What it’s like to jay-walk from the world of web2 to web3.

I’m sure I speak for most if not all of us — the term web3 was rather new at the start of 2021 but since then it’s quickly become a phenomenon that almost everyone including my 15 year old niece is familiar with.

I mean, who isn’t talking about blockchains or NFTs today?

I was quite intrigued by what the web3 “future” holds for individuals like myself. As an artist with strong roots in advertising & marketing, I’ve always been known to explore the unknown or jaywalk if you will, and so it wasn’t surprising when I decided to quit a close-to-perfect job of leading Marketing & Strategy (3yrs+) for the world’s biggest poker brand in India, and jump right into the world of web3 — all this at the age of 39.

The transition from web2 to web3 wasn’t as complicated as I had thought it would be.

I’ve spent the past 90 days in learning about all things crypto — how a blockchain actually works, what it means to be truly decentralised, why gas-fees are just as painful as school breakups, how to mint and sell NFTs, why Twitter is such an important gateway to learning about crypto and NFTs, what in the world is a DEFi, what life would be like to work in a DAO and so on.

The list is truly endless but rather fascinating if you ask me. Thankfully, as an artist (designer and writer), my skillsets were valid in this space from the get go— how I put them to use is of course slightly different.

While my learning has only just begun, I couldn’t wait to get my hands artistically dirty — and so, I’ve already been playing around with various canvases in trying to see what works best for me creatively.

The who, what, where, when and why.

Now, a lot of my friends and ex-colleagues often wonder what I’m up really up to on the otherside, and so what better than to document a day in my life — or shall I say a day in my junglee life?

You see, I’ve been a digital-nomad of sorts since 2014 and so “remote working” isn’t new for me. For many years, I was fortunate enough to travel across Asia and Africa using my skills as barter, but now I’m very much in India and living a life that allows me to casually switch between a concrete and natural jungle.

Originally from Mumbai, I now live on a small farm in the middle of a jungle (literally) somewhere in Jambrung, Karjat (Maharashtra).

To be able to grow my own vegetables and fruits, generate my own electricity and have 24/7 access to clean water has always been a dream of mine and I’ve been lucky to make it a reality since a few years now.

So, what’s it really like to juggle the unknown for Jay — let’s take a look, shall we?

// Mornings

5:30–7:30 — I’m an early riser so my day begins super early. Mornings are usually very calm. I get a chance to play with my dog, breathe clean air, embrace the sounds of the jungle while sipping on some hot chai.

What I do miss about being in the city is how easy it is for me to simply order breakfast via a food-delivery app, but what I don’t miss at all are sounds of car horns and buildings that are always under construction.

Thereafter, a short stroll through the farm with my dog is a routine that just cannot be skipped. There’s a small lake which is about a kilometre away from my home and it’s for sure the best place to go and do a whole lot of nothing.

A bit of outdoorsy Twitter in the morning doesn’t hurt anybody.

I look to Twitter for anything on NFTs, web3, crypto news, etc. At times, I’ll also do a bit of shit-posting because while my mother doesn’t approve of it, that bit sure seems to be a core part of why I exist.

Feel free to check out my Twitter, because why wouldn’t you?

7:30–9:00 — In addition to getting ready, I also map out the day (at times the whole week) by writing a list of “Things to Do/Learn/Design/Write/etc.”, without which I’m as lost as one can be.

Working in your own little environment is very relaxing — and I don’t know about you, but silence is golden.

Fun fact: I still write on paper because somehow writing allows me to commit and remember in a way typing just doesn’t seem to.

9:00–12:00 — Considering I’m very new to the space, a noob really — learning is an everyday exercise for me. I’ve already completed 3 courses (basics of blockchain, understanding crypto-currencies and how to make/sell NFTs).

At the moment, I’m doing an extensive course on DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) — there are a good amount of resources available on such topics across Udemy, Skillshare and YouTube of course.

Fun fact: Having shitty network is not helpful but can be good at times — you don’t always have access to the internet, but you get lesser calls.

I tend to spend at least 3hrs a day in learning something new or demystifying a web3 related doubt that I don’t understand so easily. At times, 3hrs very well leads to 5–6hrs a day depending upon the complexity of the topic/doubt.

Working remotely gives me flexibility to switch between learning-mode and work-mode without sacrificing my daily productivity.

// Afternoons

12:00–17:00 — All study and no play makes Jay a rather dull boy. I love to design and write! I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of the two as “work”. It’s all play to me especially when a blank canvas is nothing but my playground.

At the moment, I’m working on my first ever NFT collection which is partially ready, i.e. Crypto Sadhu. It’s a collection of 30 Sadhus hand-crafted by me, myself and I.

But why Sadhus you wonder, hey?

I’ve always been fascinated by Sadhus and with my recent liking (loving) towards the world of crypto-art / NFTs, I couldn’t help but imagine merging the two. All Sadhus are constructed from various graphic elements, psychedelic effects, abstract shapes, and of course vibrant colours.

