NorCal and Shill

FKA787 - Creator and Collector

August 22, 2024 • NorCal Guy • Season 1 • Episode 151

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Ever wondered how the world of NFTs blends with intentional photography? On this episode of NorCal and Chill, we sit down with the incredibly insightful FKA787, who takes us on a journey through crypto, art, and the vibrant NFT community. Starting with an eye for profit, FKA787 found himself deeply immersed in the camaraderie and shared passion that define the NFT world. We trade anecdotes about our whimsical collections—from pogs to dehydrated food—and emphasize the importance of capturing moments with intention in our photography.

We then shift gears to explore the future of digital art, making bold predictions about its evolution and how it will continue to shape the Web3 space. FKA787 underscores the importance of transparency in the creative process, arguing that artists should openly share their work to elevate appreciation and understanding. The conversation also touches on the financial intricacies of art sales, advocating for fixed pricing in fiat currency to help collectors avoid buyer's remorse and maintain mental clarity.

Finally, we delve into the responsibilities that come with having an online presence. FKA787 stresses the importance of tweeting only what you can defend, highlighting the need for accountability in public forums. We reflect on personal experiences from events like NFT NYC, discussing the value of face-to-face interactions and how they enrich the digital art community. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of art, technology, and life, with practical insights for both artists and collectors alike.

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NorCal Guy:

Who is this? Who is this guy? Who is this guy, who is this guy, who is this guy?

FKA787:

Who is this guy? Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal and chill podcast. So it's chill time, norcal and chill podcast. What the sh-? What the sh-? Norcal and Shill Podcast. What the sh-? What the sh-? Norcal and Shill Podcast. So it's Shill time, norcal and Shill Podcast. What the sh-, what the sh-?

NorCal Guy:

Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of NorCal and Shill. In today's episode, I'm joined by a special guest who goes by the Handle, aka 787. We dive into a wide range of conversation covering everything from our experiences at NFT events to the power of intentional photography. 787 shares his journey into the world of crypto, art and NFTs. Initially drawn in by the profit potential but eventually captivated by the strong sense of community, we bond over a mutual love of collecting, swapping stories about the random things we've acquired over the years, from pogs to dehydrated food. Things take a more philosophical turn as we discuss the responsibility that comes with having an online platform turn. As we discuss the responsibility that comes with having an online platform, 787 drops a pearl of wisdom saying tweet only what you can defend. We also get into the future of digital art, making some bold predictions about where things might be headed in the next five years. 787 believes the space could benefit from more artists sharing their works in progress to provide insight into their creative process.

NorCal Guy:

Throughout our chat, we keep circling back to the power of photography and the importance of capturing moments with intention. 787 and I encourage listeners to dust off those old cameras and start shooting. Encourage listeners to dust off those old cameras and start shooting. So sit back, relax and enjoy this meandering but always entertaining discussion at the intersection of art, technology and life. Everybody, please, welcome AKA787. Hey, 787, welcome to the podcast. How you doing today?

FKA787:

Welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today? Good thanks. I appreciate you having me on. It's nice to finally be able to connect. It's great to have you.

NorCal Guy:

Everyone appreciates your thoughts on things, your opinions, not everyone, but I think you do.

FKA787:

I appreciate that, but not everyone.

NorCal Guy:

As long as they're not targeted, they feel fine, but you know what it's all fun that may be. People just need to lighten up sometimes. Can we get one? No, I appreciate that. It's great to be here.

FKA787:

I'm really excited about it. Yeah, it was good Low key, just hung out with the family. But happy to do a little bit of Web3, get on the podcast, which is a bit out of my comfort zone. But, um, I appreciate your patience. I know you had asked me in February if I wanted on um and I, you know, declined for months, um, so I'm glad we were able to uh get the courage to uh get up.

NorCal Guy:

And it's great to actually have a chat with you face-to-face. It's always good because we had a great time chatting in New York and I'm glad we can make it happen again.

FKA787:

Yeah, no, that was, you know, a pleasant surprise. Um, not actually enjoying talking to the part where, like, enjoying in real life interactions with web three. Um, for so long it was really just online only. Um, and so for my first experience being NFT, nyc, nice to put faces, names and actually um get to know people like yourself. Yeah for sure.

NorCal Guy:

Yeah, I highly recommend it to anybody An underrated, I think, experience To if they get a chance to go to a local event at least first, and get to know some of those people that you've chatted with and be like, oh dang, what's up, man, it's so good to see you.

FKA787:

It does bring it to another level yeah, I met someone and they were like oh, you look like I expect you look quite Midwest. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means.

