To cite a meme, we stay in a society. However the multidisciplinary artist Gossamer Rozen will get this higher than most. A seeming jack-of-all-trades, the trail to notoriety for the transgender, nonbinary, femme, Filipino/Black fine-art creator has been very sophisticated. However, regardless of practically a decade of not making a living from their artwork, Rozen continued creating, not within the hopes of buying greatness, however to realize a unique type of success, by way of being true to who they’re.
“Rising up with a number of completely different psychological well being points and having come out as transgender once I was 24, artwork actually helped me perceive and relate to individuals, and to myself,” Rozen stated in an interview with nft now. “The method of making artwork, for me, may be very therapeutic and really meditative. It truly is one thing that I have to do as an individual.”
Rozen says artwork is one thing they’d do no matter reception, and this angle helped their work develop from Web2 to Web3. Leveraging their abilities as a tattoo artist, illustrator, crypto-artist, undertaking founder, has introduced them simple affect within the NFT area.
Rozen’s in style Tigerbob assortment blazed a path by way of the PFP NFT market, solidifying their identify on the brief listing of influential NFT innovators. And now greater than ever, their lengthy highway to prosperity, compounded by their need to create change by way of NFTs, has illuminated the necessity for a humanistic and individualized strategy to creating and consuming content material within the Web3 area.
Charting a path by way of the inventive business
For Rozen, arriving within the NFT area got here after years {of professional} growth. As a person, they’ve lengthy centered their identification on artwork, initially buying a love for inventive expression by way of manga, anime, and sequential artwork that, in flip, led them to grow to be a self-taught illustrator.
All through grade college, Rozen developed their abilities however later modified instructions to increase their horizons by venturing into sculpting in school, receiving a level within the discipline whereas nonetheless retaining their abilities with pen and paper. This creative flexibility would inevitably grow to be a function of their identification that grew out of a need to translate concepts throughout varied mediums.
“The aim [of sculpting] was to increase the completely different mediums of labor that I may create in. From summary sculptures to illustrative items whereas looking for different methods to create,” stated Rozen. “So once I introduced that work into Web3, I may look again at an extended historical past of iteration on each summary works, based mostly very closely on textiles and sample, and illustrative, extra conventional storybook comedian book-type artwork.”
All through their constantly rising catalog of NFT drops and collections, Rozen’s “historical past of iteration” and creation throughout mediums is on full show. However even earlier than slicing their enamel within the NFT area, this knack for intertwining self-discipline and identification drove them to grow to be a tattoo artist, the place their first large break within the inventive business occurred.
They grew up in a house the place East Asian artwork abounds, so it was simple for Rozen to channel their heritage into their visible works. Their distinctive model of stick-and-poke, which is closely impressed by each their African and Filipino roots, along with the historical past of tattooing itself, would finally seize the eye of Dr. Martens, Squarespace, Inked Journal, and extra — additional solidifying their standing as an business skilled.
Only some years after Rozen had grow to be a full-time artist, their efforts led them into an unusual profession trajectory. However their journey into self-expression would solely proceed to evolve, as the journey entered the bizarre broad world of NFTs.
Setting sail within the NFT area
After changing into /concerned in NFTs round early 2021, it took Rozen roughly a 12 months to interrupt into the higher echelon of NFT founders. But their understanding of making ready and presenting their works throughout each bodily and digital phases absolutely gave them a leg up from the beginning.
Whereas many have ventured into the NFT area on a whim, Rozen gave critical thought to the thought of coming into the ecosystem. “One of many first issues I needed to spend time analyzing was, what sort of work is marketable on this area, and the way can I work with that method to additionally create work that may be very real to myself,” they stated.
Rozen examined the waters with a small-batch assortment referred to as SQUISHIN KITTIES, which laid the groundwork for his or her tiger-centric NFT empire. From tattoo-themed tasks on the Tezos blockchain to considerate, hand-drawn interpretations of West African currencies, each launch acted as a brick within the full-scale renovation of Rozen’s identification as a Web3 creator.
