Jai's journey

An account that opens in December 2016 with the line "made a new insta for my travels" and is still running ten years later. In between he lives on the Cocos Keeling Islands, a scatter of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean closer to Java than to Perth, where he had already spent eight years growing up and which he keeps returning to. There is a lot of surf, a GoPro and then a drone and then an edit suite, Bali, Cambodia, a long run of passports, and eventually two businesses. In September 2017, aged nineteen, he posts from the islands that he cannot think of a more unappealing way to live than living for the weekend, and raises a glass to all the Monday lovers; six years later the company he builds is called Art of Mondays. The captions are his own and they carry the archive, from two words and an emoji to essays about burnout written at twenty-seven. It does not end at a desk. The last posts are three friends in Montenegro forgetting to use their cameras.

A chronological documentary of 352 moments spanning 2016–2026 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-20

Eras

Western Australia, Home, and where the account starts. Perth, Dunsborough, Geraldton, Yallingup, Exmouth, Margaret River and the coast south of the city. The first posts in December 2016 are here, before the move to the islands, and he keeps coming back to it across the whole decade.
The Camera, The craft of shooting, which is a subject in its own right in the early years. A GoPro, then a drone, then Premiere Pro, then short edits he was proud enough of to post about. Watching the equipment and the ambition change is one of the clearest arcs in the archive.
Water, Surfing, diving, snorkelling and the ocean as an activity rather than a backdrop. Boards, reefs, waves and boats. On an archive centred on an atoll and a surf coast this is the thread that runs under most of the places.
People, Friends, family and the people he travels and works with. He names some of them and this archive names only those he names publicly, describing everyone else by what they are doing rather than who they are.
The Islands, The Cocos Keeling Islands, a remote Australian territory of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, closer to Java than to the Australian mainland. This is the largest part of the archive by a wide margin. He says he spent eight years here growing up before the posts begin, moved back in early 2017, and returned again in 2018, 2019 and 2020, so the dates below are when he was posting rather than the whole of the relationship. Lagoons, empty beaches, the jetty, the boats, and a community of a few hundred people.
Building, The business, and the weekly build-in-public series that documents it. All thirty YouTube videos sit here, running from November 2024 to August 2026, alongside the Instagram posts about work. The series is called Monday Diaries and the channel begins at episode forty-eight; the earlier episodes are not on it, and this archive does not claim to know where they are.
Bali, Bali and the wider Indonesian archipelago: Ubud, Canggu, Uluwatu, Nusa Penida, the Campuhan ridge. The second most common place in the archive after the islands, and the one that overlaps most with the years he was working out what he wanted to do.
Elsewhere, Everywhere else he posted from: Cambodia and Angkor Wat, Mallorca, Montenegro, Serbia, the French countryside, Queensland. Shorter stays and single visits, including a trip the three of them have repeated every three years.

2016-12-02 - A new account for the travels. The first post on the account. "Made a new insta for my travels." He was still in Western Australia; the move to the islands was two months away.
2016-12-04 - Touristy things. Captioned only "Touristy things", posted two days after the account opened.
2016-12-05 - Tropical vibes. A two-word caption from the first week of the account, December 2016.
2016-12-08 - Fifty shades of green. "50 shades of green." Posted in December 2016, before the family left for the islands.
2016-12-10 - Summer ready. A two-word caption from the Western Australian summer of 2016.
2016-12-16 - Normal is boring. "Its funny how afraid people are to be different. Normal is boring, i dont want to be bored all my life." He posted a near-identical line again in April 2018.
2016-12-20 - A rare photo of me floating in mid air. "Here's a rare photo of me floating in mid air, pretty cool huh."
2016-12-26 - A breath of fresh air down Augusta way. "Catching a breath of fresh air down Augusta way." Augusta is at the south-western tip of Western Australia.
2016-12-29 - In my element. " Posted at the end of December 2016.
2017-01-02 - Stepping out into the real world. "For so long i've dreamt of the moment i would step out into the real world, and simply live. I yearn for adventure, and honestly just wish to follow the seasons around the world and capture freaking insane moments to share with you all. This is just the start."
2017-01-05 - Upgrading to Premiere Pro. "Hyped to share this short edit with you all. I just upgraded to Premiere Pro and this was a huge step to my editing game. So ready for 2017."
2017-01-07 - First run with the GoPro Hero5. "Its a whole new world with the #goprohero5." He adds a shout out to the girl in the background who looked about to be sick.
2017-01-08 - Taking the drone down south. "Took the drone for a spin the other day during our trip down south, here's a cheeky little edit." Shot on a DJI Phantom 4.
2017-01-08 - GoPro selfie. "Selfie game strong." A short caption on a GoPro self-portrait.
2017-01-15 - How about it. "How 'bout it." The photo is credited to a friend, Lee Tonn.
2017-01-24 - The now local surf spot. "Nice day out at the now local surf spot." One of his first posts tagged to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands after the family moved there in January 2017.
2017-01-25 - Vlogging the move to a remote island. "My family and i relocated to a remote tropical island and i have begun vlogging our new life. First video is up on youtube." This is the post that announces the move.
2017-01-26 - Sun-kissed and salty. " Late January 2017, his first weeks on the islands.
2017-01-27 - Still breathing. " A two-word caption from January 2017.
2017-01-27 - Island adventures. " He points to the full video on YouTube and credits the music to Randobeats.
2017-01-28 - A day fishing with nothing to show for it. "Cruisy day out on the water with nothing to show for it except a few missing hooks and a nice sun burn down my chest because i had my shirt unbuttoned."
2017-01-29 - Christened at The Shack. "@flynn_howitt and i have now been christened at The Shack (on a small day)." Flynn is his brother.
2017-01-30 - A vlog from the number one beach in Australia. "New vlog from the #1 beach in Australia is up now on Youtube." Cossies Beach on Direction Island had recently been named Australia's best beach.
2017-01-31 - Missing my uke buddy. " Addressed to his friend Lee Tonn, who did not move to the islands with the family.
2017-02-02 - Climbing for non-existent coconuts. "
2017-02-04 - SUP boarding shot from the Phantom 4. "SUP boarding on Cocos Island. Captured with the DJI Phantom 4." He lists the friends who appear in the accompanying vlog.
2017-02-05 - Sun, palms, surfboard. The caption is three emoji: sun, palm tree, surfer. Posted from the islands in February 2017.
2017-02-08 - New video up on YouTube. "Ayoo new vid up on Youtube." The track is by his friend Lee Tonn, recording as Flying Aster.
2017-02-12 - Falling from heaven. " Tagged to Cocos Island, February 2017.
2017-02-17 - Thumbs up for the island lifestyle. "
2017-02-23 - A snippet of the first month on Cocos. "Here's a snippet of our first month on Cocos. Full edit will be coming soon to Youtube."
2017-02-24 - Making the most of an overcast day. " February 2017.
2017-02-27 - One month recap, and a morning on the lagoon. The one-month recap of life on Cocos went up on YouTube. "Here is a photo of my mother and I cruising down the lagoon on an average morning in paradise."
2017-03-01 - Another frame from the recent edit. "Incase you missed it, here's another snippet from my most recent Youtube edit."
2017-03-04 - Living in an endless music video. "I feel like i'm living in an endless music video."
2017-03-08 - Eleven year old shredding the local. "We surf everyday yet i barely have any footage because i'm always so keen to get out in the water, and i put filming aside. Today i finally took the drone up and scored some sick videos. Here's a screenshot from one of them; 11 year old Toby shredding the local."
2017-03-14 - A video that sums up daily life. "This video pretty much sums up my life on a daily basis." Music by Cody Lovaas.
2017-03-16 - Underwater shots from the surf. "Playing around with underwater shots from the surf today." Shot on a GoPro.
2017-03-19 - Birthday adventures with the crew. "Birthday adventures w/ the crew." March 2017.
2017-03-20 - Free your mind. " A watch brand is tagged, one of several small sponsorships he was picking up in 2017.
2017-03-25 - My kinda party. " Posted in March 2017 from the islands.
2017-03-26 - Cutting through glass. "@flynn_howitt cutting through glass." His brother surfing a clean morning.
