Recreating the Nomad Script: My Story

The world’s always changing - and it’s part of what makes things exciting, and possibly even worth living.

It has a great sense of excitement to it. To see that you’re living and not every day is the same. Most people don’t get to have this sense of outlook, because we’re often stuck in the same chores, obligations, routines and even mindset or goals not moving. Living lives on auto-mode.

But, every now and then, we go through huge changes that shift the entire board and upend all existing rules.

There’s been something simmering behind the silence all these past months that I’ve not written.

By written, I mean put my writing and my thoughts outside.

In fact it’s been years since I’ve truly done what I REALLY loved doing. More than 7+ years in fact...

Yes - writing continues to be, and will continue to be a professional and personal expressive tool. That won’t change anytime soon, it’s literally a the butter knife that enables me to spread my bread and butter to anyone else sharing the same taste of experiences and things in life.

But I have other interests and experiences not many people outside my circle know of. I don’t want to monetize every single facet of my life or existence, but there’s one part that’s become crystal for me -

The fact that writing has helped me go through phases of immense chaos with a regulated system, the ability to think for myself, and most importantly help the people I want to help - speaks volumes about how crucial thinking and putting it out there really is.

Everyone including my coaches used to ask me for the longest time...

...my well-wishing friends included, after seeing my writing and my workspace and skills behind the scenes.

Turns out I was making things complex for myself in the wrong environment. Having too many interests and trying to make sense of it all is a big headache for creators across the world. Not just me. Creators with several interests tend to get confused which foot to put forward first, and to stand on. And which one to start with, because for some writing may just be a hobby and not something to put a deadline and pressure on. You just do it because you love doing it. Not to mention, today, it’s the sign that you’re still capable of biologically being able to think.

How times change, that we even have to justify the importance of basic thinking capacity.

That crisis I’ve been hiding inside of my shell - for the longest time was of finding my own place, for my work and existence to mean something.

And since anyone can create anything, speak anything, but most of creative work and existence outside doesn’t mean anything to a lot of people speaks volumes about the kind of economy we’re in.

We’ve moved from the creator economy to a meaning economy. Because any person on the planet has been enabled into thinking, “You’re so right”!

Everyone’s already drowing in information. “AI”, amplified this to a scale never seen before, where data was generated, hallucinated and made to make every human on the planet “feel better”. Sycophancy works wonders for someone who can’t tell fake from real. So wisdom is in short supply. Information and slop is everywhere.

No, most people aren’t using this information to create change, but to “replace” the need to talk to anyone else, hire anyone, but at the same time ironically, just try to “be anyone” but themselves...

...to build “one person businesses”, where they don’t have their own humanity or personality at the center of this “business”, but “AI” takes center stage.

Because who needs stoopid humans anyway who can’t work 24 x 7 to bring you endless $$$, amiright?! It’s a money game, because you’re going to take it all with you with a smile on your face.

This model of existence doesn’t make any sense now, and nor will it ever, economically or for any human or business organization to carry on like this.

This reminds me somehow of the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A mirror that showed you everything you wanted in the deepest desire of your heart without knowing it yourself. It gave you a delusion of you having your desires in front of you. Except even that mirror at least showed you something true - the most critical subconscious desire - even if the mirror is fiction to start with. JK Rowling could have given it any power, but why specifically THAT?

I started on this path by trying to figure out how to be a digital nomad in my teens, and figuring the whole “blogging” thing out, by reading Nomadic Matt, Tim Ferris, and others countless accounts on Instagram I tried to emulate through my photography and share my perspective as a hobby.

Call it a “calling” or just life, but finding meaning in creative expression, playing with concepts and data, or call it a systemic failure, for creatives not to find their fit. Not just in my country, but creatives worldwide not feeling like they can fit in a system.

I’ve dipped my toes in advanced data analytics, Big Data and ML algorithms, because I was sold the dream that making sense of data and insights for MNCs would lead to a big package.

I’ve been into photography as a hobby and an avid reader and writer since my teens. I mean that’s basic to me, and a lot of millennials.

I’ve worked, nay, grinded on Upwork for 7+ years as a “content writer” for any business under the sun needing to explain they exist to provide services to “St. Google The All Knowing.”

But for the past year or so, I’ve been experimenting with my newsletter (with some bad writing and decisions in there), and making sense of what I wanted to do apart from being a “conversion copywriter“. Yeah I trained in CRO, Conversion psychology and more. Spending a ton of money, sacrificing my health, and tons of personal issues I’d rather not mention on a public platform. But I did it without selling a course on how to get broke on Upwork - so yay!

Remember those evening TV anime binges on Cartoon Network, school without AI, iPads or any other form of tech? Just being out and about with friends, and screen time being limited to a CRT TV you had very limited access to? Escaping into fiction books borrowed from the school library to escape into another world for hours on end? No short form content, news or endless information to pander to you making bad decisions one after another. We didn’t have access to the entire world’s information or troubles. Our own little worlds to escape from, and the newspaper doing the heavy lifting for information distribution with limited access.

That’s all we Millennials had - and the best childhood anyone could ask for.

Happy times.

Don’t worry, no more millennial nostalgia below.

It seems these two worlds don’t work together as well.

But off late, I’ve really dug in on how to make it all work together.

Not just art and tech,

Not just monetization and psychology,

Not just the lifestyle I want with my place in the world.

It has taken a lot of writing, self exploration and basically shutting the F up on the surface. 6+ months of trying to keep shut with the occasional email here and there. To really listen, see where I’m headed.

