich film is continuously rolling in our minds.” Researchers like Antonio and his wife Hanna use imaging technology to explore the biological architecture influencing experiences that have traditionally remained the stuff of philosophy: The Mind, The Self, Consciousness and Culture. Like no one else, Damasio describes the biology that enables our memories and imagination.
What I Learned: Our ability to visualize emanates from our physical bodies, through the oldest parts of our brain stem, and echoes throughout our cerebral cortex. Now, I cannot trust anything I think or feel after hearing Damasio describe consciousness.
http://www.ted.com/talks/antonio_damasio_the_quest_to_understand_consciousness
“Are we free to choose how we act? Is the mind equal to the brain?” A neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Eagleman's research includes time perception, vision, synesthesia, and the intersection of neuroscience with the legal system. He is a pioneer on the power of the unconscious brain.
What I Learned: I asked David where dreams come from. He answered that dreaming is our brains natural function; it uses the body to check if the dream is reality!
“They call me the real life batman. My claim to fame is that I click.” World Access for the Blind, founded by Kish, trains the visually impaired to achieve greater freedom and mobility through echolocation — a technique that simulates a bat’s night vision of perceiving the environment through sound.
What I Learned: Kish taught me that unless severely damaged, all humans, regardless of visual ability, rely heavily on the visual cortex to navigate and shape their world.
“Depending on what you are creating, the stimulus, the content and what stage of the creative process you are in, different brain areas are recruited to help solve the task.” Cognitive psychologist by training, Kaufman unravels some of creativity’s mysterious origins with the help of brain scanning equipment. Kaufman's blog on the Scientific American website, Beautiful Minds, shares Insights into intelligence, creativity, and the mind.
What I Learned: The Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain debate is a farce: we are all whole-brained people, yet the phenomenon of “talent” and ”creativity” is vast and mysterious.
http://poptech.org/popcasts/scott_barry_kaufman_creative_brains
“Being a blind kid in India is tremendously tough.” Sinha's humanitarian and scientific work sheds light on how the brain's visual system develops. Sinha and his team provide free vision-restoring treatment to children born blind, and then study how their brains learn to interpret visual data. The work offers insights into neuroscience, engineering and even autism.
What I Learned: The brain (not the eye) is what integrates all the different visual elements we see into objects we can understand; the one thing that the visual system needs in order to parse the world is motion.
http://www.ted.com/talks/pawan_sinha_on_how_brains_learn_to_see
“Have you ever seen the super computer, Watson? It is bigger than my apartment.” Kuzum develops nanoelectronic synaptic devices which emulate synaptic computation in the human brain, then works to interface these synapses with biological neurons. Such nanoscale synaptic devices have the potential to lead to interactive brain-inspired computer systems that can learn and process information in real time, bridging the gap between the human brain and digital computers.
What I Learned: The brain is so freaking efficient for the amount of processing it can do! Powered by less energy it takes to light a lightbulb, the human brain is really tough to replicate mechanically—or digitally!
“We need to move beyond the idea that data visualization is about pretty pictures, and instead embrace that it is a deep investigation into sense-making.” Meyer explains how data visualization can be more concise, practical and scientifically useful, and still be aesthetically pleasing.
What I Learned: Good data graphics can accelerate the progress of scientific research—not simply serve as a nice illustration of that research.
http://www.alphachimp.com/poptech-art/miriah-meyer-seeing-data
“Doodling can have a profound impact on how we process information and how we solve problems." Studies show that sketching and doodling improve our comprehension — and our creative thinking. So why do we still feel embarrassed when we're caught doodling in a meeting? Sunni Brown says: Doodlers, unite!
What I Learned: Doodling should be leveraged in situations in which information density is very high and the need for processing that information is very important. Learn more from Sunni's book The Doodle Revolution.
QUESTION FOR YOU: What has your research revealed about visual learning? Let us know in the comments below!
photo: ross pollack
Something in the way our brain operates tells us about our ability to imagine and perceive ourselves. So, what makes me “Me” and what makes you ”You”? And where, exactly, is the sense of self located in the brain?
The "mind" and "self" were formerly the domain of philosophers and priests.
But in this hour of Radiolab http://www.radiolab.com, neurologists lead the charge on profound questions like, "How does the brain make me?"
The hosts visit U.C. San Diego neurologist, V.S.Ramachandran who describes the evolution of human consciousness… or the difference between the way we think of some abstraction, like love, and the way a baboon thinks of a rear end.
photo: Carrie Cizauskas
It doesn't matter if you are working as a solopreneur or inside a large organization; it is quite intimidating to take the leap and become a graphic facilitator, sketchnoter or visual knowledge worker.
The image of the starving artist slaving away in a dilapidated studio is over-rated. Don't get me wrong: images of artists working in their studios are inspirational; the starving, not so much. In my own creative work, I find that the pain and frustration of isolation from other creative souls is a real killer.
In his new book, Powers of Two, Joshua Wolf Shenk argues that creativity is most commonly the result of at least two people interacting in a variety of ways: complementary collaboration, mutual inspiration, creative rivalry, whatever you want to call it.
My own career as a graphic facilitator began by accident and after years of suffering in CubicleLand.
I was a trained artist who had spent 5 years hitchhiking and teaching my way across Europe, with exhilarating years journaling and working with other artists in Paris and Kraków, Poland.
above: pages from my travel journal (1994)
When I returned to the United States, the corporate world did not know what to do with me, my colorful portfolio of artwork, or my wild ideas about integrating visual learning into schools.
I felt like a coyote caught in a trap, prepared to chew my leg off in order to escape.
