(This is a cross-post from the EdTechTeam blog)

I have been pinching myself for days, ever since the dream of creating a book with my sketchnotes became a reality with the recent announcement from the EdTechTeam Press for book pre-ordering.

You see, I stopped drawing when I was around ten years old. I lost my love for art, as many kids do when they grow up. I did not believe I was a good artist, so what was the point?

Fast-forward forty-five years: In 2014, I started to notice some beautiful drawings related to education showing up on social media. People were taking notes from conferences and creating drawings in a doodling fashion. I learned it was called “sketchnoting,” and I thought I would give it a try. I uploaded my first drawing to Flickr and Tweeted it out in January 2015. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that anyone would be interested in my drawings.

But educators were interested in my drawings, and before long, I was hooked on sketchnoting. I loved being able to express my ideas in a creative way, and the fact that my drawings seemed to resonate strongly with my PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network) made me yearn to create more. I was on the constant hunt for interesting things to draw related to education: blog posts, graphics, articles, posters. Some ideas I borrowed from others, some ideas I came up with on my own.

With much surprise, I noticed that people were Tweeting photos of my drawings displayed on classroom and staffroom walls. The Iceberg Illusion in particular, went viral, even appealing to people outside the educational community: entrepreneurs, athletes, coaches, writers, and managers. It thrilled me to know that my drawings were being shared and appreciated in so many ways.

The book is a collection of 100 of my most popular sketchnotes (which I have heard some people also refer to as edusketches since they often have to do with education). I created the book to provoke conversations about some of the topics covered, to entice readers to go to the original resource if referenced in the drawing, to provide links where the pieces can be downloaded, and to inspire readers to try sketchnoting themselves.

I would like to thank Holly Clark and the EdTechTeam press for believing in my book and for supporting me in this journey. I would also like to thank my PLN for encouraging me to continue to create and share my drawings. I am in constant awe of the brilliant teaching community around me and you are my inspiration.

(Please click here to pre-order the book.)