Silently, I’ve been rebuilding a master research document as I’ve been re-crypto-pilling myself.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned every time I truly try to understand something → you have to just do the thing and feel it for yourself.
Last night that thing was Clanker.
Resulting in: Creative Directors of Crypto
TWO PRECURSORS
First is the philosophical base, four years ago I wrote an essay “Cybernetic Drives Towards Referential Objects”. It wasn't even about crypto, but in returning to it I realize how aligned it is to these themes.
Two quotes I believe are relevant to vibe to from it...
I sit down at church. Staring up at the cross. Knowing my salvation is fully tied to this act. We hoist this reference to a physical vantage point of awe. I must tilt my head up each time I look for the cross, creating a natural position of reverence. From my vantage point I understand my worth, what I must do in reflection and dialogue with the cross.
In consuming this, I am told what is required of me. My actions can be measured, adjusted, confirmed. I sin, I repent, I press onward. Faith is fully knowing. And therefore, I am fully aware of my destination and the path defined by the word.
I am pulled by the cross, this referential object, towards a guiding set of actions that will close the distance between me and the medium.
What I believe the next phase of products and the internet at large holds for all of us, is a deeper understanding of the referential objects we use to embody our values. And the subsequent systems that exist to participate within. Not chrome, devoid of opinion and belief. But rich narrative that is both crafted from within and generated through participation.
Symbol:Alignment:Participation
Second, is the seed of alignment.
Last summer speaking at FWB Fest, during Q&A, I stated "Ethereum needs a Creative Director".
Shortly after that I spoke on BoysClub about it. Shortly after that Coinbase/Base hired a formal creative director. Silently, steadily, the seed took root.
It has to be more than a "just a chill guy" meme.
You actually have to believe it. And it has to be both repeatable (saying it), actionable (creative directing is a verb), and an identity (the verb creates the role).
COINS, COORDINATION, AND CREATION
I wrote a 2021 essay about narrative currency. In it I said something to the effect of - When a technology takes hold, it tends to fold our peers into a new meaning. Social turned our peers into entertainment. OnlyFans turned our peers into our pornography. Tokens turn our peers into our economy.
Crypto to me represents a softening of currency. It allows for user generated symbols and narrative. Both of which are far more intuitive to understand than previous capital structures and institutions.
It turns currency into a design material. And it's the affordance of this design material that we are allowed to make the object (token itself), the symbol (what the alignment is aimed towards), and the proof of work that is meant to drive value (this is hotly debated in both its reality and production of value).
In deciding to launch $CD with Foda last night, it became clear how it all came together. This is outside of the $1M in volume done in 3hrs... which was exciting as well considering 0 promotion or clear announcement.
SO WHY $CD
I'm going to make this as simple as possible to understand.
Using our previous framework.
1 Repeatable Need - Creative directors have a rich history across industries, and crypto needs them.
2 Verb - The work of the creative director is to communicate through image and narrative building.
3 Role Creation - The proof of work from the community achieves the identity for themselves, and distributes the meme.
WHAT’S NEXT?
More.
I don’t do edits really, so excuse typos and things that don’t make sense.
Thanks so much for giving me your attention. I hope it was worth it, if not… unsubscribing will not hurt my feelings, and will give you back time you literally cannot have back.
Much love.
Live in the light