2023 Roadmap: My plans, your ETH, your kids’ retirement (NFA)
Haha, I mean, what the hell? Let’s have some fun.
So ... what's next? ... Oh, how rude, let me introduce myself. If you don't know me, well, hello. gm. I'm Freaklion, your friendly neighborhood artist. I made some gms last year. One a day. Every day. I ended up with 365 of the things!
But let's talk about 2023! Where to? The world is our oyster! So let's go!
WIMBE PARK
If you have yet to hear of @WimbePark, well, welcome!
The Wimbe Park Foundation is a charitable foundation that I started with 20 other artists and collectors. We aim to connect Web3 artists and collectors with environment-focused charities by hosting charity mints.
We founded the organization in September and have donated almost 3 ETH through 2022.
Our past artists include Superrare artist Ana Kim, and we have a stunning lineup of artists in 2023 who will donate works for charity this year. Check out the fire below!
Wimbe Park Foundation 2023 promotion video.
Follow @WimbePark on Twitter for more!
Wimbe Park Foundation: Ongoing!
THE MISSING PROJECT
In December 2021, I minted my work The Missing Project. The project is an experiment in crypto time. The owners are waiting a year for the art to be delivered. Five "empty" frames will be filled when I drop Found 1-5 to the owners of Missing Nos. 1-5 exactly one year from the date of the first purchase, on September 6.
If you can wait now-eight months for YOUR art to be dropped to you, Missing No. 1, 3, 4, and 5 remain available. Crypto art from 2021? Gold mine!
Need more information? That is understandable, but Missing is not for you.
The Missing Project (and Found: Origin Story): September 6.
MONEY
I'll put out a limited set of works around the "Money" theme. When is money too much money? I'll explore. I may collaborate with other artists on the project as well! Are you an artist that knows me? If you are interested, let me know!
Money: Q2-3
gm No. 51, GM 2022 collection by Freaklion. (Sold)
MERCH!
I have one work for sale now, but I will add several GM 2022-related pieces soon and even give you a link to the store!
Because everyone loves T-shirts!
Merch: Q2
CHRISTMAS!
I love Christmas and will almost certainly have some works involving the holiday! Some Christmas gms from GM 2022.
X-mas!: Q4
Thanks for reading! Here’s a bit more reading (and some alpha included!)
gm! See ya later!
Freaklion
Looking back (and forward!) on GM 2022
gm one and all! Let's set the sun on GM 2022 after just 365 good mornings!
(There will be other posts as I explore traits and more, but this one will be the longest and explain the most about the project as a whole!)
Two of the main reasons I began GM 2022 on December 31, 2021, was that I wanted to establish a daily routine of working on art and expand my Web3 knowledge. They say you create a habit by doing something for 21 consecutive days. Well, during 2022, I did those 21 days more than 17 times in a row. Phew! Let's say I am used to it now!
Anyway, let's talk GM 2022 (and even gm 2122!)!
The Mini Collections
From early on, I wanted to have several Mini Collections (Traits). I decided to go from 12 to 1. One collection is the 12 Days of Christmas, all in December. 11 other collections have 12 each (one a month) for 12 collections of 12. Then there are collections with 10,9,8 down to a 1/1 collection (trait), The Alien (Contact). Some of my others include works from Top 10 ways to say gm, Freedom (A Ukrainian charity work), Music Superstars, B**ch Better Have My GM (Happy Birthday Rihanna!), and Legendary Movies GM Forever (The GM 2022 brand logo). Mint pass Mintpass No. 2 gives the owner the right to collect any future work of mine that is not committed to another collector.
Three “Mint wens” is part of the “12 Days of Christmas” Mini Collection. Unknown if they are French.
The Alien (Contact), Freedom, BBHMGM (Happy Birthday Rihanna), GM Forever, Mintpass No. 2
Collector alpha: Some 1/1s which should be in a Mini Collection were purchased before I fixed my descriptions. But they are out there! If you can't find one to complete your Mini Collection collection, LMK!
Games/Giveaways
I love to play games. I included several games and hidden bonuses in gm 2022.
My first big game began with a mint in tribute to the movie War Games. Joshua included the beginning of the famous line in the movie, "Would you like to play a game?" I did similar artworks until the final clue led the buyer to win a free ArtBlocks work by artist StevieP.
