ZCS 061: Creating in Public with Matt Ragland

Hey, hey! I am excited to have Matt Ragland on the show today. Matt is the creator of the Sketchnote Starter Course. He’s also a member of ConvertKit’s team. In this interview, Matt and I talk about his work, how he created his sketchnote course, and what it’s like being part of ConvertKit. I know you’ll love this episode! A quick note: - Matt references the course platform Coach, which is now Podia - Listen to the end to get access to the video walkthrough of Matt’s course! Ideas not art… It’s really about connecting with people and solving problems To start off with, Matt discusses how he got started with sketchnotes and the three books that helped him create his first sketchnotes. He also shares his vision of connecting people over big ideas, and solving problems. I want students to feel comfortable putting their ideas down on paper Matt and I talk about his launch of ‘Sketchnote Starter Course’ which helps people who think they can’t draw at all realize their potential. The course starts with simple lessons on basic concepts about shapes, then explores deeper topics like how to put your creation into production, social media, and visual libraries, etc. When asked “What is the goal of your course?”, Matt simply said, “I want the students to feel comfortable putting their ideas on paper.” He believes that his students are on a journey in doing sketchnotes. It’s about what makes the most sense to students, putting their creations down without shame or hindrance, remembering more ideas and, as a result, solving more problems. Want learn more about Matt’s course? Head over to zencourses.co/061 to read the full show notes and check out the video of this interview. Episode Quotes "Sketchnotes has been a great connector for me with different types of work." "Just give yourself some grace and stop comparing yourself" "The only person that you need to sketchnote for is yourself" Listen to Learn 00:19 Getting to know Matt 02:23 Rapid 5 Questions 05:13 How did Matt get into teaching Sketchnotes? 08:00 Balancing work, sketchnotes and family 12:14 Overview about the Sketchnote Starter Course 16:34 What were some things that happened that you didn't plan on? 22:00 Where did the idea for the course come from? 28:20 What is the goal for your learners after completing the course? 29:58 A peek inside the Sketchnote Starter Course 35:36 What are the things that you would do differently or adjust and tweak? 39:09 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Matt, plus final announcements