2017-03-27 - Always a rad time on Direction Island. " Direction Island is the uninhabited island across the lagoon from West Island.
2017-03-30 - Shooting on a no-surf day. "Shooting w/ @melaniefraser_." He tags it as a beach day with no surf.
2017-03-31 - Moon flips off the jetty. " Shot on a GoPro.
2017-04-01 - An island to ourselves for his nineteenth. "We had an island to ourselves for my 19th birthday. Check out the footage." 1 April 2017.
2017-04-02 - Photographed by a German tourist named Frederick. "About to smack the lip, or snag a barrel, or both?" The photo was taken by a passing tourist he names as Frederick.
2017-04-04 - A rope swing on Home Island. "Made a cool discovery on Home Island yesterday." Home Island is the Cocos Malay settlement across the lagoon.
2017-04-05 - First post to a thousand likes. "Hit my first 1k likes on a post yesterday. I know i don't say it enough but thankyou all so much for your support. Here's an impromptu edit."
2017-04-06 - Keeping it simple. " A watch sponsorship post, one of a run he did through 2017.
2017-04-08 - The first drone crash. "Not long before the drone crashed (don't worry it survived)." He tags it as his first crash.
2017-04-12 - Cocos as a place to let creativity flow. "Cocos has been such an amazing to let my creativity flow. It constantly fuels my passion to create the life i want, and it's a great feeling. If you're someone with a creative mind and big dreams, DM me."
2017-04-15 - Not impressed with the lack of waves. " He notes the photo was taken a while earlier and the swell had since picked up.
2017-04-19 - Lazy days at the local. " The local break on West Island.
2017-04-25 - Motorised canoes to the nearby islands. "A days' adventures out visiting nearby islands on the motorised canoes again. Can't get enough."
2017-04-27 - Cruising the lagoon. / @flynn_howitt."
2017-04-30 - Weekend vibes. " Another of the 2017 watch-brand posts.
2017-05-02 - Surf in the morning and again in the afternoon. 't get enough." Music by Laetho.
2017-05-09 - Cotton candy on the horizon. " A sunset frame from May 2017.
2017-05-13 - Another day, another angle. " A drone frame.
2017-05-18 - Cruisy island vibes with two siblings. "Creating some cruisy island vibes with a couple of my siblings." He also wishes his father a happy fiftieth.
2017-05-21 - The closest thing to a tunnel on Cocos. "The closest thing you'll get to a tunnel on Cocos. Remote living at it's finest." A drone shot down a road through the palms.
2017-05-24 - A twenty dollar second hand surfboard. "Frame grab from one of my surf edits a while back. I bought my board second hand for $20 and it's done me well, but it's time for a new one i think." The board he envies was shaped by a local surfer on Cocos.
2017-06-05 - New board, waiting on the surf. "New board arrived on the weekend and i can't wait to take it out, just need the surf to clean up a bit. 3 metre close-outs are fun until you take one to the head."
2017-06-06 - Carrying all the equipment. "It's not easy being the big gun and carrying all the equipment. There are times when i just can't deal with @flynn_howitt's laziness and my composure breaks momentarily. This was one of those times."
2017-06-08 - Filming Direction Island for the tourism awards. "Spent the day filming on Direction Island for this years Australian Tourism Awards. Getting paid to hang out at the beach all day is pretty hard to beat." One of his first paid jobs on the islands.
2017-06-21 - Turtles in the paddle out, spotted on the footage. "This was taken just seconds before a couple of turtles accompanied us in the paddle out. We had no idea until we re-watched the footage later that day. This island is incredible."
2017-06-25 - Flying the drone for an SBS documentary. "Last week shooting on Direction Island, this week flying the drone on Home Island for an SBS documentary. These islands may be remote, but man there is so much opportunity."
2017-06-28 - Flooded out, and the wi-fi cannot handle it. "I haven't posted for a couple days because we've been flooded with rain, and the wi-fi can't handle it. Just another one of those remote living at its finest moments. We've played so many games of Settlers of Catan i've lost count."
2017-06-29 - Couple goals, with surfboards. "Our best couple goals attempt w/ @flynn_howitt. In reality, the closest thing we have to a girlfriend is our surfboards."
2017-06-30 - Days like these. " End of June 2017.
2017-07-03 - A family camping trip overdue. "Another family camping trip is well overdue." He recalls the last one: rain at 3am, five people in the motorhome, a centipede, and hermit crabs following a trail of cereal one of the kids laid to his tent.
2017-07-05 - Land surfing in the rain. "What do you do when it's raining outside? Land surfing duhhh." Shot entirely on a GoPro Hero5 with a mouth mount.
2017-07-12 - One of the most incredible beaches. 've ever come across. Keep an eye out for some aerial shots coming soon."
2017-07-13 - Grateful to be surrounded by places like this. "So grateful to be surrounded by places like this." Tagged to the Cocos Islands, July 2017.
2017-07-16 - When mini mals were the transport. "Throw back to when the swell was smaller and mini mals were the preferred method of transportation out on the water."
2017-07-22 - A 360 camera out of the cupboard. "I've had this 360 camera sitting in my cupboard for months and yesterday i finally took it out for a test run at our local surf break. We're heading off to another island to camp tonight."
2017-07-23 - What a scorcher last night was. " A sunset frame from July 2017.
2017-07-26 - Frame grab from an edit in the works. "Frame grab from a pretty sweet edit i've got in the works. Keen to share it with you all soon." The photo is credited to Taj Powell.
2017-08-01 - Chasing vibes like this. " He promises the full video on YouTube soon.
2017-08-04 - Fifteen thousand followers. "15k baby. Cheers to every one of you legends who have been following along with my crazy adventures. Here's one of my favourite shots from this year."
2017-08-06 - A place only a photo from the air can do justice. "There are some places so beautiful that only a photo from the air can do them justice. This is one of those places."
2017-08-08 - Snorkel missions with the crew. "Snorkel missions w/ the crew. Check out how quickly the water changes colour."
2017-08-12 - Electric afternoons in the surf. "Electric arvo's in the surf with a coupla randoms."
2017-08-14 - Guiding tourists through the Southern Islands at sunrise. "Guiding a fleet of tourists through a few of the Southern Islands as the sun rose this morning. I've visited this place so many times and it never gets old. Nothing beats champagne on the water at 6am on a Monday."
2017-08-17 - Five useless facts, including seven kids. He posts a photo of himself and lists a few facts: three days without decent wifi and no phone reception on Cocos, his sister and her partner had just arrived, and he is one of seven kids, all of them on the island with him at the time.
2017-08-23 - A chill spot with an unsurfed wave in front. "Possibly the best part about this new chill spot is the wave just in front that literally nobody has ever surfed. I must be dreaming."
2017-08-25 - Stranded on an island until the tide rises. "There's something relaxing about spending the day stranded on an island, knowing nobody can come or go until the tide rises again and there's enough water to boat back." He was filming a lifestyle video with his sister and her partner.
2017-08-28 - Dinner with baby reef sharks for the scraps. "Eating dinner in true island style, complete with a few baby reef sharks to pick up the food scraps."
2017-09-01 - A project he calls raw and heartfelt. "Working on a huge project with these two crazy humans. Something very raw and heartfelt, revolutionary to my progression as a content creator. I want people to see my life as i do and live it with me, not just from behind their screens."
2017-09-08 - The yachties who stop at Cocos. "The yachties who visit Cocos come from every corner of the globe, and they all have such fascinating stories to tell. I'm pretty tempted to jump on a yacht as a deck hand and sail off to Africa."
2017-09-10 - His six year old sister, from the January archives. "Digging through the archives i came across this picture taken back in January when we first moved to the islands. It's not really a photo i would normally post." It is his sister Akaisha, then six. "In this photo it's as if she's staring out at the big wide world, ready to face anything that life throws at her."
2017-09-13 - Beach soccer among the kitesurfers. "Playing soccer on the beach until the sun goes down, amidst the dozens of kitesurfers flying up and down the lagoon. Eating dinner with your feet dangling in the tropical, warm water. It's days like these you remember."
2017-09-13 - Drone shot of where he first stood up on a board. "One of my all time favourite drone shots from the very first place i ever stood up on a surfboard. So good to see the local groms still kickin it and having fun out there."
