Data analysis and painting seem like complete opposites, so my colleagues are usually surprised to learn I do both. I have found that they actually have a lot of similarities. Both have a process that involves:

Simplification

AKA reductionism.

Both data analytics and artwork require taking complex information and reducing it to fundamental information that is easy to understand.

Data analysts work with hundreds of thousands of detailed rows of information aggregated into metrics to help leaders in organizations make decisions. Never mind the visualization piece, data analysts need to know what information matters to ‘move the needle’ (or insert another cliche corporate phrase here that represents improving the business).

In my experience, I have simplified individual client payments per invoice into average days to pay per client, individual cost transactions (plus profit) into revenue per year, and so on. Aggregates like these helps leaders focus on what matters to drive growth or change. Sometimes this means ignoring other captured data, such as invoice numbers or client address, which don’t provide value and can distract from the focus. Other times this means omitting anomalies that skew the view to what’s actually happening. Knowing what to leave out is just as helpful as knowing what to highlight. Otherwise, you’re left with too much information and little direction.

Similarly, a well-done painting simplifies a subject into fundamental shapes and guides the viewer while emphasizing what matters. Landscapes can be great example of simplification, because there are so many details in real life. One landscape view contains so many colors and values. Typically, artists don’t paint every leaf on a tree. They are able to suggest a landscape with form rather than with every individual detail. Landscapes are reduced to various shapes of shadow and light, representing the scene while creating movement and naturally guiding the viewer through the painting. Shapes, light, shadow, and composition can point the viewer to what matters (to the artist) in the scene. This can also mean moving or omitting objects when necessary.

When I’m overwhelmed with trying to capture a beautiful scene, I remember to simplify as much as possible to build the painting.