In January 2012, a few months before NFTs reached the height of their popularity (for now), I created a collection called ethereBB’s. [Ethereum BB’s]

There were only a few artists creating what we called “collectibles”, numbered editions of hand drawn artworks that followed a certain theme or format. ethereBB’s was a unique and groundbreaking project in the medium of NFTs: the first collectible NFT art dolls. Once I learned about NFTs, this kind of collection felt like the perfect fit for the medium.

ethereBB’s were a hit with collectors. For awhile, not only was I able to pay all my bills from creating NFTs, it allowed me to generously support other artists all around the world. It also helped me build confidence in my ability to commit and carry out a long-term project.

Of course, once the wave of rage porn op ed’s hit, several people, included one I knew IRL, sent me death threats and blocked me.

I did my own research and it was clear that much of the information circulating about NFTs was lacking nuance or simply inaccurate. I wasn’t creating a carbon footprint the size of a Kardashian’s each time I minted an NFT, like many people believed. People just love to have something to rally around and be mad about online.

Exactly one year after beginning my project, I used a website that calculated the carbon footprint of your activity on the Ethereum network. My was about the equivalent of an average-sized household for a year. Certainly not nothing, but not worth the death threats I received either. And of course, Ethereum is now a proof of stake network and the environmental impact is negligible.

At the beginning, it truly felt like I was part of a revolution. Crypto could have been the answer to supporting artists without relying on predatory companies like P*yP*l, it could have been the answer to supporting and paying sex workers. NFTs could have been a way for everyone to build a little online art gallery of their favorite artists as an alternative to buying prints or other physical merchandise. (It was interesting to me how no one came for artists who manufacture prints on paper, or ship merchandise from overseas manufacturers in the name of environmentalism.)

But as more large teams started creating collections of 10,000 images with different trait combinations (like the Bored Apes), it became harder for “indie” creators like myself to compete with those projects. The general sentiment of NFTs continued to decline. And now here we are.