2017-09-14 - A grainy phone photo from a night camped out. "Here's a grainy, low res photo i took on my phone from the time we camped (stranded) on one of the smaller islands in our atoll. I figured it's not about the quality of the photo but the quality of the memories that are made."
2017-09-15 - A road trip that took five minutes. "Throw back to the time we went on a road trip. Took about 5 minutes to reach the end of the island and set up camp, what a mission it was." West Island is about ten kilometres long.
2017-09-16 - A quest for decent wifi. "Just a lost boy on a quest to find some decent wifi."
2017-09-17 - Pastel skies and balmy nights. 'm really starting to appreciate these epic sunsets."
2017-09-18 - Here is to all the Monday lovers. "Vintage vibes on a Monday. It's crazy to think how many people in this world live for the weekend. I couldn't think of a more unappealing way to live. Here's to all the Monday lovers." Written in September 2017, six years before he named a company after the idea.
2017-09-19 - Kick push, kick push. He quotes Lupe Fiasco: "So he kick push kick push kick push coast, and away he rolled jus' a rebel to the world with no place to go." Photo by his sister Amber.
2017-09-20 - Only 120 people live on West Island. "The closest thing we'll ever get to a beach party. Most of you probably don't realise just how remote the Cocos Keeling Islands are. Only 120 people live on West Island, and most of the 26 other islands are deserted. When we set up camp like this, we really are in our own little world."
2017-09-21 - A bamboo shelter, and two people left to survive a week. "Somewhere in this jungle is a bamboo shelter we spent 6 hours constructing today, before leaving two mates to survive for a week with no food, no boat and no communication with the rest of the world. I'm headed back here on Saturday to see if these guys are still alive."
2017-09-22 - Go back to a place you have already shot. "Really starting to see this place from a new perspective. So many hidden gems that i've just overlooked and underappreciated. If you're a photographer and you're reading this, i challenge you to go back to a place you've already shot at and get creative with some new angles and ideas."
2017-09-25 - Bali should be next on the calendar. "Moped missions got me feelin' like Bali should be next on the calendar. Who's gonna be in Indonesia from November onwards?" He left Cocos for Bali the following month.
2017-09-26 - A bush shack that cost two days of chopping palm fronds. "Believe it or not, this 5 star luxury bush shack managed to fit 6 of us for the night and only cost 2 full days of palm-frond choppin'."
2017-09-28 - Living in another dimension. " Tagged to the Cocos Islands, September 2017.
2017-10-01 - Shot on an old Canon with everything on auto. "Thank you to this unknown paddle boarder for steezing out on the small 2 footers and letting me capture the moment. I took this on my old Canon camera, with all auto settings and barely any idea what i was doing. Goes to show you don't need the best gear to take the best photos."
2017-10-03 - Colouring someone else's shot while the drone is down. "Pretty bummed that my drone is currently out of action, so i've been flicking through some other photos and decided to bring a bit more colour to this epic shot." The original is by Taj Powell.
2017-10-05 - Happy with the direction. "Looking back to see how far i've come, i couldn't be happier with the direction i'm heading. I'm attracting so many sweet opportunities into my life."
2017-10-10 - A one-way ticket off the island. "Appreciating every moment i have left in this beautiful place. A one-way ticket off the island has been booked. It's time to see the rest of the world. Heading to Indo in a few weeks."
2017-10-15 - The Australian Tourism Awards entry. "Here's a snippet of the video we entered into the Australian Tourism Awards for the Cocos Keeling Islands. It's been a pleasure working alongside the tourism association over here and i'm super grateful to be a part of projects like this."
2017-10-17 - The fiftieth Cocos Olympics. "Every couple of years the island is split into two teams for a gruelling week-long Cocos Olympics. This year marks the 50th Olympics. Empty houses as parents and kids alike are up until 2am every morning running the streets and booby trapping anything and everything they can get their hands on. A week with no rules, except to cause as much havoc as possible."
2017-10-20 - Into the unknown. " Tagged to West Island, October 2017, two weeks before he left.
2017-10-24 - The best visual representation of my life currently. "This photo is probably the best visual representation of my life currently. So full of stoke and so many good things to look forward to."
2017-10-31 - Farewell Cocos. Posted at the Cocos Islands airport as he left after a year. "I've learnt more about myself in this last year than i can even put into words. It's as if the creative part of my brain had been left on idle for the first 18 years of my life, until we arrived on this Island and it was set free. Being isolated from the real world was such a blessing in disguise, a chance to really stop caring what people thought and just be me."
2017-11-03 - Perth sunset in soft pastels. "New places, people and memories call for new inspiration. I've been frothing soft pastel tones recently and Perth's sunset turned out to be the perfect time to experiment." Three days off the island.
2017-11-04 - Flying to Bali. "Flying over cotton candy on the way to the land of the god's." He spent the following month in Indonesia with a travel group called Find Your Pack.
2017-11-07 - Ubud has no surf but the forest makes up for it. "Ubud may not have any surf but the forest views sure do make up for it." He writes about visiting Bali Swing and says he wanted people to know it creates local jobs and donates a share of profits, adding that the post was not sponsored.
2017-11-08 - Photography changed how he sees a place. "Back when I wasn't into photography I found that I rarely appreciated my surroundings. Now when I re-visit spots like this I'm way more inspired and have a new-found appreciation for the little things around me. The colours, the smells and particularly the people." Campuhan Ridge Walk, Ubud.
2017-11-10 - A climb in Ubud that brings Cocos back. "Safe to say I didn't make it to the top. But it did bring back memories from when I was living on the Cocos Keeling Islands this year." He mentions heading to Canggu for the weekend.
2017-11-13 - Raw moments in Bali. " Tagged in Ubud, November 2017.
2017-11-18 - Dream Beach, Nusa Lembongan. "Safe to say I don't need to explain why they call this place Dream Beach." Photo credited to a friend.
2017-11-19 - Some places deserve to stay a secret. " A temple in the Ubud area, unnamed on purpose.
2017-11-20 - Leaving Lembongan for the waterfalls. "Peace out Lembongan. Headed back to Ubud. I'd like to say it's time to get some work done but we're scouting out a bunch of waterfalls tomorrow so that's gon' have to wait."
2017-11-23 - Flooded out before the other three waterfalls. "This was taken not long before mother nature decided to flood us out with rain. We were meant to see 3 other waterfalls but that's cool, everything happens for a reason." Kroya, north Bali.
2017-11-24 - Second thoughts about posting Kelingking. "This place was genuinely just as breathtaking as it looks. After seeing so many instagram photos I actually had second thoughts about posting my own, but man this spot deserves all the publicity it gets." He mentions infected reef cuts on his bare feet and rain turning the descent to mud.
2017-11-26 - Fill your life with people who lift you up. "Fill your life with people who inspire you and lift you up, you'll thank me later." Nusa Lembongan, November 2017.
2017-11-28 - Mount Agung during the eruption. "After a cancelled flight I had the chance to drive north a bit and take a closer look at Mt Agung in all its glory. Nature in its purest form really is incredible, but also terrifying for the people living nearby." He asks followers to donate to Bali charities. The volcano was erupting at the time and closing the airport.
2017-11-30 - Shooting through a tropical downpour. "It's pretty hard to tell from this photo, but we were actually in the middle of a tropical downpour, huddling together with a towel over my camera and tripod, wiping the foggy lense every so often in an attempt to get a clear-ish photo. Turns out the dehaze setting on Lightroom is my new best friend." Aling Aling waterfall.
2017-12-06 - Angkor Wat with nobody else in the frame. "Exploring one of the 7 Wonders of the World was magical to say the least. So much power and history inside every temple, it's hard to fathom just how old these things really are. Also pretty incredible that I managed to get a picture with no other people in the shot."
2017-12-07 - Pub Street, Siem Reap. "Peace out Cambodia, you've been real. Bit of a change of scenery from my usual landscape shots, but great memories all the same. Back to Bali in the mean time for a couple more weeks of sun and waves."
2017-12-09 - Define yourself, or be defined. He quotes Gary Vaynerchuk: "You're either going to define yourself, or you're going to let someone else define you." Posted from Siem Reap.
