WELCOME to my visual storytelling where I picture your ideas to help make the complex simple and the simple compelling.

I am a marine scientist, visual artist, graphic recorder and children’s author/illustrator who specialises in creative and visual communications to “Picture your ideas“.

As a graphic recorder I combine my experience as a scientist and artist with my active listening skills to ‘draw out’ information, ideas and concepts in real-time (hand drawn). I do this by listening to and interpreting information which I then quickly synthesise and simplify into words and pictures to create your visual story. I also utilise these skills to synthesise and translate complex issues and information into hand drawn infographics and illustrations.

Visual storytelling is a powerful way to engage audiences. And don’t just take my word for it, here is actual feedback from attendees who have seen me visually capture stories:

“Amazing!”

“Brilliant”

“Excellent, innovative way to rapidly distil outcomes and refer back to for memory prompts”

“It was a welcome relief to not be looking at reams of butchers paper and the graphics/artwork was great!”

“Really impressive. A useful way to capture the main themes and points of discussion”

If you would like to find out more about how I can help to “picture your ideas” my contact details are below or email me at drsuepillans@gmail.com

Visual stories are created to suit your visual needs and tailored to your audiences and can be created in-person (and live) or remotely. For example, I can draw out your stories live at events, workshops and meetings, remotely via zoom/teams calls, webinars and online streaming platforms and via written or audio information such as meeting notes, reports, strategic documents, audio transcripts, phone calls, emails etc. You can see more of my live graphic recording and drawing in the time-lapse videos below.

Since starting my small business I have created visual stories for over 70 organisations across Australia and the South East Asian region. My creative and visual services include:

• Graphic Recording (live & remote)
• Sketchnoting (live & remote)
• Infographics & illustrations (including time-lapse videos*)
• Visual communication workshops
• Science communication workshops
• Children’s ocean and storytelling workshops (environmental education)
• Author/illustrator storytelling workshops
• Children’s picture books (by authorstrator Dr Suzie Starfish)
• Original artworks
• (*Time-lapse videos require a third-party video producer)

When I picture your ideas I help to make the complex simple and the simple compelling and I can picture any idea, topic or concept from anywhere. For example, I can “draw out” the information, ideas and issues from the following:

• Presentations
• Publications
• Planning days
• Proposals
• Podcasts & Webinars
• Papers
• Plenary’s
• PhDs
• Policy & legislation
• Phone calls, teleconferences, streamed events etc
• …the list is endless!

Visual stories are a powerful way to engage with your audience, not only live during events and workshops, but after the event when the visual story is shared with attendees, colleagues and staff as a visual reminder of the key messages and ‘big picture’. Your visual stories can also be transformed in many creative and useful ways, as you can see below!

You can also dive into my ocean storytelling as children’s Author/Illustrator (“Authorstrator“) Dr Suzie Starfish, where I use marine art and science storytelling to engage, educate, excite and empower children that they CAN be the change they want to ‘sea’ in the world! My series of ocean Picture books  illustrate the impacts of climate change, marine debris and plastic pollution and the importance of biodiversity on our reefs, all with messages of hope and solutions and a BIG splash of ocean optimism!

You can dive into more about my creative journey and find out how I found the art of graphic recording and how running my own visual communications business has allowed me to follow my heART on a range of podcasts at the Art of STEM. And you can see more of my visual storytelling and communications using the art of science over on my YouTube channel @drsuepillans

I have always been drawn to the ocean and my happy place somewhere over Rainbow Beach. This small coastal community is located along the Cooloola Coast in regional Queensland. This is where I get my illustration inspiration, plenty of ‘Vitamin Sea’ and time to relax, enjoy and explore nature.

You can Contact me to find out how I can help you to “Picture your ideas” at drsuepillans@gmail.com

Copyright all images, videos, photos, stories © 2025 Dr Sue Pillans. All rights reserved.