Here's why you need visual thinking!

1. Warm-up is key. Drawing a few simple shapes helps overcome the fear of the blank page and primes the pump for more thinking and drawing.
2. Drawing = More information; we usually know more than we think we know. Drawing is a quick, easy way to tap into and mine your ideas.
3. Drawing timelines allows you to think procedurally and helps you break down the big picture into the steps you took or may want to take.
4. Frameworks like the 2 x 2 "at your best moment" visual story help you break down and clarify something nebulous and turn it into a simple story.
5. Drawing helps tap into the non-verbal aspects of thinking and allows you to express those ideas more easily.

After the session, Andre treated us to a quick, fascinating lesson about visual archetypes. When we hear certain words or ideas, we can imagine a related picture. Some of these fall into archetypes, where most of us have similar images in our heads.

Want to play along? Grab a pen and a piece of paper, and let's draw a bit.

Step 1: Simple origami - fold your paper in half lengthwise, fold in half again the other direction, then unfold. You'll end up with four rectangles. 

Step 2: In the upper left-hand section - draw the simplest line or shape you can to represent the word TRANQUILITY.

Step 3: In the upper right-hand section, draw the simplest line or shape you can to represent the word ENERGY.

Step 4: In the lower left-hand section, draw the simplest line or shape you can to represent the word WHOLENESS.

Step 5: In the lower right-hand section, draw the simplest line or shape you can to represent the word SECURITY.

Congratulations - you just added four new images to your visual vocabulary! 

Bonus points - look up synonyms for the four archetype words, and you'll have expanded your visual vocabulary several times over. For example your drawing for ENERGY could also represent vitality, vigor, life, liveliness, animation, vivacity, spirit, fire, passion, ardor, zeal, verve, enthusiasm and zest.

As I mentioned, these are visual archetypes, meaning most people will have drawn a similar picture. Click on the button below to see what most people draw when completing this exercise.