The BlockWeb - Reece

[Hero-Gamer]

No description provided.

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Project Approval Request: The BlockWeb PFP

Total Grant Amount: $1,000

Project Description:
The BlockWeb is an interconnected art collection highlighting the connections created by crypto. My project consists of 552 individual and unique artworks arranged in an 8 x 69 grid. Each piece, or "Block," seamlessly fits into the larger grid to create a comprehensive artwork. Inspired by the power of connection experienced in Web3, the collection features 40 collaborative Blocks to celebrate teamwork, with 20 selected by me and 20 by the community. Although it functions as a PFP collection with hierarchies and rarities, it is gamified to encourage collectors to gather more Blocks. Each piece is crafted without AI or generative methods, ensuring that each Block stands as a unique and complete artwork.

Impact:
As of right now, there aren't a great deal of artworks on Stacks. I believe money flows where art goes, so this collection will see a bunch of new wallets created. It's not just a PFP collection, nor is it just an art collection, it's a 552-piece game collectors get to play with each other, which highly encourages secondary sales. Buying and selling on Stacks with the purpose of growing their “piece of the pie.” Coming from an Ethereum, Tezos, and Solana background, having my first project on Stacks, I believe many of the collectors I've met in the past three years will partake. Couple this with the huge collaborative aspect of it, other artists’ collectors will also be taking note of Stacks. More art collectors to Stacks will incentivize more art to be made on Stacks, thus growing the art community on Stacks even more!

Project Timelines:

Commencement: End of July 2024

Minting: End of November 2024

Marketing Plan: August 2, 2024 - December 31, 2024

Milestones and Deliverables:

Kick-off Payment: 0% - $0

Milestone 1: 25% - $250 - 2 August 2024

15% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (10/69 rows completed)

Announcement on X, marketing starts

Official Console community opens

Milestone 2: 45% - $200 - 3 September 2024

36% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (25/69 rows completed)

Countdown on X to December 15

First 20 collaborations initiated

Website build initiated

Milestone 3: 75% - $250 - 4 October 2024

58% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (40/69 rows completed)

Finalizations of minting plans

All collaborations finalized

Milestone 4: 100% - $300 - 31 October 2024

75% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (52/69 rows completed)

Website test run

Is / Will This Project Be Open-Sourced?
Yes, the project will be open-sourced.

ZeroAuthorityDAO Profile Link:
https://zeroauthority.xyz/profiles/SP327AMYAAJFHDSDGE6AD0HTACYQ4CCXJGT47M2H3

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Milestone 1:

• First ten rows completed (row A to J)
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x6lc9oZQtcbNgA4grWQt6_dxrDLTd-z0
  The Google Drive folder contains the artwork for verification.

I'd like to keep most of the art private until reveal, except for the selection provided in the link for verification. @thiskittyisgood can confirm she's seen the first ten completed rows.

• Marketing starts (official announcement on X)
  https://x.com/ReeceSwanepoel/status/1819772506539975062?t=K95UdEs8EJ3Rm6g16T56EQ&s=19

• Console Community opened
  https://app.console.xyz/c/blockweb

[thiskittyisgood]

Milestone 1 Completion Confirmation

I am pleased to confirm that Reece has successfully completed the first milestone for the BlockWeb project.

First Ten Rows Completed:
The first ten rows (Row A to J) of the BlockWeb art have been completed.
A selection of the completed artworks is available for verification in this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x6lc9oZQtcbNgA4grWQt6_dxrDLTd-z0

Note: To maintain the element of surprise for the official reveal, only a few examples have been shared publicly. I have personally reviewed all the completed artworks and can confirm that the milestone has been achieved.

Marketing Initiated
The official announcement has been made on X, marking the start of the marketing campaign: https://x.com/ReeceSwanepoel/status/1819772506539975062?t=K95UdEs8EJ3Rm6g16T56EQ&s=19

Console Community Opened:
The official BlockWeb Console community has been created and is now open: https://app.console.xyz/c/blockweb.

I have reviewed the provided materials and can confirm that all the requirements for this milestone have been met.

[Hero-Gamer]

Thanks @ReeceSwanepoelArtist appreciate your effort & Thanks @thiskittyisgood for helping with review.

Hi @shaktistacks this milestone 1 is approved for payment.
Milestone 1: 25% - $250 - 2 August 2024
15% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (10/69 rows completed)
Announcement on X, marketing starts
Official Console community opens

[Hero-Gamer]

hi @ReeceSwanepoelArtist
Are you on track to complete Milestone 2, 3, 4 by end of Oct? Please provide an update.

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Hi! Here's an update on BlockWeb:

Completed:

• 36% of the art has been completed (25/69 rows)

• The first 20 collaborations have been initiated

• Website build initiated

Over the past two months, I've been actively participating in the Stacks ecosystem and contributing where I can.

