07: Moving as an Expat Artist

Illustration Moving as an Expat Artist @thesmarti

Day 33 in Windhoek. These are the early days where everything still feels foreign. Foods, cities, languages, routines. Eventually, I'll figure things out and I'll quickly forget all the small things I learned along the way. Moving is an interesting stage in life, happens to some of us only a couple times along the way. But for expats like me, it's part of an ongoing lifestyle. This post is to remind myself what it's like to pack/move/setup every time I switch countries. Ah, the silly romantic thrills and honest annoyances of nomadic expat life.

So to start, yes, I've only just moved to Windhoek. But this isn't my first rodeo. I was raised as a military brat throughout my childhood. And for my first career I was a young diplomat. And then for the past 13 years, I've joined alongside my partner for a number of similar cross-continent moves. Each phase of my life has only one thing consistent in it: I move.

There are a number of tricks I've learned along the way, and here is some of the advice I'll revisit to remind myself what to do when the next country change comes along. Some of these are strangely contradicting. It definitely goes to show that Platos' advice to "KNOW THYSELF" applies in every step. Oh, and also, some things happen simultaneously. Apply at your own risk, friends, because as always, your mileage may vary.

Illustration 1 Catalogue 2 Minimize 3 Squirrel 4 Section @thesmarti

STEP 1. Catalogue. Make a list of all the things that you own. Bulk the boring things. But be exact about all your art supplies. Then ruthlessly try to be strategic and minimalistic about what you keep. There's a big likelihood that if you don't decide then the moving company will decide for you. They have strict limitations according to the budget. Better to get rid of things ahead of time than to stress-cry and figure out how to lug it all to a thrift store on moving day. Or at least be emotionally prepared to leave some things behind.

STEP 2. Minimize. If you are smart, you will take a picture of valuable big item things as they come into your house so then you will have a stock of photos saved on your desktop you can use for uploading into Facebook moving pages, online sell pages or even just to WhatsApp local friends in case they are interested. Also, in your first couple of months in post, scout for nearby thrift stores where you can drop a donation bag. Have the bag propped up somewhere visible in your apartment and fill it when you notice something in the house that no longer serves you. Try to have a policy of dropping-off things every two weeks throughout your residency so you don't have to do a mass drop at the end before your move. *This also has an added benefit of helping you keep your house quite tidy! Less stuff = less cleaning!

STEP 3. Squirrel. Always pack creature comforts first into your travel luggage so you can prepare for the first couple of months. I once had to wait nearly 6 months for my moving shipment to arrive with all my belongings. I like to think I'm a badass and can "go without" for quite a long time. But having those little extra things - color pencil set, a pillowcase, house slippers, or goodness gracious, a decent pair of scissors - can really make a difference when I'm settling into a new place.

STEP 4. Section. Be ridiculous in over-preparation of the move. Spend the week before emptying out all the cupboards and laying things in perfect stacks on large paper sheets. Be sure to separate your travel luggage and important things to another room away from the moving stacks so it's clear what's going where. This is an excellent moment to check your catalogue of everything you own. How about one more round of minimizing? Let go where you can. Traveling light is better for your mental health and for the environment.

Illustration 5 Detail 6 Rest 7 Travel @thesmarti

STEP 5. Detail. Night before the move, prep up a comfortable outfit for move day and a permanent marker string lanyard to wear. On move day, greet your movers with high-fives and offer water and show them the bathroom. Be sure to thank them for their work. Ask them if you can write details on the box as they pack it so you can know what's inside. (I.e. "winter clothes/knitted hat/hot water bottle" vs. "Closet".) This will help you when you arrive at the new destination and feel desperate to find the box with that thing-a-lingee you've been missing.

STEP 6. Rest. Enjoy being object-free while you are in temporary housing. Enjoy not having to figure out where things go or how to fit everything into the tiny hotel closet spaces. Enjoy some of the cleaning services - if you get them. Keep this joy in mind as an awesome luxury to look forward to when you have to deal with the minimizing pain of STEP 2.

