Everything I Wish I’d Known About NFTs Before I Started
Some Quick Insights for Artists
I’ve officially hit my 1-year mark in NFTs (!), having created an OpenSea account in December of 2020 and minting my first piece on Rarible shortly after. At the time, we still referred to the medium as “crypto art,” and the term “NFT” had yet to hit mainstream headlines anywhere. This last 365 days was the wildest, most unpredictable, most exhausting year yet — and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Of course, knowing what I know now would make it easier, but that’s part of the deal. (And, hopefully, to your benefit. CashApp me with tip money when you make it.)
1. Get your butt on Twitter. I signed up for the social media app in February of 2020 (prior to the NFT craze) to meet other artists and — hopefully — make some sales. But I was reserved, scared to engage (why would anyone care about what I had to say?), and felt a little foolish…like I was screaming into an empty void. Of course, this can be intimidating for anyone, but especially when what you’re screaming about is your whole heart and soul: your art. My partner, Sean Williams (another incredible artist in NFTs), had a piece of advice that I now share with everyone: Scream anyway. Talk about your work, share your story, and muse your ass off. Your perspective matters even if nobody can hear you (yet). And keep going. What you need to know: The internet is cruel, whether it’s silent in response to your textual yelling or you find yourself in heated discussion with other equally strange people online. Speak up and stick to your guns (unless, of course, you’re actually wrong. In that case, apologize quickly, be humble, and learn from the course correction. I’ve had to do this a lot.)
2. Don’t expect anyone to build a space for you to succeed. Unless you’re on the ground and in the trenches, understand that platforms, organizations, influencers, and the like are businesses. Many of these teams genuinely care about art, artists, and the tech behind tokens, but — like in any industry — many others have one thing in mind: the bottom line. This, unfortunately, means that marginalized and underrepresented creators (Black and brown artists, non-binary and trans creators, women, etc.) are most often affected. What you need to know: Prepare to build for yourself. Leveraging these platforms can absolutely prove beneficial, but building your own community of collectors through Discord, growing and feeding your own email list, or deploying your own smart contract allows you to create the brand, the community, and the career you want. On your terms.
3. Do your own research. (Also seen on the internet as: DYOR.) In NFTs and online, conducting your own research is imperative. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There’s no one right way to be an artist (or a collector, or a husband, or a wife, or a whatever.) There are a lot of ways to do things right. Take all advice and direction with a grain of salt, including this article. Everyone has a unique perspective, dependent completely on their personal experience. What may be good advice for one is not always good advice for all. Read, reflect, get a second opinion, read some more, and when it’s all said and done: Go with your own gut. What you need to know: I usually contradict myself within these articles, and today is no exception (ha). Commit to your own research, but on the other hand, don’t let it paralyze you. We can often confuse study with productivity. Get as much information as you need to make a good decision, and then execute on it. The space moves quickly — and there will always, always, always be room to grow.
4. Make work for yourself first. You might be tempted to start minting work that looks like the work you see doing well (profile projects, anyone?). Please, I beg you: Don’t. Make work that looks like you, that feels like you. Yes, experiment and explore and try new things (++ don’t be afraid of growth!), but avoid bandwagon-ing trends like the plague. In just a year, the space has seen a dozen trends fade in and out — welcoming those creators and ostracizing them just as quickly. What you need to know: Minting work isn’t a fool-proof way to make $100k in a month, despite what it may seem from the outside. The creators that do well are the ones that were creating prior to NFTs…and would still be creating apart from them. Develop and commit to your craft with everything you’ve got, and commit to the longevity of your career over a (potentially) quick buck. Read this for more, especially if you’re a traditional or 2D artist like me.
5. Dive into Discord. My partner, Sean, hates Discord so much he refuses to use it (and for good reason tbh). An app similar to Slack or Microsoft Teams, and originally created for gamers, it can be overwhelming, overstimulating, and a whole entire mess when you first join. But, this is where artists, collectors, developers, platform leads, and interested community members hang out, share artwork, talk shit, meet friends, and whatever else people do in online groups. Some artists have exploded onto the scene just for diving head first into Discord and meeting people. I’ve had a Discord created for me by collectors that all held a Sophie Adam from The Hundreds’ Adam Bomb Squad project for which I was a collaborator. (Many of them I’ve since met in person. That’s my favorite part.) What you need to know: Discord is great because of close proximity. But it’s not the only way to get your name out there and to meet other artists and collectors. See #1 re: Twitter.
6. Support others. Karmically, energetically, and morally, this is a good one. If supporting others means collecting their work, that’s incredible. But, often, good artists just need more visibility, so don’t be afraid to share the work of others. A share to your IG Story or a retweet is literally so free but could potentially change someone else’s life. What you need to know: I’ve seen people do this with the expectation of receiving something in return. If that’s your mindset, don’t worry about sharing and supporting others. Never do so out of obligation or expectation.
7. Prioritize your mental health. The NFT space moves so quickly, it’s very likely that you will always feel left behind. New projects abound, and the influx of artists entering the space could paralyze you if you let it. If I learned ANY ONE thing coming out of 2021, it’s to take care of myself and to get the heck offline once in a while. There’s no use in being the most successful artist by tomorrow if I have to suffer immensely to get there. I’ve committed to moving intentionally, strategically, and with longevity in mind. What you need to know: Creativity is not the same as production. And art is not the same as content creation. If you want to make good art, and maintain any kind of semblance of sanity, please rest. Commit to sustainable rhythms. Creativity doesn’t have to equal suffering if you don’t want it to (at least, chronically… though a little heartbreak can be good to get some creative juices flowing. Just ask my poetry.)
8. Make friends and really — actually — invest in online communities. This sounds so dorky, I know. It is. But it’s also been, by far, the single greatest thing I’ve gained in my year in NFTs. I’ve turned dozens of digital friends into real life ones — all of them more wonderful, curious, engaging, and beautiful in person that I’d ever have expected. We’ve attended NFT NYC, ComplexCon, Art Basel 2021, and various shows together (in 2021 alone), and have plans for visiting, traveling, and collaborating like crazy in 2022. What you need to know: Friendship is hard. Friendship as an adult is even harder. But when you can find a group of like-minded people (artists in NFTs!), it’s pretty easy to make lasting connections that actually contribute to a life fulfilled.
9. Reject perfectionism. This has been hard for me. I’m prideful, and insecure, and a mess, and I like to curate my online presence so it looks like I’m not. I had to let go of this in 2021; the blockchain emphasizes transparency, which can be great (provenance! sales! ownership!), but it can also be hard for a creator that leans toward perfectionism, as my growth (literally, in style and in sales) is documented forever. The work I minted in February of 2021 looks nothing like the work I’ll mint tomorrow, and I’ve had to let go of my ability to grossly over-curate my identity. What you need to know: Get used to growth, exposure, and vulnerability. Reject perfectionism and adopt in its place execution. Lay down your fear around sharing your work, asking for money in exchange for your creativity, and get to work. That’s the one-size-fits-all answer to being an artist, relevant to NFTs or not.
Hi! If you don’t know me, I’m Sophie, a Chicago-based artist navigating art and NFTs. Check out my work, and come find me on Twitter for more.