NorCal Guy:

It's funny like the first time my first year in the NFTs I didn't have a beard, and then I came back the second year and I had a full beard. People were like, oh, now you fit in the NorCal guy. Yeah, I guess so.

FKA787:

Okay, yeah, so the beard was a difference maker. Oh yeah.

NorCal Guy:

Yeah.

FKA787:

I think I had like a Carhartt jacket or something on Well, it's probably a genuine.

NorCal Guy:

Midwest. I don't know, I don't even know what to say. Yeah, there you go Like your Carhartt jacket can actually stand the test of time, designer Carhartt, yeah. Most others are just falling apart.

FKA787:

Yeah, no, it was not from Zara, if that's what you're saying, like Timu.

NorCal Guy:

Let's jump in.

FKA787:

What were your first thoughts when you heard about this?

NorCal Guy:

NFT crypto art stuff.

FKA787:

Okay. So, you know, it's kind of funny. It was actually like I heard about it on the digital art side and then saw that and then got a bit distracted actually by the hopes yeah, yeah, the hopes of profits and like the pfp side, and so there's like a bit of a detour, um, because I was like, well, if I'm gonna, like you know, spend a bunch of money wanting to, you know, collect art, um, maybe I can, you know, make some money flipping some nfts. And then I fell into, like you know, a wild pfp community wormhole for like three months, um, and so I worked my way out. So, um, I was never really like someone who's like this is a scam. Um, you know what I mean. Like, uh, my brother was, my brother was buying Bitcoin in 2017, and it wasn't a foreign concept to me at all. But as far as seeing it as such a social space and sort of a social token, and that there's really communities built around the tokens themselves and the art and sort of the ecosystems that are built, on them.

FKA787:

That was a surprise to me, and so to see communities rally around, you know one specific PFP, or collectors of a certain artist, or just art in general, that caught me by surprise, pleasantly.

NorCal Guy:

There definitely has been big communities built around different projects, for sure, some a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yep.

FKA787:

I mean some better than others, right, and like there's you know it was an unwinding. I think Like there's some cult aspects to the 2021 2022 pfp cycle um, that it was nice to be removed from that. I think art is a much more independent space um, you still have some of that, but I think it's, um, it's much more decentralized as far as you know your commitment to the bag. It's not like you're stacking 1,000 or 1 PFP and you're, you know, oh well, for this collection and you're hosting, you know, independent spaces on Tuesdays and Thursday nights and like rating posts. So it's like it's nice to be like two years.

NorCal Guy:

Did you collect any art or baseball cards or anything before you got into the space?

FKA787:

yeah, so you know, um collected a lot in my youth awesome, um collected pogs. Collected um pokemon cards, crazy bones.

FKA787:

Um a lot of marvel cards I have that game star wars, uh, trading card game like um, yeah, um, what else? Um, there was? I collected some vinyl figures for a while um a lot more pop culture collectibles. Um, to be fair, you know, I I'm not gonna come in and pretend like I was someone who's been like a, you know, fine art connoisseur for a long time. Um, I'm only 35 now, so a lot of my collecting was done um in my youth, and then my discretionary income has since been spent on golf and my children. So, but yes, I am someone with degenerative, degenerate habits when it comes to collecting something.

NorCal Guy:

So what's the best thing about Web3 today.

FKA787:

The best thing about Web3 today, I think it's just the fact that you're able to connect with so many people, um, that really just have diverse life experiences and points of view, but you're really able to unite around. You know this collective appreciation for art, um, and each other, and you know a future that values the arts. It's been a bit of a challenge in, you know, the election year to see some politics bleed into that a bit, but it's pretty easy to avoid if you want to. The memes are still great, so I, you know, can of the season, for that at least. But if you told me that I'd be friends with people from Australia and Portugal and would be DMing with them, sharing life updates and art that we enjoy and appreciate, if you told me that five years ago, I wouldn't believe you. And the fact that you know I have friends around the world and something in common with them I can't help but appreciate and enjoy. So the fact that Web3 really shrinks the globe a bit is something that I'll always appreciate. Where do you?

NorCal Guy:

see digital art and NFTs in five years appreciative tease in five years, oh, okay.

