Drawn Together: The Art of Listening for Changemakers
Think about the time when you were not heard. They didn’t (or couldn’t) see your point of view. How did it make you feel? Frustrated? Misunderstood? Invisible?
Now pause and shift to another perspective, when were the roles reversed and YOU didn’t listen? Chances are you probably did even if you didn't mean to. We all want to be engaged in deep listening and develop engaging communication skills, not to worry. It is a practice that can be learned!
Participants engage in deep listening at the workshop.
At the “Drawn Together: The Art of Listening for Changemakers,” TwoLine Studios’ founder, Heather Willems, and author/illustrator Yao Xiao come together and teach techniques to deepen self-awareness and emphasize better understanding and communication with others. A group of team leaders, coaches, social entrepreneurs, and storytellers experiences the transformative power of fully engaged, compassionate listening through visual storytelling.
Visualization is a powerful way to express clarity and communication. Egyptians have been using hieroglyphic imagery for thousands of years and we still apply some of those icons in practice to this day. Visuals can strengthen your listening skills by making ideas tangible and easier to share.
Have you ever stared into a presentation full of texts and wished there was an image to summarize it all? When your team runs into a problem, drawing out your uncertainty and putting it into visuals makes it tangible. If words bound you back, visual images can unify everyone in the room and open you up to finding a shared solution. Suddenly, your team practices creative problem-solving skills and creates opportunities to collaborate.
As leaders, you are constantly listening to your team and business partners so you can provide the perfect solutions to their problems. You know the value of truly listening. You have seen it when you reflect back to your team or verbally share your business partners’ perspectives. That is what deep listening is about.
Through deep listening, you create meaningful connections and increase presence and awareness by being in the other party's perspective. Powerful listening is about understanding, it strengthens team building.
A group of team leaders practice visual storytelling.
We all need to be understood. Sometimes, a collaborative session can be frustrating because you don't know how to unify your team. You might be asking, “How can I help my teams feel seen and heard? How can I help them listen better to one another?”
At TwoLine Studios, listening is at the core of our graphic recording and we train leaders in tips to practice deep listening using visual strategies. You can use it as a primary tool for clarifying complex ideas and questions in meetings, workshops, and conferences.
One practice is to SHOW you are listening physically with your whole body. High-quality listeners give their speakers undivided attention. Here are a few ways to make sure you are practicing deep listening:
Be silent and be presence
Maintain eye contact
Open body posture
Mirror and reflect the speaker
Indicate a genuine desire to understand the speaker's point of view.
Listening with your whole body shows support to the speaker in embracing their ideas and fostering a willingness to take action toward their goals. These steps provide a space that nurtures exploration and growth.
Strengthening relationships in teams
Developing mindful listening skills to foster understanding
Focus and presence to reduce miscommunications
Yao Xiao demonstrates human emotions using simple elements on the white board.
Through unique drawing exercises that prompt mindful reflection, and techniques for deepening focus, the workshop helps attendants experience the transformative power of fully engaged, compassionate listening. The skill set empowers those around to feel truly seen, heard, and valued - fostering stronger collaboration, relationships, and humanity.
“I am impressed with the vulnerable sharing in such a short period of time.”
“Drawing doesn't have to be difficult and it is a great tool for self-awareness!”
“I see that active listening is such a gift.”
Have TwoLine Studios lead a training session at your company retreat or next team-building to ignite positive change through purposeful communication.
This interactive program equips attendants with techniques to deepen understanding, reduce resistance, and form authentic connections.
At TwoLine Studios, we design immersive experiences, graphic facilitate and our founder, Heather Willems, coaches leaders to reflect on big ideas and put those ideas into action.