Joshua, the opening work in a series of clues that the winning collector solved to win an ArtBlocks work by the great Stevie P.
My biggest game IS STILL BEING PLAYED. Numerous collectors have purchased game pieces but have yet to solve the riddle or claim the prize! When will the game be done? When the game is over.
I also had two main giveways: The first involved Deck of Degeneracy holders, where I narrowed the choices down to one token in that 2,700-work collection. The owner of that token won two DoD artworks for the DoD Art Collection.
The second giveaway benefited my holders and the charity I started in September with fellow artists and collectors, the Wimbe Park Foundation. To celebrate gm No. 300 (in late October), I gave away .75 ETH worth of art, including works from Art Blocks and the Deck of Degeneracy. I chose a gm 2022 token at random once a day for a week. If a collector owned that gm, that day's prize would go to them. If not, the prize carried over to the next day or was given to Wimbe Park on a flip of a coin.
In the end, my collectors won all but planets No. 149 by Luca Donno, a fabulous Art Blocks work, which is now the first piece in the Wimbe Park Foundation Reserve Collection.
planets #149, by Luca Donno. The planets orbit when viewed live!
Beginnings of larger collections
During the run of gms, I began two collections I hope to complete in the coming years.
"Orange" is a series of 100 works that revolve around different shades of orange. Outside of gm No. 201 Orange No. 1: GM, which incredible collector Danny Digital owns, I will make all other Orange works on my smart contracts or as physical creations.
"Ordinaries" will be 21 photographs of ordinary objects. How did this ordinary object come into our lives? Why is it here now? What is its future? Am I, the viewer, respecting this everyday object enough? Below is gm No. 329: Ordinary No. 0.
gm No. 201: Orange No. 1: GM and gm No. 329: Ordinary No. 0.
Some personal favorites (sold)
These nine (hey, look, a square!) have found homes among my wonderful collectors.
Want to place bids for some of them? Well, I won't stop you!
A collection of some of my favorite gms that have found homes.
Some personal favorites (available)
These favorites are yours for 0.02 ETH. I am donating half the sale price to charity, as I already have done for previous GM 2022 sales. BTW, several of my GMs don’t have “gm” in the artwork. Some of my favorite NFTs don’t look like their collection friends, which I find fun and appealing. A hidden “Oh, that’s from that collection!” vibe. So, if the art was done and had no gm, I minted it!
Someone is probably looking at these as you read this! Don’t let that superhero chicken get away! Better hurry!
GM 2122 (Legacy)
So, where does GM 2022 find its place in the history of crypto? That's not for me to say.
But I can tell you how I think "gm" will do well into the future. gm is by far the most powerful meme in the space. While you may say "WAGMI, "NFA," "FOMO," or any of a dozen others a few times a week, you are likely saying or seeing "gm" dozens or hundreds of times a day! A Discord bot even tracks gm streaks and participation on a leaderboard.
So, need some great/cool/fun gm art? Try traits of Rektguy and Tabz NFT or The Memes by 6529 on ETH, as well as ArtplusBrad's Ode to GM on Tezos.
gm OSF! gm AQ! gm 6529! gm Brad!
Collector alpha Part 2: The beginning: gms will also be a trait in the coming-soon Court of Degeneracy PFP project by poker legend Jonathan Little and the fantastic artist Wes Henry. (NFA, my bags, etc., etc.)
Needs some gm coffee.
....
So, in 2052 when you are showing your grandchildren your wallet around a holiday table, or in 2122 when historians are combing the early days of blockchains, what will be there (or should!)? gms!
Imagine a wallet from this time that doesn't have artwork with a gm in it! That's like knowing the future of baseball and not grabbing a Babe Ruth baseball card from the 1910s! And baseball is popular in only a handful of countries! Today's toddlers from across the globe will use the blockchain and have digital collections like we use cell phones and have stuff that clogs our shelves.
Great artists will always be in demand, as well as great art. And alongside them, the memes that started the culture surrounding crypto will be cherished for generations.
And gm rules them all.
2023 and beyond
Hey! you made it this far! Nice! Have a free gm for 2023. On me! (Well, except gas). Limited to the first 23 and from my new Editions collection! My five largest owners already received one and my UNIQUECODE owners got two each! So … go, go go!