FKA787:

So I think it'll be here. I think it will look different than it does now. I think there's probably going to be a bit more of a lull, even than there is currently, but I think those that stick around will still be here and I think they'll all find their collectors and a space of their own. I think more will come to tokenize their art. Um, I don't think it'll always necessarily be digital art. I think, you know, there may just be some um tokenization for proof of authenticity. Um, that'll be used and I think we'll continue to see blockchain used for that purpose. Um, whether crypto art as its own sort of niche sector of digital art or subset of digital art exists the way we see it today, I don't know, but I think we'll continue to see it. But there's going to be, I think, some trying times and growing pains for everyone, like those who collected and are collecting and those artists who are minting um, but I think it's going to last. I can't.

NorCal Guy:

I can't see a future where especially just the tokenized provenance of it all um, it really solves a problem there.

FKA787:

Yeah, I mean we're. I think we're going to see a divergence between art becoming sort of content and collectibles and then digital art being tokenized as, like, fine art for Providence, and I think we're starting to kind of see a bit of that now and I think people will be choosing which path they want to pursue long term in their career, and I think there's different moves to make now in choosing that direction and I think some people may make a choice not realizing that there's sort of two paths that are being laid out. But I think back to, like you know, deviant art and different websites where people would upload art and, um, you'd be able to, you know, order prints if you wanted and just share art. That were more like social spaces for art, and I think we'll see a social content in relation to art, and then I think we'll see more established um, fine art that's tokenized, and I think there'll be a separation at some point, with some overlap Space.

FKA787:

I don't know. You know it's a hard question what you want to see more of, um. Yeah, I think whips like works in progress um would be helpful. Um it. It's so hard because we're in a space where someone has an idea and someone else might want to front run that and be, you know, be the first to mint um and then, you know, take credit for that idea, because first, on chain, some people think that's you know where the idea started and um, that there's some value to that, and people are so hesitant to share what they're working on and like, rightfully, so, right, it's a space where you've seen people have novelty or tech copied and rolled out to you know their critical acclaim of others. So I get it.

FKA787:

But I think there's so much focus on sharing artwork once it's minted and finalized, um, and I think, like, don't get me wrong I think you should always be prepared to defend whatever you're sharing, um and be proud of whatever you're sharing. But if you know something you're working on and you're proud of that you want to share um. I would like us to be a space where you can share along the way or at least, once it's done, show how you got there. Um, I think there's so much skepticism with process, how things were done, and I don't think people are required to prove it, but we are really entering where you know so much is ai, um, you don't know how ai was used as a tool and I think, in at least understanding the artistic intent and the the work itself, it helps to know how someone got somewhere, and so that's what I would like to see, I guess, just more sharing.

FKA787:

But you know, it's really up to each individual artist and I respect their right not to share. But I enjoy that aspect of art, I enjoy seeing the thought process, how work has involved. There's some people like, right, apocalypse art. If you'll do time elapse and you'll see what the first painting looks like and then you know what's finished will look nothing like that first painting, but it's actually fun to see where that goes and how each layer of paint has changed and like influenced the final digital work. Um, and it just it brings sort of a bit of magic to the final piece when you see it and appreciation to see from start to finish, sort of getting to step into the mind and, you know, see the piece through the eyes of the artist um, it's something that I enjoy um to see those videos.

NorCal Guy:

um, there are a few artists that are really good at it and I think it does them very well to see that process, what, what goes into it and how they got where they got, how they made that finalization.

FKA787:

Yeah, yeah, it's, it's not required but it's. I think it's fun and it brings it definitely brings like an element of yeah, like that does in context to a work that I appreciate. Right, right, no, I mean like I think, like we know that we know it doesn't, everyone pretends it does, but like we all know it doesn't, because we all joke, like anytime like price goes down or up, like we joke about like arts on sale, or you know, does 1E still equal 1E? Like everyone knows it. It's, like the open truth is it does not.

FKA787:

And I, honestly, I would love to see art sold and settled and like you can purchase it in whatever token you want, settled on us dollar coin for a set price. Here's the thing like if it, if we could do that, it would prevent so much buyer's remorse and resentment. Then, seeing the eth price you paid and then have like go to 10 grand and then you looking at this edition and being like that is not worth five thousand dollars. Um, like there's just um, yeah, I just like, for the long-term health of art and for collectors, like mental, uh, sanity, I would love to see art listed in fixed prices, um, in us dollar, and then settled in whatever token um I just no. One eighth does not equal one eighth. Um I appreciate the question, but I'm right there with you I I'll die.

NorCal Guy:

I just I don't believe everything was priced in like usd type of thing, whatever I mean sure you could price it in ETH or Bitcoin or whatever the frick you want but also being able to purchase it with whatever token and have that like auto-converted. So it'd be awesome.

