CRISTINA ROSE 0:15
Hey friends, welcome to this week’s episode of “Not Your Momma’s Podcast”. And today we have our visionary graphic recorder Ashton Rodenhiser. With a passion for empowering moms, kids and women, she transforms learning and communication through her giant charts and visual note taking expertise. Ashton, thank you so much for coming on the show. I can’t wait to dive into our topic today.
ASHTON RODENHISER 0:38
I am so happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
CRISTINA ROSE 0:42
So okay, so how can graphic recording be utilized to make parenting seminars or workshops more engaging and memorable for moms?
ASHTON RODENHISER 0:53
Yeah so we, I feel very opinionated about the fact that the way that we sort of do what I call traditional notetaking, is very linear, not very creative, right. So we just like have a line paper, we write a bunch of words, we hear it, we write it down. But what we’re missing a lot in that space is the actual comprehension of that information. So you’ve ever, like left a meeting, or a lesson or lecture, and you took a bunch of notes, but you still don’t really remember anything? That’s why because we’re missing that deep comprehension in the moment. So when I teach people how to do visual note taking, or sketch noting, it’s about incorporating drawings, so don’t freak out yet. But it’s incorporating drawings into the information. Okay, right. And these drawings are something as simple as using a line or a little box, or little like glorified stick person, right, to help you communicate and learn in the moment when you’re capturing that information. Right. So it makes you just like kind of pause while you’re listening, thinking like, How can I capture this in a way? That’s not just words? How can I synthesize the information into its most meaningful, like language, like the information and visualize it in a very simple way to get started? So that’s at a very high level. But yeah, it’s really not rocket science. But it’s very exciting to be talking even to like teachers as well into incorporating this into like the classroom as like another way that students can be capturing information, right. And a lot of people will will say to me, when they see what it is that I do, they’re like, Oh, you must have did that when you were younger? And I’m like, I didn’t that was the problem. Yeah. Right. And I think we need to be giving students and ourselves permission to like, go back to what what is like, innate and true to us, which is like, we’re all doodlers. Yeah, right? Like, I’ll just call myself a professional doodler. Because people go What the heck is that? Right? Yeah. Doodling in its own right is a beautiful way to help you stay focused, it’s doing the opposite of what you think it does, right? Like how many people raise your hands that have, you know, gotten in trouble for doodling in the classroom, we’re actually up to 29 and can help you remember up to 29% more information, just doodling.
CRISTINA ROSE 3:22
And that’s a huge percentage 29% that’s like a huge percent.
ASHTON RODENHISER 3:25
And you can take the noting and just take the doodles you’re already doing and making them a little bit more meaningful for yourself. So thank you for letting me stand on my soapbox. First thing in this conversation.
CRISTINA ROSE 3:38
Yeah no. And it kind of like, segways me into you know, asking, you know for children’s education, you know, you’re talking about incorporating it with the teachers in the classroom. You know, how is it important for children to use that visual, the visual note taking, you know, and have it positively impact their learning experience? And their retention?
ASHTON RODENHISER 4:00
Yeah, it’s, you know, at its first basic core, right, we all know like the buzz like the kind of like cliche sayings of, you know, a picture’s worth 1000 words. And the number one thing that people usually say to me is like, Oh, I love this because I’m a visual learner. I’m a visual thinker. Right. So we resonate with learning visually. Right, not just audibly, which is what we ended up in the classroom, like the students end up in the classroom a lot, right? Everything is like said to them, right, and there might be some like words and stuff written on a chalkboard, or I guess maybe they don’t use the chalkboards anymore. Whatever. Well, what I’m what I’m experiencing with my own children, now that they’re younger. Now my oldest is in she’s 10 years old, right? So up until this point, she has been encouraged to draw pictures to support her writing and vice versa. But now she’s in grade five, and it’s like it’s all gone. Like they want I want them to be writing only. And I appreciate and luckily my daughter, she’s a very strong writer. And she’s writes very, like how she talks. And it’s really fun to read. But we take the drawing out completely to support the writing. And I think it can actually be a beautiful compliment to continue on how we can use drawings and maybe in a different way, like maybe not in a way where like using it to support a story, but maybe help you tell the story and a picture, right, because a lot of us just naturally lean toward towards visuals. You know, the example I always give is like, why is YouTube that the second largest search engine in the world, right? Because we want to see somebody do something exact right? You know, if it was the opposite, then like, I don’t know, whatever website would come into the world that was all written, right? Like, I think there’s people still have their preferences, or there’s going to be things that might be a little bit more easy to understand through writing, but a lot of people are still going to gravitate towards visuals. So I think it’s just about adding it in as an option. That’s all I really advocate for. Yeah, I’m not saying get rid of taking. Yeah, but just provided as an option gives them a very basic drawing skills to continue on, they probably already have them, right. They already know how to draw things. Like if you ask kids, if they’re an artist, they’re like, yeah.