2017-12-10 - Another Cambodia photo, posted from Bali. "I'm back in Bali so it seems like an appropriate time to share another photo from Cambodia. Who am I kidding, I just have no friends to go take new photos with."
2017-12-11 - Uluwatu cliffs at sunset. "What a great way to finish up one of our last outings with @findyourpack last week. Uluwatu views are some of the best." He says the group gave him his first friends and month of living abroad.
2017-12-14 - An abandoned plane in Bali. "Stumbled across an abandoned plane in Bali. I've seen a couple photos of this place before and it was pretty epic to see it for myself. Shame we weren't allowed down the cliff for some even better shots."
2017-12-16 - A floating village on the Tonle Sap. "Wandering through this floating village made me feel like I had stumbled across some sort of fantasy world. Somewhere completely disconnected from reality and civilisation, where the people roam free and live off the land and the water with no rules, deadlines or worries." Kampong Phluk, Cambodia.
2017-12-21 - Back with the family in West Aus. "Back with the crazy family in West Aus for a bit. No plan after Christmas (as per usual), so if you're around and keen to take some photos or just grab a coffee let me know. I don't actually drink coffee though."
2017-12-22 - Dream chasing. 2018?" Posted just before Christmas 2017.
2017-12-23 - New inspiration in places seen countless times. "Finding new inspiration in places i've been to countless times before. It's amazing how oblivious I used to be without a camera in my hand. Keen to re-visit all those gems down South that I never appreciated enough." Binningup Beach.
2017-12-28 - The simple life. " A Cocos frame posted at the end of December 2017, two months after he left the islands.
2017-12-30 - Wanting to share more than the picture perfect shots. "I'm still pretty new in the photography world but ever since I started I found myself only capturing and sharing the picture perfect shots, and overlooking the real, raw moments. I want to start sharing more of me, Jai. The kid who grew up quietly observing everything around him, always curious, always learning." Augusta, Western Australia.
2018-01-02 - No plan, and a room shared with five siblings. "I've had so many people ask me what my plan is now, but the truth is, I don't even know what I'm having for dinner let alone where I'll be next month." He describes sharing a room with five siblings and his parents while renovating a house, and says the family flies back to Cocos at the end of the month while he stays and looks at buying a van.
2018-01-05 - Wandering empty islands, from away. "Wandering aimlessly around empty Islands was up there with my favourite pastimes back home. Missing all the Cocos crew, I'll be back one day."
2018-01-10 - Golden hour. " January 2018, back in Western Australia.
2018-01-14 - The van search continues. "Manifesting dreams into reality over the coming weeks." He tags it as the van search continuing. Black Diamond Lake, Western Australia.
2018-01-15 - A vertical panorama after the camera went flat. "This solo sunset mission started with a last minute decision to jump in the car and drive down completely random streets, trusting I would end up in the right place at the right time." The image is a grainy vertical panorama shot on his phone after the camera battery died. Sugarloaf Rock.
2018-01-17 - A tent for the next week. "My bedroom for the next week. Looking forward to getting back into early morning wake-ups and productive days, with a touch of surf and op-shopping in between." Geraldton.
2018-01-19 - A couple of groms running away from real life. "Just a couple of groms running away from real life." Geraldton, January 2018.
2018-01-21 - Taken and edited on a phone. "The waves may be lacking but the early morning views are certainly making up for it." He notes the photo was both taken and edited on his phone.
2018-01-24 - Hitch your wagon to something larger. He quotes Barack Obama: "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."
2018-01-27 - Nineteen suitcases, and staying behind. "Mixed emotions. Running on 2 hours sleep, we left the house at 1.30am bound for the airport. After an hour of lines and 19 suitcases finally checked in, it was time for the family to head back to tropical paradise. Without me." He stayed in Western Australia to live in a van.
2018-01-30 - The one who walks alone. "The ones who follow the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find themself in places no one has been before." Nusa Penida.
2018-02-01 - Looking back on Siem Reap. "I visited Siem Reap briefly in December last year, and was honestly blown away. I didn't really have any expectations but maan that place was magical. Stoked to tick the floating village off my bucket-list, along with visiting one of the seven wonders of the world."
2018-02-05 - Crashing in Fremantle for a few days. "Vibey place you have here. Thanks for letting me crash for a few days." Fremantle, February 2018.
2018-02-12 - Moved into the van, parked at his sister's. A list-style catch-up: "Moved into the van full-time on the weekend. Currently parked at my Sisters place in Dunsborough so I guess I'm not really full time in the van after all. I finally bought a new tripod after losing the last one in Cambodia. I ordered a fridge for the van so as soon as that gets here ya boy is heading south."
2018-02-15 - Early morning waves at Yallingup. "Living for those early morning waves." Yallingup Beach.
2018-02-19 - A week in Dunsborough makes you a local. "I've been in Dunsborough for over a week now so it's safe to say I'm pretty much a local, guiding these island tourists around." Injidup Natural Spa.
2018-02-20 - The drone comes back after six months. "After 6 long months, DJI have answered my prayers and finally fixed my old drone pal. We're heading off on a sunset beach date as we speak but here's a shot from yesterday just after the bird made it back into the sky."
2018-02-23 - A sunrise workout shoot for the portfolio. "I figured its about time I explored further with my filming and start opening doors into the health and fitness scene. Luckily for me I happen to be bunking in with a couple of vegan fitness fanatics who were happy to become models for a day and shoot this short video."
2018-02-26 - Express yourself how you want to. 'll attract more people who you vibe with, and that shit excites me." Cape Naturaliste.
2018-03-06 - Chasing the light at the end of the tunnel. " Lancelin, Western Australia.
2018-03-08 - Dare to dream. " Shot at the Lancelin sand dunes, March 2018.
2018-03-13 - Island ball with the Cocos crew. "Bitta island ball action with the Cocos crew last year. My birthday is on Monday incase anyone is willing to pitch in for a ticket back home. I miss you Cocos."
2018-03-18 - Praying for a wave or three. "Just a blonde Mowgli praying for a wave or three." Yallingup Beach, photo by a friend.
2018-03-19 - Twenty, and the second of seven. His twentieth birthday post. "From humble beginnings and the second born of 7 kids, my life has never really been normal." He thanks each of his siblings by name and thanks his parents for trusting him to pursue something other than a nine to five.
2018-03-21 - Do people want to hang out, or want the drone shots. "Sometimes I wonder if people actually want to hang out with me, or just put up with me so that they can get cool drone shots of them floating around in a dress." Meelup Beach.
2018-03-26 - Do what you feel to be right. "Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you'll be criticized anyway." Australind, Western Australia.
2018-03-28 - Enjoying the little things. "Currently enjoying the little things, because biiig things are coming over these next few months." Perth, March 2018.
2018-03-29 - An offer to travel with a New Zealand family. "These last 6 months i've never really had a plan. The vision is always there, but a plan? Haha man I only decided half an hour ago where I would park up and sleep tonight." He says he has been offered three months travelling full time with a family from New Zealand, working with James Kemp, and that he is stoked to learn about digital marketing while doing what he loves.
2018-04-01 - Publicly accountable for exercising. "This is one of those classic moments where you do something once and upload it as if it's something you do on the daily. Also a good time to keep myself publicly accountable as I get stuck into more regular exercise and work on a healthy body as well as a healthy mind." Busselton.
2018-04-02 - Normal is boring, again. "Normal is boring, I don't want to be bored all my life." The same line he posted in December 2016, now beside the van. Dunsborough.
2018-04-03 - A tree too big for the frame. "This tree was so big I had to take a vertical panorama and it still didn't fit in the frame." Angkor Wat, from the December trip.
2018-04-05 - Driving the WA coastline. "Ever had a moment where time stands still, and the worries of life just seem to float away? Chyeah, every time I drive along the WA coastline actually."
2018-04-06 - Two minute noodles and a box of Shapes. "Here's a photo my sister accidently took, featuring me looking like a dag clutching a box of bbq shapes." He goes on: "my life isn't always as dreamy as I like to imagine. I still have 2 minute noodles for dinner to save money, and stay at my sisters place for a month while I'm waiting for a few things in my life to align properly. Don't get too caught up in the perfect world that is Instagram."
2018-04-07 - More fk yeah, less fk that. " Dunsborough, April 2018.
