Storytelling with drawing
Drawing is a universal language that transcends cultures and languages, with the power to convey complex ideas and emotions. Ancient cave drawings demonstrate the instinctual and fundamental nature of drawing as a tool for storytelling. The simplicity of storytelling with drawings allows anyone to communicate a message, and sketchnotes offer a unique way to express ideas through minimalist design. Sketchnoting can capture key messages and transform complex ideas into simple and engaging visual narratives.
Drawing that transcends culture and language
Why drawing, you ask? It's simple. Drawing is a universal language that transcends cultures and languages. It has the power to convey complex ideas and emotions in a digestible and engaging way.
Drawing is often overlooked, yet it holds a simple and profound truth: it is a universal language that transcends cultures, languages, and even time itself. With its roots tracing back to the earliest human civilizations, drawing has been a constant medium for communication. It has the power to convey complex ideas and emotions in a way that is both digestible and engaging, bridging the gap between different cultures, languages, and epochs.
A petroglyph in New Mexico, created 800-1400 years ago. Redrawn from a photograph in Natgeo Magazine June Edition 2024. (This sketchnote is shared under Creative Commons Zero license)
Consider the ancient cave drawings, for example. These primitive artworks, scattered around the globe, from the caves of East Kalimantan (Indonesia) to the geoglpyh of Nazca Lines in Peru, tell the story of early human life. They depict the human connection with nature, the rituals, the hunts, and the panorama of daily life. Despite the vast geographical distances and cultural differences, these drawings resonate with us because they tap into universal themes and emotions.
These ancient drawings demonstrate that the language of drawing is instinctual and fundamental to human expression. They were created by people who had no written language as we understand it today, yet they successfully conveyed their stories and passed them down through generations.
This universality of drawing is its greatest strength. No matter where you're from, what language you speak, or how old you are, you can understand and appreciate a drawing. It is a tool for communication that is accessible to all, making it a powerful medium for storytelling that transcends cultures and languages.
Storytelling with drawing
The key to storytelling with drawings is simplicity. It's not about creating a masterpiece; it's about communicating a message. You don't need to be an artist to do this. All you need is a basic understanding of shapes and symbols and how to put them together to form a narrative.
You can use drawing for storytelling in a variety of media, from social media posts and blog articles to presentations and videos. It's a versatile tool that can add a new dimension to your storytelling.
Sketchnotes as part of drawing
Another fascinating method of storytelling through drawings is the use of sketchnotes. Sketchnotes aren't about creating traditional drawings or paintings. Instead, they focus on expressing the message hidden underneath simple objects, cartoon expressions, and diagrams. This form of visual note-taking allows you to quickly jot down ideas in a visually engaging manner. The power of sketchnotes lies in their ability to capture the essence of an idea or story through minimalist design. By using simple symbols and illustrations, sketchnotes can capture complex ideas and convey them in a way that is easy to understand and remember.
Sketchnoting a presentation
Capturing key messages in the form of simple drawings is a central aspect of sketchnoting. For example, consider the word "preserving". This could be represented as a pickle jar in a sketchnote, turning an abstract concept into a concrete image. If we take this a step further and talk about "preserving digital data", this could be depicted as a pickle jar containing the word "digital". This not only captures the main theme of preserving but also visually emphasizes the specific context of digital data.
The word “digital” and some binary numbers in a pickle jar to resemble “digital preservation”, with paper, pen, and coloring pencils (This sketchnote is shared under Creative Commons Zero license).
A diver in a pickle jar to resemble “preserving humanity”, with paper, pen, and coloring pencils (This sketchnote is shared under Creative Commons Zero license)
Similarly, you can create other engaging analogies tailored to your specific needs. The beauty of sketchnoting lies in its versatility and the ability to transform complex ideas into simple and engaging visual narratives. Check out my portofolio here.
Start creating
And the best part? You can start right now! There are many resources available online to help you learn how to draw simple shapes and symbols. Here’s a cheatsheet I created to help you on your first sketchnote. So why not give it a try? Get your pen and paper. Start drawing and let your story unfold.