IT STARTS WITH A SINGLE DECISION.
In April of 2015, I left my full-time job in broadcast/media and my LA-based music studio behind to embrace a lifestyle of endless travel. Since then, I have produced my biggest projects entirely remotely. Over the course of two years, I have kept a vow to continually find the optimal mobile music production setup – one that allows us to minimize travel gear while retaining top-notch studio sound quality.
I began producing music as a hobby in the mid-90's and started to DJ at clubs and parties in the year 2000. Shortly after, I entered the world of broadcast – first through college and public radio followed by various production roles in commercial radio. After returning to the States from an exchange program in The Netherlands, the travel bug had forever sunk its teeth into my skin. I wanted to see the world. The average two-week vacation wasn't going to be enough to cover the 196 countries of the world in a lifetime.
So how does one combine a mentally-absurd passion for music with an equally ridiculous obsession for travel? Ten years ago, us music producers would have been locked down by all of our hardware gear. Today, we are blessed with the fruits of the digital revolution. Two years ago, I sold off most of my gear and went completely in-the-box. Today, my mantra is "mobility first." I have realized that embracing a philosophy of minimalism is not only essential in my travel life, but also in my music as well.
get started. embrace your fears.
Before I pulled the trigger with a one-way ticket to Thailand, there were a mountain of obstacles and "what ifs" to overcome. The thought of showing up in a foreign country was daunting. What would I do with my home? What about my job? My friends at home? My bills? Responsibilities? How could I just leave? Wouldn't the world I've worked so hard to build collapse? What about my network? Would I lose touch with my friends and co-workers? Would I destroy everything I had built, only to show up in a foreign country with nothing?
These are all normal fears, especially when you're dealing with so many unknowns. Sure, you know what to expect when you're in your own neighborhood, your own state or province, your own country. Maybe you took a trip to another city, even in your own country, and realized how different it was. How would a different city in your own country compare to being in a completely foreign land?
If you think of all of these questions and try to solve them in your head all at once, it's daunting. First, because you do not yet have the experience to come up with a solution, and second, because it may seem unquantifiable and overwhelming, so you may just put it off until "some day." You may have a dream that's so alive in your heart, but as soon as you move that dream to the practical plane of your mind, it dissipates.
write your fears down.
The first step, is to write down all of your fears right now. That's right. Stop what you're doing, grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen, and at the very top, write down: "I'm suspending my dreams of travel because..."
I suggest you actually write and not type your notes because there's something that's inherently more tactile about getting your thoughts out on paper than typing it on a digital screen. In my experience, you're actually about to get it out of your mind and onto a physical medium, rather than typing it out. I've found that the same thoughts take up less mental space after I use pen and paper, compared to typing.
Don't move into the next section until you've written until you can't write no more. Write down all of your fears. Not just the first few that pop into mind, or the easiest ones. Write every single one of them down.
Done? Good. If you've got a few more to squeeze out, now's your chance. Here's what mine looked like:
talk back to those fears.
Now that your fears are in plain sight for you to observe, they're no longer taking up mental space with no solution on the horizon. These exact fears are what are holding you back from living the dream that's in your heart. Now, let's address those fears one by one.
The world, full of its infinite possibilities and solutions, is not holding anything back from you at this moment in time. Only you can do that. So let's have a shift in mindset to finding solutions and creating possibilities, rather than playing into our fears and remaining stagnant. Try to think of 3 possible solutions that would address each fear. Even a single good one is good enough, but trying to think of 3 will put your brain into a higher gear.
Have fun with it! Here's what mine looked like:
If you're having trouble reading my scratchy handwriting, I've typed out the entire list, including the solutions, here:
I'm suspending my dreams of travel because...
What will I do with my car?
Motorcycle needs to be fired up regularly.
What will I do with my place?
All of my hardware gear/speakers/synths
Clothes
How will my bills get paid on time?
Losing touch with friends and co-workers
My plants
People will think I'm crazy
What if I destroy my career?
What if I can't find work when/if I come back?
What if I regret this decision?
What if I run out of money?
How will this look on my resume/CV?
What if I get lonely?
Can't make decent music in headphones.
What if my gear is stolen?
What if I get sick or hospitalized?
What if I catch a tropical disease?
How will I stay fit without a gym?
What about clean, healthy foods?
How will I communicate without knowing the local language?
PICK A DATE. TAKE ACTION.
Great! Now that you've figured out exactly what's holding you back, you've also gained some new insights on how you can tackle those fears. You may also have some new perspectives on how you can work around these fears. The antidote to fear is courage! And the only way to practice courage is action.
Think of how much richer you'll be as a person, how much more developed your character will be, how much more confident you'll be once you step far outside of your comfort zone. Only by making this decision now will you gift yourself the opportunity to go far beyond what you're normally used to. On the other side is YOU, version 2.0.
The difference between "some day" and "I did it" is that single moment when you decide to take action. So let's start building some momentum now.
Grab a marker and your calendar, or open up your Google Calendar or iCal, and pick a date that seems far away enough, but not too far. 6-12 months time is a good time frame, depending on how ready you feel. 18 months may feel better if you're not quite ready, but I wouldn't push it beyond that. If it's too far away, you'll lose momentum or circumstances in your life may change, making it harder (but not impossible) for you to ride the momentum you've already created for yourself, just by reading this article.
Now keep your destination in mind and write it down. For example, "Flight to Thailand" or "Backpacking trip begins in Peru" or "One-way ticket to Hungary" or "World travel begins!"
By the way, if you'd like to plan your travels around essential dance music conferences around the world, click here to grab my free guide that lays it all out for you.
If you can book that plane ticket now, do it! By booking that plane ticket, you're committing yourself to this whole-heartedly. Once you do that, everything will begin to move forward to support your commitment.
This quote by William Hutchison Murray has always stuck with me:
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
THE NOMADIC MUSIC PRODUCER'S HANDBOOK
The Nomadic Music Producer's Handbook is the result of over two years of trial-and-error as a nomadic DJ and music producer. I have made mistakes, spent money unnecessarily, overdone it and underdone it – but you don't have to! I overcame my fears to help you realize that if I can do it, you also can. I discuss ways you can earn an income remotely as you travel, landing DJ gigs, finding free meals and accommodations, staying fit while traveling, my take on mixing and mastering, preparing for travel, and much more.
The life you dream of is easily within reach – and whether you want to live a nomadic lifestyle for a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, what I have to share in this book will help you get there on your own terms.
Don't let your dreams of long-term world travel and producing music escape you!
Free Download: Grab the International Dance Music Conferences guide here.
Purchase the Nomadic Music Producer's Handbook here.
Follow me on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/arthurgalestian
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/arthurg
Facebook: facebook.com/arthurgalestianfans
Twitter: twitter.com/arthurgalestian
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