The Art of Remembering What Was Said

There’s a moment at the end of every event. The speakers finish. The audience claps. People start gathering their things, quietly exchanging thoughts, already checking their phones for what’s next.

It’s a quiet exit for something that may have just stirred minds or sparked ideas.

But when the room empties, what really stays?

As an artist—and someone who listens for a living—I’ve always been curious about what we carry with us from moments like these. Not the event schedule, not the business cards. I mean the essence. The story. The truth that lived in that shared space, even if only for an hour.

Too often, that truth fades.

Listening With a Pen

There’s an art form that’s not widely known—at least not outside of boardrooms, summits, or strategy workshops. It’s called graphic recording.

And no, it’s not just note-taking. It’s not just drawing either.

It’s a real-time act of visual translation—where someone listens deeply and captures ideas in a way that shows meaning, not just repeats it.

You’ll see words, shapes, metaphors.

A timeline of thought.

A landscape of insight.

It’s like drawing a conversation as it’s being born.

Where Art Meets Access

Here’s where it gets more powerful.

Not everyone connects with language the same way. Some people need to see to understand. Others feel overwhelmed by text. Some are neurodiverse. Some are navigating language in a multilingual room, like many events across Dubai and the UAE.

Visual storytelling doesn’t just make things beautiful.

It makes things accessible.

Inclusive.

Human.

The Drawing That Stays

The moment I saw a graphic recording created in front of me, something clicked.

People weren’t just watching it—they were absorbing it. Talking about it. Returning to it after the session had ended.

This wasn’t a sketch.

It was memory, made visible.

Art, in service of understanding.

And the best part? That artwork didn’t disappear. It was shared in a post-event email, posted on social media, printed and framed. It became something the community could carry forward.

That’s when I knew this was more than documentation.

This was a way to keep ideas alive.

Creating Visual Conversations at Marker.ae

I found my way to Marker.ae, a creative studio in Dubai that specializes in this kind of work.

They don’t just draw—they listen, interpret, and design in real time. Their visuals have been part of conversations that matter—from corporate strategy to community storytelling, all across the UAE.

And to me, that’s where art lives: not in galleries alone, but in spaces where ideas are shared, transformed, and remembered.

Art That Speaks for the Room

I often think about the people who sit quietly during events—the ones who are present, engaged, but maybe never raise a hand. Graphic recording makes room for them too.

It doesn’t just capture what’s said aloud.

It reflects what’s felt, and often left unsaid.

It speaks for the room.

And that, to me, is art worth paying attention to.