It's been a while, and I've truly missed writing. Every time I take a break from this newsletter, I feel like I should start with an apology, but today, I'll just say how good it is to reconnect with you as we move through spring! 

The first few months of 2025 have been full-on, lots of projects, lots of learning (I'll tell you more about that soon). But for now, I wanted to share a few thoughts I’ve been sitting with lately, some personal, some about data and how we make sense of information.

Now that we’re a few months into 2025, you might be taking a second look at those New Year’s goals (same here!). It’s totally normal for that January spark to fizzle out a bit. But spring is actually a great time to hit refresh. One thing I’ve learned (and the science backs it up) is that we’re often better at sticking to things when someone else is counting on us. When it’s just for ourselves? Not so much. It’s a common thing. we will bend over backwards to keep a promise to someone else, but when it comes to our own well-being, it’s way easier to let it slide. That’s where habit tracking can really help. Everyday things like drinking more water, stretching, reading, moving your body, or just taking a few quiet minutes can make a huge difference, but only if we actually do them.

To make it easier, I put together a super simple habit tracker in Excel. It’s colorful, visual, and surprisingly motivating. Watching your progress light up the page is like giving your brain a little high-five. I’ve also added a step-by-step guide on my blog so you can tweak it to fit your own goals. If you’re great at showing up for others but struggle to stay consistent for yourself, this tool might be just the nudge you need.

While reflecting on change, I came across an article by Niklas Serning that challenged the Western assumption that suffering always stems from childhood experiences. Instead of revisiting past wounds, it explored philosophies from Buddhism, pragmatism, and Stoicism, focusing on personal responsibility, overcoming resentment, and living in the present.

One example that stuck with me: After the 2004 tsunami, the University of Colombo urged people not to frame suffering as trauma, as doing so could actually undermine resilience. Interestingly, despite this rejection of conventional trauma narratives, Sri Lanka ranked among the highest in global well-being in 2023.

This made me think: We have more power to change than we sometimes realize. We don't have to fit into a binary of "victim" or "savior." But to make real changes, we need tools that work for us as individuals. What helps me might not work for you, and vice versa. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to growth. That insight about Sri Lanka really stuck with me, and of course, it sent me down a data rabbit hole. I ended up creating an interactive project that explores the idea. You can check it out on my site.

If I had a dime for every time a client asked me to “make it beautiful,” I’d probably never have to pay for coffee again. It’s the most frequent request I get as a data visualization specialist.

At first, I used to see this as a superficial ask, like “beautiful” just meant “pretty” or “polished”, ignoring the actual power of the data. But over time, I’ve come to realize it’s much deeper than that. When people say “make it beautiful,” they’re often asking for something that feels right, something that’s clear, emotionally resonant, culturally familiar, even persuasive. And all of that is deeply shaped by taste.

Now, taste might seem like a personal thing, just a matter of individual preference. But it’s actually cultural baggage. As sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued, our sense of what’s beautiful or valuable isn’t innate, it’s built over time, shaped by our social class, background, education, and the world we move through. What we consider “good design” or “meaningful content” often mirrors what we’ve been exposed to, and what the people around us say.

Tom Vanderbilt put it nicely in You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice. taste is “one part evolution, two parts experience.” We gravitate toward what we’ve seen before, what signals belonging, what aligns with our traditions, and yes, what makes us feel smart or validated.

So when we create visuals meant for the public, especially around sensitive or cultural topics, we’re not just navigating aesthetics. We’re navigating identity, memory, and shared meaning. “Beautiful” isn’t just about colors or shapes. It’s about resonance.

I learned this firsthand when I published an infographic about the carbon footprint of meat. It was fact-based, simple, and clear. But the timing? A disaster. It came out right before Christmas in Romania, when traditional meat-heavy dishes are front and center. Pork, in particular, plays a huge role in holiday meals, and sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls) are basically sacred.

People weren’t just disagreeing with the data. They were angry. Some felt personally attacked, others accused the newsroom of being “against Romanian traditions.” We even got emails demanding to know: “What do you have against our sarmale?”

That moment taught me a crucial lesson: Data alone doesn’t speak. It speaks through culture and interpretation. And when we call something “beautiful,” we’re really calling it familiar, trustworthy, ours. This really matters when it comes to visual storytelling in the media. When a data visualization is meant for the public, it has to land across a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and taste profiles. If it only speaks to one type of viewer, the message risks falling flat. And if the design doesn't connect, the data doesn’t really do its job, no matter how accurate it is.

Lately, I’ve been focused on finding better ways to make complex data feel more approachable and engaging. A lot of that work has involved teaming up with organizations to create visualizations that help bridge the gap between expert knowledge and everyday understanding.

I don’t usually share much about awards, but I wanted to quietly celebrate a bit of good news: one of my projects was recently shortlisted for the Information is Beautiful Awards, and I also had the honor of receiving three silver medals at the Indigo Design Awards. It’s incredibly encouraging, especially since this kind of work can often feel like it lives in the background.

If you’re curious, here are a few of the projects I’ve been working on recently.

WHAT HAVE OTHERS BEEN UP TO LATELY. TIME FOR SOME INSPIRATION!

Tools:

Let's meet here again!

And please email me back if you have any questions or want to share your ideas for the next episodes.