Similar in nature, but unique in their own little ways. I believe we all have a Sadhu within us, waiting to be awakened. Are you ready?

Here’s a glimpse of the collection:

Fun fact: Short power naps in the afternoon are weapons in disguise — the effects of which are like ammunition in my creative arsenal that I wasn’t aware of for the longest time. I believe the most effective killer of a creative block is a power nap.

I’m also playing with another concept called Dilated Pixels — the aesthetic for which comes from my love for 8-bit video games and abstract-art.

In terms of writing, I’m still figuring out the best possible way to not only share but also monetize the words I bring to life in the world of web3.

The great thing about being a creator in this space is that you don’t have to invest money in crypto to make crypto — instead you simply invest time and effort in creating art/content and ‘sell’ it to earn crypto currency.

// Evenings

17:00–19:00 — They say health is wealth, which I now understand but sure had to learn the hard way. Of course, the pandemic didn’t help either.

I am now slowly getting into a rhythm of sorts by shuffling between walks, cardio and yoga — working remotely allows me to be really flexible with my agenda and timings.

Fun fact: To commute in city traffic and spend most of your day at an office isn’t the healthiest of ways to spend time.

But hey — it’s not just my body I’m working on.

I tend to mix my workouts with learning by listening to a web3 podcast or watching web3 content on YouTube.

The content I consume isn’t always planned, instead it’s almost certainly based on discovery. That said, I do have a few favourites. I’ve learned a lot from ‘Honestly with Tanmay’ on YouTube which features the funny Tanmay and the intelligent Akshay.

Their ‘Super Team’ podcast is also a great resource because of the variety in guests they bring onboard to talk all things crypto and web3.

A series of masterclasses and workshops by The Product House have also been instrumental in getting me started with my web3 journey.

Oh, and the 12 days of email-series to learn web3 fundamentals by OdysseyDAO is brilliant and I highly recommend it for beginners.

If you’re looking for proof on of how learning can be fun, the content Tanmay & Akshay create is just what you need.

19:00–21:00 — This is the time I give myself a break from the usual. No agenda per se, it could either mean keeping up with the day’s happenings on the internet, reading a book, taking photos, playing Age of Empires or online poker, catching up with friends/family and so on.

Fun fact: Did you know Daler Mehndi just bought land in the Metaverse and named it ‘Balle Balle Land’. Well, ain’t that something?

I suppose one of the biggest advantages of working remotely is you have less distractions + forced dependencies and so almost everything you want to do can be done however and whenever you want it.

Did I mention that I love to take photos — especially B/W photos?

// Nights

21:00–23:00 — At night, we happily go back to school! I spend an hour or so listening to people talk about crypto/web3/NFTs via Twitter Spaces.

It’s a great avenue for getting real perspectives on all things web3.

Twitter Spaces are very inclusive — you are invited to join the conversation or at the least ask questions and clear doubts if you have any. I absolutely love how welcoming the web3 community is in this regard.

At times they also allow creators like myself to ‘shill’ our work. One of the spaces I highly recommend is ‘Web3 with Dhee’, hosted by Dheeraj Shah.

Fun fact: The challenge with web3 is there are too many things to learn, but the beauty of the space is there are many ways to learn — for free.

Well, there you have it. This is what a typical day in my life looks like.

Considering I’ve only just gotten started — I guess it’s fair to say I’m not exactly working in web3, I’ve only just opened the door to the possibilities of web3.

And boy do we like opening doors like Kramer.

I turn 40 this November, and whilst I’ve always taken career risks, I’d say working remotely and trying to make it as an NFT artist + a web3 writer at this stage of my life is by far the riskiest move I’ve made.

Is it scary? Yes. But is it also exciting? Absolutely.

Is it stressful? Yes. But am I more stressed than before? Hell no.

Do I save more money? Yes. But am I making big money? Not yet.

Working & living remotely has allowed me to live a life less ordinary.

It’s given me a reasonable shot at work-life balance and genuinely reduced my stress/anxiety levels. Sure I don’t have a steady income yet and of course I’m living off my savings with the hope that I make it as an artist & wordsmith someday.

But if there was ever a real chance I could possibly give myself as an artist, it is today, thanks to the world of web3 — particularly NFTs.

And hey, god forbid but just in case this doesn’t work out — at least I’ll have another story to write about.

Legend has it that once upon a time, Jay was a creative-director with an inquisitive mind, positioned somewhere between a strategist and a designer.

Today, he’s the same except he’s now also a farmer, an occasional writer and a full-time crypto visual-artist. He’s known to express his passion for problem-solving, creativity, philosophy and humour by playing with various canvases.

To know more about Jay, you can check out his website or follow him on Twitter.

Boom, biddy bye bye.