Innovation Insights: Where Play Powers Breakthroughs

Working out some ideas at the wall. With a dying pen…. Argh… Time to order more supplies from @neulandcom! . . . #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualthinking #neulandmarkers

Trying out some ideas that I’d drawn in my journal at the flip chart. There’s simply nothing like drawing with big markers! 👍😁🖍 . . . #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualshownotes #visualthinking #neulandmarkers

Sketching out some ideas in my journal that I want to try in big paper later today… . . . #startsmall #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualshownotes #visualthinking #pigmamicron #moleskine

Practicing different buildings on flip chart paper. . . . #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualshownotes #visualthinking #neulandmarkers

In visual facilitation, simplicity and speed are key. Way more important than realism or aesthetics. “Learning to draw” means something different when your goal is to communicate concepts than when your goal is to express the glory of a landscape (or whatever). 🖍 Here is a flip chart filled with dogs, as I practice communicating “dog” visually as […]

Practicing drawing 3D boxes at my flip chart. As you can see, they get better with practice! 😊 . . . #practice #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualshownotes #visualthinking #neulandmarkers

Silly critter knot doodles on a Sunday morning. Hope you’re having a great weekend! . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron #blackandwhite #knotdoodle #critters #critterdoodles

Today’s graphic facilitation practice: drawing the 8 play personalities from Dr. Stuart Brown’s seminal book, Play. This was a fun project! 🖍 My previous post showed sketches in my journal, as I worked out how to draw some of the icons on a smaller scale. Then I did a few rough passes at a layout—also in my journal—and […]

How do you learn to draw? The same way you learn to do anything else: practice! Applied effort over time. Here’s a peek at my journal, where today I was working out how to draw a director’s chair, with help from The Noun Project (if you don’t know of this fantastic resource yet, check it out at http://bit.ly/2Vj5o2z). […]

Practicing arrows. . . . #visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualthinking #neulandmarkers #arrows

As part of my graphic facilitation practice, I’m committing to getting my big markers in hand every day. That could mean just practicing lettering or drawing icons at a flip chart, even just for a few minutes. Or it could mean listening practice—recording a podcast on a flip chart or a 4’x8’ sheet. Or it could mean, like […]

Teeny-tiny critter knot doodles. Happy Monday! Happy April Fools Day! Go play! . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron #critterdoodles #knotdoodle

After 3 days at a @groveconsultants graphic facilitation workshop with the fabulous @malgosiakostecka, I am inspired and motivated to practice with my #neulandmarkers every day! Lettering, drawing, listening, layout—*something*. Even just a minute at a flip chart is better than nothing! And there’s never a shortage of things to improve on. Arrows and boxes are hard, for example […]

Today’s doodle turned into an exploration of what 8 repeating (almost) parallel lines will do. . . . #exploring #line #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

A teeny-tiny doodle to start the day. A caterpillar and a tiny upside-down critter showed up in this one. 🖍 You never know what will appear in an improvisational morning doodle! 😊 . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron #critterdoodle

Have you listened to Work Life by @adamgrant? I am LOVING this podcast! It’s fantastic! A great listen while doodling. 😊 . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

Often I hate a doodle at first. My gremlins are convinced that not only does the doodle suck, but I am a terrible excuse for an artist! If I just keep at it, though, usually I find myself warming to it over time, and even quite liking it by the time I finish. We just have to keep […]

My favorite part of doodling is when something happens that surprises me, like the broom/brush shapes here. Totally unexpected and surprising! I get bored when I do the same thing over and over—I want to be delighted by something new, but that requires leaping into the unknown, which is scary. It’s just a piece of paper, just a […]

This is what my face feels like right now, in the middle of an eczema flare. I made this yummy, eczema-friendly, gluten-free bread recipe last night, which was so yummy, and made me so happy, but one of the ingredients was psyllium husks, and apparently I’m allergic to them!! Itching is a rare but documented side effect of […]

Super-quick doodle today. I didn’t sleep well last night, and the temptation is to just skip my creative sandbox time today, because “who has time?” Right? 🖍 That’s the gremlins talking!!! You can take TWO MINUTES to doodle! It will make you feel better, and it will make the whole rest of your day go better! 🖍 Seriously. […]

Today’s Doodlecam was a total surprise. I ended up going in a completely different direction from what I expected. I never have a plan going into these doodles—they are always fully improvisational — but I do have themes I tend to return to over and over, and this one went in an entirely different direction, which I narrated […]

Last day of the Friends of Calligraphy retreat. Last sheet of roll paper. I visually captured episode 370 of @freakonomicsradio, How to Fail Like a Pro. Integrating a bit of sign writer’s script and casual script from @corpgraffitiart’s How to Letter Like a Sign Painter ecourse. (So much easier to do s-l-o-w-l-y than at speed!! 😜 But taking […]

Abstract doodling at the Friends of Calligraphy retreat! . . . #pigmamicron #blackandwhite #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay

I’ve been enjoying making visual notes of this series on creativity on @freakonomicsradio. This chart is from episode 369, A Good Idea Is Not Enough. My favorite takeaway: David Galinson’s (sp?) two life cycles of creativity. Conceptualists have new ideas, and have their greatest ideas YOUNG (think Picasso, who made 400 preparatory drawings before doing his famous Nude […]

