This month we are going to use flowers in our sketchnotes. The process of sketchnoting helps us better understand the information we are hearing. According to the Dual Coding theory when we sketchnote we are writing the information on our brains twice. We are taking information in through listening and then visually we are taking notes and creating images. By writing it on our brains twice we are putting in a deeper part of our brain. This results in our being able to recall the information faster and retain the information longer. Sketchnoting is a great tool to have when taking any kind of notes. Sketchnoting works in Sermon sketchnotes, devotion or bible study, and even just taking notes in a meeting.
Using flowers in Sketchnoting
Keeping your pen engaged keeps your brain engaged. Doodling gets a bad rap as people perceive that you are not paying attention, but in fact, keeping your pen busy keeps your brain focused on what’s being said and you are retaining more than if you were just passively listening.
This month I want to add flowers to your sketchnote toolbox. Flowers can be used in several different ways to enhance and facilitate your sketchnoting.
FILLERS
I sketchnote live so to speak. It is what it is. I rarely redo my notes for posting. This can be dicey in that if I make an error sometimes there’s just an error or sometimes I have not gauged the speaker correctly and I end up with not enough room or a lot of blank space at the end of the page. (link to sketchnote problems). Flowers can be a good filler to fill in some open spaces. You can do this afterward to make your page more eye-appealing or you can draw flowers during the sermon to keep your pen busy.
Sometimes the speaker is providing background or telling a story to emphasize a point. You may not really want to capture this in your notes as it is not the main point. Therefore, starting a border or starting a flower at a corner can keep your pen busy while you are still absorbing what’s being said.
BORDERS
Flowers can make a great border at the top of the page, along the side or around or under the title of the page.
Bullet points
Remembering that our eyes love hierarchy and organization, using flowers in our numbers or bullet points can be fun and help our brains see the organization in our sketchnotes. `
SYMBOLS
Flowers come with meanings, and symbols that are derived from their uses or their origins. We think of love when we see a red rose. I am reading a delightful book that I picked up on vacation, Odessa Begay’s The Language of Flowers. There’s actually a word for the language of flowers – Floriography. During the Victorian era, the meaning of flowers was a thing. A floral arrangement could send a coded message with the flowers that were used and their placement.
Sometimes the concepts we want to illustrate in our sketchnoting can be challenging. Some words like faith, mercy, and grace are not concrete, and difficult to find a way to illustrate these words. Maybe finding a flower for some of these words will facilitate your sketchnoting. Drawing a particular flower will symbolize the concept to help you draw it quickly so you can keep up with the speaker. It won’t matter if no one else understands why you drew that flower in your notes, but you will know.
Here’s a list of flowers and their meanings. I have listed a few sites that will help you find the meaning of flowers. Next week we will look at drawing flowers.
Here’s just a start of a list of the meaning of flowers. Leave a comment below with your favorite flower and its meaning.
Cone Flower – health
Bird of Paradise – Joyful
Zennia – Absence
Plumeria – Grace
Marigold – Faith
Lily of the Valley – happiness
Dahlia – Beauty
Borage – Courage
Magnolia – Endurance
Daisy – Innocence
Chrysanthemum – Loyalty
Forget Me Not – Hope
Lily – Purity
Yarrow – Success
Columbine – Strength
Verbena-protection
CHALLENGE
This week we are going to focus on doodling some flowers in a font to make a fun floral title. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
I’ve done three fonts. One that is black and white, one with a flower in the letter and a font made up of flower parts. This one might have to be completed later if it was going to be used for the title of a sketchnote.
NEXT POST
We are going to learn how to draw simple flowers We are going to go on a scavenger hunt to find the flowers we want to use. Be sure to tune in.
Leave a Reply