Our theme for August is NOMAD. It was chosen by our Ulaanbaatar chapter in Mongolia and illustrated by Oyuna Bold.

Some people feel compelled to travel from place to place. To live outside the confines and constraints of a permanent address. Others have no choice but to leave home in search of a better life. A nomad embraces discomfort, welcomes the unknown, and sees every detour as a new adventure.

Have you heard the call of the open road? Ever dream of being a digital nomad working from exotic locales? Crossing borders and time zones to discover fresh inspiration and share-worthy views. But following your nomadic spirit doesn’t require collecting stamps in your passport.

The act of creating is its own journey. So, meander through your ideas. Roam between different styles. The most important thing is to take the first step. It doesn’t matter where it leads, because the joy is suddenly finding yourself somewhere unexpected.

Whether you’re racking up frequent flyer miles or navigating a change in your creative career, remember that motion fuels imagination. Wander. Wonder. Repeat.

CREATIONS FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

Each month, we ask the readers of our Weekly Highlights newsletter to submit creative work inspired by our global theme.

Where to? by Ian Kiar in Toronto, Canada.

This 4 layer screen print is a bit of an invitation and a declaration all wrapped in one. Who knows where you’ll go?

You can see more work on Ian’s site.

Out at Sea by Cynthia Miller in Baltimore, Maryland.

This song is what I picture traversing the waves of the unknown - searching, seeking, blind-faithing it; propelled forward at a frenzied pace by an invisible hand towards a new future, a new identity, and a new home.

You can listen to the song in this video.

Lost in thought, I almost missed my order number being called. I move to pick up the tray of steaming noodles and dumplings with a quick gamsahamnida (thank you). I stir the savory broth filled with pieces of soft fish cake mixed with thick, chewy noodles. A swell of anchovy and green onion fills my nose.

I’m the Lucky One by Stephanie Beard in Seoul, Korea.

A reflection from the corner noodle shop on expat life, home, and making space for other nomads passing through to find home, too.

You can read the rest on Stephanie’s site.

Firefly by Ketty Haolin Zhang in Vancouver, BC.

20"x16", acrylic on canvas. When I was learning English as a teenage immigrant, I used to see people wearing Firefly ski jackets and, for the longest time, I thought the word was pronounced firef-ly — kind of like briefly or swiftly. This funny mispronunciation stuck with me; in a way, the word felt like a nomad, trying to sneak into a language it wasn’t born in, drifting between cities that make me lit up and lost at the same time, a forever reminder of the moments where I feel almost fluent but not quite, where something beautiful glimmers through awkwardness and trying.

You can see more work on Ketty’s site.

SURRENDER by André Solomon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This is a blog piece, which is connected to the theme as I write about learnings from my travels in Japan and Seattle.

You can read the post on André’s site.

Man with camel in a Houston neighborhood by Judah S. Harris in Jerusalem, Israel.

Camels - we imagine them as the mode of transportation for peoples who traverse desert regions, from thousands of years ago until today. This photo, however, was surprisingly taken in a residential neighborhood in Houston, Texas. (Holga plastic camera, BW film, 2007)

You can see more work on Judah’s site.

The Whales & Me by Megan Morgan in Sacramento, California.

This is an artwork I was inspired to make after I had a magical and powerful dream about being underwater and walking along the sea floor and then a family of whales and other sea creatures invited me to go on a journey with them.

You can see more work on Megan’s site.

Free walking tour by Alena Aichlmanova in Prague, Czech Republic.

This is a picture I took while living in the Himalayas and it shows a group of Buddhist nuns approaching a sacred lake. As the Buddhist believe in reincarnation, each of us can be considered as a nomad, endlessly wandering. Yet whether we believe in karma or not, we should not give up considering our directions.

A Walk In The Park by Colleen O’Brien in Medicine Hat, Canada.

I was “Artist in Residence” in Istanbul Turkey, and this is one of the acrylic sketches done while I was there!

You can see more work on Colleen’s site.

Social Conventions Abandoned by April Sullivan in Whitney, Texas.

This piece is a mixed media black out poetry collage. It was created a few months before I took off on my personal nomadic journey. I moved into an RV and travel, working as a camp host at state and national parks while doing my artwork.

For most of my life I’ve been pulled in two distinct directions - one where fear and anxiety would take center stage and one where freedom and adventure were calling me from the depths of my being. For them to coexist in relative peace, it takes awareness, curiosity, compassion and a high dose of letting go of the effort to fix or get rid of the former.

Nomad is a feeling by Laura Onea inLondon, UK.

A piece of writing that ponders on the complex relationship between my fears and my nomad heart. Photos by my partner, Stefan Istrate.

Read the rest in this PDF: Nomad is a feeling - Laura Onea

EXIST by Jeannie Lynn Wagner in Nashville, Tennessee.

After yoga class tonight, I told someone I’ve always had a gypsy soul, wandering on when the time feels right. Not sure what prompted me to open the emailed CM newsletter tonight. I hadn’t made the effort in a while. When I saw NOMAD, it reminded me of this contemplation from my upcoming book titled “essence.”

You can see more work on Jeannie’s site.

Want to see your creative work featured on our blog? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlight newsletter to find out when submissions for next month’s theme are open.