This year, I lived in an art studio in Shoreditch from October 2021 to October 2022. It was a unique and creative experience, where I painted a lot and enjoyed a few parties, but mostly struggled with taking care of myself and keeping the large studio organized.
I had a new relationship with Jessica Wild Child this year, which was filled with adventure, learning, and friendship. It has improved my life, health, and art.
I travelled to 20 different countries this year, including Ibiza (3 times), Lisbon (Portugal), Split (Croatia), New York, LA, San Diego, Las Vegas (3 times), Berlin, Valencia, Bahrain, Dubai, Cancun, Tulum (Mexico), and Thailand (Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Pahagan).
My favourite trip was my first time in Las Vegas, where we had three days of fun and acting like larger-than-life characters with Jessica. The NFT conference in New York and Lisbon were also exciting. Next year, I want to attend these events again, as well as the NFT conference in Berlin.
I traveled so much this year because I was overworked in 2021 and didn’t fully enjoy living in Shoreditch, even though Studio 69 was an ideal situation for an artist and a fantastic opportunity. It felt lonely at times, but fortunately, I had Jessica to share it with.
I have a love-hate relationship with London. I enjoy being in the city at night and attending events, but I dislike the lack of nature, the cold climate, and the overall rat race vibe of the city. Maybe I have just spent a lot of time in the city and have had a lot of experiences there.
After finishing my art on CryptoLeos in April, the months from May to December felt largely unfocused as I rediscovered myself and my art. I learned a combination of programs such as Unity, Blender, and improved my VR art skills. I am enjoying the journey I am taking with Blender the most. In 2023, I want to release more NFT collections with ambitious and, most importantly, fun goals, like funding a short film.
I started the Art Degen in September to create content documenting the NFT space. It took us to the Web3 Expo in Las Vegas in October. The issue I had was keeping up with creating content and making art, which split my time in two and caused more unfocused work. I have rebranded the YouTube channel to TheDavidGersch and will make it solely about my journey as an artist.
Near the end of the year in November, I nearly lost my mom, flying back from Mexico to spend two weeks by her bedside in the hospital. It was a challenging experience, but fortunately, my mom recovered and is back to her best despite having multiple sclerosis. This taught me to make sure to have more footage of my parents as they get older, as it’s important to have experiences caught on camera to look back on in the future.
Experiencing the start of the crypto/NFT bear market was also unsettling. I relied on a steady income throughout most of 2021 and invested in the market as much as possible for the first time. When the bear market hit, there was an overall silence in the space that didn’t match the energy of 2021, as well as a significant decrease in overall investments. I was entering a realm of uncertainty.
None of that phrases me now, because foremostly I am a hard working artist who will be able to create wealth and generate income in any situation and I am extremely excited by the opportunities that 2023 bring. With that 2023 I will focus on making art, creating authentic fun content, collaborating with major talent and connecting with communities. I want 2023 to be more relationship focused year, hardworking abundant art creating year and rich in extraordinary experiences, health and wealth year.
Yours Truly,
David Gersch 31/12/2022