It wasn’t in our original plan, but our decision to design a creative space was intentional.
Yes, it was partly because of the podcast we’re starting.
We designed the creative space to better accommodate the new podcast. But that’s not the only reason.
Several years ago when I started Break the Twitch, it was just a side project. The website started as a way to share my own intentional journey through minimalism. It was something I was really passionate about while I was working full-time and based in Minneapolis.
At the time, I was enamored with the idea of location independence—the glamorized ability to work from anywhere in the world. I had this dream of being a digital nomad, working while traveling and experiencing the world. This desire led to the creation of our media and video company, a fairly location-independent business as I was typically able to fly out to client locations or work remotely.
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We tried some test runs on living this digital nomad lifestyle.
Two years ago, my wife and I went to the Dominican Republic for fun and also to work on the business. More recently, our transition from Minneapolis to Phoenix and back to Minneapolis was a whole upheaval that has taken us some adjustment to get back on a routine.
What I found was that I really thrive on routine and having a regular creative space to do my best work.
I’m not as productive working from different environments, particularly in new places where my attention gets pulled away easily. I simply don’t have the organization and concentration to work in different places like many others who choose this lifestyle. While some people may find it easy to work while constantly on the move, it just hasn’t worked for me.
Our vision changed from what we thought, and we’re adapting to it.
Contrary to what I originally envisioned, my wife Amy and I are probably going to be more rooted—despite the ability to travel and work from different places. We’ve found that we enjoy our community, our friends and our space. We enjoy having a more regular routine: one that we create ourselves, but free from the variability and disruption that travel often introduces. I’ve found that I feel better, and do better creative work when I’m not on the move.
I think it’s important to realize that an idealized lifestyle that works for others may not work for you. My version ended up looking differently, and that may be the case for you as well. I hope this perspective helps you shape your life and perhaps build your own creative space to do what matters.
