The people behind the stories

About Drawing it Out

Drawing it Out uses visual thinking to help teams navigate complexity, see every perspective, and turn conversations into action. Backed by over a decade of meeting design experience, we create engaging experiences that leave people feeling heard, aligned, and ready to move forward.

At Drawing it Out, we believe work can be fun—and incredibly productive.

Yolanda Liman, Founder and Creative Director

I founded Drawing it Out in 2010, after witnessing the power of graphic recording to capture the attention of a room full of people: from youth to academics to community members. In that moment, I knew I had found my calling: helping people turn meetings into meaningful, memorable experiences through the power of visual thinking.

My work is shaped by many perspectives—as a Chinese Canadian woman, scientist, social scientist, lifelong artist, and endlessly curious learner. I hold a degree in microbiology (yes, really!) and a Master's in Resource Management. Before launching Drawing it Out, I spent more than seven years in health education research, where I developed a deep appreciation for asking good questions, making sense of complexity, and helping people learn together.

I believe the best solutions emerge when everyone can see themselves—and their ideas—in the conversation. That's the heart of the work I do.

I live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Secwepemc Nation and syilx (Okanagan) Peoples. I recognize that I have benefited from the colonial systems that shaped what is now known as British Columbia, and those benefits came at a cost to Indigenous people. Knowing this truth continues to shape me, and I see it as an ongoing responsibility and privilege to learn from the histories, cultures, and communities of the stewards of these lands.

When I'm not drawing at meetings, you'll usually find me chauffeuring my kids, making art with my family, hosting community gatherings, or riding my bike around beautiful Armstrong, BC.

Anna Gorman, Graphic Recorder

I am graphic recorder, illustrator, and visual storyteller. I was always the student doodling in the margins of my notebook — what some may have seen as a distraction, doodling ultimately became the foundation of my new career. After earning a Bachelor of Applied Design in Interior Design from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, I spent more than a decade discovering that my greatest strength wasn't designing spaces—it was using quick sketches to communicate ideas and create shared understanding.

I believe everyone can draw and that drawing is a powerful tool for listening, thinking, connecting, and uncovering ideas together. Sometimes, all it takes is Drawing it Out!

Born and raised in Grindrod in British Columbia's North Okanagan, I am grateful to live and work on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Secwepemc Nation and syilx (Okanagan) people.

Fun Fact: Yolanda and I met while waiting for our kids at basketball in Armstrong, BC. What started as a way to pass the time turned into a friendship, a shared passion for graphic recording, and eventually joining the Drawing it Out team.