Viva la Revolution!
Swish!
GM Roadmap
The gm meme will continue to call to me. So, wen roadmap? Soon. As always, I will continue to reward my most passionate collectors.
Roads? Where we are going, we don’t need roads. … Or do we?
XOXOYXO
gm gm gm.
Freaklion
A quick Q & A with Ana Kim
The Wimbe Park Foundation is debuting its first mint Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 3 p.m., NYC time. I did a quick Q & A with artist Ana Kim, who is launching her "It's always time for a "Good Morning" “ for the foundation. There will be 100 editions priced at 0.019 ETH each. All proceeds will be donated on-chain to the World Central Kitchen. Follow @Wimbe Park on Twitter for more details tomorrow.
UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE: The drop is live! Go here to purchase this great art!
Analog artwork: oil on artist paper, palette knife technique. Year created: 2022. Artist: Anastasia Kim @AnaKim_art
You are one of the Founders of the WPF. What made you want to help the foundation launch its art collection with "It's always time for a "Good Morning" “?
I always support any kind of charity initiative, especially when it comes to building a better feature for the local community. I am working on my own community project for kids with learning disabilities and following you and your GM collection on OS, where 50% of all proceeds go to a good cause. It was a no-brainer that I should be part of WPF among incredible people and co-founders. My piece for the collection is to bring positive vibes to all contributors.
I agree "GM" is such a great meme. I love the balloon style of the letters on your piece. But the real question is: does the butterfly have a name?!?
Haha, yes, Philip!
Haha! Nice! ... Philip, it is! ... I could be mistaken, but it seems like a clown is holding the balloons. You've become well known for your clown art, including your latest, "Poodle Love," which debuted Sunday on Known Origin. Why are you drawn to clowns recently?
Clowns are rejected by many due to fear and phobia. I was rejected by many platforms and galleries. With no obvious reason, that's why I feel somehow connected to my characters. There are individuals behind the clown makeup. And I am an individual behind my expressionist art, which is not always celebrated.
Well, fewer and fewer platforms will be able to deny your talent and success. Your time is here, and only more success will follow! … Web3 may make it easier to focus on the art without knowing or understanding the artist. Do you have any ideas on how to better connect the artist with their collectors? Or is it the responsibility of the collectors to find out more about the artist and the art?
It should be coming from both sides. I personally enjoy connecting with potential and current collectors; some even became my good friends and supporters.
That's the way to do it! Thanks for your time, Ana! We'll see you tomorrow at your mint!
Let's go.
Wimbe Park Foundation: One Month in
By Freaklion
Here's a quick recap of where the Wimbe Park charitable Foundation stands one month after its formation by 21 artists and collectors.
Mission: We started with the goal of focusing on the challenge of climate change. We are proud to have big ambitions for such an important issue.
Our Mission: Become the world's leading Web3 charitable organization, focusing on climate change and humanitarian aid causes.
Lofty? Sure. Long term? You bet. Impossible? No.
The potential of Web3 allows us to work hard and dream about doing the impossible. Let's see what happens.
Goals: After founding WPF with an on-chain donation of .42 ETH, the Foundation created three goals for the rest of 2022.
Twitter followers: 1,000. With that many followers, our important announcements should receive a natural boost.
Three ETH raised: We are at nearly 20% of our goal and have several mints in the planning stages to reach this mark.
Five artists for 2023: We are early stages of finding artists who will agree to mint at least one work next year.
Primary charity through 2022: The World Central Kitchen. This four-star rated charity by Charity Navigator helps feed people in need worldwide.
WPF NFTs delivered: The Founder NFT and 2022-2023 Founders' Pass have been airdropped to the Founders. These NFTs are available for purchase on the secondary market. You can also purchase gm No. 236 to donate .02 ETH directly to charities helping the situation in Ukraine.
Departmental Organization: The Acquisitions, Marketing, and Operations departments are up and running. Spreading the word with the help of all three groups is the main priority for the rest of the year.
The soccer team: Some foundations own headquarters or private jets. The Wimbe Park Foundation owns a virtual soccer team. Our namesake NFT team begins the final Footium beta testing soon before launch later this year. The team, which lies at the intersection of NFTs, Sports, and ESports, will send any revenue generated to the WPF Reserve Fund for future donation.