2018-04-10 - Eleven days up the coast in a school bus. "Getting frothy for this Exmouth trip in a couple days. 11 days cruising up the coast in a big ole school bus, yes please."
2018-04-14 - A tourist in his own country. "Becoming a tourist in my own country while my Finnish friend is down for a couple weeks. Who knew this place was just outside of Perth?" Bells Rapids, before the Exmouth trip.
2018-04-17 - Warm weather, and Bali in a couple of months. "This warmer weather's getting me frothy for Bali in a couple months." Posted from Carnarvon on the drive north.
2018-04-21 - Appreciating the finer details. " Coral Bay, on the Exmouth trip.
2018-04-23 - Sleeping on top of the van for the Sleepout. "Tonight I'll be sleeping on top of my van, to support Mission Australia and their 30 years of ongoing support for homeless people in Australia. Every night there are 116,000 Aussies with no safe place to sleep, so I'll be donating and spending the night out in the cold and weather, to experience what they do everyday."
2018-04-24 - Earth Day, a day late. "Late to the party as usual, but as tribute to Earth Day yesterday here's a photo to remind us all of how big and beautiful this earth really is." Kalbarri.
2018-04-26 - Live music around a beach campfire. 's moments like these that make you realise life doesn't have to be played by the rules." Lucky Bay.
2018-05-01 - His grandparents' place in Geraldton. "Always on the hunt for vibey places to hang out in for a while. Turns out Gran and Grandads place is the vibiest of them all. Funny how as kids we never seem to appreciate things enough, but years later you can visit the same place and see it from such a different perspective."
2018-05-02 - Dawn surf in Exmouth. "Getting back into flow, eating healthy(er) and waking up earlier. Surfing at dawn in water warm enough for just a pair of shorts." A frame from the Exmouth trip.
2018-05-07 - Leaving West Aus for Byron Bay. Posted at Perth Airport. "The start of a new chapter. Not because I didn't like what I was doing, or because I was ready to let go of experiences, things or people. But because opportunity calls and sometimes decisions need to be made in order to grow. Bye West Aus, see you soon Byron Bay."
2018-05-10 - Do more than just live. " A Bali frame from 2017, posted in May 2018.
2018-05-11 - Missing the simpler moments back in West Aus. "Feels weird being in a city for more than a few days. Makes you miss the simpler, easier moments back in West Aus. But hey, nothing life changing ever came from the comfort zone."
2018-05-14 - Share the stoke. " A frame from Exmouth.
2018-05-20 - Never a fan of the city. "Never been a fan of living in the city, but views like this are just something else." Surfers Paradise, Queensland, shot on his phone. He had just moved to the east coast.
2018-05-22 - Jungle on the east coast. "Jungle vibin'. Finally introduced a bit of moodiness into my feed. Thoughts?" Mount Tamborine, Queensland.
2018-05-26 - New rig, waiting on swell. "New rig sorted, now we just gotta wait for the swell. Jetting off to somewhere a bit more tropical next week, can anyone guess where?" Surfers Paradise. The answer was Bali.
2018-05-31 - Where it all started. "Throwback to where it all started. Cocos, you are the reason I do what I do. I'll be back one day." Direction Island.
2018-06-06 - Light the fire in your belly. " City Beach, Western Australia.
2018-06-10 - A week in Bali, then back to the Gold Coast. "Headed back to the Goldcoast after a week away in Bali with @airasia and @flynn_howitt. Got a few snaps that I'll share with you all over the coming days but for now it's time to relive my fondest memories sleeping in airports and buying unnecessary, overpriced food to pass time."
2018-06-11 - A pro surf event at Uluwatu. "Having never been to a pro surf event before, I couldn't turn down the offer. Amidst thousands of people lining the cliffs of Uluwatu I managed to snag this photo, crouched under the single random pot plant that was hanging over the edge of the railing. This may well be my favourite photo ever."
2018-06-13 - Heading back to Bali for a couple of months. "So it feels like I only just left, and it could be because I only just left, but I forgot to mention I'm heading BACK to Bali real soon. On Saturday actually. Will be based there for a couple months."
2018-06-28 - The longest he had gone without posting. "You might have noticed I've been a bit quiet on here the last couple weeks. Happens to be the longest time I've ever gone without posting but it's all for a good reason. New inspiration, projects, business opportunities and a re-imagined sense of creativity are just a few things I'm looking forward to expressing in the near future."
2018-07-04 - Going places. " Echo Beach, Canggu, July 2018.
2018-07-08 - Island attire. " Canggu, July 2018.
2018-07-15 - One reason to wake up early. "There are several reasons why I choose to wake up early. Here's one that doesn't need an explanation." Ubud.
2018-07-25 - Moving forward, always. " Campuhan Ridge Walk, Ubud.
2018-07-29 - Average day in the office. " Canggu, July 2018.
2018-08-04 - Reality over dreams. "Dreams > Reality. Tbh I see it the other way around. Dreaming is great but wouldn't it be so much greater if we focused on building a reality that surpassed our dreams?"
2018-08-08 - Flying home unannounced after ten months. "Yesterday I flew home to the islands after nearly 10 months away, to take a step back and re-connect with the place that started it all. I arrived without a plan, without even telling my family I was coming back."
2018-08-11 - It is the little things. "It's the little things." A hermit crab, Cocos, August 2018.
2018-08-13 - A yin yang and nothing else. The caption is a single yin yang character. Posted from the Cocos Islands in August 2018.
2018-08-14 - More time in the water in a week than the four months before. "Been in the water more times in the last week than the 4 months before that combined, and I'm pretty bloody stoked about it."
2018-08-15 - Daily commute to the beach. " Cocos, August 2018.
2018-08-21 - Vibes. " August 2018, back on the islands.
2018-08-23 - 365 days of summer. " Cocos, August 2018.
2018-08-27 - Go do that. "Take a moment to stop and think about what you really want to be doing right now, in your life. Go do that." West Island.
2018-08-30 - Stranded in the middle of the Indian Ocean. "Stranded on an island somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean."
2018-08-31 - Thoughts create feelings. 's something in your life that you don't like, trace it back to where it starts and change it."
2018-09-03 - No mobile reception at all. "Yo, where's the reception at? Plot twist, mobile phones don't get reception here. At all. Just a daily reminder that there are bigger things in life than sitting behind a screen all day, scrolling." He adds that constructive screen time matters for anyone building an online business, but within moderation.
2018-09-07 - Time to bring back the videos. "I'm feeling like it's time to bring back the videos. For the raw moments that a picture can't always capture. Yay or nay?"
2018-09-08 - A family that built small businesses. "I'm forever grateful to have parents who saw life from a different perspective. Parents who didn't care that I wasn't interested in university, encouraged me to find a passion and build a business around that." He describes his brothers selling candy at Saturday soccer, his sister reselling painted furniture from the tip, and a family business painting house numbers on kerbs. He says he has been funding his travels by helping people grow on Instagram and working as a freelance content creator.
2018-09-09 - Where do you call home. "Blessed to have spent a good chunk of my life here. I'm curious, where do you call home?" Posted at the Cocos Keeling Islands Visitor Centre.
2018-09-11 - On some sorta vibe. " West Island, September 2018.
2018-09-14 - Advice he had heard a thousand times before it stuck. "For years, almost every mentor and successful person I've followed have been telling me to put in the work, forget about the next year of my life and put it towards building the future I dream of. I've heard it time and time again, yet it never stuck." He credits three months working closely with James Kemp and his family for making it real: "I had been told a thousand times, but it wasn't until I physically saw it in front of me, it finally stuck."
2018-09-18 - Shout out to the dreamers. "Shout out to all the dreamers, hustling behind closed doors and seeking a life that's a little different from the norm."
2018-09-19 - A list of the last two years. "The unknown is scary, but diving into it face first is probably the best advice I could ever give someone." He lists it out: left his job, travelled solo to another country, sold everything and bought a van, went overseas again, flew back to the island atoll, invested the last of his savings. "Now? Who knows. And guess what? I wouldn't change a thing."
2018-09-24 - Shoeless, shirtless and plan-less. "Shoe-less, shirt-less and most importantly, plan-less. How it should be."
