When it comes to exploring NFT projects it is easy to get overwhelmed. Today there are millions of NFTs on the blockchain and thousands of new projects created daily. So how do you decide which projects are worth your interest, let alone your investment?
For starters, you should get clear on whether you are purchasing NFTs for the art and digital expression or if you are purchasing NFTs as an investment. Like the physical art world, NFT prices are based on supply and demand. Meaning, if you’re purchasing the digital asset because you love the piece of art without needing it to increase in value – go nuts. Find the NFTs that inspire you.
On the other hand, if you are looking to NFTs for an investment then purchasing NFTs based on your taste isn’t the route to go. Instead, use resources like OpenSea’s top NFT tools to analyze different projects over time.
Disclaimer: As a team of creators, we’re excited by NFTs as a means of monetizing creative digital work. But we aren’t investors nor do we want to speculate on which digital assets will increase in value over time. Instead, here is our (current) list of creative NFT projects / platforms that inspire us, use NFTs in innovative ways or we just think are pretty damn cool.
VeeFriends
VeeFriends, created by Gary Vaynerchuk, is a project based around meaningful intellectual property and extraordinary community, according to its website. The project is what many call a “utility NFT” because each token comes with additional benefits outside the digital asset. For purchasers of VeeFriends tokens that equates to access to Vaynerchuk’s conference VeeCon. The conference is the first of its kind, where VeeFriends NFT holders can attend.
CryptoBaristas
Another novel application of using NFTs to translate to real-life experiences comes from the creators of CryptoBaristas. The first ever NFT funded café launched in 2021 with digital art of coffee-loving characters. Purchasers of the NFTs will help fund and conceptualize the group’s first café set to be located in New York City.
Lightographs and HumaNFT
Photographer / artist Jeremy Cowart’s journey into NFTs has come with ups and downs. He attempted to launch his first project, a series of what he calls Lightographs, on Foundation in 2021. Unfortunately, the plans to release the first NFT of its kind failed. According to Cowart, ”My first NFT dropped today and I just found out that it isn’t being displayed (aka playing) on [Foundation]’s website. It kills the momentum completely. The magic of this is in the animation of light evolving.”
Since then, Cowart has started to explore new applications of his Lightograph NFTs. He also plans to launch a new project called HumaNFT (pronounced humanity) which is described as a multi-series generative art project coming in 2022 according to his OpenSea page.
Love Jeremy’s work? Check out Jeremy’s Experimental Portraiture class on CreativeLive.
Shabangrs
Portrait photographer and headshot master Peter Hurley is another photographer taking his multifaceted skills to NFTs. His NFT project which he calls Shabangrs is a collection of 10,000 unique art pieces inspired by his community and designed by artist Serhii Huranchyk. The long-term project has layers of benefits including access to his community, a chance for personalized training and “citizenship” in Shebangrsville, a virtual city Hurley and his team are building in the Metaverse.
Learn from the Headshot master, taking his latest CreativeLive Class.
Art Blocks
While most NFT projects are created by artist / engineer collaborations, Art Blocks is taking the tech to an entirely different level. The platform hosts curated NFT artwork that has been generated on the Ethereum blockchain via an algorithm. According to the platform’s website, “Art Blocks is a first of its kind platform focused on genuinely programmable on demand generative content”.
So how does it work? The platform hosts what it calls curated “artist drops”. Then their artists create algorithms or scripts that auto-generate digital art. The Art Blocks platform releases “example” art pieces. But when collectors (or investors) find an artist’s style they like, what they purchase is one-of-a-kind. Each time someone purchases a piece from an Art Blocks artist, the artist’s algorithm makes tweaks their code to produce a unique NFT of the same style–which can result in anything from line drawings to 3D renderings.
Want to learn how to create digital art and design projects that you could turn into NFTs? Subscribe to the Creator Pass and start exploring how to create your own digital art.