FKA787:

Yeah, I mean because here's the thing like my mind still is in like april, may okay like because I'm in denial that it's like gone down since so, like, so, like mentally I'm still there. So when I see something selling for 0.1, I'm like no, I'm not gonna pay 400 for that when like it's not, it's not 400400, but like mentally, that's still where I live.

FKA787:

So it's like I think it would actually behoove the space in general if we just and I mean, use the euro. I don't care, I'm not trying to be, like you know, a US dollar supremacist, but like it's um fiat, I think has a purpose and um, how we associate dollar spend and how we interact with past purchases mentally, and so I would like to see that done and I think some are probably working on it. Whoever's building it, you know, bravo, can't wait to see it rolled out. Bravo, can't wait to see it rolled out. Oh, the supply question.

FKA787:

Yeah, I think supply matters. You know there's always nuance to it and, like you know, a lot of my jokes treat issues and absolutes and there's not like nothing is absolute for some, some, honestly, you could have like a massive addition and supply not matter as much, because that demand is there, um, but it's, it's such an individual issue for each individual artist that, um, there's no one size fits all and people will use, you know, hyperbolic language on the timeline, um about this issue. It's so personal, but I just think um, it at least needs to be considered um as you go forward, um, because there are consequences and things can be unintended, and so as long as you keep that in mind, I think and you're giving it thought you'll be fine.

NorCal Guy:

But I don't think there's any perfect answer. Any thoughts on?

FKA787:

that, yeah, okay. So additions and one-on-ones I love when a collection comes out with one-on-one pieces with, like, a limited edition with it, um. So if, like, the price point's just too high on the one-on-ones and there's one piece, um, that's within that body of work that looks similar, that's at a more collectible price point, I think that's great. It's limited enough that you can still, you know, charge a decent sum and retain value of those one-on-ones, but it's still accessible for some people who don't have, you know, maybe five figures to drop on a one-on-one or something like that. I, you know.

FKA787:

I also think that additions that maybe aren't well one, I think additions should be. You should be proud of them. I think it should be the caliber of a 101, right. But there are some works that just look, I guess, like stand out more than others, and there's some that look more similar and like. I don't think it helps to have a ton of additions that all look really similar, that also all look like you're one of ones. So if there's a work that is yours, it's your creation and you're proud of it and it gives an opportunity for someone to be a patron and the quality of the work still stands up to your one on ones but it's slightly maybe unique to your one on one works, then I think that can sometimes be helpful.

FKA787:

The biggest issue I see is is like, if you're doing large, you know additions regularly, frequently, and the work is almost indistinguishable from your one-on-ones.

FKA787:

You're like you're kind of saturating demand and you know I I don't have a hard like quota, but you there's people whose work you love, that you see regularly, that you connect with that.

FKA787:

You you want to own um, and sometimes owning that once you get that one piece is enough for a person to check a box, um, and sometimes you love that work and you want another one. But like, at a certain point, if you've collected maybe four from an artist, that satiates that like internal demand for that specific artist or the body of work, and I just you know there'd be some where I think I honestly would save up maybe for a one-of-one if that was the only way to attain a certain artist. But instead of that, if I have four editions already, that desire to collect that one of one is not quite as strong, and you know it's and that might be fine, right, you know each, each artist may not be able to move one of ones, and so for some, you know, as a working artist, editions make sense. So I don't, I guess I don't. I'm not bashing additions by any means, it's just, there is economics to it.

NorCal Guy:

Um, that again you know you've been given, or do you have like a mantra that you just kind of always run through your head?

FKA787:

Oh, um, probably like. So, yeah, the phrasing that I tell myself and like this is how I remembered it, but I don't think it was the exact phrasing when I was actually given this advice. I think I've kind of like paraphrased it down over time, but it essentially boils down to like no one should care more than you and just like you know taking pride in my work, what I do, what I say, how I'm perceived, and just applying that to like parenting for health and wellness, for my own well being, you know it's. It's a problem when your family or loved ones care more about you, know how you're doing, or if you're taking care of yourself more than you do. It's a problem if your boss cares more about your work product than you do.

FKA787:

So that's kind of something that I try to apply to myself or remind myself is yeah, just it's, it's like an internal mantra. I don't think I've actually shared it with anyone since, since I've been like told that. But, um, yeah, that's something that I try to keep like on the forefront of my mind. Um, because sometimes motivation is low or you're having just like a tough time wanting to, you know, take care of yourself. But, um, that's, that's something that I go back to live or move anywhere.

NorCal Guy:

Where would you live and why?

