Cre8or • \krē-ˈā-tər \ • noun
A person or thing that brings (something) new into existence. 👋 Welcome to the 638 Cre8ors who are reading this newsletter.

🧠 This weeks big idea is…

Being Comfortable With The Uncomfortable.

An example of breaking down barriers to open new avenues in your career.

This week’s op-ed is written by Defient’s and Cre8ors community manager, Joe.

⏱️Time to read: 7 minutes

Everybody always talks about how Web3 and online communities have changed their lives - whether that be for the better, or worse. From my perspective, communities that foster mutual growth and support, while providing a sense of belonging, serve as the foundation for the decentralized web. While traders and flippers play a valuable role in the space, their focus tends to be on personal financial gains, rather than utilizing the technology to drive innovation and introduce fresh ideas.

As a founding team member of Cre8ors and ChillRx, I've gained valuable insights into the struggles of creative individuals. Despite being in a position to pursue their passions and talents, many are confined to mundane or physically demanding jobs that limit their potential. The root cause is a system that fails to recognize and foster creativity.

As a young and creative child, I received my first guitar as a Christmas gift when I was four years old, after persistent begging from my parents. In a matter of minutes, I knew that music was going to become a defining part of my identity, which holds true to this day. The mesmerizing sound waves, the resonating melodies, and the thumping bass all possess a certain beauty that reminds us of our small place on the earth. Despite the fact that many artists struggle to monetize their passions and are often forced to abandon their creative pursuits in favor of more lucrative careers, I knew deep down that music was something I had to pursue.

Fast forward to summer of 2021, I can't help but feel grateful for the release of my first EP. Life has its challenges, as it does for the vast majority of us. At the time, I was working a landscaping job when a new guy joined the team and introduced himself as a rapper. We bonded over our shared love for music, spending our days in the work truck exchanging new songs, artists, and genres. One track, in particular, stood out to me: "Fuck the Club" by Chillpill. It was on constant repeat throughout that summer, as my co-worker and I dreamt of flying to LA to record a track with him. Little did I know, putting that dream out into the universe would ultimately lead me to this moment - sharing my journey with you all through this newsletter.

As an aspiring Cre8or, I knew I needed to take bold steps to make a name for myself in the industry. When Chillpill released his track "hate u" featuring Sueco and Lonely God, I saw an opportunity to connect with him by covering the song and tagging him on social media. To my surprise, he reposted my cover and I was able to land a meeting with our Director of Biz Dev, Shane.

I quickly realized that to grow and expand my network, I needed to step out of my comfort zone and engage with like-minded individuals. That's why I joined the ChilRx Discord community in its early stages, sharing my music and remixes to connect with others who shared my passion and drive. It's been a journey of personal growth and self-discovery, but I know that taking risks and embracing discomfort is the key to reaching new heights in my career.

After a few weeks, I found myself on a Twitter space with Sidney and Chillpill who were hosting an open studio session at Record Plant in Hollywood for the pre-mint of ChillRx. It looked like an experience straight out of a movie. Although I had dabbled in crypto trading for years, dealing with $ETH, $LTC, $DOGE, and other digital currencies, the PFP game was new to me. However, my desire to see such incredible places in person pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I knew that I needed to get comfortable being uncomfortable if I wanted to reach that level of success.

I requested to speak and after I introduced myself I asked Sidney “If i was to fly out tonight and meet you at the studio tomorrow, would you let me in?” Needless to say, I found myself flying out of Toronto, Canada to LA at 5am the next morning.

Let me explain why this was an uncomfortable situation: I dropped everything. I have rent to pay, a car, responsibilities. Funds are tight. I also knew that this was the best chance I’ve ever come across in my career and that even though it was terrifying and risky, it was necessary for me to grow. I needed to prove to myself that I belonged with them.

I was so fired up I either got pickpocketed or lost my wallet unbeknownst to me until I was about to land at LAX in Los Angeles. I had my passport, phone, and nowhere to stay. I promised myself I'd make it there, so I started walking.

I trudged along the 14 mile walk and finally arrived - earlier than everyone else. Despite this, I managed to make my way to the green room, explaining to the attendant that I was with ChillRx. It was clear that my appearance was disheveled and worn, but the attendant allowed me access nonetheless. After 30 minutes, the door suddenly swung open, and a throng of people rushed in, their attention quickly drawn to my attempt to remain inconspicuous in the corner.

I introduced myself, informing them that I was the individual Sidney had spoken to on Twitter the previous night, and that I had flown in from Toronto earlier that morning. I was immediately welcomed with open arms and excitement. I had actually flown across the continent on a whim to be with everyone and be part of the ChillRx community.

By putting myself in an uncomfortable situation, I had the opportunity to meet the team, artists, and influencers in LA. Shortly after pleasantries and introductions had been made, I was casually asked where I was staying. I reluctantly shared that I had lost my wallet, leaving me with no credit cards or cash so I was most likely going to find a bench somewhere. However, Sid stepped up and prevented me from ending up in an even more uncomfortable situation.