2018-09-27 - Blur the line between dreams and reality. "
2018-09-29 - Barefoot in the palm jungles. "Navigating the palm jungles, barefoot, salty and not a care in the world." West Island.
2018-09-30 - Time you enjoy wasting. " Cocos, September 2018.
2018-10-01 - When he stopped caring what people thought. "It wasn't until I stopped caring, that I really started to see a shift in my life. I stopped caring about people's opinions of me. Perhaps the biggest thing holding me back from growing into the person I wanted to be."
2018-10-02 - Not ready to head back to civilisation. "Running away from the real world. Not sure I'm ready to head back to civilisation in a couple months."
2018-10-04 - Outside the comfort zone. "The unknown, outside of the comfort zone. That's where all the magic happens."
2018-10-05 - Prison Island, shrinking. "15 years ago when my family first moved here Prison Island was more than double this size. It used to house prisoners and slaves back in the early settlement of Cocos. Crazy how things change, few years from now and it'll be an underwater dive site." Photo by his brother Flynn.
2018-10-10 - No dogs on Cocos. "There aren't any dogs on Cocos, so here's one from back in Bali a few months ago."
2018-10-12 - A mind as clear as this water. "My life goal is to wake up each morning with a mind as clear as this water."
2018-10-16 - Chess on the beach. "Quality antics and company. Lazy Chess games on the beach because, why not?" West Island.
2018-10-29 - New crew, sharks and freediving. "Stoked to have some new crew out here exploring for the last week or so. Creative juices have been flowing, sharks a plenty and vibes just as good as this island paradise I get to call home."
2018-11-01 - Flying to Christmas Island for the sports comp. "Peace out Cocos. Flying over to Christmas Island tomorrow morning for the annual inter-island sports comp. I'll be missing out on these waves but I'm looking forward to getting back into some serious volleyball and exploring new landscapes."
2018-11-12 - A month left in the tropics. "Lazy days in the tropics. Appreciating every moment before we are outta here in a month, this year is flying by."
2018-11-16 - A story about green and twelve, then retracted. He tells a story about his favourite colour and number matching his partner's, then takes it back in the last line: "Moral of the story? Don't believe everything you read on Social Media. Her favourite colour is actually red and her favourite number is 4, and you just wasted 30 seconds of your life."
2018-11-23 - Bonfires at golden hour. 've hit an all time high folks."
2018-11-28 - Two weeks before the big smoke. "Back to the big smoke in two weeks. Gonna miss nights like this." He plugs a friend's Cocos film screening in Perth. "It's gonna be a struggle leaving this place again, not knowing when I'll be back."
2018-12-10 - A couple of salty groms. "Coupla salty groms living our best lives. Anyone wanna come hang out here for a day?"
2018-12-11 - To the place that shaped me. 't thank you enough. Saying goodbye gets harder every time." Posted from West Island as he left in December 2018.
2018-12-28 - Island time. 't exist, peak hour traffic is unheard of and early mornings become a thing because it's liberating, not because you're getting up to go to a job. It's on island time that I operate at my highest level, unconstrained from the pressure of deadlines and stress."
2019-01-07 - An endless ocean of opportunity. "There's an endless ocean of opportunity out there. Believe me." January 2019.
2019-01-09 - A limitless 2019. "I feel like the last few years have each been the start of a year of opportunity, but there's something special about 2019. A word that has continued to show up over the last couple of weeks is limitless, which I feel is a reminder that upper limits are going to be pushed." Binningup, Western Australia.
2019-01-14 - Salty and stoked. "
2019-01-18 - Boarding a flight to Bali, not Cocos. "Currently boarding a flight outta Aus. Wish I could say we're headed back to Cocos but Bali's gonna have to do. Looking forward to a month of networking, growth, good vibes."
2019-01-20 - Remove yourself from the environment. "If you're not happy with where you're at with life, with a relationship, with work, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from that environment and create another experience that betters the old. You need to consciously make a change before anything in your life will change."
2019-01-21 - Where dreams are made. " A West Island frame posted in January 2019.
2019-01-28 - People who lift your vibration, even puppies. "Surround yourself with people who lift your vibration, even if those people are actually puppies." Canggu.
2019-02-03 - The camera gear was stolen. "As most of you know, last week my camera gear was stolen from our villa while we slept. I was weirdly calm despite losing the thing that has shaped my life, and over the next few days I found myself more inspired than usual." He looked back through the first months of footage from that camera: "most of the shots were over-exposed and poorly timed, but it made me realise how grateful I am."
2019-02-05 - How a two minute noodle friendship became a job. He describes how the videography work came about: he met someone on a solo trip, they bonded over two minute noodles and morning surfs, stayed in contact, and months later that person sent him a job link. "I applied and suddenly I was living on the Goldcoast (and later, Bali) working with James and the team." The post is addressed to his brother Flynn, leaving for Japan on his first solo trip.
2019-02-24 - Designing a life that looks a little more like this. "
2019-03-17 - A six month lease in Fremantle. "In the last 1.5 years I haven't spent more than a few months in one place. Yesterday I flew back to Australia and moved into a 6 month lease in a cosy little apartment in Fremantle. That's probably not a long time for most, but it sure is for someone who can barely plan a day in advance." He sums up the years so far: "2017 was a year of creative growth, 2018 was a year of personal growth, 2019 is a year of financial growth."
2019-03-28 - People get attached to the old version of you. "It fascinates me how attached people get to the old version of you. As if assuming that you're never going to change or grow. Humans are constantly evolving, just some are changing faster than others."
2019-04-08 - Three years of taking Instagram seriously. "3 years ago when I started taking Instagram seriously I had no idea what i was doing. All i knew was that i wanted to escape the rat race." He says he started an account called islandvibess and others, moving from growth hacking into content creation, branding and digital marketing, and that he wants to start sharing what he has learned instead of keeping it quiet.
2019-04-17 - Change is good, especially uncomfortable change. "Change is good, especially if it's uncomfortable. Who's going somewhere new this year?" Rottnest Island.
2019-04-21 - Which scooter would make it to the surf. "Back when the only decision I had to make in the morning was which scooter had more chance of getting to the surf and back without blowing up. No phones, no concept of time, simply living."
2019-04-22 - Nostalgia, defined. He opens with the dictionary definition: "Nostalgia: a wistful desire to return in thought to a former time in one's life, to one's homeland." Then: "Forever grateful for this place and the impact it's had on my life."
2019-05-09 - A second attempt at Mount Batur. "Few early mornings this week but worth every second of sleep lost. Prepping for a 1:30am start tomorrow to tackle Mount Batur again. Last time was 3 years ago and it ended with no sunrise at all (too overcast). Here's hoping we get some better luck this time." North Bali.
2019-05-10 - The team hanging out in north Bali. "Few of the team hanging out, embracing the good vibes up here." May 2019, north Bali.
2019-05-13 - No sunrise on Mount Batur, again. "Win some, lose some. Watch till the end to see our reaction to the sunrise (or lack of)." The second attempt was also clouded out. "Spent the last week connecting with some deadset legends. Feeling really grateful for life and genuine friendships."
2019-05-18 - Good vibes only. " Bali, May 2019.
2019-06-23 - A trip just for the fun of it. "Hitting the open road tomorrow to re-kindle that sense of adventure. It's been too long since I've been on a trip just for the fun of it (non business related) and it feels way too good." He mentions a Lightroom editing walkthrough on his story. Bells Rapids.
2019-07-03 - From wintery greens to red dirt. "From the wintery greens to the red dirt. Sometimes a change in scenery is all it takes to re-kindle the fire inside." On a campervan trip through Western Australia.
2019-07-04 - A WA beach that brings Cocos back. "This beach had me reminiscing about my days back on the Cocos Islands. Whites and blues alllll day." He hints at a ticket booked back to the islands at the end of the year for a project he does not name.
2019-08-22 - Setting intentions. " Ningaloo Station, Western Australia, August 2019.
2019-12-30 - Six months quiet, and a year in list form. "Hey, it's been a while. Almost 6 months actually." He walks through 2019: January and February in Bali with a mentor, March in Perth working alone at home for less than the hours were worth, recognising limiting beliefs about money, building an audience on TikTok faster than three years of Instagram, then moving to Cocos to be with family. "My biggest takeaway from this year would be to not overlook mindset. And I'm not just talking about limiting beliefs. I'm talking ground level stuff."
