CHELSEA, the biker + artist
5/5 committed to her flexlife
10/10 feels confident she is living the lifestyle she wants everyday
2 years and running
Works as she travels
Inspired by @lyndonposkitt @artsandfood_nyc @me.and.tu
“This isn’t a trip - it is my life, and it’s an Odyssey.”
An odyssey is defined as an extended adventurous voyage, a long series of wanderings marked by many changes in fortune; a person’s progress from one stage of life or set of beliefs to another.
Chelsea travels the world solo on her motorcycle building large scale art as she goes. She’s metalworker and a glassblower, who uses sound and light in all of her work. She runs a YouTube channel and is very active on social media. She is sponsored by a few well-known motorcycle companies and she’s been on the road now for almost 2 years and she never plans on returning to the United States to live. She makes her own schedule and plans her own projects in the countries that she travels, earning money as she goes. Her long-term plan is to slowly travel all the way around the planet leaving installations zigzagging in her wake, building relationships with people and establishing herself as an international artist.
Chelsea traveled across America on her motorcycle solo twice to 45 of the 50 states before embarking on this Odyssey. She worked in metal fabrication for many years in San Francisco before leaving, where she saved money to establish her new nomadic life. She also learned how to completely repair and build motorcycles before she crossed into Mexico and she began building her social media accounts right away.
When asked if she’ll ever go back to a less flexible life, Chelsea says:
“Nope! I never plan on going back and I love what I’m doing. It is my dream life and biggest passion - it’s what I was born to do in this life.”
Chelsea is most grateful for the freedom to create the art she is inspired to build with incredible people from all over the world. And for her motorcycle, whose name is the Phoenix. #badass
Depending on if she has an ongoing project, Chelsea may be completely on the road traveling on her bike, connecting with people she meets, extending her network and collecting and writing stories. If she has an ongoing project, she will be temporarily based in some city close to where she is building the work and generally she will work on it nearly everyday to finish the piece. Small trips and adventures with friends are always mixed in even if she has a project in the works. When she completes a project, she packs up her bike and moves on to another country and to other projects.
She’s currently dreaming about finishing her art project in Guatemala after which she will continue south through Central America for other projects and eventually make it to South America continuing her journey.
#MASTERTIPS Keep focused on your dream. Take big risks. The world isn’t a scary place.