Over the next few days, I found myself completely immersed in the world of ChillRx. From open to close, I was at the studio, living and breathing every moment. It was an experience that left me physically and mentally exhausted, but I didn't care. I was living my dream. I spent time with the team, got to know the artists and influencers, and learned everything I could about web3 projects.

I was there for the big moment: the mint. The team had worked so hard to get there, and it was an incredible feeling to be part of the celebration. I threw myself into the community, moderating the Discord server and speaking on spaces. I was helping the team convey information to the community, and it felt like I was really making a difference.

But my time in LA was coming to an end, and I knew I would have to go home soon. I was grateful for the experience, but I had no idea how much it was about to change my life. Sidney offered me a job on the team, and suddenly everything was different.

Looking back to where I am now, I am amazed at how far I have come. The fear and uncertainty that I once had about making big moves in my life have been replaced by a deep sense of excitement and possibility. I've learned that pushing past my comfort zone is key to unlocking my potential and achieving my goals. I now understand that the things that scare me the most are often the things that will lead me to the greatest growth and fulfillment. It's a lesson that I carry with me every day and it has allowed me to truly embrace the discomfort that comes with pursuing my dreams.

So, if you're feeling hesitant or unsure about taking that leap, remember that there is always room to grow and being comfortable, while uncomfortable is necessary for success.

Trust yourself, take a leap of faith. That’s when wild things start to happen.

Joe

@itsjoeday

🗞 In The News

Paris Stock Exchange Euronext building taken over by protesters

Tesla reveals none of their $321,000,000 Bitcoin was sold in Q1 2023

Trump Drops Second Series of Digital Trading Card Collection

@yugalabs wins summary judgment against Ryder Ripps

@waleswoosh and @elenaaEth join NFT Inspect as council Members

@ThePlagueNFT celebrates 1 year anniversary

@franklinisbored deactivated his Twitter account

@OpenSea hit its lowest trading volume since July 2021 (4100 ETH)

What bear market? Azuki Over the past week:

@Azuki #5523 SOLD FOR 130.69 ETH

@Azuki #1747 SOLD FOR 161 ETH

@Azuki#6954 SOLD FOR 170.85 ETH

📊 Quick Question

📌 Major milestones

The Cre8ors Relics NFT Leaderboard is officially online!

Climb your way to the top by engaging with Cre8ors and earning Relics.

Let the games begin!

Reminder: Connect your Twitter to our website to get your name on the leaderboard and win 5 Relics!

This week, we updated the art of our Relic NFTs.

We are proud to present to you the Divine Ancestral Pendant!

We believe that an entire community working together can achieve anything.

That is why we're coordinating a community initiative to lead Octavia's Twitter.

If you want to get involved, please fill in the form below! 👇

We also launched our Cre8ors 🧬 Twitter Spaces Squad program.

If you want to be part of it, don't forget to fill in the form! 👇

Finally, we would like to shout you guys out for voting for the Cre8ors in the SuperSpaces competition.

We are currently in 6th place!

Thank you Cre8ors, it means a lot to us 🙏

In case you still haven’t casted your vote, click here to vote!

👟 Next-steps

Earn 7 RELICS by dropping an original tweet about Cre8ors.

To qualify, use the hashtag #Cre8orsFollowCre8ors and this GIF:

PS: This next part might or might not be important.

The password is “color”.

🗣 Shoutouts

First things first, big shoutout to our friend Nomad for the AWESOME video! We appreciate you too!

Cre8ors look out for Cre8ors. We couldn’t be prouder for our community.

We always love seeing you guys flexing those Relics 🧬

Shoutout to Mario aka @nftchancellor for this visual! Love seeing content like this!

Big shoutout to one of our favorite people, Nature7.

Cheers to another 84 hours together!

This drawing captures perfectly everything that we have been discussing during our community lore building sessions

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Shyn. Seeing stuff like this, make it all worth it 🙏

Shoutout to Alan for the memes:

During our Thursday spaces, our man Vidiu was sent on an undercover mission.

Allan got worried and dropped this absolute banger:

Massive love to our very own Liliia, for these AMAZING Junior stickers:

S/O to Jonny Chimps for the Cre8ors Relic trading Card prototype!

We CANNOT WAIT to see the physical!

Check out how AlanRevived imagines our hero Octavia:

DaveTheBuilder hooked us up with these super cool GIFs! Check em out:

Finally, Stoic showed us a very early 3D version of the relic that he is working and we simply cannot wait for the final design 👀

🤝 Favors/Asks

Show us your Cre8ors DNA and Like, RT our pinned tweet and win 3 Relic NFT’s! See you in Discord and on Spaces!

Until next time,

the Cre8or