30 years later, I’m a professional note-taker, and I’ve been commissioned countless times for the United Nations. The topics have ranged from climate change to global economics, and the speeches and debates would often last up to four hours at a time. Yet every time, I would submit the work promptly—often just minutes after the event had ended. The notes would then be sent to all participants: global politicians, UN spokespeople, CEOs, and NGOs.

I wish I could say that I became a master at writing and became a scientific genius. Ha! Take that, Ms. Anderson! But that's not it. I’m a visual thinker, and I focus better when I’m drawing. So when I listen to someone talk, I just draw pictures of what they’re talking about instead of writing about it.

I eventually stopped working with the UN, partly because it meant working between 1 and 4 in the morning on a school night. Most meetings were in line with New York time, and I wanted to focus on my teaching, spending time with family, on my illustrations, and on my children's books. Sketchnoting would have been incredibly useful if I had learned it at 15. So now I teach it to my students and to other teachers, in hopes that they will pass the skill on to others. This weekend, I held two workshops. One of them was called Sketchnoting for Educators. The notes are at https://www.magicstorybooks.com/21clhk-sketchnoting-for-educators.html

This is an animation about something many of us live with every day. I wrote it because it's a feeling I know, and a story I felt needed to be told.  It's a very personal and gentle look at what it's like to live with persistent anxiety and those overwhelming intrusive thoughts that just won't let up. I wanted to capture how intense and constant that internal experience can feel, and how deeply it can affect the simple moments of our everyday lives.
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At its core, it's a message I really hope resonates with anyone who might be struggling: you are not alone in this. The journey can be incredibly exhausting, but the animation is also about the quiet, brave act of reaching out. It's about acknowledging that struggle, both in ourselves and in others, and showing that accepting help isn't a sign of weakness—it's a powerful, courageous first step toward finding a little more peace and relief.

When I created this animation, I wanted you to know that you are not alone. If you’ve ever felt that knot in your stomach or that constant worry in the back of your mind, this was made for you. I hope it helps you recognize those feelings for what they are—and, most importantly, reminds you that there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. We all need a little help sometimes, and the bravest thing you can do is talk to a trusted adult. You deserve that support.

Recently, I have discovered how to turn social anxiety and dyslexia, which have long posed significant challenges for me, into advantages.
Several years back, I conducted a workshop titled 9 Ways to Become a Super Creative Teacher.  Moments before my presentation, the organizers informed me that it had received the highest number of registrations to date.  "Please don’t say that! " I joked. My entire life, battling severe social anxiety has been a constant challenge. Yet, in the past decade, I made the decision to tackle it directly and confront it head-on.

Dyslexia being my other former enemy has become a blessing, opening doors for me and allowing me to help people through my creativity. 

I find it difficult to focus for more than several minutes without my mind going into daydream mode. However I found that drawing what i see helps to me focus, remember information as well as to visually structure ideas. During staff meetings, I would pull out my pen and paper, and surprisingly, I found that I could not only stay engaged but also remember everything discussed. The images I drew seemed to stick in my mind. I started watching live discussions on environmental and social topics that mattered to me. I drew the main points out quickly, then immediately shared my work on social media tagging anyone involved.  Others found my sketches helpful for their own recollection. The speakers appreciated my work and often shared it with their audiences.  Soon, I began receiving requests to create sketchnotes professionally and was even compensated for it. The United Nations frequently reached out, commissioning me to attend their private meetings with CEOs and political leaders to take notes. It felt incredible to capture and create visual representations of the key points whilst assisting others in remembering without them having to sift through lengthy transcripts. 

At Bookazine, I thought I could create visual notes again to support fellow dreamers in grasping Simon's main ideas. In doing so, I could reinforce my own memory while being of help to others.
 So as I sat down and took out my ipad, I began to draw and take notes. 
Simon smiled at me and said 'It's always interesting when someone's drawing you in the front. Can you make me look younger? That's my dream.'  
'I'll try' I replied. 
I eagerly continued my sketchnote until, moments later, the dreaded 'low battery' alert flashed on the screen. "Guess that's the end of that," I thought to myself. However, this time I found it easy to maintain my concentration. Simon delivered a fantastic presentation, and his words completely engaged everyone in the audience.
Since then, I have been piecing together video clips and audio recordings from various social media platforms to compile this Sketchnote.

I truly hope it proves to be helpful for you.