FKA787:

Probably Chicago. So I'm I'm a Midwest guy, you can't take me out of Midwest, but I do enjoy a bigger city. I settled down in smaller suburbs, just based on life and partner and things like that, and I don't resent that decision. But there was a time in life where I had plans to move to a larger metropolitan area and I just I enjoy the vibrancy of them, food, culture, just the energy in general. So I think probably a suburb outside of Chicago or a larger metropolitan area I would enjoy. Detroit's great, but it's still small in comparison to the city of Chicago.

FKA787:

Oh, okay, um, we're getting it, we're getting into the. Uh, the softballs now. Um, probably an Eagle. Um, you know it's. They're majestic. Uh, think they're respected. Um, quite patriotic. Uh, they're protected, right. So you know, no one's messing with eagles. Um, I don't know, they're just really cool. Um, we have an eagle's nest in a really tall pine tree near um our place in Northern Michigan and just to walk by it and to just like be near the water and to watch it, just leave its nest and just fly um and fish and hunt. It's just, it's like a site. Um, it's just too cool. And so bald Eagle hands down. Easiest question, probably of the entire podcast. Do you have?

NorCal Guy:

a favorite movie quote or song lyric so I do.

FKA787:

I'm probably going to get in trouble for this, but like it comes from like an innocent place of like youth, but Home Alone Buzz, your girlfriend woof, it's just like. He's just like anace um kevin mcallister, and as a younger brother it was just like. It was such a formative like movie and quote um, you, just you, you watch him get picked on um by buzzer earlier in the movie and there he is like home alone and he's still like so petty, just like dunking on his brother when like no one's around and like I get that it's a script, but like the fact he's just going through his brother's stuff and still like taking time out of his day to just like, you know, dunk on buzz a bit. Um, just like really. Um epitomized my own youth um in relationship with my brother, which was like all love, but um, you know, me and my siblings used wolf a bit after watching that movie to like the annoyance of my parents, um, so it just like it really.

FKA787:

Um, internalized that quote over time and it's still like a inside joke today. But um, yeah, no, it was. Uh, that's a good. I mean, it's not like a meaningful quote earlier, it's the best thing.

NorCal Guy:

It's an honest and the silliest thing you've spent money on all right.

FKA787:

So the best thing would be a digital camera. I enjoy that quite a bit. That's a good source of just like peace and artistic expression. For me, walks on my own Life is busy as a parent. I have three kids and so to be able to just grab that and take that time and that's like my time um has been, you know, amazing. So that is money well spent, um, and I enjoy that a lot.

FKA787:

Dumbest thing oh, I'm like afraid to admit it, I swear I'm not like, I'm not a prepper, but like during prior to COVID, I might have bought a large Costco like dehydrated food pack of like a lot of dehydrated food and like I wish I just bought Costco stock honestly or Bitcoin at the time. I mean like looking back, but like I have mashed potatoes for 25 years, so like worst case scenario, I'm ready, um, but it just it's it's feeling silly today. Um, you know this beef stroganoff that I have um ready, uh, but we've taken some camping um, so it hasn't gone to complete waste, but um, you know it, just it was silly I mean I'll say it's funny, but it's not terrible.

NorCal Guy:

There you go guys during, I remember, during the covid, and like things were disappearing off the shelves, like things were disappearing off the shelves, right?

FKA787:

I mean I don't know. It's like ed. Look, I'm a dad, I have like three kids and you're like, you know, you want, you want to feed them and you want to make sure that like they're fed. So like weird stuff's happening around the globe, I'm like let me get some food on the shelves in my home, for 25 years Guaranteed, so like we bought some of it. Could the money have been spent on anything else? Absolutely, but that's what it was.

NorCal Guy:

So be it. If you could commission a piece and have two artists work on it, collaborate on it. Which two artists would it be?

FKA787:

Okay, so it would be Jack Butcher and Shlom's. Okay, jack Butcher and Shlom's, they're two that are, I think, two of the more thoughtful artists within the space and meaning that their works often say something about the broader social context of the world that we live within, and I think it would be very cool knowing that, like, whatever I commissioned was not probably most likely if those two minds got together would be solely impacting me or my wallet. Like, would be solely impacting me or my wallet. Like, you know, there's no way that two of them would work on something and it wouldn't somehow have a broader impact, because I think they just have both have a lot to say. Maybe I don't necessarily always agree with everything everyone said, but, like, at least something's always being said, and so I think that would be an interesting match-up. I don't know how they would do it, but, um, yeah, I can't afford such a commission but if I were to, commission such a work?

NorCal Guy:

what is an interesting fact about you that people might not be aware of.

