This is a mouse

January 2016.

My colleagues had a new idea. From now on, we would start each training with a drawing on the flipchart.

In the center was a figure: the training participant.

What we drew around it, depended on the brainstorming about the audience of our participants. For example, grant providers, businesspeople, doctors, patients and laymen.

I admit that the idea didn’t immediately appeal to me.

Since I’m definitely not a drawing talent.

Slightly stressed I practiced at home on common audiences.

My patients, for example, were all in a wheelchair, even when they had a burnout.

And my layman was always on a birthday.

To my surprise, most people acted like nothing was wrong with my drawings. A few joked about it, but that only added to the atmosphere.  

The most important lesson?

You decide what your drawing means. Your audience goes along with that.

As an example, take a look at this quick scribble:

If you say this is a mouse, your audience will accept it as a mouse – and recognizes the next scribble that resembles this as such. If you say it’s a magnifying glass too.

So not able to draw, just like me?

That’s not a valid excuse to give up on it.

Regards,


Arnaud