Thinking out loud

It takes a village…

10 years ago the amazing educator Paula Guinto delivered a heartfelt and highly personal talk at Learning 2 Asia. It was called “ink”. She is a natural storyteller, engaging teacher and speaker and we were all captivated by her recount of her journaling and tattoos, hence “ink”. I was privileged to be at the live performance, entranced by her ability to capture an audience and hold them in her hand until the final word. To capture all the nuances of her talk in a single image was a challenge and yet it is still one of my favourite sketchnotes to this day. It takes me right back to her voice, her stories, her nerves, her scarf and her vulnerability.

Hand drawn sketchnote by Nicki Hambleton on Paula Guinto’s Learning2 Asia Talk “Ink” 2013, Singapore

Little did I know that this moment was to be the start of my story about the power of visuals to communicate and capture conversations, share stories and spark change, and illustrate ideas to inspire innovation. 2013 was the year I became an Apple Distinguished Educator and connected with so many inspiring individuals who are still part of my community of supporters and champions today.

Thinking has become my everyday focus: thinking slow, thinking deeply, thinking for clarity and thinking for reflection, for ideas and creativity and for connecting. Many people say that they are not creative or imaginative or they don’t have ideas or cannot draw, but these are just different ways of thinking and knowing how to tap into our minds to open up possibilities. Over the coming weeks and months, this blog space will explore ways of thinking and share strategies in how to tap into your creativity and imagination: Cultivating Curiosity, Capturing Conversations, Articulating Ideas and Empowering Change. I hope you will join me and share your thinking.