FKA787:

I'm not actually a hater. I'm not a massive hater. I truly love the space and I love the people in it, and I think that'll come as a surprise to some people. No, I mean, that's the honest answer. Um, I don't think saying things that everyone's saying in a group chat um constitutes hating necessarily. Um, but I just, you know, I have I'm always changing the ways I interact with people and I do like, I am like a very empathetic person, even though I may not always present as such, but um, so I'm definitely always receptive to feedback, always trying to be like, mindful of, like. You know how I move within the space, in the community, but, um, I'm not actually a hater, hater but, but it's subjective. So, like, some will still say yeah, um, but I think I think it's an interesting fact that I care I will say about the space side note there's like no critique in the space really, and it would be beneficial um.

NorCal Guy:

I wish I did it, I don't and I'll yeah.

FKA787:

Yeah, I think. I mean, I think there's more qualified people that exists to like critique things.

NorCal Guy:

You know what I mean.

FKA787:

Like. Then. I've heard a lot of people share private critiques of things that are very thoughtful, but they can't make it onto a timeline because nothing set in the space is without personal risk, right. So I definitely don't sit here thinking like I am the most thoughtful, intelligent or qualified person to share anything. All my thoughts are really my own and should be assigned whatever value anyone wants to assign, but they don't come from generally a place of hate. Do you have any?

NorCal Guy:

questions for me. Whatever you want, I don't care. Questions for you.

FKA787:

Do I get two? How many do I get? Okay?

NorCal Guy:

Has anyone ever asked?

FKA787:

you on the pod? What animal you would be? Oh, they have octopus, okay, well then, I don't care if someone's already asked or I'll just find the answer in the archive. Um, all right, no further octopus questions. Um, what are you working on? I've seen you share some photography yourself in the past. Um, you've minted some, I think some black and white works. Um, what are you? What are you doing right now? Anything artistic on your end, it's called Film.

NorCal Guy:

It's really stupid, but I've been having fun with it and just got some scans back from another roll of infrared film, some Raleigh or Raleigh IR film, black and white film and that's been fun to play with that yeah.

FKA787:

Okay. Are you taking your time with that, or are you going to share some of that? Or what's your plan? Is it for you?

NorCal Guy:

only that's the hard part, I was like, oh, I should share some of these.

FKA787:

Some of your work.

NorCal Guy:

I don't know, because I mean I enjoy doing it, regardless of sharing it. So that's the thing. I'm like it's not a big deal for me to share it, but then again I feel like I should just share it, just because, whatever it's fun. And I don't know, maybe sometimes life you think about it and you're like, oh, that was like two weeks ago I was going to do that. And you think about it and you're like, oh, that was two weeks ago I was going to do that. And you're like, eh, it's too late now, but it probably isn't never too late to do it and I should just do it, yeah yeah, it's never too late.

NorCal Guy:

Right, right, just do it.

FKA787:

But it's been fun If you're proud of it, do it.

NorCal Guy:

This whole thing has been fun, diving into different cameras and whatnot, because I feel like you know, digital, I love digital and I I always carry around digital cameras still, but it's kind of fun these different like film cameras, different qualities to them and whatnot kind of interesting now, film is, like I'll shoot digital films very foreign.

FKA787:

it's not something that I really want to mess with, because I have a hard time getting to the dry cleaners, um, and I can't imagine trying to get film to a lab and then get it back right, um, so like I don't think I'd ever see what I shoot if I shot film, um, is there? Is there anyone? Is this something that, like you're mainly researching and working with online? Are you going in blind? Are there photographers in the space who you you know chatting with? I mean, how are you navigating?

NorCal Guy:

That was one of my favorite classes when I went, when I took some art school for like I was in art school for like two and a half years. I did a couple, um, a couple, uh semesters of photography before there was like really digital was out.

FKA787:

So it took two years of nude painting, so I really loved it.

NorCal Guy:

I developed my own film back then and was like in the lab making my own prints and everything. I loved it. I had a great time doing it and, yeah, it was only the space that kind of reignited my love for photography. When I purchased an NFT, it came with a camera, a digital camera that took the NFT, that took the picture of the NFT. Yeah, so that was Pete Halverson. Oh, hold on. Yeah, tell me about that, I've seen it.

NorCal Guy:

It was a Leica CL that I got with it and I was like, awesome, this is awesome, I get the camera and I got this awesome photograph. Yeah, okay, sony point and shoot and it was okay, but it's definitely. I love having the dials on the camera. So I feel like you can relate as a fuji user uh, having those dials being able to just kind of screw around with a dial, physically screw around with the dials, instead of like having to go in menus or push a button and then scroll a wheel.

