Today I want to write about D.I.Y. and why it was my chosen path as a Bitcoiner coming into the space. This has been apart of my journey since my baptismal earlier this year. This yearning to be in the light during the darkest of times.

D.I.Y. was something i learned in my punk band days
The do-it-yourself, or D.I.Y. aspect of punk is one of the most important factors fueling the subculture. Independent record labels, the D.I.Y. press, and the D.I.Y. venues are what have kept the punk subculture alive since the late 1970s. The creation of the punk subculture has allowed individuals who seek an alternative lifestyle to thrive. The D.I.Y. record labels and independent pressing system creates a social network that allows for punk music and ideologies to be distributed. This social networking allows punk bands to travel from city to city playing at D.I.Y. venues and fueling the overall subculture.
- Ian P. Moran

Starting a bitcoin club in my town was not easy. We had many obstacles in front of us. At the end of the day, the handful of people that did show up to help was enough. As it progressed, we realized the most important thing was to be consistent, keep showing up, make noise and help others. Ultimately, we relied on doing it ourselves, online and on the streets.

I N   R  E  T  R O S P  E  C  T

the inspiration for ABC and ⚡️PlebLab

Keeping the D.I.Y. mentality allowed us to not look at others as non-believers in what we were doing but as actual friends helping create the Austin bitcoin scene. As we progressed with ⚡️PlebLab, this proved to even work amongst the more expansive bitcoin space. True D.I.Y. is building a subculture and serving the needs of your hacker misfit friends. One of the reasons Thriller Bitcoin exists was the lack of publications covering the noise we were making. What’s more bitcoiner than refusing a local fiat conglomeration of dominant media outlets?

D O    Y O U   J U S T   K E E P   D O I N G?  
Y  E  S  !

creating the vibe and D.I.Y. is a mentality we learned very fast in Austin

Another great thing Kyle and Keyan, and I did was create core values amongst ourselves. These values still, to this day, ensure we are all on the same page for any issue that could arise. When creating a bitcoin scene in your town, ensure those values sit at the forefront of every decision you make. Jumping in from the sidelines and helping others is the best way to learn. Remember, not everything has to be about you for your community to thrive and benefit from your service.

continuing the D.I.Y. mentality with a local bitcoin zine
Fanzines were crucial for sharing information about this music. It was such a different era. Once you get into the pre-internet era, it's kind of like the Dark Ages. A lot of the information about this music could only be obtained by writing a letter to somebody for a copy of their zine, because they only printed 500 copies or driving a couple of hours to the big city to go to the one store that might have one copy of the zine. You really had to work to track down this information. It was not easy. It was just a handful of shows that would play the music and even just a handful of zines that would actually give you the addresses of where you could get these records. The Sub Pop fanzine was, I think, very unique. There really wasn't any other zine out there like it.
- Bruce Pavitt, Sub Pop co-founder

It is very interesting how my past is now my present. Everything you do in life is for a reason, if you follow the light.

Collect these moments one by one.

look at what the light did now 🌱

music is my ultimate inspiration for everything i have ever done, it brings joy to my life every day

reminding myself every day to show myself grace for the things i struggle with

the reminder to build toward the future you want to see