The Me Llamo Art Podcast
The Me Llamo Art Podcast
Episode 1 - Strategic Planning and Community Building with Rach Stewart
Rach Stewart believes that life is amazing and that we are really lucky to be here. That passion shines through in her incredible work as a photographer, having been featured by National Geographic, Canon, and the Daily Mail, among other global names in the media industry.
During today’s conversation, we speak to Rach about her experience as an artist on web2 and web3, her introduction to NFTs, and her predictions for the future. She offers some valuable advice to artists entering the space, shares her future plans, and gives us the scoop on why she intends to slow down on minting her pieces. Tune in to hear more today!
Key Points From This Episode
• We welcome photographer Rach Stewart to today’s conversation.
• The story of how Rach fell in love with photography.
• How she learned and refined the long exposure style that characterizes her work.
• Influences from her work in design that inform her work as a photographer.
• Building a digital presence via Instagram during web2.
• Finding a community using Instagram and Twitter during web3.
• Why Rach prefers Twitter to Instagram.
• Being an F-Stop ambassador.
• What the NFT space might look like in 10 years’ time and how artists could reap the rewards.
• Why Rach sees NFTs as a method of preserving art.
• The role of writing in creating new content and keeping people engaged.
• Why she considers her introduction to NFTs a baptism of fire.
• Releasing a collection of her best-known work in New Zealand.
• Engaging with a global audience while raising three kids.
• The role of secondary sales for artists.
• Advice for those starting out: connect with the community and have a plan with your minting.
• What motivates Rach in art and life.
• How she decompresses and relaxes in life.
• Growing up with ballet dancer parents, surfing, and playing music.
• How she was inspired by Rich Caldwell’s 12 Days of Art project.
• How Rach sees her future unfolding with the bear market in mind.
• Why she intends to slow down on minting her work.
• TIMEPieces with Deepak Chopra.
• Her closing message: we’re all in this together, so ask for advice!
• Rach’s shoutouts: Me LLamo Matt, and her partner Pete.
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Links:
Rach Stewart
Rach Stewart on Facebook
Rach Stewart on Instagram
Rach Stewart on Twitter
Sarah Hatton on Instagram
F-Stop
Rich Caldwell on Twitter
TIMEPieces
Me Llamo Art Links:
The Me Llamo Art Podcast
© 2023 Me Llamo Art Podcast
EPISODE 02
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:03] Welcome to The Me Llamo Art Podcast. I'm your host, Jordan Banks. Today, I'll be talking with a photographer that I've admired for a long time, Rach Stewart. Rach is an incredible photographer and I’m excited with the chance to finally talk with her. Let's go.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:00:21] JB: Hey, Rachel. How are you doing? It's an absolute pleasure to have you join us today, mate. It's been one of those – You're one those people that I've admired for a long, long time. To have you on this show and talking about your work in your experience in real life and web3, or web2 and web3 is fantastic. Thank you so much for joining us. How are you doing? How's the world treating at the moment?
[0:00:40] RS: Hi, Jordan. I am really good. It's so awesome to talk to you as well. Loved your photography forever. Yeah. No, I'm good. Yeah, it's thunder and lightning outside. New Zealand's become this tropical thunderstorm destination at the moment. Yeah, we're just trying to get through that.
[0:01:02] JB: We're getting all the storm chasers coming down south, are they to you?
[0:01:04] RS: Totally. Yeah.
[0:01:06] JB: Is that to do with what Australia has been having? Because I've heard the flooding and issues with Australia and having a long rain. Is that overspill, or just the same thing?
[0:01:13] RS: I just think the same thing. Just the climate is changing. Yeah. But this year seems to be pretty bad. We're all a bit depressed and want the sun to come out.
[0:01:25] JB: I guess, you get a bit more rainfall than somewhere like Australia would normally anyway, wouldn't you? Yeah. A bit more adverse.
[0:01:32] RS: Yeah. Yeah. Australia was always quite tropical, stormy as well. We weren't really like that. But it has started to change a little bit. Yeah, we'll see.
[0:01:44] JB: It’s one of those, isn't it? It's like, we kind of got the power to singularly make a difference ourselves. We've got to do our little bits and hope that the powers that be really make those changes and start to look at this as a serious issue.
[0:01:56] RS: Absolutely. Every little bit powers.