More information: For a deeper background into the WPF and its soccer team, please see the founding document.
You can also follow @WimbePark on Twitter or join our Discord. See you there!
When a collector becomes a whale
What I saw during a recent buying spree
On a recent Sunday night, a collector treated me to a fantastic buying spree. I looked on in amazement before my analytical mind took over, and I began to find patterns in his purchases.
The night was a high point of my artistic career. My “GM 2022” art project started on January 1 this year and includes new artwork minted daily. The project aims to help keep the “gm” vibe strong and contribute to charity, another foundational pillar of the crypto space. It was April before anyone purchased a single piece. As I am a new artist and still somewhat in control of my mental capacity, this was not unexpected. What happened that summer evening was surprising, though, as a few purchases turned into 10, 10 turned into 20, and 20 grew into an eventual, fantastic run of 45 NFTs sold.
The collector, who goes by the name Danny Digital, owned a few of my works previously and was well known to me. He and I are among a group of passionate fans who regularly call the Deck of Degeneracy Discord server home. The DoD is a collection of playing-card NFTs with art by Wes Henry, founded by poker star Jonathan Little, and offering great poker- and art-related utility.
I discuss more about my GM 2022 journey and that Discord group near the beginning of a Twitter Spaces run by other DoD fans whom I am also fortunate to call my collectors.
So, what did I see as an artist during Danny’s run? I saw entire mini collections leave my hands, some of my favorite works exit my wallet, and one of my premium pieces scooped up, all in just a few hours. There were so many I didn’t even make a final count until the next day. The tally of 45 will likely stand as my all-time high of works collected in a single day, at least until I launch Project H sometime later this decade.
At .02 ETH, the final cost was .90 ETH, of which I am donating 50% to charity, as I noted in my blog post announcing the project and a recent tweet. Here are a few of the works that Danny purchased:
Eight is not enough
A small sampling of Danny’s epic run, with a favorite of mine (the gradient bars) snatched by another collector at the same time.
In the larger collection of GM 2022, I will have mini collections of up to 12 works each. They include “Top 10 ways to say gm,” “Robots,” and “Cryptocurrency Terms.” Please note: The mini-collection filter does not work currently on OS. If you click the traits from an individual artwork, you can find the collection. Why does one work and not the other? Good Question! … During his run, Danny purchased, in its entirety, one of my favorite mini collections: “Colored Circles.”
Colored Circles, No. 1
This is one of my favorite gms. Busy yet simple.
He also broke the seal on “Comics,” a light-hearted set showcasing the musings of two bored clouds. A new piece comes out at the end of each month. Here is the first one, minted on January 31.
Jokes
What do clouds say to each as they pass by in the morning?
In addition, Danny purchased from the “Albums” collection. The works are album covers from a fictional band, gm, of course. I’m having a blast creating lore around the albums, including making up song titles and reviews from critics. What awaits in the future of this mini collection? Who knows? But if there is utility from my mini collections, “Albums” will likely be first in line. Nothing promised or guaranteed!
Finally, I saw that Danny picked up two GM 2022 game pieces. A wonderful feature of NFTs is being able to run games with the assistance of the provenance enabled by the blockchain. Here’s an example of one of my GM 2022 games. The prize, which an inquisitive collector recently won, was an Art Blocks piece by the terrific Steve Pikelny.
Danny may not know what one of the game pieces is, but the other is one I have included in my three NFT projects, the UNIQUECODE. By purchasing gm No. 33, Danny instantly elevated himself into my VIP collectors group. Obviously, buying dozens of works also does that, but the UNIQUECODE is different. UNIQUECODE owners will reap as many benefits as I can provide. Nothing is guaranteed (there may be a bus with my name on it, who knows?), but UC owners will gain benefits, including merchandise or other gifts, if I create IRL works. They will also be allow-listed to mint (for free) editions of 10 or more I make in the future. I will also study the wallets of these UC collectors to see what they like and become a second set of eyes for them, searching for similar works. Lastly, these VIP collectors will be the first to know alpha I receive as I tip them off to what I consider undervalued collections across the NFT landscape.