NorCal Guy:

Um, I don't know, there's something to that to meet for me, at least in my mind making those connections, so that CL had the dials on top and and then it just hooked me in and I got sucked in.

FKA787:

And I got sucked in. That's cool. Yeah, you should share some of that If you're enjoying it and you've been doing it I think I mean, look, it's hard right. Like you know, I'm no one now at this point for posting or hating or critiquing, critiquing. Critiquing I think goes a bit too far, I think, and like it's formalizing and refining, I think, what I do a bit, giving it too much credit, um, but you know I will create in, you know art, but I don't identify per se as an artist.

FKA787:

I think the title. My brother was a full-time artist. I think the title is really sacred. It's difficult to to want to step into that. Those like those shoes, um, and because I feel like there's a lot of like reverence owed to them. Um, you know, my brother suffered for his art a lot like you know he went to art school. Um, he grinded as a full-time artist, as a freelance illustrator, for a long time until getting like those full-time gigs.

FKA787:

And you know, as it's, when you see that struggle to have like the recognition on that scholastic silver key that you keep getting instead of like the gold key when you're in middle school and high school, and you know, to see that dream pursued for so long, um, it's hard for me to sit here and like in this space where anyone and everyone is an artist, when you know they add it to their twitter bio, um, to be like to think I'm worthy of sharing art, minting art, um, selling art. You know it's, it's um, it's a challenge, um, but that you know I try to tell myself that shouldn't stop me from sharing um, and so I do. But, um, it's, I get it like it's um when you're surrounded by talent and like you run, click, create and so much talent is partnering with that project, um, and dropping additions through them. That it's, you know, to have the mindset of. Like. You know, whatever I share meets this caliber of these amazing artists in the space.

FKA787:

It's, you know, it's hard, um, but you know I, um, I welcome critique of my own stuff, um, so if I post anything and anyone listening to this thinks, you know, the composition blows or it's overexposed or saturation's too high, well, I mean, it's also like because you're like chatting with different artists, like there's so many, and the thing is like you can talk with anybody in the space, like most people are open, and you can chat with them from like ruben woo, billy dean, you know uh I don't know, none of them talk to me.

FKA787:

I apparently you have cooler dms than I do, brian, or I mean I'm kidding, I've talked a little bit but, um, paul, I mean there's a bunch of them, ayla, sure, uh, or yeah.

NorCal Guy:

I mean I could go on and on with the lists and the people and you know you're like oh wow, that's how you do that or like you're like. You're like oh wow, that's how you do that. Or you're just like you know their stuff is cool.

FKA787:

Yeah.

NorCal Guy:

And they've definitely, like a lot of them, have perfected that craft and you're like cool.

FKA787:

I'm just going to take my photos for myself. Yeah, true, true.

NorCal Guy:

No.

FKA787:

Yeah, but you know what, like, there's nothing wrong with that, right, like um, we, I like, I'm, look, I'm pushing you to encourage you to share because, like I would enjoy seeing it and I think, like other people would appreciate it.

FKA787:

But at the same time, like I think art for the sake of art, um, at the same time, I think art for the sake of art and for just personal creation is amazing, and that's why I'm grateful for buying my digital camera. I've shot my family a ton, as far as at Christmas time and different holidays and birthdays, and that wasn't something I did before and I'm not saying that's art, something I did before, um, and I'm not saying that's art, but as far as to document that, um, it they're just there's a different intention than with a camera phone. I think, like I just I absolutely believe you hold an actual camera and you're shooting with the intention of, like, taking a quote photograph, um, it hits different than an iphone photo. And like horizontal or you know, um, vertical, vertical, yeah, photo, um, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like, yeah, my wife, every photo is blurry now because it's like portrait mode.

NorCal Guy:

I'm like, I'm like I don't why.

FKA787:

Why do you use that?

NorCal Guy:

um, yeah, but like no I I'm a huge like I, and that's part of the reason, like I always carry cameras, cause I'm always like I want to take pictures of the family wherever, whatever we're doing, cause you never know when you're going to catch that moment and, honestly, I feel like if you carry a camera around, um you're maybe looking for those moments a little more, whereas with your phone you're like eh, I mean at least with me and my phone, I don't.

