Graphic Recording
I do love graphic recording—capturing the content of meetings, conferences and conversations in real time using words and images. I can do this in person on paper or digitally and project onto Zoom or other conferencing platforms.
"Kudos to Susan MacLeod for her artistry and skill in graphic recording my keynote presentation at a Patient and Family Advisor Conference. Susan's ability to listen to my ideas, synthesize them, and shine a light on them in visual form was remarkable. I was spellbound by the result!"
– Gerard Murphy, Facilitator, Trainer, Speaker with Barefoot Facilitation Inc.
"League Data loves engaging Susan for our employee sessions. She has been with us on our journey of defining our purpose and values and recently spent the day with us to revamp both for our future. We are always awestruck at how she participates and picks up on the discussions and transcribes them into her murals and characters. She captures the essence every time. Highly recommend engaging with her. "
– Linda House, Head of People & Culture, League Data Limited.
Presenting & Speaking
With her background in Communications and cartooning, Susan’s talks are notable for their illustrations, humour and meaning. She has had speaking engagements with the Frye Festival, the Graphic Novel and Visual Narratives residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Health Excellence Canada, the University of Alberta's Pharmacy Department, and Osgoode Care. She has appeared on panels for the Creative Nonfiction Collective annual conference, Nova Scotia Book Awards, and the University of King's College MFA program.
"Susan was the keynote speaker at our long-term care home's leadership offsite. She blended her vast experience and wonderful graphics into an engaging presentation. With her intelligence, vulnerability and humour Susan's insights made us think deeply about the complex issues facing our industry.”
– Lori Norris, President & CEO, Osgoode Care Centre
VEOLI
Susan is a founding member of VEOLI - Visualizing End of Life Issues, a group of North American graphic recorders available to draw all aspects of people’s wishes for their end of life experiences. Susan is available to do this in Atlantic Canada either via Zoom or in person. Ideally, this is done before death is imminent - in middle age, for example - and can include visual vigil plans, visual advance care plans, legacy story maps, visual obituaries or memorial visuals.
As VEOLI's website states, “. . . the intention is to create a useful communications tool designed to help individuals and families process this time of life and its deep meaning.”
“Not everyone wants to have conversations about their imagined death scene; I felt a little anxious at the thought and couldn't even say what I wanted my last days/hours on earth to be like. Once I settled into the conversation with Susan and other VEOLI members though, I quickly started to identify things that were important to me. The graphic portrayals produced of my death vigil were amazing. Somehow the drawing made death a bit more approachable - even friendlier. I feel more peaceful about death as a result. A warm thanks!”
– Dr. Deborah McLeod, RN with extensive experience in psychosocial oncology; psychotherapy
"I wondered how I would respond to seeing my end-of-life wishes laid out in front of me. I thought it would be overpowering and not in a positive way. But it had the opposite effect. Seeing my end-of-life wishes represented in Susan’s beautiful artistic style created an easy approach to entering into what could be a challenging discussion with others. The artwork enables a person to choose a section where they feel most comfortable starting the conversation. Done verbally, I feel it would be more challenging to discuss end-of-life wishes with family, friends, or coworkers. This artistic approach by Susan changes all that."
– Bruce Devereux, Recreation and Volunteer Manager, Good Samaritan Canada, Gibsons, BC; Producer, Editor, Host "The Creatively Engaging" Podcast, Co-Lead, "Raising the Curtain" Dementia Community Based Research Project