I came across an inspirational article about “working nomads”, who combine a love of travelling with working from their laptop. Thanks to new technology, they can work from most places in the world. And the fact that they earn money from their laptops lifts their status from “bum” to “mobile entrepreneur”.

This got me thinking. Trying to achieve a life less ordinary or more creative can seem impossible at times, but is achievable. I think the first step is to imagine another life for yourself and see yourself doing it.

Ask yourself a few questions: If I didn’t work in my 9-5 job, what would I be doing instead? If I had an alternative lifestyle, what would it be? If you are sitting at your desk thinking, if I were at home I would be…, then that is a start.

For me, I love the internet and all the opportunities it offers. It is not just a form of communication but a way of meeting people with common goals, finding inspiration and getting advice from complete strangers. It blows my mind how much information is actually on there and it is all accessible for the price of your broadband connection or an hour’s session at the local internet cafe. Where else could you just type in a keyword and masses of information appears at your fingertips?

I had a “vision” of my creative life a few years ago. It would consist of working online, building websites, marketing websites and offering advice to others. It would also involve a passion for all things arty crafty, creative writing and a love of nature, gardens and travel. My first step is this blog and website.

My learning curve has been steep over the last couple of years: I’ve learnt web design, writing for the web, how to edit photos, marketing advice and I’m still learning. Next, I’m going to learn how to provide animation for websites (using Flash), so watch this space for my first attempts.

If you don’t have a clue what you would do, then start with something very simple. If say for example you wanted to start working from home, imagine what your “home office” would be like. I have a friend who described her ideal vision for her place to write as a desk with a line of terracotta pots and plants on a shelf in front of her. We used to work together in an office and used to laugh at the thought of her terracotta pots. She now has a shed in the garden, with said desk, potted plants and a laptop. Her vision became a reality and she has the space to be creative.

My vision for my ideal working space would be to have the radio playing music (preferably Justin Timberlake) in the background and a desk in a corner of the room with great views of a stunning landscape/beach. Next to my desk would be a kettle for making tea and an endless supply of dark chocolate digestive biscuits/Kitkats. I would also have a “creative hammock”, where if in need of inspiration or respite I would plonk myself for half an hour or so, before continuing to work. The hammock would be strung between two palm trees. If you have got this far you are probably laughing by now, but for some this ideal of working outside of the conventional office setting is a reality. Those palm trees are beckoning…