(Project set)

Zenerative

Matto’s Zen-Inspired* Generative Art.

*Zen is part of a rich tapestry of Buddhist and Taoist traditions, and I feel obliged to also list Ch’an, Tantra, and Taoism as other philosophies that are integral to my spiritual practice and that inspire my life and work.

Project 1: Ensō

Ensō #0 (the image above shows the default state of the interactive token)

Explore the Ensō Project

Learn about the history of the symbol called ensō and how Zenerative started, see examples of existing Ensō tokens, and more.

You can view the full collection at Artblocks.io and at Opensea.io.

Project 2: FOCUS

FOCUS #0 (the image above shows the default state of the interactive token)

Explore the FOCUS Project

Read the artist’s statement, explore the generative script, and see example outputs.

You can view the full collection at Artblocks.io and at Opensea.io.

Project 3: ?

Zenerative Vision

Project 1, Ensō

- Add JavaScript to known languages (10/15/20).
- Launch NFT project and website (3/22/21).
- Add print-resolution render tool (5/23/21).
- Announce rewards: ‘Ensō Water Paintings’ (7/21/21).
- Snapshot owners for future airdrops (periodically).
- Giveaway 10 prints (8/15/21).

Project 2, FOCUS

- Launch generative project on Artblocks.io (10/26/21).
- Create Zenerative One (HQ) in CryptoVoxels (10/26/21).
- Create virtual gallery of minted tokens (12/8/21).
- Launch FOCUS Animator (12/16/21).
- Snapshot owners for future airdrops (periodically).
- Auction a manual recreation of a minted NFT for charity (post-sellout)

(Additional Projects!)

Freestyle Haiku Poetry Tokens

- Put all Freestyle Haiku poetry on-chain.
- Launch NFT project and allow purchase with airdropped tokens.
- Giveaways!

And hopefully…

- Create a DAO to promote traditional Eastern spirituality (Zen and others) in the crypto space.
- Create a treasury of NFTs from relevant projects.
- Use prior snapshots along with additional means to allocate governance and ownership tokens.

*The airdropping of ZNRTV tokens requires a lot more legal preparation than expected. For now, I’m snapshotting owners for a potential future drop.

About Me (Matto)

Art, code, martial arts, and Eastern spirituality

I’ve been an artist and a programmer since I could draw and use my high-school’s computers. I found a deep connection to Asian culture and aesthetics in grade school, and in college, I devoted my energy to perfecting myself through martial arts and spirituality. You can read more about my background in this short essay.

Martial arts: I’ve mostly studied Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Su, but I’ve also practiced other Kung Fu styles, Shorin Ryu (Karate), Tae Kwon Do, and Tai Chi.

Spirituality: I practice a version of Buddhism that is very close to the Japanese Zen Buddhism, but with elements from the Chinese Ch’an Buddhism and Indian Vajrayāna. The philosophical side of Taoism resonates with me, and I use both moving and seated meditation in my practice.

Poetry: Starting in 2010, I’ve written over 1250 spiritual and haiku-like poems on FreestyleHaiku.com. For me, writing poetry is more than self-expression; it’s a meditation in presence, awareness, and communication.

I’d love to interact with you online! Find me on twitter as @MonkMatto, or better yet, join my discord!

Here I’m practicing Tai Chi outside Union Station in Washington DC.

Photo by Augen.

Environmental Responsibility

As an individual, I purchase 1MW of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) every month from terrapass.com to more than offset my regular crypto activities. For every Zenerative project, I also buy RECs to more than offset that project’s environmental impact (this is in addition to the offsets that Artblocks.io secures for the platform).

Zenerative projects are carbon negative. You can be assured that the purchase of RECs does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and in fact, is contributing to reducing climate change.