Today I completed my 4 years in this space.
Joined in 2020 and what a roller coaster it has been. Learnt many valuable lessons, made many friends, traveled (me and my art)
Like every 4 year cycle, now I have an upgraded version of 0xMJ and m bullish xD
I will try to share my roots, and growth as an artist, trader and human in this thread. A long read🙏
2020
I got to know about nft and cent through my Facebook art account. Before that I wasn’t even aware of crypto and seemed scammy (too good to be true)
But it was interesting
I explored cent and many artists talking about their works, discussing each other’s pieces there. I wanted to be part of it, share my art and know how others interpret my works.
My first work got sold quickly, titled “Growth”, and was minted through someone who introduced me to crypto
I was side by side trying to learn about blockchain, how to make a wallet, how to mint and how exactly this ecosystem works.
I also dedicated good time to understanding safety measures.
I kept sharing my works on Cent and created a community around it
Many cent friends loved chess and they got to know I am a chess player, so I started organising tournaments there. I started posting chess-related lessons (I like sharing knowledge whenever I can)
I still had to learn about Indian exchanges and it was the most annoying process ngl
I didn’t know if there was anyone here who was from India, and I feared that I might send money to the wrong place.
But the good thing now for anyone entering is they can find many resources and people from their country/town/city/ neighbor/ home maybe….(u never know👀)
I was invited to Matthew and Rizzle’s show. I was 20 and new so understand the nervousness 😭
After this I was encouraged to mint my chess works and as u can tell I did hahah
I kept 1 edition for the winner of tournaments or any competition I would organize and another for sale. I started being active on Twitter. Started with 0 followers.
Talked about my work and learned to ask questions without hesitation whenever I felt stuck
I was also active on rarible telegram, it was the vibe🤌
Everyone chill. My works were also very well taken by collectors here and I felt admired. And I got to experiment with various ways I want to express myself and put out work.
I did competition-based giveaways, or contests where people share personal stories related to the theme of my work. Also, an environment-based work where I got to plant trees with each sale.
As someone who is very curious, it became a dream place for me.
This space rewards exploration and curiosity every time one way or another.
For my chess drop, I also experimented with drop mechanics where my pieces would mint one by one- mostly after the previous one is sold out. It kept everyone curious about how the next one would be.
My 2020 was full of physical artworks and my start with digital paintings. After a few sales I managed to buy myself a drawing tablet, so now I didn’t have to create with a mouse🥲
Slowly with each sale, I was able to invest in my art-related set ups, ultimately leading to a good PC where I didn’t have to struggle much with heat issues and graphics.
My art language started as mostly the expression of feelings which I was not comfortable enough to put words to.
Then I moved to more skill-based through details and patience. It was a good way for me to learn using a drawing tablet and test how patient I could be.
(Zoom this piece to see all the little details it has)
2020 I was accepted on @AsyncArt. Which was a new crazy world for me.
It had all the things I loved, a great team, an innovative platform and the ability to experiment in too many ways
That platform introduced me to amazing collectors and how crazily some concepts could be created.
2020 was also a time when I collaborated with many artists. We did an 11 artists collab- Palimpsest, which also made it to the highest sold piece on rarible (50 eth)
The collaboration was proof for me that despite being geographically so far away, we all can create on the same canvas.
2021 was the year I dedicated to creating pieces on Async, and how the ability of ‘changing layers’ can add a meaningful purpose to my works.
Created a story-based piece which becomes a new chapter or perspective depending on what layer is on.
The time was good and simple because everyone read about works and gave it time to understand. So that year my focus shifted mostly to themes and its symbolic representation. I also made my highest sale that year and made it to opensea top sellers (7th), off bucket list
This is how 2021 was Got accepted in KO too. And created my best Diwali work on Async where everyone could celebrate the festival through art interaction
2022 started with my Chess Players on Async Blueprint. One of the earliest one. It received immense love. Everytime my chess works do great a part of me as a chess player feels seen As a player for 10+ years I got to keep it alive in my art
The reason I feel the collection did well was (in no particular order)
- art
-my history with art and chess
- support of my collectors and them sharing it
-early contract of innovative tool
-memes and fun (which is a big part, and 2022 was all about it)
After that there was a drastic change in my style. I moved to grayscale That was the time I dedicated to understanding myself in more compassionate way, question why I feel what i feel, look at my flaws and love myself despite that Healing comes with pain too
As I was giving extra care to every little thing about myself, i started giving extra care to colours too. Before, my style involved hidden sadness despite looking pretty on face. The shift to b&w was also courage to be able to be vulnerable and show tough emotions without any filters
I strongly believe that growth as an artist involves growth as a person. So 2023 I focused on travelling, meeting new people, therapy, talking about experiences, sharing feelings through words (step by step). I also started accepting invites for public speaking
While doing all that I also focused on learning to invest, diversify, farming, and protocols. I put in little money and tried to trade with it (m still not as good as i wish to be) Imo if a place gives us quick access to info and knowledge its dumb to not put it in use
I think keeping/growing money is much more difficult than making it. So spending good time learning ways to manage it really helps. Daily I read summary of events, read about how various rates and news influence market (my education background helps) 2023–24 I focused on mental and physical health. Bear market is very good time for that and building. I started working on my start up idea, took feedbacks from VCs and potential market. Imo even if u fail u learn important lessons so never stop experimenting. Just having an understanding of when to pivot and accept failure/mistakes so u can work on it and move on helps. Don’t rush in life, give yourself rest, love and care whenever necessary. 2022 I was completely burnt making art, working for 3 companies, 1 organisation with many projects, managing all my socials, agreeing for everything plus constant pressure that comes with bull of ‘making it’ It was a lesson that not everything that seems good is good for you, one needs to learn saying ‘no’ and start prioritising their health. It’s easier said than done. But it’s a balance. Priorities. And grow ❤
