By Sarah P. Hylton, M.Ed.
“It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.”
Lisa Nelson, founder and CEO of See in Colors, claims this quote from Henry David Thoreau as her favorite, so it’s no surprise that her work as a visual strategist embodies this message. A graphic recorder, Nelson captures presentations in real time by visually recording the essential ideas and critical concepts being presented, creating something akin to a mural of the presentation or conversation. Using essential text, bright colors, and simple graphics such as drawings, shapes, and lines, Nelson’s hand-drawn sketches bring to life the underlying components of a speaker’s message, providing all participants with a means of, quite literally, seeing the big picture. Nelson’s sketch-noting engages participants and invites them to make their own visual connections to the material being presented. Nelson’s visual capturing of our 2017 SURN Leadership Conference can be seen here.
We are excited to welcome Lisa Nelson again this year for our 22nd annual SURN Leadership Conference on June 18-19, 2018 at the William and Mary School of Education Professional Development Center. Nelson will be sketch-noting in real time the presentations by our keynote speakers, Michael Fullan and Jennifer Abrams, as well as offering a break-out session in how to start sketching your own notes and ideas. Come learn how to be more creative and how to communicate your ideas clearly. Drawing skill is not required, and basic supplies will be provided, but space is limited for the session and requires advance registration. For more information on registration and the conference, please visit the Leadership Conference page on our website.