FKA787:

I don't care to whip it out to take a camera, take a picture. Yeah, I mean like. Yeah, I mean it's actually like we're totally digressing off probably where where we're supposed to be going, um, but I'm gonna continue it, so bear with me. But, um, I was talking with someone today and it's like the source of so much art is really a photograph. Like you know, when we're talking about, like vector, like hyper real, um vectors or, like you know, different illustrations, or even like collage that like lens based works, are so present within art in general and but like especially web three, and it's just there's so much inspiration to be had from photographs that it's almost like, why don't we all take more pictures and not like not to mint as photos or to necessarily like become a quote photographer? But I just, you know, if you once, I like started looking at everywhere I went around me as like, oh, that, like I wish I could remember that moment, like that would be a cool picture, like I would love to be able to like save that you just appreciate so much more around you that I didn't before. That it's like.

FKA787:

Yeah, I think it's. I think it's an important element in all art almost to be capturing what's around you as inspiration. For sure I think everyone should get cameras and maybe they do, but I don't think people use their camera phone the way with that much intention all the time. I know I don't. I have memes and photos of things at Costco when I walk by and I'm like I want to buy that. I'm going to take a picture and send it to my wife and maybe she'll agree. It's screenshots.

FKA787:

Literally that's my phone. It's just Costco SKUs. I don't like, yeah, Costco like SKUs Like I just like. I don't like, yeah, it's screenshots.

NorCal Guy:

That's true. That's true. I mean, the camera roll on your phone is like for remembering things or like sending it off to someone or like, oh, that's funny, I'm going to take a picture of that and send it to my buddy, type thing. It's now yeah, or like I can't believe.

FKA787:

They tweeted that. I'm going to totally take a screenshot of that right now before it's deleted, um, but I've kind of scaled that back, but yeah so all right, do you have any hot takes? No, no more questions.

NorCal Guy:

Thanks.

FKA787:

All right, I probably tweeted all my hot takes already. Yeah, I don't know. I mean we're running over on time. I don't think I have.

NorCal Guy:

No one needs to hear another hot take from 787.

FKA787:

I don't know, no hot takes. I don't know, no hot takes. I don't know. I mean, okay, like there needs to like, okay, my hot take is like tweet what you're willing to defend. Like there's my hot take. Like, trust me, I tweet a ton like and like, I say a lot and like, but I'm willing to like, stand on what like a most, if not everything, that I like, that I'm tweeting, um, and opinions and thoughts can change over time and I'll defend why. I said something at some point in time and you know why my opinion has changed.

FKA787:

But, um, we're in such a social space but, like, no one necessarily wants like secondhand accountability for what they're putting out there, whether it's like, um, half-baked, like conceptual art or it's you know, uh, an overly emotional tweet or um, uh, not so well thought out hot take, like whatever it is. Like we're tweeting it and you're tweeting it in a public forum to everyone that follows you. Um, but like, you hold up a mirror and you reflect that back and then you catch heat for it and suddenly it's like, why did you do that? And it's like I don't know you tweeted it. So I I mean, like my, I guess, like my hot take is like tweet what you're prepared to defend, um, or don't tweet it, but, um, you know it's, I don't know it, it's like I get it.

FKA787:

We want to be able to just like stream of conscious posts, but, um, we're like, everyone's always reading and watching and observing, and so, um, the reality is like you will be judged on what you're posting, um, and I think it's an important lesson to learn and I'm not saying, like you know, I'm there to teach everyone a lesson. You know, I've like, I've told you like I'm done doing updates in like their, you know their current form, but I think, like my takeaway from that stint of posting those is just like we are responsible for what we, you know, what we share.

NorCal Guy:

You're working on like the discuss.

FKA787:

You asked that. You asked that, like we're at the 52 minute mark and the answer is no, um, no, I don't know, I don't think so. Um, not really. I mean, like I'm continuing to do my own stuff but I have nothing, you know, in the pipeline to show. Um, so, but I can mint something if you want to collect. Like you know, if super rare wants to onboard me, I'll mint a Genesis. Norcal can collect it.

NorCal Guy:

They don't care about it.

FKA787:

Like we can make that happen. You know, just you know they don't care about you what you need to be like. Buy up some more rare, more rare whale. Hey, I heard it went up like 40% last week. So paper hands, guy over here.

NorCal Guy:

Well, 787, I just really just thank you for your time today. I really thought you put into it, thank you I don't I believe half of that um no, um, yeah, thank you for having me.

FKA787:

I don't know, I mean, I appreciate it.

NorCal Guy:

Anyone who actually made it this long thank you.

FKA787:

I can't understand why, but you know it means a lot. I don't know, trim some of this up.

NorCal Guy:

Maybe use AI for the outro.

FKA787:

I don't know. I appreciate you guys.