A one-hour lecture and slide show offering a vivid and entertaining account of my early experience as a digital nomad—long before the term became mainstream. Some twenty years ago, I set out to travel twice around the world over a period of two years, continuing to work full-time as a freelance illustrator throughout the journey. During that time, I created editorial and institutional illustrations for a range of international clients, keeping up with deadlines and creative demands from hotel rooms, cafés, airport lounges, and internet cafés scattered across continents.
The presentation explores how I managed to stay connected and productive in an era when portable technology, Wi-Fi access, and cloud storage were still in their infancy. I share the tools, techniques, and improvised solutions that made remote work possible—often under unpredictable conditions—and the sometimes amusing, sometimes nerve-wracking experiences that came with it.
Through a rich selection of slides, sketches, maps, and travel anecdotes, the lecture illustrates how resourcefulness, flexibility, and curiosity became essential skills for balancing professional commitments with the freedom of life on the road. It also reflects on how those early experiments in mobile working anticipated many of today’s practices and mindsets among creative professionals.
Ultimately, this is a story about adaptation and creativity—about learning to meet deadlines under palm trees and power outages, to turn obstacles into opportunities, and to find inspiration in the unexpected. The talk concludes with practical insights and timeless lessons for today’s digital nomads navigating an even more connected yet equally unpredictable world.