2020-01-03 - Dreamscaping. " West Island, January 2020.
2020-01-15 - Still does not own a shirt. "Update: still don't own a shirt. Brands hmu."
2020-01-19 - A favourite spot, a week after leaving. "Ahh nostalgia (and it's only been a week). This was one of my favourite spots to get lost in my thoughts over a blazing sunset and a cold beer. One of those places you reaaally don't want to leave. Almost too comfortable. Cheers to recognising when it's time to step back into that uncomfortable zone."
2020-01-27 - Creating content was easy, running a business was hard. "Cocos is always a treat but by the end of this trip I was pretty ready to get back to the real world and into a routine again. Creating content was easy but running a business was hard. Waking up late and beaching it all day was easy but maintaining motivation was hard. Somehow those two months on the islands were some of the busiest of my life."
2020-03-08 - Exactly where you need to be. "A friendly reminder that you are exactly where you need to be, learning exactly what you need to be learning. It might not make sense for you right now, but it makes sense."
2020-03-16 - Letting go of the travel content creator persona. "One from the Cocos archives. Things are changing and so is my feed. I've been holding onto the travel content creator persona for far too long and the reality is, that's not really an accurate representation of my life anymore. Right now it's head down putting in work, and pretty pictures just aren't gonna cut it." This is the post where the account changes subject.
2020-03-17 - Big Zu, and a history of cheap cars. "Meet Big Zu, the baddest company car you'll ever see." He lists what came before: a first car bought with money borrowed from his parents and paid back working at a fish and chip shop, an old Land Rover spray painted matte black bought from two backpackers, then the van that took his last three thousand dollars. "This is the first car I've genuinely wanted to own."
2020-03-22 - Birthday trip, March 2020. "Grateful to be on this planet and having a crack at this thing called life. Here's a collection of memories from my birthday trip the other day." Sandy Cape.
2020-04-27 - Looking back at the 2016 side hustle. "Sat down with a mate this afternoon for a long-overdue catch up and we reflected a bit on the good ole days when we used to grow IG accounts (separately, but at the same time as it turns out) as a side hustle back in 2016/17. Now? I'm posing in front of a newspaper wall because it looked kinda cool."
2020-05-17 - Creating for the sake of creating. "Creating things just for the sake of creating things. The best times." A carousel posted in May 2020.
2020-05-20 - Uncommon amongst common people. "If you're uncommon amongst common people, you're in the wrong place. Let that sink in."
2020-05-29 - A big decision, told the next day. "Made a biggg decision today. Will share more about it tomorrow." The next post announced the studio.
2020-05-30 - A studio in North Fremantle. "Welcome to the new studio. 2 years ago my office looked a little different. Just a boy, grinding in his bedroom. Thousands of hours with almost no monetary gain, just a burning belief that the work would pay off. There's still a looong way to go but this new space is a huge step in the right direction."
2020-10-07 - A cyc wall instead of four months abroad. "Hey, it's me, just dropping in with my once-every-few-months Instagram post, and showing off the new addition to the studio. This cyc wall is roughly equivalent to 3-4 months living abroad, and up until this year I would have taken the latter (travel) alllll day. Now? It's just the next investment."
2020-12-26 - Thanks Cocos for humbling me once again. 've been my main source of inspiration, in life, in business, in family. I'm a different person each time I come back and this year was no exception." Posted at Christmas 2020. It is the last post from the islands in this archive.
2021-07-11 - Reinvent yourself, often. " The only post in the whole of 2021.
2022-05-01 - Back to what it has always been about. "Back to what it's always been about: the journey, the people and the undisputed belief that it will work out in the end." May 2022, after a year of near silence.
2022-05-28 - Handycam meets New York. 75km travelled by foot and scooter, a strict diet of Joe's Pizza, a broken film camera and one hell of a few days. I'll be back."
2022-06-07 - Handycam meets California. " Footage from Los Angeles and San Diego, June 2022.
2022-06-19 - First day of summer in California. "Spent the first day of summer in California with just a film camera and a few good mates. One for the memory books." San Diego.
2022-10-14 - Life currently. " October 2022.
2022-10-23 - Five hundred film photos never shared. "I got lost for a moment there. I thought I was treading water when really I was exactly where I needed to be, learning the lessons I needed to learn. At some point I remembered my 17 year old self, so full of blind faith that it'll work out in the end." He adds that he started shooting film that year and has more than five hundred photos he has never shared.
2022-11-06 - A busted Toshiba laptop and a house of nine. "I grew up in a house with 9 people. A childhood of hand-me-downs and a cluttered home taught me gratitude for the things that I did have, like a bed to sleep in and a busted old Toshiba laptop to edit my first videos on." He writes about how much environment shapes what he can make.
2022-12-04 - Shot some film out east. "Ventured East and shot some film to remember bits and bobs." December 2022.
2022-12-10 - The only constant has been these humans. "The only constant in my life has been these humans right here. My biggest motivators and supporters at the same time. The ones who taught me to think bigger even when I was already way outside of the box, and that even 7 kids can't stop you from chasin' dreams and trying new things."
2023-02-06 - Recorded after a long-term relationship ended. "I recorded this months ago after a long-term relationship ended and a lot of change occurred within a very short time. I realised the thing that was holding me back was only my own limiting beliefs and I set out to change that. It's been my greatest project so far."
2023-04-10 - Recharging lately. " April 2023.
2023-05-18 - Life is beautiful isn't it. " May 2023.
2023-06-05 - Closing the doors after four years. "Last month I closed the doors on the very thing that has given me life for the last 4 years." He describes it in a list: the thing that took him from a shared bunk bed to a studio he had dreamed about as a kid, that left him at zero in the bank more times than he can count, that pushed him to his best and at times all the way down to his worst. "This is a goodbye letter, to something that made me, well, me."
2023-07-02 - A campaign shot in Mallorca. "Stoked to bring my vision to life in our recent Mallorca campaign." Directed for the brand Naming This Later.
2023-07-08 - Images from lost phones and undeveloped rolls. "An assortment of images captured between lost phones and many rolls of undeveloped film."
2023-07-09 - The art of living. " July 2023.
2023-07-22 - On tour in the Sahara. " He notes that the heavy breathing in the fourth slide is his friend Liam Fawell, not him.
2023-07-24 - Two weeks in Morocco. "2 weeks in Morocco." Posted from the Sahara, July 2023.
2023-08-10 - Leading with art, and a community coming. "This year I decided to use this platform simply for art and not for income, or at least LEAD with art and see what happens on the other side. Choosing this route has taken me all the way back to my 18 year old self, creating and failing and learning and blindly trusting that it'll all make sense at some point." He says he is launching a community later that month for people who want to design their life like art. It is the first mention of Art of Mondays.
2023-09-25 - A manufacturer visit in India. "Strike mission to India to visit a manufacturer and lay the foundation for Naming This Later in 2024. Delirious from food poisoning, jet-lagged, dodging the worst floods in years and driving nearly half a day on pothole filled roads and constant car horns made it a real bitter sweet memory to look back on. Left feeling humbled and inspired."
2023-10-18 - Some work, some play, in Tuscany. "Some work, some play, a power nap or two and everything in between. Learning to lead with an open heart and mind as I wander through this thing we call life." Tuscany, October 2023.
2023-10-22 - People watching in Rome. " October 2023.
2023-11-18 - Ten days on a scooter around Bali with his brother. "One of our younger brothers finished high school this month and instead of heading off to party with his friends, we posed the idea of a scooter trip around remote Bali with (almost) no technology. We gave ourselves 10 days and in true Howitt fashion, absolutely no plan." He describes his brother Kit's first time driving a scooter, stomach bugs, and shared sweaty bedrooms, and ends: "Life moves fast when you're not paying attention."
2024-01-01 - A stealth launched company. "I stealth launched a company. Weekly episodes on YT." New Year's Day 2024. The YouTube channel in this archive begins nearly a year later, at episode 48.
2024-02-16 - A dystopian life. " February 2024.
