Evita Robinson’s traveling bug was borne after graduating college in 2006 after spending half her summer in Paris and the other half at New York Film Academy workshop. Six years later, Robinson’s love affair with travel has since evolved into Nomad•ness TV, a YouTube-based reality show that explores urban culture throughout the world.
“Nomad•ness is unlike anything in the travel world, as a web series,” EvieRobbie (as friends know her) says. “Its energy is young, diverse, and urban in many facets. I camp out at hip hop festivals in Germany, roam graffiti art houses, and now I have the inclusion of the Nomad•ness Travel Tribe. All of these things make it unique.”
Evie largely funded Nomad•ness by saving money from jobs. Crowdsourcing via a successful 45 day Kickstarter campaign also helped successfully raised $5k to film a pilot taped for the show in Berlin.
What are you currently working on?
Presently, I’m in the final 5 day stretch of my second, Tribe oriented, Kickstarter campaign, and we’ve raised over $10,000 in 40 days. It ends on my birthday, March 31st. People can pledge if they’d like to at http://kck.st/zxbSbX.
I’m pretty proud of your results. I’m shy, so I do not know if I could ever push for a KickStarter myself. How difficult was it to get out there and push for Kickstarters and other investments?
It’s easy when you need the money. When you believe in yourself, your project, and your dream as much as I do nothing will get in your way. It’s easy because it’s necessary.
Let’s talk about the risks and rewards of following your dreams. In the hip hop community, so many of us are told to follow our dreams, but not too many people know how – or know when to say “F*ck it” and take that risk. Are you struggling with this at all?
Nope. My motto is “Step out on nothing and land on something.” I am a risk taker by nature. I don’t like routine, boredom, or repetition so I often try to throw myself out on a ledge, hence the adventure of traveling. The time presented itself when I was at ‘work’ and was battling between regular work that needed to be done, and Nomad•ness work to get the Tribe and the series off the ground. When the time came, I acknowledged it and took action. I think most people recognize the time, but fear paralyzes them.
What is Nomadness doing now?
Some of it I can speak on and other parts I can’t. The most I can say about the series is that it’s growing and the right eyes have laid on it. The Tribe has been the takeover. It’s approaching 6 months old and we are tapping on 1800 members. We’ve had our first trip, to Panama, this past January and it’s a daily reminder that this movement is way bigger than just me.
Nomad·ness Pilot – “Berlin or Bust”
Keep up with Evie on Twitter: @evierobbie and of course Nomad•ness.