The Chief
A symbol of leadership, vision, and strength within the Duckyverse world.
The Story Behind Duckyverse
Chapter
First Flight
The vision of the Duckyverse started a long time ago.
My grade school art projects were mostly of ducks, and more often than not they involved a beloved Blue one.
The Blue Duck has always been symbolic of keeping a fun-loving, playful outlook on the journey ahead.
Which, admittedly, is much easier at a younger age.
At many points along the way I sacrificed working on my Art for other activities. I gave up on the childhood dream of making art for a living in college.
Too concerned with comparing my art to others.
I struggled with the application from the professor. Now knowing how to use what I was learning.
Drawing or painting ended in frustration.
Somewhere on the road, I lost the “fun” in Art.
Before finding the Fine Art Community on the XRPL, it had been 25+ years since I had put any effort or focus into creating.
Although, it wasn’t just one day deciding to pick up a pen or start doodling in an app.
Grade school art
Grade school art
Chapter
Broken Wings
Working in construction since 2000 certainly didn’t help, but I injured my lower back coaching both of my sons’ baseball teams in March of 2022.
I ended up having Rhadbo in both quads, where they locked up for over a week. After it settled down, I had my second corrective surgery on the same discs that were repaired 10 years prior.
Post-surgery, I had lost feeling below my right knee.
I waddled around like a pirate with a peg leg. One nerve decompression surgery later, and I finally had some feeling and limited control of my foot and toes after almost a year from the initial injury and six months after the back procedure.
Chapter
Healing
There were a lot of physical limitations to overcome, which turned into a difficult mental state to deal with.
I struggled to do many basic things I took for granted every day. I missed out on kid activities with all the physical therapy, and I was in a dark place.
Luckily for me, my wife is an amazing Licensed Mental Health Therapist. She has taught countless mindfulness techniques to the kids over the years, and it was my turn to apply them to myself.
Even having a simple conversation with my niece was highly important. She graduated with a degree in Art Therapy. So, I utilized my rehabilitation time to listen and learn.
My grandparents had given me a Bible many years before, so I dusted it off and started to create again. I combined all the different aspects of advice, and built a program that works for me.
I didn’t have Twitter, telegram, instagram, discord…. And I certainly didn’t even know where to purchase a cryptocurrency.
The only thing I knew was that I wanted a better future for my kids, and hopefully a different way to make a living for myself. Learning was a way my mind could race when my body struggled to walk.
So I did what I’ve always done.
In true Blue Duck style, I sought out wisdom from Chiefs in their field. Stacked the knowledge shared, even if I didn’t know what to do with it yet, like a Totem Pole to reflect on the knowledge gained.
I’ve leaned heavily into learning from a community full of Legendary Artists and Talented Creators, who are the symbolic Tipis gathered in one location on X.
Chapter
The Future
I don’t know the final destination for myself in Web3, and that is perfectly fine. The journey is where the story is written.
I do know the three most important factors for me:
- The circle of family that changed my life, and I am beyond grateful for them.
- Art is therapeutic, and I get to keep learning each step of the way- it’s FUN!
- I know I don’t want that feeling to go away anytime soon.
As for the Duckyverse, I’m attempting to achieve the goals of my children to prove to them anything is possible.
The current goals are to have stickers, a coloring book, and an arcade-style game.
They dream up some fun and exciting ideas, and it’s priceless seeing their faces light up when a creation meets or exceeds their expectations. As a father, I want those lights to stay bright permanently.
Any art that I create and sell, 50% will be put toward the $DuckyV token. I think it’s important to give back to the ones who support you on your journey. It’s a way we can all grow together.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to learn a little bit about the story behind the Duckyverse. I hope my path can help you on your journey.
-Big Chief
