Podcast Summary: TED Talks Daily

Episode: Why I spend hours sketching in conflict zones | George Butler
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: TED (Conversation led by Lily James Olds, TED Fellows Program Director)
Guest: George Butler, Reportage Illustrator/Artist

Episode Overview

This episode explores the unique work and philosophy of George Butler, a reportage illustrator who documents conflict zones, humanitarian crises, and climate hotspots through drawing. Butler discusses how his meticulous, hand-drawn art offers a nuanced, human-centered perspective on global events that transcends the speed and sensationalism of mainstream media. The conversation dives into the emotional impact of his work, the power of slower storytelling, and the irreplaceable human connections forged in the process.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Drawing in Conflict Zones

• Presence and Human Connection:
  Butler shares that drawing allows him to be fully present with his subjects, fostering rare, meaningful moments of connection.

  "Drawing has become one of the few moments in my life that I get to be. To be present with somebody."
  — George Butler (03:11)

• Capturing Dignity and Nuance:
  Through sketches, he is able to depict subtleties—facial details, emotions, and backstories—that headlines often miss.

  "That's my role, to inform and offer dignity and understanding and connect one side of the world with the other."
  — George Butler (03:51)

• Stories that Go Beyond 'Breaking News':
  Butler recalls deeply personal moments, such as drawing Petro, a 70-year-old Ukrainian man carefully stacking books after a bombing, and Olga, a 99-year-old woman recounting her harrowing life story, both of which revealed the extraordinary within the ordinary.

  "Drawing allows me the time to find something else that is, in fact, far more human."
  — George Butler (05:39)

2. Process and Philosophy of Reportage Illustration

• How George Butler Entered the Field:
  Inspired by historical illustrated journals, Butler realized reportage drawing was a form of storytelling he wanted to pursue—even though it’s a nontraditional career path.
  (09:59)

• The Slow, Trusted Approach:
  Butler contrasts the deliberate, handcrafted nature of drawing with the immediacy (and sometimes fatigue) of photography in the media age:

  "There's this great intrinsic link between the handmaid and being human."
  — George Butler (10:45)

• Building Trust with Sources:
  The slow process of sketching helps subjects feel at ease, sometimes leading to deeper interviews than might occur with cameras or audio recorders present.

  "You're not being in any way threatening. And after an hour or so, you've suddenly made a drawing and heard their stories… But there's no photograph. No one felt uncomfortable."
  — George Butler (13:55)

3. Drawing as Access in Restricted or Sensitive Situations

• When Cameras are Banned:
  Butler describes drawing in a German courtroom during a neo-Nazi terrorism trial, where photography was not permitted.
  (16:18)

• Documenting Sensitive Subjects:
  He shares stories, like sketching a trans man in Syria who would not have consented to a photo, and being allowed to draw a caesarean in Afghanistan—a space normally closed to men and outsiders.

  "Those are very intimate moments that drawing allowed me to witness."
  — George Butler (17:54)

4. What Mainstream Media Misses

• Importance of Ordinary Stories:
  Butler laments that unsensational, deeply human accounts rarely reach newspaper front pages, even though they are vital to understanding conflict.

  "It seems that those sorts of words are so important for us to remember and take hope from and build different relationships around the world. And yet those aren't the ones that I think that I'm reading or connecting with when I look at the news. And that, I think, is the media's biggest failing."
  — George Butler (19:59)

5. The Ongoing Responsibility to Subjects

• Maintaining Connections:
  Butler stays in touch with many subjects, underscoring how drawing forges long-lasting, meaningful relationships that go beyond journalistic transactions.

  "I feel forever kind of attached to the individuals by this scratchy, inky handmade line..."
  — George Butler (24:35)

• A Promise to Tell Their Story:
  He sees publication as fulfilling an implicit pact:

  "If you sit and tell me your story, I will do my best to. To say it out loud to somebody else. And that feels like that's the unwritten rule..."
  — George Butler (21:46)

6. Drawing, Meditation, and Slowing Down in a Fast World

• Why Work in Dangerous Places:
  Butler’s motivation stems both from necessity (his artistic background) and belief that drawing from a slight remove offers unique insights into resilience and everyday life amid crisis.
  (28:10)

• Slowness as Respect:

  "...deliberately slow...gives you a reason not to be a voyeur... It's something about translating their picture or their situation onto a page in ink to be held as a record forevermore. You're almost drawing what war often rubs out or erases."
  — George Butler (15:22)

7. Humanity, AI, and the Future of Witnessing

• The Value of the Handmade in the Age of AI:
  Butler acknowledges the rise of AI-generated content but sees it as clarifying the value of human creativity and authentic, subjective storytelling.

  "I welcome AI because it better defines exactly what my role is...that is the value of standing on the street with a notepad..."
  — George Butler (31:34)

• On Slowing Down and Empathy:
  Lily notes a parallel with other professions—doctors, for instance—where time and attention allow for real compassion.
  (32:45)

8. Recent Books and Artistic Impact

• Books Documenting Migration and Ukraine:
  Butler discusses "Drawn Across Borders," which compiles a decade of stories of migration, and "Ukraine: Remember Also Me," focused on ordinary Ukrainians outside the headlines.

  "In Ukraine, that was much more organized. I set out to interview 25 Ukrainians who I thought wouldn't be on the front pages, who didn't make the news. And as I said before, if when people pick up the book, they think that could have so easily been me, then that is the point."
  — George Butler (34:30)

9. Reflections and Hope

• Maintaining Faith Amid Hardship:
  Despite witnessing deep suffering, Butler draws inspiration and hope from the fortitude of those he meets.

  "I think we need to...stop hoping and start having faith. For me, it's in the Syrians and Ukrainians that I got to spend time with. Nobody deserves hope more than them."
  — George Butler (36:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "These books are food for the soul."
  — Petro, Ukrainian civilian, as recounted by George Butler (04:18)

• "You're almost drawing what war often rubs out or erases."
  — George Butler (15:22)

• "Drawing hasn't been effective or powerful enough in telling that message. Politics has got even more polarizing and dangerous. And in a way I feel very proud that it felt so obvious and that those stories could be told."
  — George Butler, on migrant stories (34:12)

• "I feel forever kind of attached to the individuals by this scratchy, inky handmade line..."
  — George Butler (24:35)

• "If we don't react, then it really won't change."
  — George Butler (36:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Why Drawing in Conflict Zones? (03:11 – 07:45)
• Becoming a Reportage Illustrator and Process Explained (09:43 – 13:17)
• Drawing as Access, Building Trust, and Unique Storytelling (13:55 – 18:14)
• Media, Empathy, and Stories That Rarely Surface (18:47 – 21:02)
• Responsibilities and Staying in Touch with Subjects (21:16 – 24:51)
• Drawing as Meditation and the Role of Slowness (27:52 – 30:32)
• The Handcrafted vs. AI Future (30:32 – 32:45)
• Books: Migration & Ukraine (33:47 – 35:30)
• On Hope and Moving Forward (35:52 – 37:07)

Tone and Language

The episode is reflective and intimate, blending compassion, curiosity, and a longing for more meaningful, empathic journalism. Butler’s language is evocative and personal; his stories are filled with gentle humor, difficult truths, and deep respect for the people he meets.

Summary Takeaway

Through deliberate, handcrafted illustration, George Butler bears witness to overlooked stories and dignifies those most affected by conflict and upheaval. His work stands as a quiet but powerful rebuke to the hurried, impersonal, and often sensational coverage of mainstream news—reminding listeners of the enduring significance of slowness, empathy, and true human connection in understanding the world.