I have been writing professionally for more than 15 years.
Today I write about a variety of topics including social impact, systems change, ethics, leadership, collaboration, communications, creativity, and culture.
You can find my most recent content on Substack.
My very best content is on Patreon. I also have publicly available content on Medium, and here on this website (scroll down or use the search bar).
I’ve written for 20+ publications, including The Design Justice Network and the Field Guide to Climate Design.
Contact me if you’re interested in me writing for your audience or publication!
This 37-page research-backed digital book is about how visuals, and graphic facilitation specifically, can engage individuals and improve group trust and productivity. With more than 30 references, it includes both theoretical and practical information on the importance and many benefits of using visual tools to support collaborative communications and processes.
Last weekend, Boulder Shambhala Center hosted the climate change symposium Living Beyond Hope and Fear: Warrior Principle, Climate Action. The event included an interfaith panel moderated by Rev. Fletcher Harper of GreenFaith. My sketchnotes of this inspiring, in-depth conversation are here.
Read MoreAs a designer who's deeply interested in relationships, I value thoughtful process. I am not only used to the "labor pains" that a thorough, deliberate process requires but I consider myself fortunate to experience this labor of love on a regular basis. I know from experience that intentional process always leads to the best outcomes: deep understanding and meaningful relationships. I believe these lasting solutions can only come from thoughtful processes.
Read MoreNetworks are able to solve problems that individuals and organizations cannot on their own. Often when we think of them, we think about coordinated resources and activities, but we also need to think about the coordinated flow of information and ideas. After all, the reason networks are more effective at addressing large scale issues is that multiple clusters of expertise can inform one another in order to be both more efficient and more responsive to needs. To do so, they need to be in consistent communication with one another. But communication in networks is different than in organizations. When we understand this, we can recognize and capitalize upon the incredible opportunities they present.
Read MoreHere are sketchnotes I created from some of my favorite talks at TEDxMileHigh's "Point of Departure" event this month. Not surprisingly, they are all about relationship.
Read MoreLast week the Colorado Public Health Association hosted the Culture of Data Conference, attracting hundreds of local professionals interested in learning more about using community data and engagement to achieve health equity. Here are sketchnotes of some of the sessions I attended.
Read MoreMy last blog was all about the ways that we might be hiding instead of communicating and how doing so can hurt us. Now for the good news: hiders like myself can also put their instincts to good use. Here are some ways that I've found my introverted, introspective attributes to be highly helpful in communications.
Read MoreWhile you may know me as an expert communicator, what you may not know about me is that I am also an expert hider. It has taken me years to develop messages about my services, to have a website that I am proud of, to be able to write and stories like this - and a lot of that time and energy was spent waiting, overanalyzing, rehearsing, pretending. Knowing one needs to communicate well and committing oneself to the hard work of doing it consistently are two different things. Like me, the organizations I work with often recognize that communication - among internal teams and with the communities they are a part of - is one of the greatest obstacles they face as they seek to grow their impact.
Read MoreEarlier this month professionals and leaders from across science, business, energy, finance, and more met to have conversations about creating an "Economy in Service to Life" at the first annual Regenerative Future Summit. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a couple sessions near and dear to my heart: "The Power of a Narrative in Building a Movement" and "Conscious Leadership in Business."
Read MoreAs a designer, I work in ideas. But I also must work with people. If I could distill everything that I’ve learned as a designer down to one thing it would be this: Ideas are excellent; people are essential. People are not only vessels for ideas, they bring them into form. Designers sometimes think they are responsible for both discovering ideas and executing them, but at some point our ideas must live beyond us. They are shared with co-creators, with clients, with stakeholders, with audiences we may never meet.
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