How Graphic Recorder and Illustrator Sherrill Knezel Helps Groups See, Hear, and Understand Their Own Stories

by Kimberly Hand

Most people walk into a meeting and focus on the agenda. When Sherrill Knezel walks into a room, she listens for energy, intention, and meaning—and then she draws it.

As the founder of Meaningful Marks, Sherrill works as a graphic recorder, illustrator, educator, and artist, transforming real-time conversations into visual maps that help groups understand themselves more clearly. Her work appears throughout conference rooms, community engagement sessions, strategic planning meetings, nonprofit gatherings, and virtual spaces.

For many, graphic recording is something they’ve never heard of. For Sherrill, it’s a practice rooted in connection, deep listening, and the belief that words matter—they shape the world we’re all trying to build.

Listening as a Superpower
When asked how she processes so much information at once—listening, synthesizing, choosing language, and deciding what to draw—Sherrill smiles and says it starts with trust: trust in the skills she has developed and the ability to be present in the moment.

“I prepare before I walk into a room,” she explains. “I research the content and gather visual references so I have icons ready in my mind. That way, when I’m listening deeply, I’m not using brain space trying to figure out what something looks like.” The heart of her craft lies in how her drawings can shape the room’s emotional climate. A graphic recording affects the energy in a room. People feel seen and heard—literally—when they watch their words appear on the page. It creates connections.

Sherrill is careful with the language she chooses. If someone speaks in scarcity terms—“we don’t have enough communication”—she might reframe it as, “we need more open communication.” In other words, she writes in a positive, not negative, tone.

Her background in education and equity spaces has shaped her sensitivity to bias and assumptions. She also acknowledges the responsibility she carries when she steps into a space as a white, cisgender woman.

A Career Built on Curiosity
Sherrill describes herself as a “spatially curious person,” which may explain her gift for navigating vastly different environments. Her work has landed her in the middle of discussions with neonatologists testing new equipment, dairy grazer apprentices, public health leaders, and gun violence prevention advocates. Sherrill’s recordings span nonprofits, education, health care, mental health, and corporate strategy sessions, to name a few.

She embraces difficult conversations rather than avoiding them. “I don’t shy away from hard topics. I really believe that’s the only way we’re going to solve things and create partnerships. A drawing can become a ‘third thing’ in the room—something people can point to and talk about without escalating tension.”

Visual Storytelling: Strategic Illustrations and Infographics
Meaningful Marks offers a number of services; one is Strategic Illustrations & Infographics. They may appear similar at first glance, but Sherrill explains the distinction:

• Strategic Illustrations tell a story—such as a patient’s journey or a conflict resolution process.
• Infographics translate data into visual form—such as statistics on gun violence or outcomes from community engagement.

Both serve the same purpose: helping people understand information quickly and meaningfully.

To make her work useful even to those who were not in the room, Sherrill designs visuals with enough context for someone to pick up the graphic later and still understand the essence of the conversation. Her style, she says, is “content rich,” adding, “I want the drawings when they’re done to be as useful and as valuable as possible to my clients.” They can be powerful tools for clarity, accountability, grant writing, community engagement, communication, etc. “It’s not about making a pretty picture. It’s about helping groups move forward in a generative way,” says Sherrill.

Marketing a Niche Skill
Marketing Meaningful Marks requires not only creativity but education. “Ninety percent of people don’t know this is a job,” she says.

LinkedIn has been one of her most effective tools. During the pandemic, she attended webinars, visually recorded them live, and shared the drawings—planting seeds for future collaborations. She still keeps an eye on events scheduled months in advance, reaching out when she sees opportunities to amplify meaningful work.

Sherrill also leads workshops for educators, business professionals, entrepreneurs, and community groups. Her goals are simple: reduce fear, teach some basic skills, and have participants practice.

“Most adults stopped drawing in third grade,” she says. “So that’s the level their drawings stay at.” But sketchnoting isn’t fine art. Sherrill states, “If you can draw a circle, square, triangle, line, and dot—you have everything you need to communicate anything.”

Technology, Time-lapse Videos, and a Touch of Courage
Though Sherrill’s work feels organic, she uses technology with a fair degree of confidence. Using a program called Procreate—which records every stroke she makes when creating a digital drawing—she can produce videos from start to end.

She laughs when recalling how she learned video editing. “I once told a university communications department, ‘Yes, I can do that,’ when they asked for time-lapse videos. I walked out thinking, ‘What did I just promise? I guess I’m going to learn how.’”

That willingness to say yes—and then adapt—is part of what makes her entrepreneurial journey inspiring.

Heart Speak: Turning Visual Practice Into a Book
During the pandemic, Sherrill created the book, Heart Speak, a visual interpretation of Parker Palmer’s book, Let Your Life Speak. What began for her as a morning sketching meditation evolved into a collaborative project, with Palmer himself offering encouragement, guidance, and access to his agent.

The book pairs Sherrill’s images, Palmer’s words, her personal reflections, and what she calls “beautiful questions.”

“I wanted it to be one of those books where you open up to any page and, depending where you are in your life, it means something different,” she says.

Looking Ahead: Passing Skills to the Next Generation
Sherrill is content with the size and rhythm of her business. But she does feel called to something more: teaching interns. “This is a family-sustaining career, but most young people don’t know it exists. I would love to help the next generation learn these skills.”

A Business Rooted in Connection, Purpose, and Abundance
Meaningful Marks is more than a business. It’s a practice of presence, listening, and transformation. In every space she enters, Sherrill helps people see what they’re saying—not just hear it. She captures the heart of conversations, reframes challenges in empowering ways, and leaves groups with visuals that continue to guide them long after a meeting ends.

For business owners, nonprofit leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs, that mindset—and the visuals Sherrill creates—can be a catalyst for clarity, collaboration, and meaningful change.

Through it all, she approaches her work from a place of abundance: “I have the luxury to work with clients who align with my values. So, how can I do the most good with the skills I have?”

Contact Information:

Sherrill Knezel
(414) 510-9812
[email protected]