Last Updated on September 16, 2017 by Charmaine | The Canadian Wanderer
Sophie is a digital nomad who travels while working as a Lead Artist in the mobile games industry. She found a profession where she loves and not giving up her love for traveling. Check out how she did it below with her story!
What is your name and where are you originally from?
I’m Sophie (Zofia) and I’m from Poland
Where do you currently live?
I don’t live anywhere. I’m a happy homeless, or a nomad, however you’d like to call that 😀
What is your current job that you have done that allowed you to travel? Where are these located?
I’m a Lead Artist working in the mobile games industry. My company is located in Poland, but I don’t visit very often. In fact, I rarely do. We see each other on Skype everyday.
Why did you choose this career / nomad lifestyle? Was there a turning point that led to the decision?
Yes absolutely! There was definitely a turning point. I was living in Warsaw, in a lovely apartment right next to the Palace of Culture and Science – you cannot go anywhere more central than that. I had a well paid job (also as an artist), lovely friends, great gigs with fantastic music, but…the routine started killing me. Every day was the same, every path was walked by me already, there was nothing more to discover and I felt that deep inside I was dying. It was way too fast for me to jump into routine. So I asked my company to allow me to work remotely for them – just for a month from Bangkok. This month has changed my whole mindset – I wasn’t the same Sophie anymore. Feeling that the whole world was out there waiting for me, I simply couldn’t stand still. This was the very beginning of my new life!
Unfortunately, the company I was working for back then, didn’t allow me to continue working remotely so I quit. I was very lucky, because only a couple months later, while I was somewhere between Laos and Cambodia, another company found me on Linkedin/ They told me that they’ve heard my story and were more than happy to work with me remotely.
What experience do you need to do your job? How did you get started?
I needed money! Ha, ha 😀 So I bought a graphic tablet and I started drawing – day and night (I left college so I had plenty of time). My drawings at the very beginning, believe me, were beyond awful. But I added some web design to my portfolio and surprisingly – someone hired me! I was 18 years old and I was earning around $1,50 USD per hour.
What is your favourite thing about the job?
I love doing something creative, and drawing allows me that. Also, when I see how I’m getting better and better every single year, that’s very satisfying and encourages me to try even harder.
What is the least favourable thing about the job?
It’s 8 hours per day so it’s a long time to sit behind the desk.
What does a typical day in your job looks like? A sample schedule?
I turn on my computer, clock in on my online timesheets, say hello to my boss on skype and catch up on projects/drawings that need to be accepted. Currently, I’m supervising the creative part of the project. Then I start drawing! Obviously I’m online all the time so if there’s something urgent to fix or if something, for example wasn’t uploaded anything else, I’m leaving my Photoshop canvas for a while and completing those small things.
What is your advice for someone who wants to do something similar?
First of all, believe in yourself! Anything is possible, and it’s not too late to go along with your dreams. Be brave and work hard. It will require a lot of hard work but remember how awesome it will be to look back at your accomplishments in the future.
Biography:
Sophie is a happy digital nomad who said no to sitting behind the desk and travels all over the world. She believes that anyone who is determined can also live this nomad life and shares her stories on her personal website at Where Is Zebra. You can also find her on her Facebook page and Instagram.
The Jobs on the Road is an original series that focuses on how real people make money on the road while traveling. This series is meant to inspire and to show you how real people can maintain the best of both worlds: traveling and building a career. If you are interested in participating or to learn more about the project, please view here.
