I spent a large portion of yesterday writing a blog post that I don’t think I will ever publish. It started with a chat about creative burnout and then kind of went off the rails a bit.
Truth is, I’ve been feeling really pessimistic lately. About the current state of society and the actual merits of my chosen vocation. It’s the kind of headspace that makes it hard to write a blog post anybody would actually want to read.
So I’m trying again. And if you’re reading this, it means I actually decided to publish this one.

Did you know that TED has a new tagline?
For almost 20 years it’s been “Ideas Worth Spreading.” But in April they announced they were changing that tagline to “Ideas Change Everything.”
I think I like the old one better. In just a few words it sums up the whole point of TED, to spread ideas. And not just any ideas, but ideas worth spreading.
“Ideas Change Everything” seems more like a statement than a purpose. Or is that really the goal, to change everything? Does everything really need to change, shouldn’t we keep at least some things.
But perhaps I’m reading into it a bit too much. I didn’t even know about the change until a random Google search this morning, and it doesn’t really have any impact on my life.

Finding my own lodestar.
One thing the TED tagline pushed me to think about was my own tagline. I love to teach. But is helping to build confident data designers the true purpose in my heart of hearts?
I wish it was. And I think it is part of my purpose. Because if it were enough, blogging would be easier for me. I wouldn’t have just spent almost two months not posting.
I wish I could be happy just writing tutorials, or just drawing comics, or just creating videos. But the truth is, I’m not. Something is missing.
It might be purpose.

