Joyn 2022 recap: year of momentum and gratitude

Joyn
December 15, 2022

Blink of an eye and it’s almost the end of 2022. What a whirlwind of a year.

We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supported us, and show a quick recap of what happened and what’s coming next. Let’s go.

WHERE WE STARTED

*skip if you know who we are

Web3 promises self-sovereignty, but creators are still gate-kept through various subtle limitations. Financial & technical limitations, not knowing the right people, not playing the hype game... you name it.

Since day 1, we’ve made it clear that our goal is to empower a new generation of web3 creators through our platform, community, and supportive resources.

We do so by facilitating open collab opportunities between creators, communities, and brands.

WHAT HAPPENED

Over the past four months, we’ve collected 10k+ artwork submissions across four types of open collabs, each representing a different kind of opportunity opened up for artists.

1. Open calls

Instead of relying on private networks, we’ve been encouraging galleries, events, and collectors to conduct their curation process in the open.

Not only does it help institutions strengthen trust with their audience, but most importantly, it provides better opportunities to creators who would’ve otherwise missed out.

The results speak for themselves:

NFT Show Europe, VCA, Superchief, CADAF, Polyphonic Narratives Exhibit, Metaversal, MFA, NF Castle

“For NFT artists, communities, and organizations, Joyn is a perfect way to discover and get discovered.”
– Anna Dart, Exquisite Workers co-founder.

2. Artist-led challenges

Artists and content creators have long been at the forefront of collaborative experiments.

While we’re still in the early days of web3, artists have discovered the power of orchestrating open challenges to spark creativity.

Not only did we produce some mind-blowingly creative work - participating creators also found new friendships and, in some cases, collector patronage through this process.

Here are some of our favorites:

Claire Silver, Charlesai, Ivona Tau, EZ24 Ramen, Exquisite Workers

Winning submission by @Swarnali, for Exquisite Workers Art Contest to exhibit at Picasso Museum open call.  

The artist was featured in Business Today for her work.

3. Open co-creations

Catalyzed by the web3 movement of openness and shared ownership, permissionless co-creation like remixes and derivative art will inevitably become more dominant.

Through open co-creation, we brought communities and creative talents together to generate tons of derivative content that provided new meaning and connections to both sides.

And we had tons of fun doing so:

Onigiri Pepe, XCOPY, Moonbirds remix, WOW

4. Open commissions

In addition to creating and showcasing their own art, artists often take on commissioned projects for brands and collectors. We understand the significance of these partnerships for artists, as they provide a source of income and allow them to focus on their craft.

We strive to facilitate these collaborations and assist artists in achieving their goals.

Top commissioned work:

Joyn Originals, Mintology, LWLW3

Winning submission for London Women Leading Web III logo open call, by @soulmonsta. The artist became a LWLWIII creator in residency, commissioned for new projects by the group and its members.

Engagement and monetization are no longer the sole indicators of success. They are a healthy byproduct of open collabs.

Through the platform, we’ve provided creators, artists, and builders a place to co-create, curate, and collect in web3.

WHAT NEXT?

We’ve never been more excited about the possibilities of open collaborations, and there’s so much to come over the next few months.

For now, a couple things you can do:

  • Check out ongoing opportunities on the Joyn Platform. If you’re interested in running your own open collab, let us know.
  • We’ll be rolling out a community giveaway before year's end, as a show of appreciation to everyone who has supported Joyn so far. Follow @joynxyz on Twitter & keep notifs on!

About Joyn

Joyn’s mission is to empower creators in their pursuit of self-sovereignty.

We do so by making opportunities accessible - connecting creators with trusted communities & brands through open collaborations.

You’ll typically find our team working hard on the Joyn platform, which is where we facilitate hundreds of artwork commissions, open curations, remix contests, giveaways & grants.

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