At the last Curating Visibility session, I had the privilege of illustrating the discussions as they unfolded, producing a real-time artwork that brought the conversation to life. This visual record helped attendees reflect on key takeaways and continue the dialogue long after the event ended.

If you know me, you’ll know I love shouting about the power of live illustration and graphic facilitation - so I was absolutely thrilled to be featured in Creative Boom! The article, written by Garrick Webster, dives into how live event illustration is transforming conferences, workshops, and business events, and I had the pleasure of sharing my experiences alongside three other talented illustrators.

Live illustration isn’t just about creating a beautiful drawing, it’s about making information more accessible and memorable. Whether used in internal communications, presentations, reports, or social media - illustrated summaries extend the life of your event and ensure that key insights don’t get lost.

One of the highlights of the day was crafting a "monster" filled with Post-it notes. These notes detailed key challenges and opportunities for Nottingham’s creative and cultural life. This playful yet powerful activity sparked fresh ideas and engaged everyone in meaningful dialogue.

The company faced a critical challenge: how to bring together diverse perspectives from senior leaders across the globe and align them under one cohesive leadership framework. The goal was to establish a unified leadership vision that everyone could reflect on, grasp and implement in their roles.

As business owners and managers, we’re often conditioned to prioritise logic, analysis and critical reasoning in decision-making. These skills are vital, but relying on them too early in the planning process can cut creativity short and stifle fresh ideas.

A graphic facilitator must tune in closely to conversations, capturing essential ideas, emotions, and underlying themes. This skill ensures that the visuals reflect the group’s core discussions accurately and effectively.

Live illustration was the perfect way to capture the energy and insights from the discussions. Throughout the event, I floated between tables, listening in on conversations and capturing key ideas in real time.

Infographics are powerful tools for communication. They allow businesses to present complex ideas in an engaging, visually digestible way that resonates with their audience.

While I still love working on-site, the beauty of live illustration is that it can just as easily happen remotely. That’s right - hosting an in-person event doesn’t mean I have to physically be there to live illustrate for you.

My role was to visually capture these discussions and distill them into a one-of-a-kind illustration that highlights the key themes.

Working closely with the fabulous youth team, I facilitated a series of visual planning workshops. These sessions were filled with energy and creativity, and we produced some wonderful visual plans. The young people were so engaged and full of ideas!

This statistic highlights a significant gap in access, rooted in socio-economic disparities, school resources, geographic limitations, and inadequate guidance. Addressing these issues is essential to ensuring equal opportunities for all young people to develop crucial work skills.

When I work as a graphic recorder, my process is all about connection. I listen closely to what’s being said—whether it’s during a strategy meeting, a keynote speech, or a collaborative workshop—and distill it into clear, visually engaging drawings.

Whether it’s a corporate conference, workshop, team-building session, academic, or community event, live illustration provides a unique way to document and reflect the shared experience.

There’s something almost meditative about this process. When I’m actively listening and drawing, everything else falls away. I’m fully present, fully engaged. It’s a luxury to listen so deeply and a privilege to draw what I’m hearing. I often find myself in a state of flow. A sweet spot where time slips away, and I’m simply there, capturing the essence of the moment.

Graphic facilitation assists in visually mapping out objectives, ensuring that all team members understand their roles and contributions towards achieving shared goals.

Graphic facilitation is more than just a visual aid; it’s a powerful tool that can transform how teams communicate and collaborate.

One of the most powerful tools in my visual toolkit is the use of metaphors. For example, a simple coffee cup can represent the broader concept of gentrification, conveying the subtleties of a conversation about urban change without a single word.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and his team recently reached out to me to live illustrate their celebration event for Hackney Wick and Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone.