First Contact

My first contact with Bitcoin was in 2015. I met this crazy dude who couldn't shut up about Bitcoin. He was talking about it all day, every day, nonstop. I was interested in Bitcoin (and in that guy), but I was still far away from entering the rabbit hole.

Some years later, I married this full-on orange-pilled chatterbox, and in 2020 we got our sweet little girl. Bitcoin was part of our family, as for some wives’ relationship with soccer: they accept it but aren't personally involved or incredibly interested.

Bitcoin is a Lifelong Journey

To be honest, my Bitcoin journey started some weeks after the outbreak of Covid.

I heard in the mainstream media that the inflation rate went up like crazy in the EU and in the US. I found that strange, but I had no clue what it actually meant.

I had no idea about money, inflation, the history of money, Austrian economics, Bitcoin, and so on. As my husband is always stuck somewhere in the rabbit hole, we have all the important literature at home. I dug deep, and it got more and more obvious to me what Bitcoin is. But well, as Brandon Quittem said in one of his articles:

"As soon as you think you have bitcoin figured out, you discover how little you actually know."

So Bitcoin is, therefore, a never-ending journey and not a static construction.

Bitcoin is Enlightenment

At some point, I realized that so many things I had been questioning my whole life was making sense now.

Bitcoin was literally turning my lights on.

Only Bitcoin Matters

I never had a shitcoin phase, nor any trading motivations, as my fascination with Bitcoin was never to get rich or see Bitcoin as a kind of fiat-money-increaser.

I studied the social sciences, sociology, and journalism, and my main interest still lies in understanding society and social structures as well as individual behavior in the context of society.

I'm not too interested in my personal monetary benefit. That is not what drives me. I'm literally mind blown by the idea of Bitcoin.

It changed my view of the world, of politics, economy, and life in general. I think Bitcoin's great potential lies not only in the tech. It lies in money and in the revolution that it will usher in and in the changes it will bring to society, large and small. I am thankful and excited to be part of that change.

Bitcoin is Strengthening

Let me share something personal with you. Bitcoin has definitely made me stronger, more confident, and more focused. It has also made me more based.

Bitcoin Frees My Mind

Being a mother and getting more and more into Bitcoin forced me to think more about the future of my family and me. Dark times have arisen in the last two years around the world, and I was close to getting badly depressed. Bitcoin gave me (and us as a family) hope and an optimistic perspective for our future, and also some stability to move forward.

To say it in a nutshell: Bitcoin gives us freedom.

Bitcoin helped us to build our own citadel, even if it is just a citadel in our minds - for now.

Sometime in the year 2021, I met a couple of Bitcoin maximalists in meatspace. I had some thrilling and breathtaking conversations. Obviously, Bitcoin-Twitter emerged as one of the topics during these conversations. It was clear to me what I had to do: I had to check out the place that everyone was talking about. I had to join Bitcoin-Twitter.

Again, a whole new world opened up to me. I suddenly met even more fantastic people from all over the world, with various skills and talents, different personalities and professions. I would say that was the time when I got really orange-pilled.

Bitcoin is Art

After a while, I asked myself: "What can I do for Bitcoin?" I'm not a coder or that big of a speaker, nor do I like to stand in public. Maybe I will start knitting for Bitcoin?

As I always loved to illustrate and do art for kids, I started to make paintings and illustrations for Bitcoin. I'm also doing Bitcoin paintings and small handicrafts with my daughter. As a caring mother, I want to give my child a proper Bitcoin education as early as possible.

Well, after a while, I got over my self-doubts and started to post my paintings on Twitter. People started to reach out to me. I was amazed, excited, and I felt so blessed that people liked my stuff.

I sold my first painting (Hummingbird) in October 2021. Directly, peer-to-peer, for sats.

It was the first Lightning transaction for me and also for my customer. We were both excited to use Bitcoin as a payment method for something real, for something I loved to create, and she loved to buy.

Surprisingly, more people reached out to me. To buy paintings, to ask for commissioned art, and even to do cooperations. Because of this amazing feedback, I plan to offer prints of my art as postcards and larger prints, and I also want to experiment with auctioning off originals.

Bitcoin Makes Humanity Shine

The plan is not to turn this into an insanely profitable business. I do what I do because I love it. I love painting, and I love Bitcoin. Both keep me sane and stable. For me, Bitcoin's greatest potential is that it is for everyone. Bitcoin is human. Bitcoin radiates humanity, Bitcoin is love, and Bitcoin empowers the individual.

Bitcoin is a profound revolution.

To me, it was a deep and spiritual discovery that changed my life. Thank you, Satoshi, and thank you, everyone, for welcoming me and liking my art.