On My Mind

5 Remote Jobs You Can Do Anywhere In The World

It’s long been a dream of mine to live and work freely in different cities in the world. And with pandemic now making moving between borders more difficult and dangerous, living abroad long term (or living in a domestic travel destination!) is increasingly a viable alternative to hopping around like we used to.

Remote working from a tropical paradise or in a picturesque mountain hideaway always seemed like a dream that could never come true. But the pandemic has opened my mind to the many options available to be able to work and live where you want, even for at least a few months. It’s more than possible with the right mindset, skillset, and job. 

I hope these ideas can inspire more of us to leave our cities and take that leap! Here are five remote jobs that you can do anywhere in the world.

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Content creation

First on the list is, of course, what I do! Whether you are a budding photographer, writer, filmmaker, etc., you can do these jobs anywhere from a sofa or a cafe. Aside from practicing your skills, you need to find a strong, sellable niche, build your portfolio around that, and then work extra hard to get regular clients. If you have the client base and the right mindset, you can work from anywhere. I can attest that traveling from country to country is part of the job.

Online trading

For those who prefer working with numbers and have a passion for the markets, online trading is another option. For example, Forex Trading is increasingly popular due to the accessibility to trading online, even for newbies. You can become a trader via online courses and pursue your passion for the trading industry. The beauty of trading is that you can trade anywhere at any time and always have access to your work through your phone.

Data analyst 

While this may not sound like the most exciting job title, it can be done from pretty much anywhere in the world. There is a huge demand for data analysts in virtually every field now. You will need an understanding of how to use Excel and similar tools, as well as strong organizational skills. Although this type of work can often be intense, the clear upside is that after a hard day you can kick back and enjoy a well-deserved cocktail or beer at the end of the day.

Online tutor

To teach English abroad you usually have to go and live in a different country anyway, but by becoming an online tutor you can be in the country of your choice while teaching to someone in a different country entirely. Teaching English online has become very popular and each company has different prerequisites e.g. minimum bachelor’s degree or a minimum of seven hours of teaching a week. While this space is already very competitive, it’s certainly a viable and even fun way to monetize your skills and help people out while having plenty of time to travel or explore your new home. 

Digital marketing manager

If you’re addicted to social media anyway, why not try to monetize it? There are hundreds if not thousands of companies out there who are looking for people to help manage their content. For many companies keeping their social media pages up to date with new relevant information is more important than ever due to rise of online selling and booking during the pandemic. Sadly, though, this is something they often treat as an afterthought. You can deliver tremendous value to a company while having a lifestyle job if you’re able to create a proven track record of helping companies manage and grow their social presence.

Conclusion

It’s always my hope to inspire you (and myself!) to open our minds to possibilities to live our dreams that are just lying in wait for us to pursue them. Once you realize they’re there, give yourself permission to try, and then commit to putting in the work to make it work, you may be surprised that in time your dreams become very real!

So if you’ve always dreamt of that digital nomad life, I hope these get you started. Any other great ideas for remote careers? Share them with me in the comments! Thanks for reading, and safe travels.

Shooting Beautiful Landscapes on my iPhone X

This week I’ve made two YouTube videos on my experience with the iPhone X as a photography tool!

The first video talks about how, ever since I upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone X, I’ve been leaving my Sony A7RII at home more, for reasons including improved image processing, the telephoto lens, 4K video at 24p and 60p, portrait mode, and RAW shooting and editing. If you’re into the more technical side of things and been wondering if you should upgrade from a previous generation iPhone, this is the episode for you!

The second video talks about how my most popular landscape photo on social media this year was shot on an iPhone X and what that unexpected occurrence taught me. In this video I address the issue of the gap that exists between how we regard our work and how the audience receives it by digging into the question: If an iPhone photo that took me seconds to capture and edit is more popular than photos that took so much more effort to shoot and process, does that mean that the effort I put into the latter actually doesn’t matter?

Hope you enjoy and learn something from this week’s twin episodes! The truth is that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the iPhone X as compared to my iPhone 6 and have gotten surprisingly good results from it. Check out my current gallery of iPhone X photos below (click on each image to see larger):

A morning in Sagada. iPhone X JPG, telephoto lens.

Elevated view of Bontoc. iPhone X JPG, telephoto lens, unedited.

Flying into Siargao. iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

Spectacular morning landing in Rome. iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

Tappiya Falls, Batad. iPhone X live photo converted to long exposure.

Dead tree on Sabang Beach, Baler. iPhone X live photo converted to long exposure.


The Straight Life Path is a Lie, Don't Feel Bad If You're Not On It

Most of us have been told to live life in a certain way, but the truth is that there are so many ways to live a good life.

This is another short, off-the-cuff episode where I talk about how the straight life path most of us are expected to follow can become a source of unnecessary angst that hinders you from fully living the kind of life you choose. I cite another passage from Getting There: A Book of Mentors that many of my Instagram followers responded to a few days ago that shares the words of Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company.

Links:

Getting There: A Book of Mentors [affiliate link]

Lazy Dog Homestay Baguio

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

How Instagram Makes You Feel Uninspired

This week I share some ways that Instagram, despite the amount of opportunities and inspiration it provides, actually becomes a hindrance to creating after spending a lot of time on it.

I'm always searching for inspiration and new ideas, and Instagram is one of the easiest places to find it for visual art. But oftentimes it has the opposite effect on me, for reasons that in many ways correspond to how it makes you feel bad about your life.

About my channel: Aside from my films, I post weekly videos about life an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning and doing will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

This episode what shot in The Seedling Eco-Retreat and Artist Residency at Sagada, Mountain Province, in the Philippines.

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

Say No to Reality and Embrace Your Potential as an Artist

Nietszche once said that "No artist tolerates reality." Today I share Chase Jarvis's inspirational interpretation of this quote that can help you overcome your limiting beliefs and embrace your potential as an artist.

Link to the original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6XeSQFwDh/

Video of Steve Jobs quote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEiSa6_EPA

About my channel: Aside from my films, I post weekly videos about life an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning and doing will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

This week I'm coming to you from The Seedling Eco-Retreat and Artist Residency at Sagada, Mountain Province, in the Philippines.

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

The Truth About Early Success as an Artist

Most of us dream of becoming famous at a young age. But is it really as great as it seems?

This week I share the story of AJ Hochhalter, a film composer who struck it big composing music for a film that won in Sundance when he was just age 25.

Read the whole interview here.

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

Thanks to Bifoli2 for my knit checkered hat: https://bifoli2.com/shop/