Together with solo releases, Rozen additionally grew to become a collaborator on quite a few progressive and fan-favorite NFT tasks like Deadfellaz and A.N.I.M.O. However once they have been tapped to be the lead artist and artwork director of Woodies NFT, their identification would shift but once more as they have been introduced into the highlight of NFT philanthropy.
Via Woodies, Rozen helped increase greater than $200,000 for reforestation efforts. This enabled Woodies to plant a million bushes — a significant milestone for an business that’s typically unjustifiably criticized as unhealthy for the surroundings.
When it got here time for Rozen to take pause and reinvest of their private endeavors to launch their very own large-scale undertaking, Tigerbob, the spirit of collaboration and philanthropy seemingly helped dictate each determination they made.
“I feel I’ve all the time needed to have the ability to give again to the world indirectly. In the identical approach that the world has been very sort to me as I’ve gone by way of so many alternative sorts of struggles in the case of psychological well being and being a marginalized individual in a number of alternative ways,” Rozen informed nft now. “Having the ability to lastly make funds that I cannot solely give again to myself but additionally to others — I feel it’s actually vital to pay it ahead.”
Inside the first few months of Tigerbob’s existence, Rozen had already donated funds to each the Trevor Mission and the Nationwide Community of Abortion Funds. Whereas this additional solidified their identify as a frontrunner within the NFT philanthropy area, it additionally mirrored their prosperity and pleasure as a trans individual with a uterus — one thing that showcased each the range and individuality that may be achieved within the NFT area.
An individualistic strategy to NFT success
Usually talking, among the milestones inside Rozen’s Web3 profession really feel ambiguous when taken at face worth. As an unbiased artist who paved their very own approach by way of the NFT market, they undoubtedly have a kinship with others which have carried out the identical. However regardless of sharing boot-strapping origins, their story is a reminder that individualism stays a salient theme, even inside the NFT area.
It goes with out saying that there isn’t a secret method for NFT success. Whereas a choose few artists and tasks have helped outline what accomplishment can seem like, these aiming to comply with within the precise footsteps of their predecessors are prone to discover the market bored with repeat endeavors.
Rozen didn’t discover success as a fluke, however because of months of trial and error. Via quite a few tasks, they realized and grew, gaining belief within the market and a grasp of their strengths. And whereas some tasks lack lasting success due to hype, Rozen’s Tigerbob was a calculated execution. One which was impressed by, however not a spinoff of, another person’s undertaking.
“The undertaking is only one,000 items, each I hand-made myself so that they weren’t generative by any means. It was a really time-consuming undertaking,” Rozen recalled in regards to the early phases of making Tigerbob. “I really feel just like the work is so properly obtained as a result of it’s so distinctive in the truth that it’s not like different tasks which can be generative, it’s nearer to a high-quality artwork undertaking.”
But, for any singular NFT success, there absolutely exists a dozen monumental failures. Whether or not that be lacking alternatives to money out, shedding cash on an funding, or failing to get traction after a undertaking launch, the NFT area will be disheartening. Briefly, not everybody who creates, sells, or trades NFTs goes to get wealthy.
The actual fact of the matter is that success tales typically serve to create unrealistic expectations. And for Rozen, these unrealistic expectations are one of many main pitfalls of the NFT area. Whereas NFT fame and riches are extremely engaging to each creators and customers, usually, these indicators of feat are unattainable.
Because of this Rozen’s story is so inspiring. Not as a result of it attracts on the rags-to-riches themes that always abound the NFT area, however as a result of it reveals how tuning out the noise and taking an individualistic strategy to your individual endeavors stands out as the one true path to Web3 success.
Deep down, many people knew this from the beginning. In spite of everything, the Beeple’s and XCOPY’s of the world didn’t acquire a foothold by following another person’s routine. Prime NFT gross sales, even these on Rozen’s roster, are only a reminder of large potential, not a discipline information to success.