CRISTINA ROSE 6:29
Yeah, my flat artists, the old loves drawing and doing all that, and the visuals and stuff like that. And I’m like, oh, let’s like foster this more, you know, and want to like, really embrace it. And you know, and it’s true, like, everyone retains information differently. And we’re not all one way. So like, if we just expect writing for everyone, some kids may fall short in that because they are like doodler, and like, probably, you know, retain the information more by visualizing it. So I mean, I feel like sometimes the school system does need to kind of like, shake up its rigidness to help mold for like, the other children that learn a little bit differently. Because it’s, I feel like it’s only one way and that’s like, the considered the only way in the right way. And I put that in air quotes, because it’s not.
ASHTON RODENHISER 7:20
Yeah, and for me, it’s really about trying to find some teachers that are advocates for it, and they can go and tell other teachers, right, because someone from like an outsider perspective, they, you know, might be a little bit more hesitant. But if you have, you know, like, my goal is just to try to connect with teachers like around that age that my daughter is like, grade, she’s in grade five. So right now, I’m like really seeking out like, five teachers, right. And maybe that’s not across the board. But that’s what I’m going to go for, for now like those like, ah, 10 to 11 students, because if you wait too long, then you just sort of default into the same way that you always do it. And you might not be like, Oh, well, I’ll try a brand new way, right? Like I was being invited into a school for a few years to teach their grade nine, so they’re like 14, or 15. And some of them really gravitated towards it. But there was all handled them were like, man, they’re getting a little too cool for school. Yeah, right. And I appreciate that. They’re, cool, I get it, you know. But if you can kind of introduce it as an option earlier on, I think, for me, that’s the beautiful sweet spot and getting other teachers to advocate for it in the classroom, and just showing the progress like, and it doesn’t have to be just for students that are struggling, like, there is benefit, you know, for those neurodiverse students that it can really help them in a different way. But it really can be for any student as an option, which is really beautiful to know.
CRISTINA ROSE 8:50
I love that, you know, I’m kind of like segwaying a little bit, you know, have you encountered instances where the graphic recording helped address specific challenges or topics related to moms, or, you know, women’s well being?
ASHTON RODENHISER 9:06
Yeah, so as like a professional. So, like, I’m really passionate about teaching people how to do this for themselves. But I’ve actually been doing this more professionally for about 10 years. So I get invited into interesting meetings and sessions and workshops and strategic planning sessions and things like this with like, you know, adults, and I’m roll up, everyone’s having their serious meeting. And then I roll up with my giant roll of paper, put it on the wall and start drawing and everyone’s like, what is this until I get going? And they’re like, oh, my gosh, I get it now. Like, what I just said is being written on that wall like that’s pretty cool. So yeah, I’ve definitely found myself over the years and really interesting and unique scenarios. And some of them related to I’m a pretty like pro advocate for like midwifery because I had midwife. And so I find myself in some of those spaces sometimes where it’s really about making sure that that information is elevated in the moment, but then also has like a long lasting impact. So you can go back like six months ago and go, What was that meeting that we had about? What do we say? What did we say we were going to do? Or how we going to move forward with this issue? It’s all clearly there in one simple graphic. Yeah, you don’t have to try to like go back through meeting notes and be like, who said was going to do what and what was the context of that? I don’t remember. Right. But when we look at a visual, it’s going to trigger different memories for us that are beyond that picture, right? Oh, I remember. I sat by Susie. And she said that, okay. Okay. Right. So it can take you back to that moment, which then if you actually remember, and have an emotion connected to that session, or whatever that was, then there’s more of a chance that you’re going to actually put that information that into action. Yeah. Right. Because how many of us end up in meetings, and we’re like, all excited. And then nothing happens. it fizzles out, you kind of just fall back to the way that things were always done before. Right? So part of me being invited to these types of sessions and meetings and things and people can do it for themselves, right and a medium, then they can share it with their colleagues. Right is being able to elevate the information in just a different way that might resonate with a lot of people in the room to help that information move forward.