STEP 7. Travel. Try to relax through the journey onward. A couple of days before, download an audiobook and an unrealistic amount of magazines through Libby to get you through the flights/trains/taxis until you arrive in your new destination. If you can, take a shower at the last moment possible before you have to leave for the trip so your body can feel calm and fresh for the journey. If not, bring lavender-water spray and a hydrating lotion and lavish yourself whenever needed.

Illustration 8 Arrive 9 Wander 10 Acclimate @thesmarti

STEP 8. Arrive. Drop your bags, arrange and sort things into appropriate places. Clothes in the cubbies, art stuff on the table, snacks in the kitchenette. Once sorted, then freshen up. If it's late, slip into pajamas and get to bed. If it's early, get out to load up on groceries and take a sneak peek at the new destination.

STEP 9. Wander. Take the next couple of days to tenuously walk about/drive about/tour in concentric circles from where you live. You probably have a guidebook at this point, so start devouring it and marking things you want to see/do while you are in this geographic location. Reach out to people you know who might know someone who lives here. Try anyone and everyone. Ask people if they'd like to be an informal host to help you settle in. Often times, other expats will be your best guides here since they understand what it's like to be the new kid on the block! Perfect synergy of sympathy and kinship.

STEP 10. Acclimate. Go through a series of culture shock waves. Uppity-up. Doubly-down. Level out. Repeat. Meanwhile, learn and experience this new place, its people, the culture, the language(s), the environment, etc. This comes alongside a) routine life, b) your art work schedule, AND c) the never-ending crusade to cultivate meaningful friendships far and wide.

Illustration 11 Chart 12 Rank & File 13 Photoshoot 14 Goodbye @thesmarti

STEP 11. Chart. At some point, you will clock the fact that you will only be in this new place for a short time. (Sometimes it's 2 years. But at most it'll be 5 years.) So do a brainstorm of all possible adventures nearby. Go nuts making a list of the top things you want to do while you are in-country. See how you can slide these things into your calendar/budget. Be generous and invite others along who might enjoy the trip. You never know when you'll be lucky to make a memory with a fellow adventurer.

STEP 12. Rank & File. Start writing a draft of the things you've learned. General explanation of places and things. Where to buy this, where to go for that. Your favorite yoga place. The charming spots. The best vegan spaces, etc. Type it up and have it ready to share for when you volunteer to host another expat settling in. Maybe make a map!

STEP 13. Photoshoot. You're old enough now to have more than just selfies or one-sided pictures of you or your partner on this life adventure. So book a live photoshoot with a professional so you can celebrate the place you lived. Try to schedule it a couple of months before the move if you know the date. Also, (depending upon availability) consider hunting a savvy photographer who will take photos in your neighborhood spots because it might be more meaningful than photos in touristic locations.

STEP 14. Goodbye. Take stock of all the things you've learned and loved about the place you've been in. Take time to say goodbye to the people and spaces that made your experience wonderful. Make goodbye gifts, schedule last visits, and make an effort to do one last meaningful day/night date with your partner in a special place before you leave. It'll help you stay a little more grounded even if you get swept up in the excitement of the moving chaos. And it'll make it easier to wrap your head around leaving it all behind when you finally go.

ONCE COMPLETED, GO BACK TO STEP 1...AND CYCLE THROUGH IT AGAIN

Illustration Cycle of Moving as an expat artist @thesmarti

Hopefully, this will help me remember the stages when the next country jump comes around. And maybe this will also help someone else out there who does a similar lifestyle? There are so few of us. And I get it. The moving expat lifestyle is not for everyone. There's a lot of loneliness and experimentation that inevitably happens along the way. Sometimes it can be a welcome reprieve to break apart the monotony of a routine chartered life. But I've seen it break other humans too - connection and belonging is so important to our health.

For me, it's more joy than heartbreak...for now. I know it's a rare privilege to experience so much of the world first-hand by living in other places instead of just visiting. It certainly reinforces patience, perspective and open-heartedness. Can I also say that I love the challenge of having life turned upside-down for a while until I can set it right-side up again? (It sounds a little crazy, I know.) At the artist level, its a dunk pool into innovation. I cannot help but be inspired by the novelty of a whole new world all around me. Colors, textures, smells, setup, food, architecture - it can spark a hundred new exciting ideas.