In addition to completing the project goals, I’ve also:

• Become a council member of StacksLink, where I serve as Community Lead. My focus is on onboarding new members and helping them feel comfortable within the ecosystem. I also provide weekly updates on art events and activities within Stacks.

• Taken on the role of an active ambassador for the Tacovation awards, spearheaded by Nietta.

• Released my first 1/1 artwork as an auction under the Avant curation by Goodkitty and am currently working on a second piece for November.

One of the goals for Milestone 2 was to begin the countdown to BlockWeb's drop date. However, due to the dev being unavailable until January, this timeline will need to be revised.

Additionally, I am awaiting the Nakamoto upgrade and the implementation of sBTC, which I expect will enhance the reach and impact of my marketing efforts.

My integration into the community is key. I am no longer just building a project on Stacks but becoming a leader within the community. I believe this will have a positive effect on the long-term success of BlockWeb.

[Hero-Gamer]

Hi Reece, any estimated dates for rest of the milestones?

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Milestone update:

Milestone 1 - 25% - $250 (completed August 2)

• 15% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof - (10/69 rows completed)

• Announcement on X, marketing starts

• Official Console community opens

Milestone 2 - 45% - $200 - completed November 18

• 38% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (26/69 rows completed)

• Website build initiated

• First 20 collaborations initiated and completed, with proof

Milestone 3 - 75% - $250 - 31 December

• 58% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (40/69 rows completed)

• Finalizations of minting plans

• All 40 collaborations finalized

Milestone 4 - 100% -$300 - 15 February

• 75% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (52/69 rows completed)

• Website test run

• Countdown to launch day starts

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Reason for delay:
The viewer will note that the milestone dates have been delayed.
When I started this project, it was the only thing I devoted my time to, and I was filled with optimism that I could complete an average of 35 quality artworks per week between July and October if I worked like a machine, skipped on sleep and isolated myself completely. I was determined I could do the impossible. After more than 3 months of sleeping 3/4 hours except on days where I was too burned out, I now know it was not a realistic timetable. I've been growing a lot in the Stacks community and have taken on different roles and responsibilities. Doing so has enriched my life tremendously. But it has split my time and energy, even while I uphold my work ethic. This is focused on my art, because the art is what is taking the longest time. It's not generative, every single artwork is hand-drawn and takes a lot of calculating to ensure all the blocks fit next to each other like a puzzle.
With the updated timeline for these last 2 milestones, I'm being realistic. I'm considering rest days, sleeping more and other activities in the Stacks community that could demand my attention during the process. This timeline is also including extra time for the website to be built properly, the onboarding that will occur from the Nakamato upgrade and sBTC.
I want to be transparent about taking accountability for the overestimation of my own abilities, but taking more time to build BlockWeb will ensure that the quality of the art and the general rollout of the product will go as smoothly as possible.

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

TLDR:

• Delay Explanation

• • Original timeline aimed for 35 artworks per week, relying on extreme work conditions (minimal sleep, isolation).
• • After over three months of only 3-4 hours of sleep per night, the plan has proved unrealistic.

• Challenges Faced

• • Involvement in the Stacks community introduced valuable but time-consuming responsibilities.
• • Each artwork is hand-drawn and carefully calculated to fit together like a puzzle, adding to the time required.

• Updated Timeline

• • I'm including realistic goals, rest days, better sleep, and time for community activities.
• • I'm accounting for website development, onboarding, Nakamoto upgrade, and sBTC.

• Commitment

• • I acknowledge overestimating my capabilities.
• • I'm prioritizing quality art and a smooth rollout over rushing the project due to unobtainable goals.

[Hero-Gamer]

Hi @ReeceSwanepoelArtist

Thanks for the explanation, I will relay the message to the Foundation.

Milestone 2 is approved.

Milestone 2 - 45% - $200 - completed November 18

    38% completion of BlockWeb art, with proof (26/69 rows completed)

    Website build initiated

    First 20 collaborations initiated and completed, with proof

@shaktistacks please kindly disburse fund at your convenience. Tysm!

[ReeceSwanepoelArtist]

Update on Milestone 3:

• 58% of the art has successfully been completed. That's the first 40/69 rows, or 320/552 Blocks, all complete. By my estimation, this is equal to 2000 portraits in 6 months. I've continued on with the art for Milestone 4, keeping my eye on that 75% mark. @thiskittyisgood has the link to all the art and can vouch for this milestone being reached.
• It has proven difficult to get into contact with my 20 selected artists for the second part of the collaborative element of BlockWeb. Probably due to it being the festive season. I'm aiming to have this deliverable completed by the end of January. Fortunately this element is not decisive of the launch date or following deliverables as it is the last part.
• Minting plans have been finalized, and everything in this regard is on schedule. A few additional aspects to BlockWeb have been considered and added that exceed the scope of the initial proposal.