Morning doodle at the Friends of Calligraphy retreat. . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Color! . . . #watercolor #retreat #focretreat #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Adding color… . . . #watercolor #blue #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #retreat #focretreat

Abstract doodle before dinner. . . . #focretreat #pigmamicron #blackandwhite #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay

I added a little more to this morning’s doodle after the live Doodlecam was over, because I was having so much fun with it! Can you tell what I did? 🖍 Here’s what I noticed in today’s Doodlecam: the longer I spend sending gremlins away to get pedicures, the more free my inner 4-year-old feels to take free […]

In today’s live Doodlecam, I demonstrate Creative Sandbox Way™ Guidepost #7: Take the riskier path. When you get to the place where your piece isn’t done yet, but you’re afraid to add to it, because you’re afraid you might ruin it, what to do? Instead of shelving it and never finishing it, do the scary thing! What’s the […]

Today’s doodle, which you can watch me draw from a blank page in today’s Story, or in my IGTV channel, because I captured it all on Doodlecam! 😄 The whole thing took under 10 minutes. 🖍 Why do I doodle live on Doodlecam? To show you that anyone can do this! And to reveal what’s going on inside […]

I drew this doodle live on Doodlecam. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a live Doodlecam, but last Saturday someone was mentioning to me how much she enjoyed them, and that they inspired her to think about picking up a pen herself. That inspired *me* to set up my phone today so I could do a Doodlecam. 🖍 […]

Morning doodle before heading up to lead a presentation skills workshop for Uber. We’ll be playing with LEGO(r) and improv games all afternoon, but I still gotta get a little creative sandbox playtime in! 😊 . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

Morning doodle listening to @tara_mcmullin’s #whatworks podcast. Good stuff! Getting a tiny bit of creative sandbox play in before my last full day of prep for tomorrow’s presentation skills workshop for Uber’s Risk Team! What are you creating today? . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay […]

Morning doodle listening to the @jordanharbinger show before getting down to work, prepping for a presentation skills workshop for @uber on Thursday. . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

The whole page! Filled with watercolor blob critter doodles. 😊 . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #watercolor #blobdoodles #critterdoodles #pigmamicron

More watercolor blob critter doodles. . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #critterdoodles #watercolor #pigmamicron

More watercolor blob critter doodles to start the day. 😊 . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay

Starting Creative Sandbox Playday with a doodle. 🖍 We just did our creative catalyzing session, to get out of our heads and into our bodies. We laughed and laughed, which totally confused our gremlins. Which is, of course, the point! 😊 Confused gremlins wander off, which allows us to get down to work! 👍 . . . #creativesandboxplayday […]

A gradient of pebbles. . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

Happy Valentines Day! . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay

Doodling while listening to @todd_herman chat with @jonathanfields about alter egos on @goodlifeproject. Good stuff! I channel alter egos just about every day in my business, and this conversation really shines a light on how to do it more mindfully. . . . #creativesandboxcommunity #creativesandboxchallenge #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway […]

It’s hard to get to our creative play. I’m a creativity instigator, and even I fall prey to the gremlins of “you don’t have time for this today”! Despite all good intentions (which we know pave the road to you know where!), I didn’t get any doodling in the past few days. 🖍 Hey, it happens. I know […]

Messing around doodle — my way of getting started in the morning. It’s very easy to skip this part of my day, but getting a little creative sandbox playtime in makes such a huge difference! It fills the willpower well (your stores of patience, focus, and ability to resist temptations and distractions), boosts your mood, and simply makes […]

Theme and variations morning doodle. Doodling tells you so much about yourself. What’s your doodle style? My doodles typically have patterns of some sort. I’ll take an idea and expand on it, see where I can go with it. It’s not something I do consciously—it just happens over and over in my doodles. 😊 That’s my doodle style—my […]

Knot doodles. My face is itching like CRAZY with an eczema flare-up that seemed to appear— poof! — out of the blue. Doodling is wonderfully distracting. The moment I stop, the itch just takes OVER! Gaahhhh!!! 🖍 Itching all day long must be depleting my willpower. 😜 I just ordered The Eczema Detox book. Fingers crossed 🤞 that […]

Well, the tilted scaffold was not exactly the look I was going for… 😂 and the title lettering makes me cringe. But I got more imagery into this chart, which makes me really happy! 😊 🖍 This 5th and final visual note from Creative Sandbox Retreat is from @goodlifeproject podcast. It’s a great episode, highly recommended if you […]

Knot doodles, mostly critter knot doodles. One of my modes of play. 😊 . . #creativesandboxretreat #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron #blackamdwhite

First artwork of the second full day of Creative Sandbox Retreat. Now it’s time to work on another visual note. . . #creativesandboxretreat #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

A small doodle to start the first full day of Creative Sandbox Retreat #7, Winter 2019 edition. 😊 Now I’m going to set up my easel to do some visual notes before my gremlins talk me out of it! . . . #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #creativesandboxretreat

First artwork at Creative Sandbox Retreat #7, the winter 2019 edition. Right after opening circle and before bedtime. 🖍 I think each of these squiggly line thingies would make neat dividers on a page, don’t you? 🖍 And can I tell you have happy I am to be at the retreat? Soooooooooo happy! 😊 . . . #creativesandboxcommunity […]