CRISTINA ROSE 11:29
Yeah So what is one takeaway that you would like the audience to have before we dive into our power mom Chronicles?
ASHTON RODENHISER 11:36
So one takeaway is that if you are doodling doodler at heart, like get yourself a pretty notebook, get yourself a pen that you like, and just start taking notes by hand again, you know, like I, we end up kind of defaulting now, everyone shows up at the meeting, or at the session, or whatever it is that we’re doing it just we bring the laptop out. And we start typing things out, right, and there’s so much power and beauty in the pen, right? So you know, you can always type it up later if you want to. But challenge yourself to put pen to paper again, and see how you focus on that information. Or, you know, I love drawing with my kids. And we create these like little doodle games and things together so and when your kids can see that you’re learning and trying to create a different dynamic that you don’t always have to be the teacher when you’re the parent. Yeah. So just find like unique and interesting ways to incorporate doodling whatever that looks like for you.
CRISTINA ROSE 12:37
Yeah, no, I love that. All right, Ashton,
it is time for our Power Mom Chronicles. And I cannot wait to know what your answers are. So my first one to you is what’s a game changing lesson life has taught you?
ASHTON RODENHISER 12:55
I would say that the importance of being naive, right? So if I think being naive has gotten a bad rap, and I like coming to like, tell you it’s not a bad thing. Because if you look back at things that maybe you were naive about at the time, you wouldn’t have done it. Right. If I used to organize like an art festival in my town. And I got this idea, with meeting with another woman who organized another art festival similar that I was inspired from. And she That’s it. That’s what she said to me. If, if we would have known it would have been this hard. We wouldn’t have done it. Yeah, right. So like, I think it’s a I think it’s a beautiful thing to be in the spirit of being naive, right? That’s when you’re like, at your most creative and you’re like, Wow, this is gonna work out. And it’s gonna be amazing, right? And I think when we start to struggle, and we start to see oh, maybe it’s a little bit more harder than we thought it was. Just try to keep that nice, nice activity, like just try to keep that energy of like, it’s just going to work out and I’m going to just persevere and just see where this takes me.
CRISTINA ROSE 14:04
Yeah I love that. That’s a great answer. And then so my second one is reflecting on your journey, what practical lessons or insights, can our listeners apply to improve their own lives?
ASHTON RODENHISER 14:17
Yeah, I think, like pride yourself on being like a chill parent. Like, I don’t have my kids sign up for anything. Right? If you needed permission to not sign your kids up for anything, you can look at me and be like, Ashton doesn’t sign her kids up for anything. I don’t have to either. I think we like have so much pressure on ourselves to like, have our kids and all these things and they have to learn all these things. And I’m like, we have so much fun as a family, spending our evenings like having supper taking the dog for a walk. You know, drawing, playing board games, watching movies, like you know, we spent a lot of fun time just being together. Do you mean whatever, right? Whatever season is happening, like right now, we found out that our pond is frozen. So that’s where my kids are right now with my husband skating on the pond, like, but if we hadn’t overscheduled we couldn’t choose be able to do these things. Right. So, you know, I think for me, I’ve had to really ground myself and like, it’s okay to like, do my thing, and also do nothing. Exactly. And your kids are not going to suffer if they’re, you don’t have them in like, a million activities.
