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I’ve always looked for “the next big thing” in the art world. Something that is going to be different from what we’ve seen before, and something that is going to make a big splash. With a new project called Next Earth, I believe I found it. Next Earth is a new NFT-based metaverse project that allows users to buy virtual land “tiles” on a 1:1 replica of Earth, including pixels where they can draw pixel-based land art. The possibilities are endless: You can immortalize your favorite landmark, or even create your own NFT art. Traditional digital art mediums are being disrupted with the ability to make provably unique art pieces with verifiable ownership. This is a new way for artists to make their mark in the world, and it’s a great way for collectors to find something truly one-of-a-kind. Nostalgic Creations: Pac-Man Growing up, I loved playing Pac-Man. I remember rushing home after school to play it for hours, trying to beat all the levels. My friend always warned me that I would never beat all 256 stages, but that didn’t stop me from trying. Beyond addictive yet simple gameplay, what makes the original Pac-Man game so iconic is its use of digital art technologies to create something new. Now, with blockchain, we can finally turn one of man’s best-known pieces of pixel-art into an NFT on the surface of a digital Earth. Why is this big? Just like you can’t miss the White House or Big Ben in traditional photography, you’ll know when you see an iconic Pac-Man icon. After connecting my Binance Chain Wallet to Next Earth, I bought some ocean tiles as a “digital canvas,” where I could draw the iconic red ghost. The interface is dead simple: You can select a color to fill any tile, and just erase the tile if you make a mistake. Don’t forget, however, that when you hit “publish landart,” you won’t be able to change it, as it’s an immutable design. In a world that’s constantly changing, this is a great way to preserve your work. The possibilities are endless; you can create your own art on Next Earth, or buy virtual land for yourself or others as a gift. It’s not just about the art; it’s also about the history that is being made on this digital canvas. You can literally make something new and unique in the world with NFTs. Selling Land Art on the NFT Marketplace The “starving artist” is a common trope in the art world, and it’s something that I’ve thought about myself. With Next Earth, you can make money from your art, without having to sell it for pennies on the dollar at a gallery. I chose to buy some ocean tiles and draw a Pac-Man ghost as my first piece of land art on Next Earth, and I wanted to put it up for sale as well. To sell this piece of land art, I simply selected the “put it up for sale option” option from the land art and entered my price. Next Earth takes care of everything else, including listing the artwork on their NFT marketplace and handling all payments and delivery. We’ve certainly come a long way since Pac-Man first appeared in 1980s arcades. Today we have digital art mediums like NFTs that allow us to create completely unique works of art that are impossible with traditional media. What’s Next?  Next Earth is a metaverse that allows users to buy virtual land and build on it, much like Second Life or World of Warcraft. But instead of being an avatar inside a game world, you own your virtual property in the Next Earth metaverse. This opens up new possibilities for artists and creators who want to make their mark in the world. I believe this is going to be bigger than Second Life or World of Warcraft because it combines art, blockchain, and space into one project that has never been done before. It’s something that people have been waiting for — a digital canvas where you can create anything you want. And now we finally have it!   Photo by Barbara Zandoval on Unsplash