To those who also live the expat lifestyle - I see you and I'm waving wholeheartedly! To those who stay grounded, I thank you for reminding me of the joys of a solid footing. And for those who live vicariously through me, I thank you for the support and can't wait for you to visit!

Happy country-jumping,

smarti

06: Map Making

Illustration 1: Map Making ©thesmarti

Moving to new places is always exciting (sometimes overwhelming) exercise in navigation. My small trick is to move in concentric circles, slowly expanding outward within the vicinity of our apartment. Eventually, I figure out most of the city and then I start finding shortcuts, or extra neighborhood pockets. These are the moments where the city folds in on itself and the layout finally lands in my head. That’s when I like to make my own map of where we live. It’s fun to test my navigation skills and compare what I think I know to what is actually there.

Every place we’ve moved, I’ve made a map. Most of the time it’s just for myself. But lately, I’ve been more excited to make them to share with friends and family who are visiting. My first year in Copenhagen I made a small neighborhood map for a QR code tour of Nørrebro - where I live. The second year I’ve made a bigger map of the city with the neighborhoods I think matter the most. (Expanding outward - it’s a theme.)

Map making is a fun way to learn the history of a city, too. It gives me a chance to find out the stories behind street names, neighborhoods, businesses. I sometimes take in a sampling of local tours (free and paid) until walking through the city makes sense. I definitely borrow local books from the library to learn historical anecdotes / monument facts / culture tips, etc. Then I'm bursting with small stories when visitors come around.

Illustrated map reference

Photos from Left to Right: 1) illustrated inner Copenhagen map reference, 2) stack of books from the library to start my Copenhagen research, 3) small drafted outline of the city ©thesmarti

Creating a map outline is the hardest part. I'm no cartographer, so I rely heavily on Google Maps. I used it as a reference in light opacity in my design files to get the city proportions right. Then, I start adding in the color blocks for land and water. Afterwards, it's a style choice to design the streets, add in monuments, etc. Eventually I remove the Google Map reference. And because my maps are not meant to be perfect, I have a lot of flexibility here to change the proportions or layouts to accommodate my aesthetic preferences.

I talked to a lot of people about cool areas and then I collate it into a list of hot locations. Everyone has their favorite parts, and I love hearing different opinions. For most of my maps though I tend to stick to the tourist landmarks , and then I sneak in a couple of the top local spots as well as my personal favorites.

Photo: 4 Layout ideas for the frontside map and the backside facts for my Copenhagen map, as well as illustrated research. @thesmarti

In my last Copenhagen map, I ran into issues with my location illustrations obscuring the street names. I wanted the illustrations to help orient the user, but I didn't want the illustrations to take precedence over the winding streets. I found a compromise by making the illustrations smaller and putting them on clear backgrounds as pngs. It really killed me to minimize them since the image just won't condense as sharply. But sometimes you have to sacrifice the details to make the map readable.

Illustration 2: Towers of Copenhagen ©thesmarti

And then, of course, I love a smart fold in a map. For the Nørrebro QR code hunt, I made the map fold open into a perfect pop-up display. It was easy to see and perfectly compact. A tidy package! So I knew I wanted something similar for this map. I played around with several different iterations from Pinterest before settling on a diamond twist fold. It required a little finesse to open it neatly, but the result is just as charming.

Photo 5: From left to right, start to finish - first drafts, to folding patterns, and final print. Voila! My Copenhagen map.

Map-making in general is a never-ending process. A city is always changing in small ways: businesses open or close, bicycle paths are added, construction goes up, etc. So there is always something to tweak. Sometimes I lose interest in the map file and just leave it as a testament to what the city looked like when I lived there. Otherwise, I just keep changing the “last edited Month/Year” fine print at the bottom of the map and in the file name to keep it up to date.

Getting lost in a city can be wonderful. For me, its inevitable. So map-making feels like a proactive way to enjoy getting lost.

