As humans and especially as creative professionals, we must learn to maintain a delicate balance between security and adventure, as our minds and hearts deem appropriate. If you are the sort of person who tilts toward adventure, or you crave a lot more risk in your life and career than you have currently, have you ever considered the life of a digital nomad?
Digital nomads take advantage of the wondrous interconnectedness provided by flourishing digital technologies. The consumer internet has only been around for a bit more than two decades, and these digital nomads live to explore new landscapes both virtual and geographical.
To be a digital nomad, one condition is to hone the skills you can do remotely, such as web design and development, copywriting, social media marketing, or any other creative trade that requires only an agile mind and a laptop. You must also cultivate your adaptability, learn to strategize, and develop a whole range of travel and interpersonal skills, some of which are so specific that they don’t have names.
You can start to live a successful life as a digital nomad, with all the romance and adventure that come with it, if you can master these four core principles.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Before you travel the world on your own steam, get smart with your money. Eliminate as much debt as possible and cut expenses to the bone. Own only the property you absolutely need – place most of your items in storage, and if you own a home, consider renting it out on Airbnb for extra income. If you don’t own much, don’t owe much, and lead a simple life, you will have an easier transition to becoming a digital nomad.
Plan Ahead – Take Care of the Details
The life of a digital nomad involves lots of improvisation. That’s much easier to manage if you handle as many potential variables as you can before you go. Figure out your communication strategy – how will you stay in touch with clients and creative recruiters on foreign soil? Plan your itinerary – where are you staying, and where can you stay if those plans go awry? Do you need travel insurance, or extra guidance and protection? Use your networking skills to find a community of mentors and peers who have overcome some of the challenges of being digital nomads. Their friendship, camaraderie, and insight will make your travel experience less lonely and more fun and fruitful.
Put Your Assets to Work
As a digital nomad, you won’t have access to the same professional networks you would if you were anchored in one location or community. You can make up for this if you create assets that will work in your favor when you’re traveling or go offline. Make sure your online resume and digital portfolio are attracting new business while you sleep (especially if you’re sleeping in an unusual new time zone). If you have unique skills to share, you might create an online course – this can generate passive income to help you get through any rough patches.
Keep an Open Mind
The most important skill of a digital nomad is adaptability. This bold lifestyle will teach you how to embrace unpredictability, dive into the unknown, and change your mind on the fly.
“Travel has a way revealing that much of what you’ve heard about the world is wrong,” says Rolf Potts, author of the acclaimed travel lifestyle manual Vagabonding. ” Even on a day-to-day level, travel enables you to avoid setting limits on what you can and can’t do. On the road, you naturally ‘play games’ with your day: watching, waiting, listening; allowing things to happen. There’s no better opportunity to break old habits, face latent fears, and test out repressed facets of your personality.”
At Artisan Creative, we can help you conquer the challenges that matter to you as you claim the life and career you want. Contact us today to learn more.