Staying Creative while Traveling

One of the hardest things for me when I originally started toying with the idea of a nomad's lifestyle was the idea of where the heck I would put all my crafting supplies. Seriously, I basically had a slightly smaller version of Michael's packed into my bedroom and studio at my old place. I still dream about how glorious it was. I make everything out of everything, plastic bags get saved for plarn, newspapers are saved for paper mache, plastic bottles have infinite uses, dumpster diving or picking up stuff left on curbs has been a part of my life since childhood... My sewing and embroidery machine is second only to my laptop in what I would carry out in a fire.

Naturally, being on the road presents some challenges to my lifestyle of semi-hoarding or ultra upcycling as I prefer to term it. Namely, where the heck do I store all my tools.

Unfortunately the answer is I do not.

But thankfully, I have learned a few things that help indulge my inner urge to craft.

1) If I'm in one spot for a few months and I really need something that isn't crazy expensive (like jewelry findings), and I can't find it at a reasonable price locally, ebay is always the answer.

2) You can craft with almost anything if you try hard enough. Basket weaving with wood, spinning with locally available fiber. Not having access to your local craft shop can be immensely good for your creative juices as they need to flow extra hard.

3) Find something you love that is transportable. If you scrapbook, try smashbooking. If you sew, try hand embroidery (so fun). Write everything you can anywhere you can. Make your hobby work for you, instead of you working for your hobby.

4) Digital design work can be almost as satisfying. Obviously I have this blog, and while I do have mountains of work to get done as far as design and layout, it's something to play with. Recently, me and one of my Winnipeg friends also decided to launch an online t-shirt company (shameless self promotion) filled with wonderfully nerdy t-shirts available in limited time prints. No clue how successful it'll end up but it's another outlet (and another income source that enables me to be location independent).

Do you consider yourself crafty? What kind of art do you make while traveling? Let me know!

Cheers,

Do Whatever the Hell You Want to

So I guess this comes in the form of a half motivational post - half rant.

Literally at least once a week, if not more frequently, someone tells me that they "wish they could travel as long as I do" or that they are "so jealous" of my life. These people are usually 20-somethings like myself, often are not in school, and are working in minimum wage jobs that they hate while living at home with their parents.

I'm going to drop a truth bomb on you right now.

You can do whatever you want.

I know, people will immediately say that you can't just fly to pluto, or levitate objects with your mind, or burn your ex boyfriend's house to the ground (okay well that's more of a you really should not do than a can't).

If you want to travel, you are completely capable of making that happen.

If you want to be a writer, start writing things and submitting them everywhere, blog, self publish.

If you want to make crafts or art for a living, start an etsy and learn everything you can about photography and self promotion.

We live in a world with not only vast libraries of knowledge, but the wonder of the internet which makes mountains of information available to us FOR FREE.

If you aren't willing to put in the time to chase your dreams, you are never going to be living them.

#endrant

Creating a 5 Year Plan

Recently, I've been browsing around the internet for writing prompts (here's an excellent list for March) because I assume that at some point, you will all get bored in reading my weekly life updates and want some actual thoughtful and semi-well written information. So in that spirit, I present to you my thoughts on 5 year plans, mission statements, bucket lists, and over arching life goals. Ready?

Do it. 

I know that may seem like a bit of departure from my usual devil-may-care, travel everywhere, do whatever, laid back, low stress, life advice. Hear me out. I have a 5 year plan. The thing is, my 5 year plan goes though at least one significant change about every 6 months. 

Planning out approximately 5 years in advance gives me TONS of motivation when I'm stuck in the occasional months where I am not traveling, laying on a beach, or spending the vast majority of my time playing with craft supplies. 

No, I do not plan out every day on my wonderful 5 year plan. It's a simple document in my Notes app on my Macbook, readily accessible and incredibly easy to change. 

I like to block things out in semester long periods, because I find them to be sensible dividing points. Janurary - April I do one particular thing (in the present case, Maui), then May - August I do another thing (Victoria), then September - December one more thing (in this case, my schedule reads: take classes either online or in Winnipeg and make some progress on your degree ya bum). 

I think it's healthy to give yourself lots of "breaks" in life, and try tons of new things in new places. Dividing my year into 3 sections encourages me to do that frequently, and has the added benefit of working quite well with my on again off again approach to University. 

I also like to have a side list of goals for the week + month in my paper day planner, just to keep me on task. One of the biggest challenges I find myself faced with in daily life is my desire to throw myself into a million and one projects, which inevitably leads to things being half finished if they aren't written down.

How do you structure your 5 year plan? What kind of goals are you reaching for? Tell me your life!

Cheers,