Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Oct 5Find the story in the data, or find the data to tell the story?Data visualization process as a creative constraint — In my data visualization process, my preferred method of ideation is to find a dataset of interest to me then just wander around in it until I find a story I want to tell. (Or find no compelling story, and send the dataset back to my ADHD Vault of Datasets.)…Data Storytelling2 min readData Storytelling2 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Oct 2Iron Viz SZN!Day 1: The Waiting — It’s 10:57 AM on the East Coast of the U.S. as I’m writing this, and the #DataFam is antsy! We want to know the Iron Viz topic! Of course we understand that the Tableau team is in Seattle, but a Monday morning has never passed so slowly! ⌛ I’m trying…Tableau2 min readTableau2 min read
Aug 19Member-onlyLife with ADHD: Dopamine’s role in cravings, pleasure, and rewardAn abbreviated introduction to the neuroscience of ADHD — Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a therapist. I was a certified pharmacy technician for years, and I’m an individual with ADHD. Always discuss medications, symptoms, and any other related concerns with a qualified healthcare provider such as a primary care physician, nurse practitioner, psychiatrist, or licensed therapist. …Adhd4 min readAdhd4 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Aug 12Member-onlyCharts in the wild! Visualizing workers (not) returning to the officeCharts depicting office vacancy rates from The Washington Post, Axios, and Visual Capitalist — In March of last year, U.S. News and World Report ran a story with the headline, “The Great Return: Companies Are Calling Their Workers Back to the Office as COVID-19 Fades.” Didn’t age too well, did it? U.S. News wasn’t alone. Many news outlets covered employers’ very real and increasing…Data Visualization5 min readData Visualization5 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Jun 6Member-onlyEverything you know about selecting fonts for data visualization is wrong, part 1Ok, the title’s a little click-baity — but it’s probably accurate. — When my ADHD meets up with Adobe Fonts, many hours may pass as I seek font-pairing perfection and dive deeply into the stories of fascinating foundries. This isn’t “wasted” time — it’s fun!— but I do have deadlines to meet. Recently, I tried to define a more systematic process for…Typography7 min readTypography7 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·May 17Charts in the wild! Visualizing Florida’s population growthThe U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2022, Florida was the fastest-growing state in the country for the first time since 1957. Each decade since World War II, my home state’s population growth has been positive. It increased by 1.9% to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022, according to the Census. The average annual growth rate of all states was 0.5% in 2020. In Florida, it was 2%. …Data Visualization6 min readData Visualization6 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Mar 10Meet the DataFam o8: Lawrence DurbinFellow Tableau Social Ambassador, #DataPride Tableau User Group co-lead, #DataFamCon co-lead, and DEI evangelist — You can find all of the previous (and future!) installments of Meet the DataFam and — if this is your first one — learn a little more about how it works here. ⏪The Background I’m so grateful for Lawrence’s presence in the DataFam. He embodies my favorite quality in another human — authenticity. Authenticity helps foster a community that values our shared experiences, provides mutual support, and encourages candid conversations. …Tableau7 min readTableau7 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Mar 9Member-onlyServiceNow vs. “Service! Now!”: Why data analytics teams should operate like the IT service deskManage expectations by responding rather than reacting — If you’ve been a data practitioner for longer than a week, someone has come up to your desk — if your corporate overlords have forced you back into an office, except now you don’t even have your own desk, or if you worked in an office pre-pandemic — and asked…Data Analytics4 min readData Analytics4 min read
Mar 8Adventures in Vegan Breakfast: Golden Milk OatmealSuper easy, super yummy, superfood twist on plain old oatmeal — Golden Milk Oatmeal Prep time: 3 minutes Cook time: 7 minutes Total time: 10 minutes I created this recipe as an experiment when I didn’t have the will to go grocery shopping, needed breakfast, didn’t want plain oatmeal, and was out of the ingredients for my go-to oatmeals, the Forks Over Knives Meal…Vegan2 min readVegan2 min read
Published inSELECT * FROM data;·Feb 23Member-onlyADHD Survival Kit: Binge eating, forgetting to eat, and food hyperfixationThree practical strategies for handling food challenges common amongst neurodiverse individuals — Like many women, I was diagnosed with ADHD later than my male peers, then surprised to find out that certain tendencies I thought were uniquely mine, or unrelated to ADHD, are actually known characteristics of the neurodiverse brain. A complicated relationship with food is one of these tendencies. Many ADHDers…Adhd4 min readAdhd4 min read
