Meet the Lab Host gives you an inside look at the innovative, creative, forward-thinking Chicago organizations hosting CIW 2014 Labs.  To learn more about 2014 programming, consult our online schedule.  Tickets go on sale to the general public September 2, 2014.

Join Ink Factory for a crash course in graphic recording  and learn to Think Like Ink on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Ink Factory Studio‘s tagline is “You Talk. We Draw. It’s Awesome.” And, in fact, nothing could be more awesomely creative than the visual notes—or graphic recordings—Ink Factory artists make. Like the graphic recording of William H. Macy’s CIW Conversation below, these notes make you rethink, rediscover and reimagine the world around you.  Ahead of their 2014 Lab, we talked to Ink Factory about how they plan to make us all graphic recorders.

Ink Factory’s graphic recording provides a new, visual perspective on William H. Macy’s CIW Conversation Creativity Never Ends.

In three sentences or fewer, what is your organization’s manifesto or mission?

We create visual experiences that inspire and engage.

Why Chicago?  Tell us why this idea or organization is based in Chicago, how you think the city has supported the project and how you think the project contributes to our city. 

Founders Dusty Folwarczny, Lindsay Roffe and Ryan Robinson met in Chicago, and while their travels to clients take them all around the world, Chicago is home. We love the approachability, culture and accessibility of the city and everything it has to offer. We are a complement to many of the initiatives started in this great city because we help them communicate their story in a visual and engaging way—from videos to live work in the room. From non-profits such as CIW to corporations such as Walgreens, our clients allow us the creative space to make their ideas come to life visually!

Give us a sneak peek of what we should expect at your Lab.  What hands-on, interactive activities do you have planned for participants?  (But don’t tell us everything—keep some of your Lab a surprise!)

Participants will learn the basics of graphic recording and visual note-taking. You’ll leave with the confidence to incorporate the visual language in their daily lives on whatever level makes sense. This Lab will raise your visual literacy!

We want to be in the know!  Name one person, place or thing that you think is one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets—a secret until now, of course.  

Theaster Gates is a wonderful treasure on Chicago’s South Side. He’s currently the director of arts and public life at the University of Chicago, and his art installations have transformed so many Chicago public spaces into hubs of creativity.

Q&As are edited for clarity and length.