Image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels (modified)
Dear reader,
If you're anything like me, then your attention is usually split between price action on the crypto charts and whatever interesting creative project you have lined up to work on next. If that doesn't sum you up and if you're new to the crypto/Web3 earning environment then fear not, as we've all been there at some point or other. I'm here to show you what I've learnt, what I'm looking at currently and I'm more than happy to bring you on my journey.
Regarding the price action, it just ain't budging, right? While it may be clear to see that we're not bouncing back to all time highs anytime soon, it also doesn't look like the depths of hell are calling for our sacred satoshis neither.
We're in a crab market.
Image by Ahmed Shan on Pexels (modified)
At least it gives my neck some relief from staring up all the time...
It's not all that bad you know. Not being fixated on the charts is extremely refreshing. For investors, this provides an opportunity to scout out new projects, reassess portfolios and gather new capital for future deployments. This is also the time when the real work gets done, right when no one is looking. This is the time to build, or buidl for those in the know.
I consider myself a builder. I may not be actively submitting code for cryptographic monetary protocols, but I'm doing my part engaging with the wider Web3 community, getting content out there, sharing opportunities in this unique environment and testing out the various platforms on offer. Providing a voice for emerging communities is critical to their growth. The more the space grows, so too does the demand for good quality content creators to help educate the new arrivals, provide industry commentary and support the various companies, communities and protocols with their marketing.
So what tools am I using? Well, for starters, I wanted to put myself in the shoes of someone not as fortunate as myself. Apart from this laptop I'm using and the internet connection that's connecting us, pretty much everything else I use is a free service or download. I wanted to lead by example and show that once you have the basic hardware, there's really no excuse for not getting out there and sharing your creativity.
So let's see how you can get started as a Web3 creator, with nothing more than a cheap laptop and an internet connection.
Getting started:
You'll need a browser. You could try Brave, as it pays out BAT (Basic Attention Token) while you browse. Opera is a good alternative, as this offers a free VPN built into the browser! Both options have built in crypto wallets, perfect for the modern Web3 creator.
Now you'll need an email account. I'd suggest looking into the free privacy focused e-mail providers such as Tutanota or ProtonMail. Big tech has a tendency for snooping into things that don't concern them. Ideally you want to separate that personal account you've been using for years with this new money making persona.
Now, if writing is your thing, and you'd like to earn some magical internet money for your efforts then do consider setting up free accounts at:
- Publish0x
- Read.cash
- Noise.cash
- Hive - sign up for free at Ecency
If you're looking to expand your reach even more, then I suggest you take a look at author @allentaylor's book Cryptosocial where he lists out over 80 different crypto-centric social media platforms. The book is not free of course, but you'd be supporting a fellow Hive writer along the way.
Once you've got your articles written and are ready to post, you might just want to smarten them up with some fancy thumbnails and header images. As for article headers: I like using Inkscape. It's a free vector graphic software, so very useful for images that need to scale like logos and titles.
If you need a background, or a specific image or photo to suit a mood or expression, you can just head over to Pexels for some high quality, yet free, images. Make sure to reference the original creator or provide a link to the download site; just because it's free doesn't mean the creator shouldn't get any recognition!
Sometimes I want to be a bit more expressive, so I'll use Krita. This is a raster based software, i.e. pixels instead of formula, so not very suitable for scaling. It is however an excellent free software package for digital drawing. If you're talented, you could try selling your art as an NFT and earn more magic money!
As for the audiophiles out there, you'd be truly surprised at what tools the digital era has presented us. Gone are the days of expensive studio bookings. If you're getting started then a free software should be more than enough to help arrange your music, edit your video's audio or record a podcast or audiobook. I'm working with Cakewalk at the moment. An alternative to Cakewalk is Waveform Free, although I tried both and found that Cakewalk has a more traditional type of layout and workflow which suits my needs better.
If you want to take extend your soundscape even further, you could even download an extra pack of virtual instruments and synths from Native Instruments, totally free! These are industry standard plug ins that work with a variety of audio platforms, including the ones mentioned above.