Alpha collector piece … collected!
This is one of three UNIQUECODE works I have made across my three NFT projects.
On one magical evening, Danny bought out a mini collection, provided .45 ETH for charity, and became one of my most cherished collectors. On top of that, Danny then gifted multiple gms to the Deck of Degeneracy community, increasing my collector base. I can’t express my appreciation enough (thanks again, Danny!), and I hope all artists get to experience a night like the one I will remember forever.
Until next time, good hunting!
Freaklion
The Top-10 gms as gm 2022 passes No. 100
gm No. 93 “Good morning Shark in Black and White”
Hello all. gm!
So far this year, I've done more than 100 gms, one a day since January 1st. Phew! It's been a long but fun journey, and I'm not a third of the way there.
Here are what I consider the Top 10 gms. The "winners" gained a spot with a combination of concept, execution, and/or skills earned in creating the work. Others were close, and of course, art is art, so I hope all 365 (coming soon!) are favorites of someone eventually.
The top-10 are in order from oldest to newest because you should always respect your elders.
OK. Ready? Let's go!
gm No. 3: "Whoops, I spilled the gms"
This one was my favorite for a long time. And may still be. Nicknamed “Jumble,” I like the font, colors, and overall feel. It's fun; the base feature I hope lasts the entire collection. The great GBP2016GBP owns this one.
On OpenSea: gm No. 3
gm No. 3 “Whoops, I spilled the gms”
gm No. 24: "Colored Circles No. 1"
As I play with an empty canvas daily, sometimes I add some shapes to see what sticks. These circles stuck. The work is also the first in the "Mini Collection: Colored Circles," all of which I enjoy.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 24
gm No. 24 “Colored Circles No. 1”
gm No. 27: "Pastel Suns"
I'm a big fan of bold colors (See Katy Arrington) and exciting patterns in art. I think I was able to hit those marks with No. 27. The work feels like it could be a poster for something. What? Maybe we'll find out in Morning Ones, coming next year.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 27
gm No. 27 “Pastel Suns”
gm No. 33: "UNIQUECODE"
Simple. It's a UNIQUECODE. See No. 82 on this list for more.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 33
gm No. 33 “UNIQUECODE”
gm No. 47: "GM Forever"
No. 47 holds a special place in my heart. The work was minted on the 4th anniversary of the debut of "Black Panther." RIP, Chadwick Boseman. If this one never sells, I'll be OK with that. But if it speaks to you, please, enjoy.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 47
gm No. 47 “GM Forever”
gm No. 48: "From the Jaws of Night"
I enjoyed making the teeth of the night monster on this one. They don't match. High on my list of fun-to-make gms.
Status: Owned by wonderous Realism_Inc
On OpenSea: gm No. 48
gm No. 48 “From the Jaws of Night”
gm No. 51: "B**ch Better Have My GM (Happy Birthday Rihanna!)"
I love Rihanna. What can I say? No. 51 is another one that was super fun to make. This one marked the debut of the "Music Superstars" Mini Collection, a collection of seven works that will continue through the year.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 51
gm No. 51, B**tch Better Have My GM (Happy Birthday Rihanna!)
gm No. 60: "Mintpass No. 1"
Self-explanatory. Or go here for more. Plus fun colors! See No. 82 on this list for even more information.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 60
gm No. 60 “Mintpass No. 1”
gm No. 65: "Abstract Star Wars: Planet One"
I enjoyed planning a series of these, of which this is the first. I'm proud of the execution of the islands and the general abstract nature of the work. The series "Mini Collection: Abstract Star Wars" will continue sometime between May 3-5.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 65
gm No. 65 “Abstract Star Wars: Planet One”
gm No. 82: "Joshua"
No. 82 is the first actual game piece of the gm 2022 project. As I've written before, I will not tell you the rules of the game; I will just tell you the prizes. It was fun to make a message. Would you like to play a nice game of chess? You do not need to purchase this one to play the game. Other "pieces" will require ownership to win the prizes.
