Some of the world’s most prolific artists, writers, and philosophers lived during the mid-15th century in the heart of the Renaissance paving the way for how we think about many of the industries that exist in today’s world. Duomo’s gothic architecture was made popular throughout the early 13th century when the construction first started on the cathedral. Without knowing the history, you would never know that the cathedral actually took over six centuries to complete. There were many different people involved, but they created, what I consider to be, the most intricate and beautiful cathedral in the world.
Today, I look back at these significant bubbles that have changed and shaped the world that we live in. They say bubbles happen around things that change the world- railroads, technology, and now blockchain. They also say bubbles happen around things when prices get way ahead of reality- tulips, sardines, and now unicorns.
Most of you know that science is one of my favorite things. When we dislike being in the dark, we invent a light bulb to see. When we dislike too much light from the light bulb or sun, we invent sunglasses. When our sunglasses don’t make us look chic enough, we invent ironic trucker hats. When trucker hats do not fully express the extent to which we are devoid of class and taste, we invent snapbacks (obviously because snapbacks are both classy and tasteful). The wheel turns round and round and the list goes on and on. This is science.
So it should come as no surprise that someone would invent this thing called blockchain when they were weary of the guys in charge. As with all amazing breakthroughs though, there are some minor technical details (hacking, crypto-wallets potentially disappearing in your sleep so to avoid having a brain aneurysm while deep in dreams, you create eight different wallets to spread your risk across multiple platforms, then there are the anarchists using the platform for dodgy behavior...) that are still being hashed out for this revolutionary blockchain technology. No bank account available to you in Tanzania, but you have a cell phone? You can participate; get a Bitcoin wallet. Can’t raise money from a VC for your company? Have an ICO; launch a token sale. What a world we live in!
I always wished I was old enough to really understand what was going on during the dot-com bubble in 2001 when it happened. It must have been such a crazy time when stocks were going through the roof and many hard-working upper middle class Americans became millionaires, with what seemed like, overnight. I think the same can be said for the blockchain market. Nothing is ever quite what it seems. The world is changing faster than we know what to do with and I know I say write about this all the time, but it couldn’t be more true. My phone that once received messages purely by SMS and Whatsapp about hot new restaurant openings according to Eater and Urban Daddy are now replaced with applications like Slack and Telegram with channels and private groups about the latest in crypto-currencies, ICO’s, or index fund’s. Conversations that used to be about what handbag I am purchasing this season from Barney’s is replaced with what’s going to happen during the next hard fork and whether you are going to hold your currency or sell. Trips that used to be planned with a few friends to the beach are now replaced with trips planned with several friends to an event hosted by one of your communities or tribes (wrote about Tribe life here).
I titled this post, “Through the Looking Glass”, because through my eyes, the world has never been in a better place to support change. We are so technologically advanced and as efficiencies continue to increase and we are able to augment many aspects of our lives, why can’t you take the risk and do something that you actually want to spend time on? What do you have to lose.
When Sarah and I woke up at dawn to shoot these photos during sunrise at Duomo, my mind was full from our discussion the night prior at dinner. I decided for our last shoot that I wanted to create something really full of magic. The streets were empty and we are completely alone in this magnificent city in front of one of the world’s greatest architectural creations that survived and transitioned through multiple centuries. It got me thinking that in an era when change is inevitable (all thanks to those prolific artists, writers, and philosophers that lived during the the mid-15th century that really did set the stage) it’s nice to take a step back and appreciate life’s beauty formed from its rich past.
There it was. It was just for us. It was all for us. Every photo, every sparkle, every magical moment that we captured. I chose this Derek Lam peasant dress, because it hints evocatively at the shape beneath, yet it is filled with fluid layers that make it perfect for twirling around. It represents everything that I am in my life right now.
Coco Wears: Derek Lam printed silk dress (Thank you, Emily!), Vintage earrings, Suede mules. Photography: Sarah Son. Location: Duomo, Milano, Italy. City Guide: Milano