Now that I've been victimized by theft, I'm completely restructuring my life with an emphasis on fortifying my online presence. Despite the adversity and aftermath of this unfortunate incident, I'm determined to make it a catalyst for positive change in all areas of my life while staying focused on what matters most.
A few years back, I chose to start selling some of my photos as NFTs. At the time, I barely asked myself any inquiries or doubted what would come out of it - yet something that every beginner will eventually comprehend is that facing challenges along your journey helps you develop and learn.
NFT: Utilities
Consider, for instance, the issue of NFT utilities: what other values besides art do my NFTs have? Initially, it seemed sensible to offer only a print as a utility for the respective token. At that time I thought typical ones such as Discord servers were unnecessary - from my perspective they had no extra benefits or value added to those who purchased them. Rather than just looking at digital aspects of artwork, I desired (and still desire) an amalgamation between both physical and virtual forms of creativity.
Shortly, I plan to offer my NFT holders a special opportunity: To purchase an original print of any image from me which comes with my signature on the back. Although indeed, art doesn't require additional utilities for its value (see my blog), I want to make sure that every NFT owner feels as if they're getting something extra out of their investment. So in addition to this one-of-a-kind item, I have some exciting ideas up my sleeve!
Nonetheless, numerous utilities contribute value to the NFT environment of a piece of artwork. What I am referring to is for instance; each one of my NFTs will be rewarded with its microsite where owners can share something about themselves! It could include their inspiration behind purchasing NFT or thoughts relating to the image itself. Not only this, but they may also to refer other similar projects which tie into their post too – just endless potential!
Apart from the aesthetic value of the artwork, I also consider its social character to be essential. NFTs provide an avenue for artists to make their pieces more accessible, which is core to art's purpose and mission: To spread meaningful messages that can influence people on a global scale. Nevertheless, NFTs are still a highly specialized and technical medium that isn't exactly accessible to everyone. I'm committed to doing more in the future so this technology is available for all. For example, when I sell an NFT, I'll provide complimentary lower-quality prints of it as well. Additionally, advertisements will be placed with the sole purpose of promoting art from these NFTs – just another way for me to spread creativity!
In my view, 'improved accessibility to art' is not enough for a work of art's social component. My NFTs will go beyond the technical level by automatically donating a portion of each sale or resale to an organization that works toward making positive change in our communities. In this way, artwork serves as more than just aesthetic pleasure; it takes on a much more practical and meaningful significance.
I'm eager to learn what sorts of utilities you would find helpful for an (art) Nft. Feel free to reach out via email or direct message - I'd love to hear from you!
NFT: Sustainability
At present, I'm weighing up the lasting ability of NFTs. Even after Ethereum's recent alterations, how can we account for its carbon footprint? Sadly, this is all too evident; with each one necessitating a large energy consumption to produce and circulate than an ordinary physical print would normally require. To make a statement with my art and to acknowledge the CO2 emissions associated with the minting of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), I've chosen to purchase an advanced carbon offset before releasing them into circulation. For this purpose, I'll be using Nori's platform (https://nori.com/) and supporting one of their certified climate compensation projects. Art is more than just its aesthetic appeal; it needs to take into account current events if it wants to have a real impact on society. As artists, we must realize that our works are equally shaped by the temporal context in which they were created as well as by ourselves. This remains unchanged. Climate change is an element of the setting we are in today. Don't get me wrong: current events can affect art, but they don't have to be a direct source of inspiration either. However, as artists, our minds must remain open and considerate when exploring whether or not these issues should play into our artwork - especially with regards to NFTs where climate change undeniably has a role to play without any doubt. Do you agree? If so, I'd love for you to reach out!