Ep. 269: Riding the Breeze: Nomad Life, Body Art & Letting Go w/ Breezy

QUESTION: What do you do when the sofa in your home becomes way too comfortable?

ANSWER: You rent out your home for half a year and become a part-time nomad.

This is precisely the type of change Breezy is continually innovating her life with.

When I met Breezy, her name was Briana. She came into my life as a mentor when I was relatively new to San Diego and needed some kind, insightful guidance. Fortunately for me, after her exceptional mentorship, we became friends.

When I met up with Briana recently during a trip to San Diego, one of the first things I learned is that she’s now going by the name given to her at Burning Man, Breezy. Life doesn’t stay the same for any of us and to proactively choose big changes like traveling the country as a nomad or asking to be called by a different name is definitely embracing the freedom to change right along with life’s constant changes and evolution.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, the youngest of four siblings, Briana’s first brush with powerfully navigating change was when she transferred from a private school where all the students wore uniforms to a public school where students had the freedom to dress as they wished. Such changes are a big deal to a kid. Briana went on to the University of Kansas, majoring in Journalism, only to realize that she had no desire for the lifestyle of being perpetually on-call, hoping to land the next news story. So, she found great success being a portrait photographer, bringing out the best in people and helping them see themselves in a new light. In her twenties, Briana also found the courage to leave a marriage with a partner who struggled with addiction. Then, one day she realized she had had it with the weather in Missouri, so after visiting various places in California, she decided to move to San Diego.

At a Mardi Gras celebration in downtown San Diego, Briana found herself mesmerized by the amount of people walking and dancing around with face and body paint. On her friend’s advice and willingness to teach the trade, Briana added face and body artist to her growing resume, discovering that she loved painting people’s faces and sometimes their entire bodies, witnessing the joy and boost of self-confidence that brought them.

Part-time nomad, Breezy is meeting many wonderful people along her journey. Sometimes she stays at their homes. Sometimes she turns her car into a house on wheels. She’s even traveled in Europe as part of this adventure. As she continues, she’s intent on finding a box truck that she can use as a mobile art studio.

Talking with Breezy reminds me that the image we hold of ourselves can become so fixed and at times even negative. Sometimes it takes a portrait photographer or a body artist to help us see the essence of ourselves in a kinder way. Sometimes it takes us deciding to travel the world for part of the year. Sometimes we even decide to change our name.

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com