CRISTINA ROSE 15:31
Yeah, no, it’s true. We put so much pressure on ourselves. And then, you know, we compare ourselves to like the mom next door, and like their kids and like, your activities, and you’re like, Wait, am I a bad parent? Because I’m not. Yeah, I mean, the same thing. But, but you are, in a sense, you’re just doing it together as a family, whether it’s like the board game, or like coloring, you know, it’s like, just more one on one, like, chill time instead of like, you know, whatever it is.
ASHTON RODENHISER 15:57
Exactly.
CRISTINA ROSE 15:58
So my third question to you is offer a piece of wisdom for moms or whoever, trying to find their own strength and voice?
ASHTON RODENHISER 16:09
Oh, my gosh, I could probably just cheat and say what I just said. But yeah, I think, well, let’s piggyback because of what you said, I’m gonna say what you said is like this comparison, like when people I remember when I had my first child, and I have three, and, and people would say to me, like, What’s the hardest thing about being a new parent? And I said, everybody else, everybody else was the hardest part. Because I found myself really, I really struggled with trying not to let someone else’s ideas or opinions seep in or that comparison, right, so like, try to, like, block out the noise and trust yourself, in your own how you want to do it. Right. Like, I feel like, honestly, very alone in my parenting style. Because I find it very different from a lot of other people, you know, and at the end of the day, what’s going to matter? Right? What is that? What does that look like for you? What is gonna matter at the end of the day? For me, that’s like, having a very strong relationship with my kids. Yeah, when they get to teenage years, I want them to be able to talk to me even when stuff is going down. Right? That’s what I want them to talk to me. Yeah, you don’t want to filter your relation them.
CRISTINA ROSE 17:30
Because then you’re gonna, like be sneaky and hiding stuff. It’s like, I mean, it’s like, you want to be the parent, but you also kind of want to be like, the friend or the confidant and the mentor, you know, and I mean, and it’s like balancing all of that out with your children. And it is important to have, like, those close relationships, and it’s sitting in coloring with them. You know, that’s what helps, you know, helps create those bonds, like, Oh, I remember, like me, and my mom would like color, you know, and I know that’s something that my son always wants me to do is like, sit down and power with me. And so we sit there, our and we do all the things and, you know, I know that’s something special to him. So I try to do that. But then sometimes I’m like, okay, Mom, we got to do stuff now.
ASHTON RODENHISER 18:16
That’s the balance, right? Like, I have to make supper. I will draw with you after supper, right? It’s I’m not saying hard. No, I’m not saying hard. Yes. I’m saying like, yeah. Okay. Yeah, why not? Right now.
CRISTINA ROSE 18:27
And then my last question to you, Ashton is the best advice you’ve ever received.
ASHTON RODENHISER 18:33
I think the best advice I ever received Oh, my gosh, I think this is something that I have heard over time that I’ve really had a really hard time incorporating and that’s like, you know, taking time for myself as a as a mom, or as a parent and like, stepping away. And I think, you know, you just hear it everywhere. I don’t think it like came from anyone in particular, you just kind of like it was like, you know, make sure you know if don’t, you can’t pour from an empty cup, blah, blah, blah. I’m like, sure. Sure. Sure. Like,
CRISTINA ROSE 19:07
whatever. So cliche
ASHTON RODENHISER 19:11
Okay you know, put your oxygen mask on first. Yeah, yeah. Okay, fine. You know, like, we hear these things. And I think because they’re so prevalent as a message, we kind of tend to like tune them out. It’s like, yeah, yeah, but don’t they know that I’m really important over here? Or don’t they know I’m running a business over here. Don’t think know how like, busy I am. Right? And I think because of those messages are kind of ever there. It’s very easy to tune them out. Right? And I’m finally starting and I don’t want to get into like full burnout before I finally learned this lesson of the importance of balance.
CRISTINA ROSE 19:51
Awesome. Well, Ashton, thank you so much for coming on this week’s episode of “Not Your Momma’s Podcast“. All of her links are down below in the show notes. Don’t be shy. Hey Go say hi and I hope to see you all in the next one thank you