NFTs — We can do better & my take on it
When it comes to our species and our ability to innovate there is so much to marvel at and be in awe of. Though our ability to innovate is still exceeded by our ability to exploit and misuse.
Just as a knife can be used to prepare our food and carve beautiful sculptures, they’re also commonly used to stab our fellow human beings.
Blockchain and NFTs are no different.
While blockchain has passed the tipping point of global recognition and adoption — and justifiably so, it is still widely used to scam people.
There is an ironic duality between many things in life and it is imperative that people look deeper into things before they take action or even abstain.
In some circumstances Ignorance can be bliss in the short term but in all circumstances it leads to loss in one way or another.
If you’re at least somewhat aware of blockchain and NFTs you’re probably aware of the NFT trend of the last few years which has largely been within the art space.
For those who don’t know what NFTs are.
NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) are unique digital assets which represent other assets which may exist in the real and/or digital world and provide Proof of Ownership.
NFTs go a long way in solving multiple pain-points across many industries, though I would like to talk about its use within the art space where its use has been most prevalent.
Let’s talk about the good followed by the bad.
One of the greatest plagues of the art industry relates to that of counterfeit works and fraudulent dealings.
NFTs go a long way in addressing these issues because the authentication of information is exactly what blockchain, the underlying technology, excels at. Yet the degree of fraud and misuse with the technology is rampant. This is why people need to get up to speed with how things work and recognize how others exploit their own ignorance and biases.
For many people NFTs represent easy-money. Whether they rely on plagiarism and the ignorance of their target buyers OR opt to create shit and easy art to sell to the speculative and naïve buyers or just flat out scam people with the allure of great returns.
I know art is subjective so I don’t say “shit art” lightly. However there are some overly ridiculous works that succeed and not because the art is beautiful from a particular perspective but rather because the buyers are ignorant and desperate for “easy money”.
Our species is inherently very lazy and greedy as we generally want to get the most we can from the least effort. In business we want to gain the most profit from the least input.
Don’t get me wrong, that is not necessarily something to feel guilty about. It is actually the most intelligent, logical and natural strategy in life!
Consider a jug of water that is poured onto a slope or even on the floor. The water will take the path of least resistance to get as far as it can. That’s how everything works, from physics to all living organisms.
The difference with humans is that we make decisions based on information in relation to our own desires with some people exploiting whatever they can to take advantage of others.
There is a somewhat subjective spectrum of what is right and wrong so I won’t delve too deeply into that or we’ll be here all week.
My rule of thumb is to ask: Does “this action/path” compromise the well-being of others and what value does it create?
I do not claim to be a saint or a philanthropist but I do strive to create Win-Wins in everything I do. I would argue that any action/path that can create a Win for all stakeholders is going to be joyous and fruitful. It’s not always the path of low hanging fruit but if we can seek more sustainable stakeholder driven strategies, more people will win.
I believe the most sustainable and growth yielding strategies need to have a Win-Win ethos baked into their cores.
After working for four years in the blockchain space I have finally launched my own company, and within it, a multifaceted NFT project.
My project aims to leverage on the blockchain application of NFTs, art and human relations to create a Win-Win for all stakeholders.
My company is Key Collaborators and the NFT project within has been designed to create great stories of positive change in areas of society which remain neglected.
I have created two sets of NFTs. The first set represents physical art painted by my very talented and passionate wife whom I commissioned for this project. Below is a photo of the 3 paintings I commissioned her for.
They’re paintings of well-known personalities which I appreciate.
The singular NFTs representing physical art are to be sold with 95% of proceeds going to various NGOs local to Mauritius. This is so I can monitor and document the execution and expenditure of said proceeds.
The remaining 5% will be to fund a professional team mandated to video-document the positive impact of the paintings once sold.
As each piece sells and directly contributes to the upliftment of the disadvantaged and marginalized, it will also contribute greatly to the exposure of the second type of NFTs I created which are the digitally enhanced versions of those original paintings.
The secondary set of NFTs have been envisioned to be used within the realms of virtual and augmented reality and appeal to art collectors and speculators alike.
Big thanks to the professional 3D artist Miroslav Beara whom I commissioned to create the lenticular 3D GIFS from photos of the original paintings.
There will be a limited supply of the digitally enhanced NFTs with other details which I’m yet to release.
However I will not start selling them until I have managed to sell art that funds local NGOs.
I am currently making site visits to various non-profit organizations in Mauritius that are lead by passionate people who exist to help others.
I have created blogs for two of the local NGOs I have identified and want to work with. (can be seen at the bottom of this blog)
This project will rely on public interest to gain exposure and reach the wealthy individuals and organizations which have the desire to Make A Difference.
Not only would they get the NFT and art-piece but would get the bragging-rights for being the hero in each story.
I hope to produce the 3D enhanced versions of Vitalik in the not too distant future with the next painting being of Mike Tyson, for his transformation has inspired me. + He’s an awesome, colorful and strong character.
If this story & project resonates with/interests you, please consider sharing the original social media post that brought you here and following me:
Vince on LinkedIn
Key Collaborators on LinkedIn
Vince on Twitter
Chronological list of the blogs about this NFT project:
- You’re reading the first blog in this series on this page.
- The Global Rainbow Foundation
- JA Mascareignes
- First MoU signed
- GRF Mobile Medical Camp