holley4734
The summer is starting to wind down. It’s not over yet and neither is this guest post series. Please welcome Bel Ami, the next summer guest on the blog.
Into The Future
Artists are the vessels that use the present to introduce the past to the future.
As artists we live our life at the intersection of reality, make believe, idealism and craft. Often times finding our selves fully immersed in one area for undeterminable amounts of time, only to be, as if sucked through a wormhole, transported from one plane to reappear in another. This existence qualifies us most, above all else, to be pioneers in the newest era of the digital age.
When I approach a new song, I never know exactly how it will end, or what new, interesting, or exciting things I’ll find or learn along the way. I submit to the feeling of each moment, and allow it to guide my actions along the way. Stop me at any given point, and I cannot tell whether or not what I’m doing will be final. But my resignation to the “feels right” of the moment keeps me moving towards the goal.
My recent introduction to cryptocurrency has created a feeling that is very familiar. I can’t yet provide a technical analysis of why or how it works. But then again, it just “feels right”. Thanks to my love of numbers, and my finance background in undergrad, I’m a bit more adept than the layman when it comes to understanding “what” is actually happening with the money I’ve invested in various crypto currencies. Yet, I am ultimately left with more questions than answers.
Although, one thing I have learned, as this tiny little crypto-intrigue of mine has morphed into a full-blown crypto-obsession, is that blockchain technology, which underlies all crypto currencies, is where the real value lies. Through the marriage of digital watermarking technology, both visual and audio, and blockchain technology, artists have gained an ally when it comes to establishing creative rights, and licensing their works. Companies like Po.et, and Brooklyn based, Ujo Music, already have working products for artists to engage and interact with blockchain technology. You can purchase music from several different artists online at Ujomusic.com using a cryptocurrency called Ethereum (ETH). Meanwhile, Po.et has its own currency (POE), which you can purchase on at least eight different crypto exchange platforms.
If this is your first time ever hearing mention of “crypto” or “cryptocurrency”, not to be confused with Bitcoin (BTC) which is actually the first cryptocurrency, welcome to the world. Its exciting, vast, and becoming increasingly more popular with each passing day. I encourage you to research for yourself. But I digress…
Might cryptocurrency and blockchain technology be the panacea for all things plaguing the creative industries?… Probably not.
Is blockchain adoption a practical step in the right direction?… Perhaps.
Is blockchain technology the future?… Hell to the Yeah!!
How?… Just wait and see. I never claimed to have all the answers.
When it comes to cryptocurrency, I maintain a very Socratic disposition. “The only thing I know is that I know nothing”…But something about it just “feels right”.
As artists, we are required to see the future before it happens. Even if we don’t fully understand it, or think it possible, we offer our gifts in hopes that we will all arrive a little closer.
Bel-Ami
He has a beautiful voice, with some of the warm qualities of John Legend.
That is very true. 🙂 I love his voice.