Unfollowing every person, every idea, every single layer I’ve had to peel away like ripping off a band-aid that didn’t serve my future vision. But time doesn’t wait for anyone. These 6 months were eye opening in extreme change for me that really shook everything I was standing on.

The time will never be ripe enough or me feeling, “I’m finally ready”.

If I’m being real here, I have 3 more things I could have done better before I sent all of this down.

But that’s perfectionism that is getting in the way of shipping, learning, and iterating.

I’ve been on the judgmental end of marketing and connection in the industry.

It was both high standards, perfectionism, and being fed up of being served the same old shit everywhere.

And yes, I’ve had to deactivate CringedIn. Just not my audience or my style.

I’ll be real, 2023-2025 have been the toughest possible years of my life.

During this phase, I’ve had help from coaches, and new friends who became close because of my writing, values, and putting myself out in communities, real world, and other reasons.

One of my closest friends is the sole reason I’m writing this letter in fact.

To put in effort again. To do it all over again. With a new enthusiasm, a new spirit, and a new direction.

On thing I’m coming back to is, “Love is stronger than hate any day.“

It’s not just climax in most movies, but light truly has the power to move people forward in life more than a message of dislike or hate ever does.

You’ve seen this message in Interstellar, in countless movies, video game stories, but for me personally, yes it stands true after these 6+ months.

Disliking something means you’re narrowing your vision on that particular element of a person, an industry, or your reality.

I’m moving back to the true reason why I want to be doing what I love as long as I’m able to.

For now, I’m working as a brand architect/copywriter for an organization. But to build what I want to build, do what I want to do, write what I want to write - without getting bored of it till my old age, I cannot be doing what I don’t find not bringing a smile to my face or helps the people I want to help.

And yes, my presence won’t be for everyone, and I’m fine with it. Even if they think “AI can do it all”. I’ve learned things to realize it’s not the case.

So this newsletter is becoming more of a brand-focused creative outlet where my main intention is to cater to, find, and help people like me. That’s how I’ll do my best work with the integration of all my multi-disciplinary skills.

Going forward, you can expect more stories, photography, travel and nature focus with a side of creator economy to help you lead the life you want to lead as an independent creator.

The Nomad Script is for people who want to build a lifestyle-first business and find meaning and service in life.

It’s main focus is going to be how to stand apart, find what you love, and to live and build differently.

4 weeks ago, I came to see exactly how powerful “AI” can be for advanced data analysis and idea synthesis. For synthesis, data analysis, hell even a solid first draft of any copy. But, the catch is you have to feed it immense amounts of data, context from the world we live in, essentially training it to do the meaningful things we love to do. Not to mention, I reached the end result without any struggle whatsoever, which is the best part about why I or any creative does “work”, not “shortcuts”.

The worst part though? It needed running through an insane amount of credits (aka $$$) to get that work done. So for someone who is a creative person, and wants to put their best foot forward for clients, self, or the world, discovery and finding things isn’t something that you get to do. You reach the end result, and you pay for it dearly - with no effort, tons of context, prompts, and not to mention money.

Not to mention you’re training your “replacement”.

See, every decision for something is a decision AGAINST something else.

We’re constantly writing our own life and brand or affecting others based on our decision making.

But some decisions stay and become defining value for our life or business.

For me and my brand here personally, “AI” won’t be touching it. Not now, not ever. Not a prompt to 10x my sales or show me gaps in my brand strategy. I would rather rely on real world data, and real people. And no probabilistic bot would be coming close to my brand for creative purposes to say the very least.

That’s my stake in the ground.

People don’t feed their children chips and junk food and artificial food, and I’m going to treat this business like my own brain child - which it is, literally. Not a separate endeavour to sell to the highest bidder.

It’s built on my purpose. Which was hard to find again and excavate out.

Even if your perspective or my own perspective says “everything is made up”, or fall into “whataboutism”, to want to use anything but your natural creativity.

They’re brilliant writers, and not for everyone and that’s why they shine.

I don’t fall into their league yet, but I know for a fact - through discovery - you don’t reach that level by guessing your way through whatever shortcuts the world throws at you.

AI, CGI, and all other forms of tech have their place in creativity. Maybe none. They’re shortcuts to effort. But effort outshines shortcut any single day.

These writers aka filmmakers know their audience as master filmmakers, and I feel I know the kind of audience I would be building all of this for.

They don’t second guess, or backtrack on their decisions, or parts to include, or ask “AI” what decisions to make. Just to cater to changing values with time. Their work is timeless. They build their work and put it out.

I’m here to build timeless brands for creators who want to leave a mark on this world with their body of work.

Times and morals are always defining who we are as people, but a business that changes brand identity doesn’t have anything solid to sell or stand for.

Look at Disney or Netflix. Enough said.

This newsletter/my social media channels are going to be a filter, a service, a creative outlet to attract the people I want to attract, and help them how I can help aaand possibly even work on cool business projects together.

Every artist or creative starts somewhere, makes mistakes and develops their own style along the way. This is mine restarting with a better mindset, and a fresh energy.

I didn’t send this out on April 1, because this time I’m not fooling around.

So with that, look forward to my next one on natural creativity and AI.

The Nomad Script is going to fulfill what the name means.

Stories, branding and authentic living by a nomad for people who want to live a freedom-first life...

This is my manuscript on how to go about building a digital brand, life, and more.

If you’re here to stay and all of this and future letters from the wilds of this world and our creator economy resonates, feel free to follow me on socials.

Here on Threads

My Website

See you next time.

Ankit.