From the May 2012 from the Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center eNewsletter:
Participants of the Business Planning for Creatives class recently offered by the Southwest Colorado SBDC received a colorful visual aid to help them process the new information into knowledge.
Heather Leavitt Martinez visually recorded five of the six sessions by listening to what was being presented or discussed, then used icons, words or simple one-liners to capture the “knowledge nuggets” in the room. Martinez recorded live in front of the class on paper four feet tall by six feet wide.
“It serves as a mnemonic device,” explains Martinez. “Most people are visual learners, so what they see as they’re listening - as long as it’s something happening live that is kinesthetic - will help them remember better.” Heather then created digital files of the big charts for students’ future reference.
A working artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer and founder of Arts Perspective magazine, Heather has just recently parlayed into the world of visual recording. “I’ve only been doing it for about nine months, and I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to put it to use since I took my first online training.”
When Martinez found out about the Business Planning for Creatives class, taught by artist Pat Senecal and entrepreneur Erich Bussian, she volunteered her services because it was her first go at visual recording in public.
Soon after, however, her first paid gig followed: recording a two-day summit in Breckenridge for Colorado Creative Industries. In addition to recording, Martinez did visual facilitation.
“I facilitated all of the participants - over 200 - in six different breakout sessions,” she explained. “Of course I couldn’t be in six places at once, so I wrote a guide that helped co-facilitators harvest information from the participants, so when they recorded for me, I could pull all of those ideas together.”
Such facilitation takes more pre-planning to ensure it goes smoothly and everyone’s ideas are heard. “I created two charts for each break-out session: one was to help them network and get to know each other, the other chart was to gather their ideas,” Martinez stated. “The co-facilitators put those answers on a chart - that I pre-illustrated with the questions - and then I photographed those charts and went through all of their ideas, probably over 400 ideas.”
Heather then created a PDF for participants to utilize that included a “Top Ten” chart of the group’s favorite ideas and a page called “Hidden Gems,” gleaned from the numerous charts she scoured through.
Surprisingly, visually recording is about 10 percent drawing and 90 percent listening, according to Martinez. “It’s really about learning how to listen, then knowing how to organize that information on a piece of paper so people can read it.”
Martinez learned how to do visual recording by taking five online courses, attending one workshop, and participating in a conference of visual practitioners last fall.
“It’s a wonderful tool and easy to teach. I’ve even been asked to teach people; I think once I get a little more experience, I’d be happy to share more with the community.”
Martinez also visually records for Arts Perspective and Korn/Ferry International, where she works full-time as a graphic designer and visually records business meetings, international calls, and workshops. Martinez would like to do more freelance visual recording if her schedule permits. “Anytime people get together and have a conversation and they want a takeaway to remind them of what was discussed, it’s great for that. I think it should be involved in all schools, too.
“It’s so fun,” Heather adds. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever found besides making art that keeps me in the moment. I love being able to take people’s ideas and show them what they’re saying - it’s like a visual mirror back to them on what they’re expressing. It can be an effective tool when it comes to communication.”
To learn more about Heather’s visual recording work or her art, visit www.heathermartinez.com or email her at heather@heathermartinez.com.
By Christine Rasmussen
Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center
http://sbdcfortlewis.org/
