A day in NYC: travel to the Renaissance of the Internet

[This is a translation of the original IN SPANISH here]

May 2018. Everything was over for me… To survive I will have to be forever attentive to social media, be young and funny, plus share with the world my daily life… this way, harnessing SEO and being algorithm-friendly, you might get noticed and become a celebrity, even get rich… online there were a lot of courses, tutorials and books with master formulas to get ready and 'updated' as an author.

I had started my career as a Spanish writer and illustrator about 20 years before, with a deep calling for “enlightening your life with the best music of all times". Now, all that I had learned, all that I had built , seemed to vanish and disappear without leaving a trace in the middle of that confusing social media noise. Was it time to give up?

These dark thoughts were my companion in the bus that was taking me to New York City. Looking by the window I could see the small houses passing by on the Spring fields green and wet. Inside the bud, all packed, I realized the complete silence of those passengers focusing on their mobile devices.

For a moment, I felt misplaced… what was a woman like me doing there?

I was never afraid of changes. The unknown always looks interesting to me. I believe that all that is new opens new ways , at the very least to get to know yourself better. Therefore when I discovered that Internet could become something different, I found it like an invitation to live an adventure. My life was a mess at that time, and in the middle of that chaos, the discovery of blockchain technology brought a new light.

Nevertheless, I am never inclined to follow impulses without checking before. So I researched, studied and persevered in my knowledge… After all, following my curiosity and learning are my favorite sport practice…So, I was not going to miss an opportunity of exploring like the New York 'Crypto Creatives Week'.

In Spain, I had not yet had the chance to share my discoveries with those around me. none seemed interested. Now I was going to live the Internet Renaissance for real.

The first event looked very interesting. The title was: “Blockchain:The Impact on Artists and Art Marketplaces”.

We were about 20 people in room of the typical office building in midtown. By my side a lady sat and she confessed she was an explorer like me, although she had been sent by Christie’s in a mission to see if that new technology could be somehow useful in her department. The panelists introduced their projects, and this way I got introduced to Super Rare, Dada, Snark… They also talked about crypto-art, and they got very excited commenting about those pieces they carried in their phones, which they collected with passion.

As I asked, they showed me their Cryptokitties, and they explained that they were unique and their value was increasing by the hour! I was in shock...

Someone tried to explain to me they were NFTs, but I did not catch much of the explanation at that time. Anyway, I perfectly realized that there was a world of collectors fascinated by those pieces, and investing a lot of money in NFTs.

After the meeting, in the street the rain was pouring, and before all taxis dissolved (as it usually happens in NY under the rain) I took a cab to get to my room downtown. I will never forget how lucky I was to chat with the taxi driver who was a blockchain enthusiast himself, and had already bought some Bitcoin. I was looking forward to explain all that at home, where I was considered a nerd.

This and some other experiences I those days in the big apple, provided a first glance of what blockchain was inspiring to many artists in that Spring 2018. The genuine excitement of those artists and developers, their search for freedom, transparency, close relationships on the web… was an invitation to embrace the new Internet of Value.

Why shouldn’t I participate too? Artists and authors working in the physical world could also have the chance to enter that world… it was just about keeping exploring and getting to know that new territory.

Back in Spain I took an important decision, and I started a new stage in my life, participating actively in building that new web 3, the Internet of Value that I invite you to discover in this podcast.

I did not think much about NFTs for a while because I could only see their interest for collectors and I wasn't able to see other uses of NFTs for art. Nevertheless, time was going to show me many other possibilities. Today, with a new mindset, I am myself working in a project that involves art NFTs to be used beyond just collectibles.

So I have made up y mind and I have decided that this might be the right moment to propose a course for professional artists-authors to be able to get started in this world of NFTs but in an aware and well-informed way. About this course (in Spanish) I leave more information in this link.

Time to close this first podcast of the season… with this tune, the beginning of “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity“ from The Planets By Gustav Holst. So if you find these news joyful, it’s up to you to know more, explore, and jump into this adventure. I volunteer as your companion in the journey.

Georgina Mauriño