Pro-Creator
Pro-Creation
Finally: Immutability! Eureka! This blockchain feature is almost deified by enthusiasts. This is because we don’t have to question data integrity anymore. We don’t need to argue anymore about which entry was canonical. Some of these debates represent hundreds of billions, if not a trillion or more, of dollars in losses because of legal pending disputes in different industries.
It’s like a new era in human history has been marked. Before blockchain may be considered B.C.E (Before Crypto Era) while after blockchain may be tagged A.D (After Decentralization). No wonder this new epoch gave hope to futurists. Because of immutability, builders and founders alike experiment with different use cases with blockchain.
Indeed, we are making history here. People became wealthy overnight. Industries threatened by blockchain. Programmers become like curious kids given Lego blocks on a beach sandbox to scratch their creative itches. VCs are excited to fund startups that could be their unicorn.
While this wave of optimism may seem to be confined only among founders and VCs, all of us can become creators of our own. Even if you don’t have a technical skill that can make you write codes creatively, you can still become a creator. And not just a creator, you can be a pro, a pro-creator procreating.
You see, procreation is not just in the realm of biology. It can also take place in the symbolic world. And it can be inspiring, too. Literal procreation is as old as time. It’s the time-tested way to survive collectively. And for parents, conceiving a child can be the most fulfilling experience. But if we intentionally procreate in the symbolic womb, we can also become fulfilled.
As a civilization, let us first examine the benefits of biological procreation. First, our need for intimacy motivates us to find a long-term partner. Then the by-product of that union is the reproduction of another human being. People sought refuge in the community. This addresses another need, that of belongingness.
Also, having kids can preserve the family line. A couple of thousand years ago, there was power in numbers. People had to procreate to increase the strength of the tribe. This is because a tribe needed to defend itself from neighboring tribes. Tribal clashes were common at that time.
However, at present we don’t need to defend ourselves from other tribes. This is because our modern world can offer us the opportunity not just to survive but also thrive. We don’t need to fetch our water from a well; we just have to turn on our faucet, and voila! Water pours freely. We don’t need to hunt for food; instead at the click of our fingers, we can have a complete meal delivered to our doorstep.
Also, after the advent of birth control, people can choose not to have children and still enjoy the benefits of intimacy with their life-long partners. Some even chose to live as singles. While this option can offer conveniences by not having children, it can backfire. This is because unless one has an overarching calling to live for, a person may feel that life is pointless.
Parents usually derive meaning and purpose from raising their kids. They may make sacrifices and practice selflessness to make sure that their children benefit. And they are in touch with this purpose day by day. Seeing their infants grow into teenagers and eventually as responsible adults can be fulfilling to them. It’s like leaving a legacy. That’s the benefit of procreation.
Symbolic procreation, on the other hand, can be fulfilling, too. This is because you are creating something as though you are raising a child. Think of Steve Job’s Apple and Bill Gate’s Microsoft. These symbolic creations, Apple and Microsoft, will continue into the future as though they were Steve and Bill’s children. No wonder business ideas are called “brainchild”?
Symbolic creations are not just businesses. They can be artforms and inventions, too. Musicians create music. Sculptors give birth to their engravings. Carpenters conceive houses. Authors breathe life into their writings. William Shakespeare’s plays are still with us today. Beethoven’s compositions still inspire musicians. Gutenberg’s printing press paved the way for countless information reproducing technologies.
To procreate in the blockchain era, you don’t have to be a tech entrepreneur nor a sculptor. You just have to find your medium. A medium is an avenue through which you express yourself and perhaps you can indelibly etch that expression on the blockchain. If you like to write, then that can be your medium. Do you like to code computer programs, that could be yours. Do you like to record yourself, perhaps videoblogging is your medium.
Whatever your medium of expression is, honor that. Commit to that. It may involve birth pangs in the form of a creator’s block, but it’s worth it to flesh something out and share it with the world for people to appreciate. We can inspire one another with our creations. The more diverse the procreators, the better. We don’t want to abdicate our procreative abilities to the founders and builders. They are already doing a good job.
But we also have to honor our own gifts. Therefore, if you don’t know what your procreative powers are yet, you can network with other blockchain enthusiasts and be part of the community. For I have never seen any other communities that inspire creativity other than those communities in the blockchain space. I suggest that you start with NEAR Protocol’s Guilds program or Octopus Network’s ambassadorship arrangement.
If you want to fully grasp the message here, I suggest that you read Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” In this book you will be inspired to find your own creative process and honor it. Then, even if you don’t choose to biologically procreate, you can still symbolically procreate, nurturing your brainchild for the universe to appreciate. Then even after you are gone, future generations may get inspired by your process. Who knows, they may stumble upon your work in the blockchain’s immutable record.
Photo credit:
Photo by Gotta Be Worth It: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-painting-face-of-human-and-bird-1093413/