A letter to the BIPOC community: 5 things i’ve learned about getting into NFTs

Just 1 month ago, I decided to learn about NFTs and how to make them. I found myself overwhelmed, but went with the “fake it ‘til you make it” approach.

Now that Basenji-bit has taken off and we’ve sold several NFTs on Opensea, I’d love to share a few learnings from this experience.

100 Unique Basenji-bit NFTs

1. There’s no white right way

I launched 100 of 100 of my collection all at once, only to find NFT video tutorials saying that this was a mistake.

Why is that? They say that launching a few NFTs at a time gives more opportunities to generate excitement and exposure.

I beat myself up over how I let my impulsiveness take over. However, after some time, I realized that my strength IS biasing towards action. Because my approach was different, I’ve been able to focus on fast experimentation that’s allowed me to learn quickly based on my own experiences.

2. Make Meaningful Connections

The pandemic is perpetually increasing feelings of isolation, but one of the most rewarding things about being in the NFT space is finding my own community. Shoutout to @Cryptowithg for being my first supporter and friend throughout all of this. He’s genuinely trying to help support people who are just starting off and even holds workshops to teach the basics of crypto & NFTS in a way you’ll actually understand.

Cryptowithg’s Instagram Story

Another connection I’ve recently made is with @Metarialgworl from Malaysia. Her project aims to empower and spotlight female small business owners. I reached out to her, because her project sounded awesome and now, she’s made me a custom Gworl! 🥰

Me and my #1 Basenji-bit, Lio (Metarialgworl #43)

Fun fact, researchers Gillian Sandstrom and Elizabeth Dunn conducted 2 studies on the effects of talking to strangers. They proved that “talking to strangers actually make us feel happier and more connected.”

3. Be authentic

There is nothing more captivating for an audience than to see that someone actually gives a sh@t.

I’m not gonna lie, my intentions to make NFTs was originally to make some money for my family. I wanted passive income to help my wife and me buy a home, big enough for my in-laws to retire and live with us. Both of them migrated to the US from Mexico, worked hard all their lives, and yet cannot afford to live and retire in the US.

To build on top of this goal, I’ve also gained a deeper understanding of my purpose and vision in these 2 ways: 1) Help pets and their humans find safe and loving homes and 2) Encourage BIPOC artists to take up more space and dream big.

4. Celebrate & Amplify BIPOC, Womxn, Queer/Trans Folks

There are so many systems in place that keep us down.

It’s not perfect, but the good news is that NFTs are so new that there’s actually hope to make this world a little bit more equitable. I’m talking about creating generational wealth within the BIPOC community, providing opportunities for artists of color to make a living from their art, better wealth distribution for folks experiencing hardship, and so much more.

According to Forbes, “Traditional art spaces are notorious for being homogenous, with US museum collections consisting of 85% white and 87% male artists." Through NFTs, a more diverse range of artists are able to gain exposure without having to go through traditional gatekeepers.”

5. Practice Resilience

Tbh, there are some days when I feel like quitting NFTs, especially when I see other people selling their full collections within seconds. However, I’m learning that these big success stories often work just like traditional news. Basically, it feels like everyone is hitting overnight success, but in reality 1) it’s super rare (therefore featured in the news), 2) it’s fake, or 3) it’s the result of hard work and many steps before reaching success. For example, it took Beeple over 10 years of digital art to hit success.

Beeple, Everydays – The First 5000 Days. Sold for $69 million. Courtesy of the artist and Christie's.

So many NFT groups actually commiserate on how difficult NFT “success” is hard to come by.

This is why it was so important for me to redefine what it means to be successful. I cannot tell you how invaluable it was to have found meaninginful connections and purpose through NFTs. I do also know that the rest of this collection (and my future collections) will continue to sell, because as a Filipinx, Queer, WOC, I’m resilient AF.

Thanks for reading and I hope that this brings you a little encouragement to dream big and put yourself out there!