Since then I've been focusing on solo works and collaborations (one of them with CryptoCubes Creators, see the announcement), and also giving myself time to watch my process and make decisions based on what feels right for the concept: more or less detail, composition, colors, empty space, what I really feel about the idea, what I actually want to say with it. Or what my subconscious is trying to tell me.

For those of you who also follow me on X, you've probably seen that I'm polishing my first ever physical sculpture and getting ready to present it someday... But that's another topic, and I really can't wait to share it with you when it's finally finished and ready.

For now, let's talk about "Conatus" and I'll use the next issues here to update you on what I've been doing and creating during my quieter period without new stuff. So, be aware if you don't want to miss anything !

Like most of my recent works, I start the sketch with the Automatism technique. I first got into automatism without even knowing it was a "real" technique — it was just fun and casual stuff I did at 12 years old or so.

Of course, I wasn't the first "enlightened" guy to intuitively use this method, so I went digging. I learned the process actually has roots in spiritualist practices, where mediums claimed their hand was guided by "spirits."

The idea is to suppress conscious control and let the brush, pen, or whatever you're using to move freely, so the imagery emerges from the unconscious mind rather than from deliberate planning. Artists like André Masson (French, 1896–1987), Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983), Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956), and others explored this kind of 'subconscious painting' in their own processes.

Revisiting this sentence by Miró (or at least one attributed to him) makes a lot of sense with the automatism, imho. I can dig with this phrase by being fully present at the work and to actually sit with it and make it happen, to hold the tool, but to let it guide from the "dreams" or the subconscious, "the stars", despite Joan Miró taking it a bit more literal with their series and works showing his love for the universe/stars/sky.

Automatism might also about being creative afterward, building a concept around something "random", cause something never comes from "nothing" it's always something transformed as we see in physics and chemical, but in this case a feeling/message from the subconscious to conscious.
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Strangely, not knowing what a piece can mean or looks until after the first sketches, instead of deciding before, lets me as an artist sit with it and try to decipher what it really means to me. It helps me build concepts that are actually true (to me).

Sometimes I tell people that telling real stories is easier than trying to invent a false or "great" one. Just being myself, telling my story from the bottom of my heart (or subconscious) lets me connect with people around the world feeling the same thing, or something similar, or whatever it ends up being.
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I'm honestly proud of that, and it's something no one can take from me. I'm telling my truth. I'm having a real conversation with my soul. And I'm documenting all of it on-chain all preserved on Ethereum.

I started working on Conatus on December 24, 2025, and only now felt comfortable letting it go. The process is way more personal than what I might can show through sketches, finals, and market drops.

During the process I was also working on other artworks. Whenever I reached a point where I couldn't tell what to do next but still felt the work wasn't done, I'd pause and shift to another sketch/concept. That helped me keep a fresh mind while still creating.

CONATUS! The innate inclination of a thing to continue to exist and enhance itself, from Spinoza.
Don't fight against it. Let it flow, receive the blessing of having a chance to be, and then just BE.
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I would say that my process could be categorized as "Neo Automatism" due my use digital software where I mix intention and subconscious action. With Procreate, I can export a full video process of all my brushstrokes, you can watch it here.

Conatus is now a 1 of 1 artwork minted on my Manifold contract, storaged fully on-chain on Ethereum Blockchain.
I got inspired after seeing the recent ACK "Original Sin" minted with technical help from Richerd, they could organize/create a better optimized system where it cost way less to mint a full quality artwork on-chain than before ever known.

I've minted a on-chain stored token once with "The Moon" and it needed to downgrade the quality, with a really high cost. Not this one. High quality, full on-chain, affordable.
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A special thank you for ACK (Alpha Centure Kid), Richerd and specially YungWknd that made this a really easy and smooth mint process to me. This is "Conatus" in essence.