Brittany has been an artist her entire life. She grew up a military brat, moving often and gaining new and diverse perspectives. She enjoyed creating films with her friends as a teen. At one time, she considered pursuing a career in film. However, illustration remained the forefront of her creative passion and eventually led to earning a diploma in sequential arts.
In 2017, Brittany was introduced to Carolyn Ellis, founder of Brilliance Mastery. It was through her that Brittany became aware of the captivating world of Graphic Recording. Believing to have found her calling, she travelled to San Francisco to attend a course at The Grove Learning Institute where she earned her certification. Afterwards she apprenticed a year with Ellis.
Brittany has since started her own business, Graphic Journeys. Nowadays, you can find her at home digitally recording events. Topics focus on advocacy, learning and awareness. Brittany also works with businesses on strategic planning and training. Brittany believes strongly in keeping her recordings diverse and inclusive. Her characters appear to each have their own story – exuding empathy, strength and individuality. Working with so many different organizations has broadened Brittany’s knowledge of society, culture and politics.
What hood are you in?
I live in Fort York. I love biking and taking walks through Trillium Park. When I’m super stressed out, a trip to the water usually does the trick! It’s also a short walk to Queen St. West and Trinity Bellwoods. Back when I used to attend actual events I could usually walk or take a quick uber to get to the downtown core. I love it here; I never want to leave!
What do you do?
I started out as a graphic recorder. I would summarize talks and discussions using key points and visuals at live events with markers on a large board. Now I consider myself a digital recorder. Since the pandemic began, I’ve had to make home my workspace. My events are now “attended” virtually from my iPad with the use of the app Procreate. People have me at their events to boost engagement and sustain learning. I capture complex information and put it into a format that can be shared easily throughout companies and organizations. I do it all live which is the impressive part. It’s really fun work. Aside from that I’m also an illustrator. In terms of hobbies… I love reading graphic novels and am working on making my own. I also often post one-page comics of my life onto Instagram. I have a collection of them about dating in my twenties that I would love to turn into a book.
What are you currently working on?
Most of my digital recording work has to stay under wraps. I can say I work often with The Redwood Women’s shelter. They are wonderful! As for illustration I am currently creating an album cover for my friend’s band, Mark Band Sanders. For my business, I will be creating a seven-part video series on how to use doodling to make your notes more impactful.
Where can we find your work?
You can find a lot of my work at GraphicJourneys.com and also see me regularly post it on Instagram – @BrittanyDatchko