Well what to do with your audible creation? You could upload your work to a media host in the Hive network, such as 3Speak or Aureal. Maybe you're looking for a Web3 alternative (or addition) to Spotify. Check out Audius, this promises to be one of the bigger platforms if they play their cards right. There are plenty of other music NFT platforms and protocols being thought up and built out as I type this. Once the products gain momentum and a killer app appears on the scene, expect to see a rush of speculation as we saw in last year's profile pic NFT boom.
For the video editors out there, I'm not too knowledgeable in this field (yet) but I know there are plenty of free options out here too. To be fair, I think this a sector where the investment might be worthwhile, but a free software should be useful in getting you up and running. The online video space is crowded but also lucrative, even in Web3. You could check out Lightworks for example. Once your video is recorded and edited you will want to upload it to be seen. I already mentioned 3Speak, but you could also take a look at Odysee or DTube.
Finally, once the digital cash begins to flow, you'll need to think about your security. This is where a crypto wallet comes into play. Some platforms, such as the Hive ecosystem, provide you with all you need when you set up your initial account. Other blockchains will require you to have your own wallet. While a cold storage hardware wallet is arguably the safest and secure option, this is no freebie and may not fit in your starter budget. Metamask should cater for a lot of your needs as it is a flexible wallet that works on both browsers and phones and can interact with a large number of different blockchains, such as Ethereum, Avalanche, Polygon, Fantom and SmartBCH to name a few.
At this point I'd like to bring us back down to reality for a moment. All this talk of magic internet money is great and all but wouldn't it be nice if we could actually do something with that new found wealth of ours? Maybe, just maybe, at some point in the not so distant future, society and cryptocurrencies will be integrated to the point that seamless 'real-world' payments through cryptocurrency networks facilitate our daily spending habits. Up until then though, it's likely that we will still be dependent on fiat on/off ramps to pay for things like houses, cars, education, hospital bills, etc. You know, the big things in life.
My point of view on this matter is that if you're planning on using this money to improve the quality of your life, then play it safe, declare the income, pay your taxes. Remember that by dealing with crypto, you're dealing with immutable, transparent, permanent ledgers. The tax authorities are only getting more sophisticated at using these tools. So I ask you, is it not better to pay a percentage on your earnings and move on with your life than to live in a constant state of paranoid anonymity and face being locked out of your self-made fortune? Do you want to be that guy or gal with a collection of NFTs and digital land deeds hanging on the wall - in their mother's basement?
Image by Erik Mclean on Pexels (modified)
I will say however that I understand that anonymity and pseudonymity are critical to the security of certain aspects of online activity, such as journalism in authoritarian dictatorships, basic finance for women in sexually oppressive regimes, whistleblowing opportunities, etc. If Satoshi Nakamoto used his real name it's highly doubtful that the Bitcoin network and the crypto industry as a whole would be what they are today.
Just try to think a few steps down the line and imagine yourself cashing out a certain percentage of your crypto holdings? If that's not a straightforward scenario then maybe you should rethink your battleplan.
The late Benjamin Franklin put it very plainly back in 1789: "(...) in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
With all that being said, I'd like to finish on a positive note. We live in such an amazing moment in time, even with all the madness and chaos that is presented to us in the media. For all the negativity that we are spoonfed in our news feeds, there is an equally abundant realm of opportunity awaiting. These opportunities are within reach and need only be unleashed by harnessing these 2 potentials: brainpower and motivation.
I can't give you extra brainpower, maybe you could eat more superfoods or quit those unhealthy habits. You could also start by listening to good quality podcasts and reading informative books. As for the motivation, this is something that needs to be intrinsic, it needs to come from within. By joining this friendly, future-minded, positivity-building, web3 ecosystem, you can at least align yourself with likeminded, growth oriented people. Some of the world's brightest minds are working in this space at the moment - so why not join the fun and see what you can contribute? You might learn a thing or two, maybe even be "early" for once!
Signing off for now,
JaseDMF
Original content, copyright JaseDMF 2022. First published on Publish0x.
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