2024-02-18 - A month alone in Cape Town. "A month in Cape Town, my first truly solo adventure since I was in my teens. Simplicity was the goal: saying yes to the things that excite me, and no to the things that don't serve me. Spending time with creative, deep-thinking people. Spending time alone, in even deeper thought."
2024-04-13 - Twenty six things. A list of twenty six facts on his twenty sixth birthday. Among them: he spends half his time in Australia and half travelling, he does not make a living from social media, he is one of seven kids, he never went to university, he spent eight years on a tiny island growing up and calls it his favourite place in the world, he has shot over 1500 film photos and shared only a handful, his first camera was a GoPro, and he says he gave away a business doing $1.5M a year to go all in on Art of Mondays.
2024-06-05 - Self improvement club. " Posted from Milos, Greece, June 2024.
2024-07-12 - One summer evening in Vienna. "One summer eve in Vienna." July 2024.
2024-11-25 - Fighting burnout as a seven figure business owner. Episode 48 of Monday Diaries, the earliest episode on the channel. He describes it as building in public and documenting learnings, and the chapter list runs through an honest update, slow growth, a big idea and a business update. Episodes 1 to 47 are not on this channel and where they are is not stated anywhere in the material.
2024-11-28 - Eight days in a house with seven entrepreneurs. "For 8 days I lived in a house with 7 young entrepreneurs in Lombok, Indonesia. Here's what went down."
2024-12-03 - Our biggest week ever, and self-belief. Episode 49 of Monday Diaries. The chapters cover what led to the growth, a current challenge, thinking bigger, and a business update.
2024-12-11 - A designer who says he multiplied his income. An interview with Dylan Stott, a designer and agency founder. Jai describes him as a member of Art of Mondays and says they break down where he came from and how he grew his income in under a year.
2024-12-13 - Our biggest week ever, again. Episode 50 of Monday Diaries, posted a few days late. Chapters cover an honest update, a current challenge, The Art of War, and a business update.
2024-12-16 - The ugly side of getting rich young. Episode 51 of Monday Diaries. Chapters cover an honest update, team updates, a big idea and a business update.
2024-12-22 - A swimwear brand built out of TikTok fame. An interview with Dylan James O'brien, described by Jai as a twenty one year old creative who turned quick TikTok fame into a swimwear brand called One Palm. He says they break down the adversity behind it.
2024-12-23 - How to make 2025 actually count. Episode 52 of Monday Diaries, the last numbered episode on the channel. He walks through three steps: get light, make a vision board, and do what he calls the Pyramid of Clarity. After this the weekly numbering stops.
2025-02-27 - Ten days in a house with nine entrepreneurs. "For 10 days I lived in a house with 9 young entrepreneurs in Noosa, Australia. Here's what went down."
2025-03-13 - First time in Japan, first time seeing snow. "An 8-month-overdue update for my IG homies. Been quiet, but creating more than ever. Building something much much greater than me and waking up every day with my soul on fire. First time in Japan. First time seeing snow." Hakuba.
2025-03-20 - Ten entrepreneurs in a lil box. A week living in a house with ten entrepreneurs in Hakuba, Japan. He now says new episodes come every week or two rather than every Monday.
2025-04-01 - Turns out you don't need to hustle. A week in his life living with entrepreneurs in Cape Town, South Africa.
2025-04-21 - Building a global company at twenty seven. A week in his life building a company and travelling full time at twenty seven. The video carries a suitcase sponsorship, disclosed in the description.
2025-05-05 - Building companies with best friends. A week in his life building internet companies with friends. He links the channels of the people he works with, including his co-founder Evan Bryce Riddle.
2025-06-22 - more life. "Documenting my life and travelling for a living at 27." The description drops the weekly framing entirely. From here the channel becomes standalone films rather than numbered diary episodes.
2025-09-07 - I moved to an island. "Documenting my life, travelling for a living in my 20s." He signs off: "See you when I have something worth sharing." Some of the footage is Super 8 shot by a friend.
2025-09-19 - Hustle culture is dead. "A week in the life living with our team, building businesses, not knowing what day it is." He links his co-founder Evan Bryce Riddle's version of the same week.
2025-09-27 - Month eight without a base. "Month 8 without a base and it feels an awful lot like home. Routine-less. Croissant-full. Laughter heavy. It takes just as much energy to achieve a small goal as it does a big, crazy, world-changing one. I know what I'm choosing." Montpellier.
2025-10-16 - Mallorca, before going offline. "Dancing between the desire to work every waking hour VS live slowly, read several books a week and fill notebooks with new ideas. This month has been a solid dose of both." He signs off heading offline for what he calls his Misogi for 2025.
2025-10-23 - Fifteen entrepreneurs in a lake house in Alaska. "I've always been curious about how successful people live. What makes them different from the rest?"
2025-11-04 - Building an app in Montreal. "This week I spent a few days in Montreal living, working and building. Reminded me that great companies are really just great people aligned around one idea. And maybe that's true for life too."
2025-11-11 - Travelling for a living at twenty seven. "A week in the life of a 27 y/o building a global community and travelling for a living."
2025-11-16 - A week alone in Patagonia with no phone. "Frames from a week offline (no phone or laptop) in Patagonia, alone. Daunting, peaceful, liberating and downright breathtaking." He lists what he found: eleven hours of sleep a night without an alarm, three and a half books, and a hard second and third day going from no cycling experience to fifty kilometres a day off-road with twenty kilos on the bike. "It really is mind boggling how much self-talk influences reality."
2025-11-19 - A life you don't need a vacation from. "A week in Mallorca, Spain, creating a life I don't need a vacation from."
2025-11-24 - I went offline. " The film of the week he cycled Patagonia without a phone.
2025-12-01 - Seven days without a phone. "I went phoneless for 7 days, and it changed me. Here's what I learned."
2025-12-10 - Surround yourself with the right people. "The right people change everything."
2025-12-18 - Parked up in Western Australia. "A week of building a life and a business that I love. This time parked up in Western Australia with some of our team."
2026-01-27 - Building a business with his eighteen year old brother. He works on a business idea with his youngest brother Chayse and shares the one-page playbook shown in the video. He adds a note in the description that Chayse has since pivoted to a different idea.
2026-02-06 - A January in New Zealand. "A january well spent, thanks NZ." Mount Maunganui, February 2026.
2026-02-15 - Coming home. "Back home after 9 months on the road."
2026-02-26 - Building from a beach house, two hours a day. "A week of building a global business from a beach house." The description also carries a job ad for a fractional COO.
2026-04-14 - A layover in Hawaii that became two months. "Give me a beach shack, an old car and a few cups of overpriced foam and I'll cancel all my plans to turn a layover into 2 months. Mahalo, Hawaii." Oahu.
2026-04-17 - All you need is surf and wifi. "A week of building a global business from a beach house." Filmed during the two months in Hawaii.
2026-05-04 - Back to Argentina, this time to write. "Back to Argentina but this time without the bike, Misogi or lack of screen time. Inspired to write, play and make art instead." He says a first book is coming in one to two months.
2026-06-22 - Alone in Hawaii. 2 months." A standalone film rather than a diary episode.
2026-06-29 - Optimising for peace. "The older I get the more I optimise for peace. As few meetings as possible, deep work when i'm inspired and then 4pm reading on the sun rock." He lists organic meat and roasted sweet potatoes for most meals, present conversations with friends he respects, and playing chess as often as he can. "Anyone that thinks you can't build a generational company from a place of flow and fun and a calm nervous system just hasn't felt it yet." Mallorca.
2026-07-24 - Camp Mondays, and twelve year old Jai. "Thank u Camp Mondays for showing 12 year old Jai that dreams do come true." Posted from the French countryside.
2026-07-27 - Great ideas come from boredom. " Kopaonik, Serbia.
2026-08-09 - Letting the old self die. "You must kill your old self in order to attract your dream life." He says a book is almost ready. It is the most recent video in this archive.
2026-08-30 - The three amigos, every three years. "Every 3 years the 3 amigos find a new country, stay up till 3am, get food poisoning for the 3rd time and forget to use any of our 3 expensive cameras because we're too busy living in the moment." He lists the trips: Spain and Morocco in 2023, Albania and Montenegro in 2026, somewhere unnamed in 2029. Posted from Ulcinj.

Full text archive: /loreline-text/jais-journey.md