Because Evidence Matters
I’m going to try this new tagline out for a bit.
A big part of why I started my business was because I got tired of working on large evaluation projects producing reports very few would ever likely read.
Bad reporting is a waste of time and money. And not just the time and money that went into the report, but all the time and money that went into the evaluation or research project.
But none of that matters if the evidence doesn’t matter.
And there are times, when I’m feeling most pessimistic, that I don’t think it does. That regardless of what we know, people are going to ignore even the most basic facts. Especially when those facts are inconvenient.
Then again, evidence does matter. Regardless of the decisions people make, I do really believe that evidence matters. That there is a purpose behind our work.
So maybe I just need to remind myself.
Time will tell.
Now on the more positive side…
I appreciate you.
Each time I see one of my comics shared by one of you on LinkedIn, or in a blog post, or in a presentation, or in a book, I smile.
The fact that people want to read my words and open my emails is simply amazing to me. Especially when I feel like I can’t keep my mind straight, when I lose focus or go off on tangents.
So thank you for your attention, it means so much more than I can ever express. And I wish you and yours all the best as we head into 2025.
And as always, what’s on your mind as the year changes? Drop me a comment and let me know.
Hi Chris. Like you I’m a teacher too as well as being a consultant and I share your pessimism about making a difference. I am, at my core a deeply optimistic person, so my creeping pessimism is new for me, although not unexpected. It’s perhaps a letting go of the world I imagined as possible and resting in the trust that maybe things will be good for people in ways I can’t imagine. And to that end, my purpose, such as it is, is really to share the little bits that I’m good at and that I know well so that those who want or need what I know can take it and fashion it into something else.
I’m more and more staying true to the little niche of expertise I have – crafting participatory dialogue, working with story in complexity and maybe one or two other things depending on context – and leaving it there. I’m in my mid-fifties now. Feeling the deep call to support others who are creating things and ways of doing stuff that I can’t even imagine.
Happy new year to you.
Thank you for sharing Chris!
I also find myself going further and further into my niche, for the most part I think that’s healthy. I can also appreciate the deep call to support others.
Chris, I connected very deeply to this post. As one who was once posting blogs two or three per week, I’ve struggled to produce two or three per quarter. It’s not that there aren’t ideas to share, but just something that’s creating the kind of inertia that’s drawn the energy from my writing. Everything from the comic to the lodestar about evidence mattering resonates with me. The idea of using evidence through what we help co-create with others is something that seems obvious and value-filled. I think what’s happened to me is that I’m no longer sure. It’s not that I don’t believe in it or that the value is any less important (I’d argue it might be even more important now than before), but that there’s something about this work that feels less valued. It feels less engaging as a field for some reason. It’s for these reasons that your post matters even more; it’s a statement that this work matters. I wanted to post a comment – and am so glad to Chris doing the same — to tell you that and thank you for continuing to share ideas, thoughts, humour and art through your work. You’ve inspired me to write something. I need to read my own evidence report (comment) and apply this. Thanks, Chris — and the very best wishes for a creative, successful, and impactful 2025.
Thank you for sharing Cameron!
There is always a bit of comfort in shared experiences, so I appreciate you sharing your own.
Hi Chris,
The frustration of evidence being ignored resonates a lot. These days I try to have an in-depth discussion about what the (internal) client plans to use the evaluation for, and what actions will be potentially taken based on the findings. For example, what happens if we find that the programme is not working, or if we learn that it fails to reach its intended beneficiaries. And what level of funding or resourcing is available for the implementation of potential recommendations above BAU. This often helps to clarify the scope and adjust the level of emotional investment. Any recommendations that are not feasible due to these constraints may get mentioned in an “aspirational” or “blue sky thinking” section without any expectation that they will be implemented. This approach is probably easier as an in-house evaluator than for external consultants – I can imagine it putting people off if they weren’t stuck with me because these can be hard questions to ask and to answer.
Happy New Year and wishing you lots of impact and creative joy for 2025!
Thanks for sharing Celestyna! I love the idea of action oriented evaluation use conversations.
Hi Chris,
Your post and the comments before me really resonate with me, too. And yes, sometimes our job really makes me feel pessimistic. But then, I try to look at my own work with my “evaluation lens.” I know the world is changing quite fast, and I think to myself if I am missing an adaptability skill. What am I not getting or understanding about the state of things that could make evidence that matters be used? Where is the place where evidence makes sense?
And I think it is completely normal to feel like this occasionally. Our career is not a “straight line” with no ups and downs that ultimately make us reflect on our journey.
Thank you for being brave and sharing your experience.
Wishing you an inspiring and insightful 2025!
Thank you for sharing Cristiana 🙂
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your thoughtful (as always blog). I think it can be difficult at times to not get despondent at the prospects for better evidence informing better decisions and better outcomes in the light of misinformation, polarisation, and technologies which undermine capacities for critical thinking. But there is hope in conscious, focused and connected efforts to do this in thoughtful ways. And while I’m still working on the better evidence side of it, I’m also paying more attention to better processes which support dialogue and deliberation – like the work of The Workshop in NZ https://www.theworkshop.org.nz/ and many others.
Best wishes for 2025. Enjoy a break to reflect and gather your thoughts and energies for the year ahead Look forward to your thoughful contributions in the year ahead – and your cartoons!
Warm regards,
Patricia Rogers
And thank you for you thoughtful comment Patricia 🙂
Hi Chris. Thanks for your blog which I am reading on my first day back at work. This is just a short reply to say your cartoons and blogs inspire and reassure me as an evaluator so keep doing them please! I love the new strap line also. It does sometimes feel like we are wading through evaluation ‘mud’ but keeping focussed on how and why we use the evidence keeps me going. Thanks for all the humour and you stay awesome also.
Thank you Liz!
Yep I have been there many times but we just need to keep going as without evidence no body can be held to account and real progress cannot be made. That said sometimes the things that matter to people can be hard to measure.
Just keep up the good work Chris.
Thank you Frank!
This post hit home. Shared it with my colleagues this morning. Thank you for your cartoons and inspiration, and know that there are many asking similar questions and fighting the good fight alongside you. Happy New Year!
Thank you Jackie 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughtfulness, Chris. It’s a beacon.
Once, a long while ago, I had similar frustration and pessimism with ‘planning’, noting and observing that any plan (spatial/land-use plan) that government developed has become just a planning document, but not really implemented, or ignored, or even misused and abused. Until I learned about evaluation. Although I still appreciate evaluation now, but there have been always fear that I would encounter that same frustration and pessimism.
However, your cartoon always makes me smile and keep my spirit high. So, thank you.