Then, a stroke of luck: I received a bizarre assignment from my temp agency and staggered into an incredible place in Chicago that employed motley, colorful, artistic folks like me to do hardcore strategy and innovation work.
above: an inspired view from CubicleLand
Andrew Park of Cognitive Media and RSA Animate fame, describes his experience in this brilliant TEDx Talk, accompanied by one of his own animations.
Before the first moment I witnessed a graphic facilitator at work, I had no idea that anyone could earn a living by listening and drawing to help people come up with groundbreaking ideas.
I had found my tribe!
That was in August 1996, just as the Internet was taking off, and, back then, the crushing feeling of isolation was compounded by a lack of an electronic network, web searches or social media.
However, with all the advancements in tools for connectivity, why do the students in our Rockstar Scribe course still speak of that same feeling of isolation?
Believe me when I tell you: I am not a “joiner.” I am an extroverted introvert and a skeptic when it comes to organized anything. However, I like friends. I thrive on authentic relationships. I am inspired by good people doing good work.
And as an introvert, I have to force myself to join anything. Yet this is, of course, the most important part, because…
Awareness of a community is only the first step in connecting to a community.
above: participants at the 2014 EuViz Conference in Berlin ( photo: IFVP Flickr Group )
International Forum of Visual Practitioners — This week at EuViz (euviz.com) in Berlin, there are 230+ amazing people from around the world who are dedicated to learning and sharing skills as artists, visual learners, graphic recorders, and facilitators. If you are looking for “that tribe” of visual people, this is the group to join and the annual conference to attend. The 2015 IFVP Conference with be in Austin, Texas. However, if the time/money factor prevents you from attending, you can still become an IFVP Member or find members in your area. ifvp.org
Facebook — if this is more your venue, the Graphic Facilitation Facebook Group is a 3000+ member group, curated to keep the trolls and snarks away. www.facebook.com/groups/2708716559/
The Center for Graphic Facilitation — This website lists graphic facilitators and recorders by region and posts multiple opportunities for training. graphicfacilitation.com
Sketchnote Army — Author of the Sketchnote series of books, Mike Rohde, publishes work from avid practitioners in this community site. sketchnotearmy.com
Breaking Down Your Business — This is a zany podcast hosted by creative business consultants, Brad Farris and Jill Salzman, who tackle the most complex small business questions of our day: How do I make more money without driving myself nuts? Why am I not a billionaire yet? How long is *that* going to take? breakingdownyourbusiness.com/podcasts/
There are in-person group courses offered by The Grove and Brandy Agerbeck; online courses offered by Christina Merkley and our own Alphachimp University; and, a growing network of folks teaching these skills.
Breah Livolsi Parker of Blip Studio describes the flip-side of making a career in this business which involves travels quite a bit of travel and solo work in the studio:
Early on in this work I was told that it would be a lonely ride. I’ve been working as a gr/gf for 4 years, and I think I am just getting the hang of the lifestyle. There is a blank spot usually when I return home… though my dog is always eagerly standing by waiting. Reconnecting with life here in Asheville is something I have learned I must cultivate.
Breah's TEDx talk, addresses this need to find “us” wherever you go.
So, if you still feel isolated or anxious about what path to take — quite a normal feeling, by the way! — I encourage you to reach out to these communities and grow as a visual learner, teacher, consultant, or yet-to-be-defined creative professional.
Contact us know if we can help you out in any way.
Peter Durand
Founder & Creative Directer
Stage fright. Butterflies in the stomach. Cold feet. Whatever name you use for the feeling, they all describe the same thing — the fear of failing publicly. So, how can graphic recorders effectively balance the flood of new information and process those ethereal ideas in concrete visual form, even while quietly freaking out?
Read MoreIn a collaboration with Ned Breslin, CEO of Water for People, Alphachimp adds visuals to the podcast on social entrepreneurs, The Social Disruptors.
Read MoreAlphachimp had a STEM-filled week of graphic facilitation here in Nashville: On Monday, we scribed the TN Dept. of Education's first STEM Council Meeting, and on Wednesday we facilitated the vision-casting meeting for Vanderbilt University's Biomedical Engineering department.
Read MorePopTech has just announced their list of speakers for October's event, "Rebellion!"
Here is a blurb about Rebellion from PopTech's website:
"The spirit of rebellion is at the heart of some of the greatest advances in science, technology, medicine, business, design and more. It’s the fearlessness to cross boundaries, the willingness to deconstruct norms, the vision to identify opportunities in areas overlooked. It’s about leadership, courage and the instincts to grow, adapt and persevere. At PopTech 2014, we're celebrating the rebellious possibilities that drive us ever forward."
To see a full list of speakers (and keep up as new speakers come on board), click here.
All of us at Alphachimp are looking forward to yet another brilliant conference of the Great Thinkers of our time!
And speaking of Brilliance...
PopTech 2013 "Sparks of Brilliance" brought us yet another innovative and powerful group of speakers from all over the world! The topics they explored took us through scientific breakthroughs, social revolutions, artistic expressions, technological breakthroughs, and personal resilience.
Our very own Graphic Facilitator Extraordinaire, Peter Durand, was on hand to provide a visual representation for every presentation.
To get everyone amped up for next year's event, we'll be posting the artwork and video from each of last year's presentations here!
Be watching the blog each Thursday to fill your brain and soul with excellence (and learn something new)!
Alphachimp LLC is a visual learning company based in Houston, Texas.
Through drawings, animations, and the design-thinking process we help people understand complex situations and make better decisions.
We provide a cluster of inter-related services in the area of visual learning, graphic facilitation, problem-solving, and innovation.
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