A newsletter to learn about practical ways to decolonize your research and data work-lives with byte-sized drabbles about the daily life of a data professional.
Behind the Scenes: Welcome to 2026
Happy New Years! Last year I focused a lot of my time and energy on sharing my expertise and knowledge across platforms like BlueSky and LinkedIn and at data conferences and events. I plan to reshape my newsletter this year to highlight more of that content I share elsewhere since most algorithms for socials don’t show everything I post. And not everyone can attend the events or conferences I appear at.
To start off, here is my year in review comic.
Behold my 2025 year end comic. I took all the wacky, cartoony energy I gathered all year and threw it inside. My favorite part was doodling the caw character in different styles while having fun.
I also made an addendum to my comic this year because I did so much developer work (infrastructure, back-end, front-end, games) that I wanted to self-reflect on. too
I started this tradition back in 2023 when I left a full-time hybrid gig for physical safety reasons. I wanted to have something tangible that highlighted all the different kinds of data work I do, which includes proposals, projects, and planning that is seen as expected but uncompensated in our career.
In 2025 I took on projects for back-end development, database migrations, network security configurations, technical writing, DAM, SQL, Python, and more. I won two highly coveted awards in the cultural heritage sector for my work in archives, AI, and history. And I shipped a Nickelodeon-style indie game and pitched a lot of ideas that didn't get selected.
Curated Content: Data Fellowship
Apps are due January 9, 2026 for a PAID 12 month Fellowship in Records and Archives with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in person in Geneva, Switzerland. The WIPO Section the fellow will work within develops/implements policies, procedures, and best practices for managing WIPO’s organization records and archives.
Skills you need summary: Bachelor’s degree with 2 years experience in digital records management, and experience/skills in research, processing archival records, archival description standards, content management systems.
Stipend: CHF 6,000 monthly
WIPO will cover costs to travel to/from Switzerland for your fellowship and if needed help you get an entry visa to Switzerland. You also get health insurance.
Curated Content: Skilling Up
History Colorado Museum Connections
One a month Zoom trainings from 12-1pm MST on data topics like disaster prevention, managing moths and carpet beetles, budgets (revenue vs financial accessibility), cataloging/CMS, finding aids, and more. Each session is $10 or free to members of their History Colorado Affiliate Network. Sign up on their embedded Google calandar
One webinars I thought was really interesting was Critical Documentation for New Acquisitions that covers topics like deeds of gifts, receipts for deposits, and copyright.
I’m Open to Work
My books for 2026 are open. I’m looking for remote freelance/consulting, part-time, and contract work doing database migrations, data assessments, digital projects, development/programming, digital asset management, analytics, narrative design, or data storytelling.
Have a cool project/kind of work not listed here in mind for me? DM me anyway!
Portfolio: https://www.decolfutures.com/
Email me: [email protected]
