What do you want to be growing up?
Growing up, I never had that "I wanna be an astronaut" phase. Instead, I always just kinda felt like I was waiting for someone to tell me what I was "supposed" to be. I guess that’s how I ended up going to law school and becoming an attorney. It wasn’t until very recently I finally decided to challenge myself and try to turn a hobby into a career.
Tell me something that’s true, that almost nobody agrees with you?
Almost all drinks taste better at room temperature.
How did you get interested in web3 and NFT?
I have been in crypto since 2017. Transitioning over to NFTs seemed quite natural for me being an artist already in the space.
Could you explain the whole process behind the creation of one of your NFT? What steps do you go through?
Typically creation happens in three stages: the idea stage, the finding and sourcing paper for it, and the actual building of it. Usually at any time I have a piece in each stage of the process more or less, so that I can ensure progress can be made whether I am in the mood to cut and glue, or in the mood to brainstorm ideas.
There is something extremely old school, close to the traditional graphic world in your NFT creations. Is this a nod to a highly technological field?
I think of a lot of what I do as simply stumbling through the dark. With making art, experimenting and the journey are key parts for me. I would much rather stumble upon a technique I enjoy doing and later find out that it is a common technique than research tricks and try something I read about. While this may not be the most efficient way to grow in technical skill, it does enable natural growth and allow me to define my own path.
I guess all that said, I do take pride in building very analog work and capturing it in an antiquated way without Photoshop. Ironically, NFTs really do enhance the final package of the art, allowing me to be less concerned about dimensions when creating as I am usually imagining the piece blown up on a screen at the end anyway.
What have the NFTs changed in your life?
A few years ago I was working in the death industry fighting appeals for people’s medicines to ensure my patients did not die. It was awful work and caused me to cope through lots of self-medication. Now I spend my days at home with my cats, working in the space: both building my own art portfolio out and working with artists as the community manager for Blockparty.
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Tell us about the greatest creative day of your life. You’re at home in the evening, sitting on your couch and thinking about what you accomplished. What made you so happy that day?
I cannot pinpoint it down to a single instance, but two recurring things that anytime they happen really stand out:
- Having an idea I know will be difficult to achieve comes into fruition and exceed my initial expectations: An example of this is the piece ‘Resuscitated by Lean.’ For that piece I wanted to make a homage to Lean rap mixtape covers only using National Geographic magazines. When I finished that piece, I really felt like I made the hardest hitting National Geographic collage anyone has ever made.
- Having someone tell me that they see me as a leader in the space. There have been a couple of people who seemed very excited to meet me and chat with me and that always feels kinda surreal. I don’t know, I just think of myself as a bedroom artist performing a little niche of art, so it is mind boggling to me when anyone acts any different about me as though I am not just some anon who shitposts online in his free time like the rest of us degens. But that said, it is super humbling when it happens.
What inspires you to keep creating art now?
Idle hands are the devil’s playthings I suppose.
How can NFT support art? What part should artists play in web3?
Art is a niche of the larger NFT/ Web3 world. Too many people confuse it with being the center stage. It isn’t. NFTs can be the medium, can be a tool to add to your art, or can be an unnecessary feature tacked on. That said, I personally see an immediate value added to how my work would otherwise be presented.
What is the question that has not been asked here that you would have enjoyed reading the answer to from one of your peers? Answer it.
If money was a non-issue, what would you create?
I would build some 1980s style special effects gore studies and film them as art pieces.
What quote has actually stuck with you and changed your life?
I butcher almost every quote I attempt to "quote’" but there is one about living your life planting more trees than you cut down. I am trying my best to live a life that adds value to others around me and try to keep building rather than destroying to make up for all my shitty early years in this world.
