Paper Scribes

Before landing my first paid scribing gig in 2018, I had offered many free live scribing sessions as a way to practice and understand what it truly mean to capture a conversation in real time.
At the time, live scribing in Vietnam was still a new and unfamiliar concept. Most people saw it as simply creating a nice picture to display at their event,
rather than recognizing its deeper value: a way to visualize the bigger picture, surface collective insights, and help people to reflect on their own learning.

Act!onaid Viet Nam 2018

My very first work for Act!onaid Vietnam was a dual scribing session with my dear artist friend - Koyo. We did two scribes over 2 days. One thing I’ve always appreciated about dual scribing is that I know I always have backup, no matter how arduous the task. And honestly — scribing, especially paper scribing, can get really intense.

Two years later, I returned to ActionAid for another scribing session — and was touched to see that one of the scribes was hanging at the entrance.
It was a quiet but meaningful reminder that the work had value, and that it continued to resonate long after the event was over.

Act!onaid Viet Nam 2021

Four scribes over three days — that was a lot of listening. To be honest, sometimes, during the process, I did get tired of listening…
See the detailed work below.

Aidsfonds - Bridging the Gaps 2019

A very large piece that required teamwork. I was lucky that Narayan — a dear friend who encouraged me to start my career as a scriber — invited me to work alongside him on it.

During the Visual Presencing Course in Hangzhou, I experienced a lot of dual scribing in action. It’s a fascinating practice that teaches you how to collaborate closely with another scribe on a single piece of work. It’s definitely something I’d love to explore further in the future.

Global Change Day 2020

Hosted spontaneously during COVID, Global Change Days was a 24-hour online conference on Zoom, bringing together speakers, participants, and scribes from all around the world.
There was a lineup of workshops and talks, and everyone was free to choose the ones that sparked their curiosity.

While working on one of the scribes for the event, I came across the word Ting — which means “listening” in Mandarin. For me, the character felt like the very essence of what scribing is all about.

For many years, I’ve worked with Accelerator Lab Vietnam on various projects — not only as a scriber, but also helping design and illustrate other work materials. This has opened up opportunities to collaborate with other UNDP teams across different agencies.
Below are a few samples from scribe projects over the years.

Digital Scribes

UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub — Youth Co:Lab Summit 2023

Four days of scribing at the Youth Co:Lab Summit 2023 — easily one of my most memorable scribing experiences yet.
Big thanks to the incredible support and clear guidance that made it all flow so smoothly.

Accerlerator Lab Cambodia 2024

Finally got a chance to scribe for AccLab team in Cambodia after living there for 2 years.

A Flipbook/animation for “Youth-led adaptation for climate challenges in Vietnam” Project

The final scribe for the project closing in Hanoi.
When I scribe, I try to honor what actually happens in the room — so when multiple languages are spoken, I often keep them just as they are.

Sometimes, I write…

The Bittersweet Unknown| Visual Presencing Program Hangzhou 2017
Thefishjourney Thefishjourney

The Bittersweet Unknown| Visual Presencing Program Hangzhou 2017

What began as a quiet attempt to join a training program turned into something much deeper: a journey of healing, connection, and learning to trust myself a little more. I wrote this to remember the small moments that changed me, and to honour the love and support I received along the way.

Read More