Our love for the Hawaiian islands as a travel destination is already well established. If we’re not there, we’re often thinking about a return visit, with each of the islands offering distinct experiences. Which makes the Work From Hawaii (WFH) – the island state’s newly announced sponsored work/study program aimed at mainlanders operating within the creative fields – a most enticing proposition. Because who wouldn’t want to work remotely from one of six unique workspaces tailored specifically to benefit their work in the design, art, music, science, and writing fields?
Created by the Hawaii Tourism United States (HTUSA) as a response to the explosion of “workcations” and the ubiquity of digital tools permitting creatives to work anywhere, at any time, the Work From Hawaii (WFH) residency is comprised of six unique programs scheduled for a week’s stay from one of the six islands:
The Location Scout (Kaua‘i)
A residency designed for photographers, cinematographers, and content creators to travel around the island by car or catamaran, study traditional lei making with ambassador Madeleine Guyett, and explore the backcountry of the island by ATV ride.
Design Loft (O‘ahu)
The Surfjack Hotel was amongst our top design accommodation picks for our Honolulu travel guide, so we’re pleased to see it as the chosen host for graphic designers, typographers, stylists, and other creatives invited to O’ahu. There the invited creative will learn ancient printmaking with fashion designer Manaola, tour with street with local artists from POW! WOW! Collective, all only a short walk to one of the most iconic beaches in the world.
The Tech Lab (Maui)
Experience the intersection of nature and technology in this residency, designed for programmers, crypto-miners, app-builders, and game-developers. A hi-tech workspace with a stunning view to work from, partnered with an itinerary including a hike to the Haleakalā Observatory, and a wayfaring lesson with a local ambassador, and a lesson to navigate using the stars.
Writing Desk (Moloka‘i)
Considering our daily operations, this program inviting journalists, novelists, or other aspiring wordsmiths to a quiet retreat to work from is our personal top pick. The residency offers a serene and scenic desk to work from, all with the easy option to leave it all behind to take a hike towards Kalaupapa or learn storytelling through a new lens at Halawa Valley Falls Cultural Hike with Moloka‘i native Greg Solatorio. Definitely our type of “rough draft”.
Corner Office (Lāna‘i)
For those of the entrepreneurial spirit this residency offers travel via your own private jet from O‘ahu to work from a most comfortable room at the Four Seasons Resort. Mornings begin with meditation with the invitation to meet local executive, Kurt Matsumoto to learn about sustainable development.
Sound Space (Island Of Hawaii)
As the name implies musician, singer, podcasters, and other audio specialists are the candidates invited to apply to work from their own secluded treehouse surrounded by the sounds of nature and supplied with a Hawaiian record collection. One-on-one time with cultural ambassador, Micah Kamohoali‘I, an expert of kumu hula will give aural creatives the opportunity to learn and appreciate the sounds of the island before being invited to work in a session at Kukuau studio to lay down tracks.
The opportunity to fulfill the dream of the best live-work experience remotely from one of these six bespoke island experiences should be enough to motivate candidates to apply at WorkFromHawaii.com between May 7 and June 4, 2018.
