I have to say that in the first year of running my own creative business, “Picture your ideas” with Dr Sue Pillans, that I have the best job in the world! Every time I get an opportunity to draw out ideas with people I get to see the joy that the art of storytelling brings. Through my visual storytelling, using graphic recording and original artworks, I get to engage people through words and pictures to create unique stories all over the world. My creative thinking takes me to schools and universities, indigenous communities, business and industry and international organisations. Despite the differences in the people and groups I work with, you can see from the photos that they all react in the same happy way to the visual stories. That’s because these visual stories are your stories, so they are immediately relatable. My role as a graphic recorder is a special one, as I’m there to listen, interpret the information and capture the key messages by picturing your ideas. So remember when it comes to the art of visual storytelling, pens and paper are so powerful with people!

Speaking of storytelling, check out this great article on ‘Mastering the art of true storytelling’ by a fellow storytelling colleague of mine, Mark Paterson of Currie Communications, who recently featured my visual work: https://www.curriecommunications.com.au/mastering-art-true-storytelling/ Thanks Mark!

You can see more of my visual stories on my website at https://drsuepillans.com/recording/ and you can follow my creative journey as my alter ego Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

I’m so excited to be working with North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) to help visually communicate their environmental and sustainability messages. I was recently invited to a NQBP meeting to graphically record live a presentation on their sustainable sediment management. Environmental management is a critical and complex issue, particularly when you are one of Australia’s largest port authorities by tonnage throughput! I drew out the processes and steps of their Sediment Story and I’m really looking forward to ‘picturing ideas’ with NQBP again soon! You can see more of my visual storytelling with NQBP via my website (https://drsuepillans.com/recording/business-industry/), as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

What an amazing time I had recently as my alter ego Dr Suzie Starfish at Exmouth District High School where I visited on behalf of the Ningaloo Outlook project, a strategic research partnership between CSIRO and BHP Billiton in Western Australia. I talked about the science and technology of this project by graphically recording my interactive talk ‘Tag along with the megafauna of the Ningaloo Marine Park’. The students and teachers really engaged with this visual thinking approach, which to me shows STEM in action, and can be best described by one of the teachers:

“Dr Suzie Starfish was fantastic with the students during her visit. She brought out all the knowledge that the kids have about Ningaloo and the Marine Environment on our doorstep. She also confirmed the environmental protection points which are so important for the students to know“.

You can find out more about how I ‘picture ideas’ with schools via my website at https://drsuepillans.com/education/ and as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and now @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram!

As the Graphic Recorder for the Cane Changer Project, a partnership between Behaviour Innovation Pty Ltd, CANEGROWERS (industry peak body) and the Queensland Government, it was my pleasure today to ‘picture the ideas’ of the CANEGROWERS central office team. It is always a privilege to be part of team discussions, particularly when teams like CANEGROWERS represent the sugarcane growers of Queensland. Project Cane Changer is designed to value and recognise Queensland’s sugar cane farmers for their role as custodians of the land and their ongoing efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef. For more cane changer stories stay tuned here, as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

As a University of Queensland (UQ) Alumni I was so proud and excited to be invited as the Graphic Recorder for UniQuest’s (http://uniquest.com.au) 2-day Commercialisation Workshop, which was recently held at Customs House in Brisbane. I ‘drew out’ the ideas of the UQ researchers and created a ‘Roadmap’ of their commercialisation journey from Idea to Impact. It is always wonderful to see people engaging with their visual stories. Thank you for letting me “picture your ideas”! You can see more of the visual stories from this Workshop via my Graphic Recording page, under Schools and Universities. You can also follow my creative journey via My Blog, as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

As part of the new “Cane Changer” project I am working on with Behaviour Innovation Pty Ltd and Queensland CANEGROWERS (peak industry body) I was honoured to get the opportunity to work with the amazing ‘Women of Cane’ recently in the Wet Tropics region. I graphically recorded their sessions where the women candidly discussed their important roles in the industry, the challenges their sugar families face and the future of cane farming. And check out the AMAZING testimonial I received from the women in cane which you can see on my Business & Industry page!! More Cane Changer stories coming this way soon and as Dr Suzie Starfish (http://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish) and via Instagram and Twitter @suepillans.

I have just started working as a Graphic Recorder for a new project called “Cane Changer” a partnership between Behaviour Innovation Pty Ltd, CANEGROWERS (industry peak body) and the Queensland Government. Project Cane Changer is designed to value and recognise Queensland’s sugar cane farmers for their role as custodians of the land and their ongoing efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef. We just went on our first team ‘road trip’ to the Wet Tropics and what a great experience it was talking with farmers and helping them to picture their ideas through my graphic recording. Stay tuned here, as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Twitter @suepillans for more Cane Changer stories!

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your graphic recording work proudly displayed up on people’s office walls! It was such a great experience visualising this team’s achievements regarding their policy and planning work for Queensland’s natural resources. I especially love when you get such great feedback from the teams you work with: “Thank you again for helping us on our team reflections day. We have put the visual stories up on the wall. Quite a few people have mentioned that they appreciate having them on the wall as a reminder”. You can check out more about this Team building experience and their resulting “work” of art at Government groups.

How do you bring some colour and energy to a meeting these days, easy, you just invite a Graphic Recorder along to draw out your ideas and visualise your meeting minutes!! These visual meeting minutes are hot off the press! I recently created these for CSIRO and their Torres Strait fishery stakeholders. These nifty visuals provide a record of meeting discussions, reinforce key messages and a point of reflection. You can check out more about these visual meeting minutes and how I can help you to “picture your ideas”!