My good friend, Doug Neill, is a sketchnoter, educator, illustrator and writer who teaches people how to create their own visual vocabulary and sketch out their ideas by hand. He just launched a new program called Verbal to Visual.

I’m thrilled to be Doug’s first guest where we talk about TEDx, my background as an artist, my interest in sketchnoting, and my work to build community among the freelancing community in Portland as the local organizer for Freelancers Union. You can listen to the podcast here: http://www.verbaltovisual.com/rebecca-shapiro-putting-words-to-your-art-vtv002/.

We talked about a LOT of things in that hour. Here are a some of Doug’s notes and links we mentioned:

Rebecca and I met at the TEDxConcordiaUPortland 2013 event.

Here is Rebecca’s talk at that that event.

Details on the The Artist in Residence program at TEDxConcordiaUPortland (including an application to be the 2015 Artist in Residence).

Rebecca’s installation from TEDxConcordiaUPortland made it to the PDX Airport.

“To put words to your visual work is so important.”

Advice Rebecca gleaned from mentor Ted Katz:

“Just do the work. Do not worry about anything else. You just need to do the work. That’s how you develop the relationship between you and your art.”

Katz’ book The Studio Within had a big influence on Rebecca’s relationship to her art.

We reference Pioneer Nation a few times – a great conference for independent entrepreneurs.

Rebecca enjoyed reading Sunni Brown’s The Doodle Revolution.

We talk a bit about my sketchnoted tribute to TEDxConcordiaUPortland 2013.

Sunni Brown’s TED Talk – watch it if you haven’t already.

Rebecca helped inspire Visual Vocabulary Month here at Verbal To Visual!

Resources to help you build your visual vocabulary:

• Mona Brookes’ Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too
• Ed Emberley’s Make A World
• Rebecca’s tip – print things out and trace them for practice

Rebecca and I attended Mary Kate McDevitt‘s workshop in Portland to launch her book Hand-Lettering Ledger.

Here is McDevitt’s popular course on Skillshare.

Rebecca is the Portland organizer for the Freelancer’s Union.

Turns out the U.S. National Park Service has Artist-in-Residence programs too – check ‘em out!

Speaking of parks, here’s the On Being show I mentioned about quiet places.