1. Loving the recent attention that Tezos art has been getting.

Ngl though, chuckling a bit at the folks thanking big names for ‘discovering’ the space and allegedly ‘raising’ its profile.

Because here is what I know …

2. The tezos art ecosystem is at least 18 months in the making, supported in great part by artists collecting each other’s works, and in part by collectors who value great art and aren’t afraid to look outside of traditional spaces to find it.

3. I came across HEN my first month into NFTs and it was a no-brainer for me. It is there that I found the diversity and creative freedom that was taunted as the blockchain’s promise.

Everywhere else felt homogeneous, intimidating, and with very few people like me.

4. Back then, HEN was un-curated and its UI did the bare minimum to focus completely on the art.

There was no follower count on artists’ page, you had to open an artwork to see if it was available, by whom it was collected, and for how much.

5. Breathtaking works were accessible such that anyone could collect en masse.

Secondary sales were also more common than on other chains as a result. I got a taste for the ‘sale > second. sale > royalties’ journey on Tezos first, and many times before it ever happened in ETH.

6. This was no random occurrence! It was the work of artists and collectors who were driven to create a space where mutual support drove prosperity.

And no one cared (truly!) what you looked or sounded like, where you came from, what your Twitter following was, etc.

7. Collectors on Tezos like @WiseApe4 @jesse_altman @GuysWily @cuttheace @verticalcrypto @VeeeeColeman built with artists, and not at their expense.

I’ve never felt ‘used’ by my collectors on Tezos. Rather, they gave me confidence to keep going, and cheered me on as I did.

8. And let’s talk about the amazing experimentation that’s been happening in the Tezos space, from @InWarhol’s publication to @WideawakeBeets’s Here And Now immersive experiences.

No clout chase, no overselling, good old building and watching excellent experiments grow.

9. Now that more capital is flowing into the Tezos space, let’s recognize that its true magic lives beyond the massive sales.

10. The magic of Tezos is in getting lost in rabbit holes of delectable, eclectic, unhinged art.

It is in meeting people for whom mutual support is a legitimate way to exist in the world.

It is in surrendering to our instinct for unhindered play.

11. So if you are a blue-chip artist or big mandem collector joining us in this brave new world, please help us keep its magic.

That might mean unlearning a few things and picking up some new habits, but you got this (🤞🏾)