Un-Scary
The Art of Applied Visual Thinking
The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 7 No. 22
Oct 30, 2026
There is a lot of scary going on in the world right now. It's true. This was true in October 2020 when we first wrote about how to make scary not so scary, and it's still true now, if for different reasons. Given this context and the upcoming Halloween holiday in the US, we thought it might be a good time to take a pause from our OPENERS series and revisit our favorite Halloween themed newsletter.
What if, just for a day, we could be someone else, see other people as they aren't, and change our environment to look completely different and fun? Oh, wait.
That's what Halloween is for! In this article, we'll explore three ways to sort some Halloween inspiration candy, savor the best parts and spit out the scary.
Emojis prompt empathy.
First, do you decorate your home, your office or yourself for holidays? You may not want to change your virtual background to a haunted house, but have you thought about dressing up your next team communication? Nothing attracts attention like a visual, and of all possible imagery, faces hold the greatest appeal. This preference for faces goes back to infanthood. Emojis are fun, easy to draw faces that prompt empathy. That could be why emojis are so popular.
In your next team email, newsletter, agenda, or other communication, try your hand at adding "pumpkemojis" like the ones in the how-to. Apply an expressive face to a pumpkin, and you can convey concern, surprise, happiness or fright, for example. Try it and see what you observe — connection through laughter? Spontaneous conversations? Interpretation (visual literacy learning)?
Here's another idea. Are you nervous about having to make a presentation? OK. Let's get real. EVERYONE gets at least a little goosebump nervous before a presentation! Are you afraid the audience will feel like a Zoom room full of zombies? Try modifying the ol' "picture them naked" trick. Instead, imagine your entire audience is in Halloween costumes — actual cowboy, princess, superhero, zombie, cartoon character and vampire get-ups! You won't be able to suppress a genuine, contagious, big as a clown smile, guaranteed.
Third scary not scary idea. Is there a particular "ghoul" who scares you? Does the thought of having a conversation about a difficult topic with this person make your teeth rattle? What if there were a way to fearlessly approach conversations with bogeymen and women? Download the free Crucial Conversations template and try this simple process.
Crucial Conversations Process
- Start from a positive assumption. You are both working toward the same ultimate goals to achieve the best possible outcomes. What are those SHARED GOALS? List them. Do you both want the most efficient, cost-effective process? To make the boss happy? To get the project done before the holiday weekend?
- Imagine. Picture the other person as a Halloween character that makes them more likable to you. Draw them and yourself in costume in the "THEM" and "ME" and boxes.
- Put yourself in their shoes. If you were in their shoes (or cape/wings/scales), what PRIORITIES might you go to bat for? Would, for example, speed, accuracy, safety or human connection be valued most highly?
- Connect. Take a minute or two at the beginning of the conversation to connect on a personal level. Even a vampire has a heart in there somewhere. Jot down a question or conversation starter aimed at finding out what they actually care about in the "WHAT I NEED TO SAY" list, and you might just find the conversation goes your way. Clearly state your top priorities in this list, too, so you can be sure you both walk away with treats.
Have a tough conversation you need to prepare for?
Grab a free copy of the
Crucial Conversations
template and have some Halloween fun with it!
References:
Frank, M. C., Amso, D., & Johnson, S. P. (2014). Visual search and attention to faces during early infancy. Journal of experimental child psychology, 118, 13–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2013.08.012
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