280: How to Live Free in a Dangerous World and Write a Decolonial Memoir with Shayla Lawson

Learn about black community building across geography & language, challenging the gender binary & decolonizing ourselves. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Shayla Lawson joins Matt for a wine night and starts off talking about growing up in Kentucky, becoming a poet, and documenting her travel experiences. Shayla talks about writing “How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir”. They reflect on the African Diaspora Renaissance in Lisbon, the impact of James Baldwin, and how to travel in a way that allows it to play a role in personal growth. Shayla then reflects on B/blackness globally, being in solidarity with other colonized people, and the Black community building beyond geography and language. They then talk about they/them pronouns, colonial enforcement of the gender binary, and the anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in Ghana and Uganda. Shayla also reflects on liberation and the importance of decolonizing ourselves. They then open up about living and writing with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and traveling as a disabled person. Finally, Shayla talks about their writing process and gives tips on how to turn your travel experiences into great writing. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)