Status: For sale
On OpenSea: gm No. 82
gm No. 82 “Joshua”
Honorable mention:
(Not in order … match them up!) … gm No. 8: "Robin"; gm No. 34: "Look! Balloons!"; gm No. 52 "Opposites Attract"; gm No. 53: "Thank you, Daft Punk"; gm No. 63: "Descension"; gm No. 72: "Downhill"; gm No. 76: “Happy Birthday Katie Ledecky!” gm No. 83: "Abstract in two"; gm No. 90: "Happy Birthday to the original Problem Child, Angus Young" gm No. 93: "Good morning Shark in Black and White" (above). gm No. 102: “Pirate Wallet”
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorites as much as I did putting together the list.
Note: My prices will rise to 0.02E as soon as the listings expire, or I get around to relisting them, whichever comes first! For now, the floor is 0.0075E. More information here. Thank you!
Until next time, good hunting!
Freaklion
News, notes, and other things to see and do about GM 2022
There are currently three "game" pieces among my gms.
Current prize package of the puzzle? $100 in ApeCoin.
But that is so, so, so just the beginning. Probably nothing.
As I recently tweeted, I don't tell you the rules of my games. I will only tell you what the prizes will be.
gm
gm!
Welcome to my first blog post on Freaklion.io! I will be giving more information about my art projects, writing up short thoughts on ideas I have on the NFT space, and re-post longer pieces from my NFT newsletter at https://thewallflower.substack.com.
But for now, let's dive deeper into my year-long project, gm 2022!
What is gm 2022? It’s pretty simple … I’m making artwork every day in 2022. Take a look at the latest works here.
CC: Owners decide! When I sell or transfer a gm work, I immediately transfer all copyrights to the new owner. They can make that particular gm CC0, available via the public domain, or lock the rights down. They can use the artwork for commercial use, including merchandise and advertising. They may also lease the work and control future copyrights until the work is transferred to or purchased by a new owner, who then will have all of the above rights.
Merchandise: A select number of gms may have the potential to be merchandised. I will transfer all available files to any gm owner who wishes to pursue that opportunity. Not all gms will have every file (mostly earlier in the year).
Price: I'm not eager to follow conventional wisdom most of the time. So, although I have only sold one gm as of this writing, I will double the price of gms to 0.02 ETH at the end of April. You have a few weeks to hoard them, anon!
Alphanumeric: There are currently three "game" pieces among my gms. One is the beginning of a puzzle to win a prize. A second gives the owner the right to any future mint of mine that is not already committed to another owner. If dear reader, I am selling works for an ETH or two in a few years, you'll be able to claim one for today's purchase price of 0.01 ETH. ... 0.02 at the end of April, as I wrote above! The third mint is a UNIQUECODE, which has been explained elsewhere.
Current prize package of the puzzle? $100 in ApeCoin.
But that is so, so, so just the beginning. Probably nothing.
As I recently tweeted, I don't tell you the rules of my games. I will only tell you what the prizes will be.
I will add at least three other game pieces before the month ends.
Mini Collections: Inside the more extensive gm collection, I have created mini collections that center on a theme, for instance, Colored Circles ... These collections range from 12 works (one a month) down to a group of two that debuts later this year.
1 of 1s: Near the end of the year, I may create Morning Ones, a collection of no more than 25 of my best gms that I will remaster or modify (often without the "gm") to fit this smaller, 1 of 1 collection — final edition size and price TBD.
Charity: I have seen some criticism about declaring the charity component of an art project early in the project's life. I tend to disagree if the artist has a track record of donating to charity. I do. I donated the entire purchase price of an Art Blocks Curated work to charity in the fall of last year. For gm 2022, 50% of the purchase price of the gms will be donated to four charities.
Charities so far: Charity:Water and a TBD charity benefiting Ukraine. I will finalize two more charities in the second half of the year.
With only one gm purchased to date, final details regarding total donations are to come. I will strive to donate through blockchain sources for added accountability. Please alert me if you know of good donation services or charities on Web3. I also need to DMOR.
Miscellaneous: I'll be updating the metadata on the gms to meet current standards. I'll also strive to be more descriptive of colors and other rare traits for those interested. ... I will be attempting to adopt a once-a-month posting for my longer newsletter mentioned above. Next up: "Undervalued Art Blocks," ... coming soon as I keep saying (what can I say, gms take up a bit of time!).
Thanks for reading! Now ... go look at some more gms!
Freaklion