Life of a Digital Nomad – Interview Matthew

Tell us a little about yourself, Matthew!

I’m a super multi-passionate person. I feel best when I am doing a variety of things that engage me on all levels, music, yoga, running, rock climbing, movement, teaching, cooking. I constantly feel the drive to grow and expand and explore more of what is possible in my being. I can’t settle for any sort of normal. 

Can you say something about the background for your lifestyle choice? What motivated you? What kind of considerations did you make?

COVID brought some major changes in my life that drove my decision to go fully nomadic. Pre – COVID, I was a full time sideman bassist, music teacher, and yoga instructor. I traveled quite a bit in 2020 for a number of creative projects and saw a lot of openings in, as a result of exploring new avenues. I discovered a deeper love of living life on the road, creating along the way. 

When I got home from a long trip last October, I decided to sell almost all my things, buy a cargo van, and build it out to live and work in. I moved into the van in April 2021. It’s been the best decision of my life!

Can you describe a day in your life?

My daily structure varies quite a bit depending on the project I am currently working on. During the artist residency in Asheville, NC that I just completed with my partner, the day looked something like this: morning meditation and yoga, make a warm drink, movement warmups and some rehearsal for the choreographed piece. Then work trade at the residency property and work out, lunch, a short rest, admin time (business emails/etc), rehearsal, cook dinner. Finally, some music practice or recording for clients. Rest. 

What’s the most challenging part of your lifestyle?

Managing so many irons in the fire! I have so many goals that require a lot of energy and trailblazing. Finding liveable moneymaking opportunities can be quite challenging as a musician/yoga teacher in the context of COVID. I have a constantly growing archive of creative work, and staying on top of releasing and developing it all is quite a challenge!

Have you ever had any regrets about becoming a “free agent”?

Never. The freedom is worth the difficulty! 

How do you promote your services?

Word of mouth. Social media. Releasing content on YouTube, Spotify, insight timer and other platforms. Sending what I make to people in hope that it will help them in some way.

Do you have any tips on how to work efficiently from home?

Use a timer for tasks. Create structure for yourself. Have big goals and break them down into smaller ones, placed on a timeline. Do your best to honor that timeline, without being overly rigid. It’s a dance, and it’s fun!

What are your favorite tools (on,- as well as offline) for organizing your work?

I use apple notes extensively. And numbers for creating different ledgers. I stay really on top of organizing my files so I never have to dig for anything. I love creating short links that make material easy to share. I keep lists of these.

How do you keep yourself inspired in your work?

Doing things that push me to grow that are outside of my comfort zone. This applies to all the things I love to do! 

What is your absolute favorite thing about working like you do?

Recording and performing from my van in beautiful remote locations feel pretty awesome! 

What is the one advice you want to give anyone considering taking the leap into the life of a digital nomad?

Believe in yourself. If you have a genuine desire to offer something life affirming to the world, there is a niche where you can flourish. Trailblaze, be creative, don’t get deterred when a plan doesn’t work. Try new approaches. Practice focus and develop tools that allow you to focus on specific tasks, as you will need to do a huge variety of them. Most of your work will be thankless. Become a legend anyway!

What do you think about his interview? Please comment below.

If you are a digital nomad or know someone who is, we would love to do a quick interview.