Happy map-making!

smarti

05: Tea Cards

Illustration: Tea Cards a snail mail story @smartigraphicdesign

Paper and pen has a way of elevating ordinary moments through nostalgic snail mail. As a military brat, cards, letters and stamps all had a way of keeping me tethered to the people I loved. So for a couple of years in a row, I've set aside time and energy to draw out a card, write a letter and slip a little bag of tea inside. I called them Tea Cards.

I typically sent them out during the lull months in the springtime when no one expects a missive. The surprise really gets people. Take that, conformity! I would often receive a phone call/whatsapp message in response. Sometimes I even got a letter back. For sure, my parents would hear about how so-and-so got their tea card and how the gesture was appreciated. I liked the idea that it was a little bit of love glowing in their hands. Here's a short montage of the different tea cards I've sent:

Photo Tea Card Montage @smartigraphicdesign

I took a break during corona years because my social circle contracted and I needed a bit of a pause from internal pressures. But I've been meaning to bring back the tradition and so I'm reminding myself of how it all comes together. Maybe it will also inspire you?

Hunt Out a Tea

It doesn't have to be a tea. But I like sending something like a small pouch of tea that will have a whole ritual behind it - boil water, steep the sachet, smell the aroma, pour, sip, etc. It's an act of slowing down that involves all the senses. And at the very least, it can be easily composted in case your recipients don't like the chosen tea. For that reason, I normally choose an herbal infusion. Earthy, fragrant, calming. I always make sure it has a little paper envelope surrounding it to help retain the tea's potency while it travels.

Doodle Designs

Don't overthink this part, sometimes it's just a color that matches the tea, or a poem that springs to mind. One year Abuela taught me to embroider so I made a mock embroidered design for the tea card. Something joyful with small patterns or details that can bring extra delight when repurposed for stickers or envelope edging.

Print Card, Sticker and Envelope

I hunt out companies locally that can print my designs. Lately, I've been using noissue for their eco-based printing services - recycled paper and soy-based inks. I want my tea cards to bring ephemeral compostable cheer, not everlasting waste.

Photos Left to Right: (1) Layout of 2017 envelope/card/sticker detail, (2) Closeup of 2019 embroidery work that inspired a tea card. @smartigraphicdesign

Block Off Time

After a quick assembly line packing the cards, I stack them up and plan to block off time from my schedule. It typically takes me 10min to write a card because my handwriting is small and I like to fill up a card so that it takes at least a couple of minutes to read - enough to legitimize a cup of tea. Sometimes I plan to do one card a day as a morning warm-up. Sometimes I plan to do cards for one full evening every week. Once, I took them on a long overseas flight starting to write at plane taxi-ed and finishing them all just as the plane landed.

Write a Master Card and Brainstorm Non-Sequitors

A trick to getting the brain flowing is that I write a master card to my snarkiest friend. Oooh how my pen flows when I write to them! So I give the whole update on the biggest, the latest, the greatest ups and downs of the past year or so. Most of the time, the master card feature the overly touted highlights of the year.

And then I brainstorm a bunch of non-sequitor ideas - all the other things that I've been saving up. Philosophi-silliness. I share the moments that made me question life, the thoughts that made me laugh, the things I got to witness, the fights and mental hang-ups that I'm working through. It helps to flip through recent notebooks and see where my brain has taken me.

And then I write each person individually. Sometimes they get a version of the master card. Sometimes they get a little piece of my soul. Either way, I try to make it as personal as I can and connect as best as I can. Every relationship is different, so I try to honor that.

Mail & Rest

Once I've written out a nice pack, I like to send it out old-school through a post box. Hunting out postage stamps and post-boxes has become a lot harder the last couple of years as more and more old-school things become outdated, elusive and (wah-wah) digital. And yet, I've still managed to eke them out! Sometimes I think that sending out regular mail is a fight against the laws of modernity.

I know that mail is a lost art, and very few people keep up the practice - and I know that it's a privilege because life is busy for so many people. Even I've lost touch from time to time! But it's always nice to get back into the act of writing and share it in the charm of a tea card.

Happy snail-mailing!

smarti