[0:01:58] JB: Before we try and change the world, which we’re [inaudible 0:01:59].
[0:02:00] RS: I know, right?
[0:02:04] JB: I mean, like I said, I've been a massive fan of your work and your style and everything for a long time. I want to find out – What I don't know much about you is your backstory. How did you get into photography? Has it been a lifetime thing? Is it something that you've picked up relatively recently in your life? Or how did you get started? When did you first get involved in photography, I guess?
[0:02:21] RS: No, it wasn't something I set out to do. I was working in design, for, I left university, I think, when I was 21. I got an admin job that turned into design and publishing design, designing brochures and working with Photoshop and InDesign and those programs. I did that for years and years and then had my first baby. I couldn't go back to that job, because it was a full-time job. I didn't want to go back full-time. I just wanted to work part-time. So I went into an admin job and I – that, was, just left me with this big, creative void, because I wasn't creating any more. Yeah, just was walking the beach at Santee, and I lived by the beach. It was my little break away from the baby. I would just take my iPhone 4 down, but iPhone 4.
[0:03:24] JB: You're showing your age there, aren’t you with the iPhone 4 a bit?
[0:03:27] RS: I know.
[0:03:27] JB: I remember the iPhone 4 as well, if it makes you feel any better.
[0:03:30] RS: Okay. Kids. Well, there was an iPhone 4.
[0:03:34] JB: They wouldn't believe what it looks like now, probably.
[0:03:37] RS: I know. Right.
[0:03:37] JB: They’d be like, “What is this?” Like showing you an 8-track or something.
[0:03:40] RS: I know totally, right? I just really loved taking these little photos on my iPhone and it was always, it sends it so the colors were always those golden pastelly tones. Yeah, created a little Instagram account to follow one of my really good friends who was a surf photographer at the time. Instagram was quite new-ish back then, too. I created a Instagram to follow him, but then started posting my own little iPhone photos, which is still on that feed when you scroll all the way back.
[0:04:17] JB: I might have to go do that later. I don't think we’ve seen them. I might have done it, but I have to remind myself. I'm sure they are still amazing.
[0:04:24] RS: Probably not.
[0:04:24] JB: But not to you though.
[0:04:27] RS: Yeah, and it just sort of progressed from there. I ended up buying a second-hand Canon 650D in your real entry level manual DSLR. Basically, chucked it in manual and watched YouTube and taught myself how to take photos on this little camera. Yeah, that started the ball rolling really, and getting into the long exposure style, which is something that I really love and probably what my work is most well known for.
Yeah, there was this Australian woman and her name was Sarah Hatton. She did long exposure photography. I just really loved the dreamy look that that kind of photography creates. I set about learning that and YouTube and literally YouTubing what are their settings for blue hour with this filter on? Yeah.
[0:05:33] JB: That's really refreshing to hear, actually. I mean, obviously, you probably know as a photographer, and I'm more like you. I mean, slightly different story. You hear all these stories of people – my grandfather, or I've been paving the cameras into the kid. That's cool. Obviously, it's not always helpful. Sometimes you think when you try to tell people who start out there, “Well, that didn't happen to me,” so I didn't do it from five-years-old. You can obviously still be incredibly successful, if you've got the right eye, you’re prepared to learn, you're prepared to put the effort into mastering your craft. You can still be. I don't know what you were, mid-20s, late to mid 30s, whatever it was at that time. The point is you weren't a 10-year-old that was still a sponge, where you just accept everything and it's easier.
[0:06:12] RS: Yeah. No. Yeah, literally early 30s, so came into this pretty, I guess, you'd say, late. Yeah, I just dove straight into it, because it was just filling this creative void that I had for a little while. Yeah.
[0:06:32] JB: Do you think that – because also, I didn't know your background in design and what you've seen beforehand. Was it marketing, or advertising, or that sort of thing you were doing?
[0:06:39] RS: Yeah. Yeah.
[0:06:40] JB: Obviously, what strikes me about your style is obviously, you've got those tones. You've obviously got a certain way of like the long exposure, it's all very – For me, probably shouldn't say it as a man, maybe. I love those pink and purple tones in my own photographs and the way you get that purple from the sun, where it's almost storm clouds you produce. Do you think, obviously, besides just, I guess, being really attracted to those colors, they're a nice color palette to look at. Do you think the fact that your design, or the way your brain thinks and brandished, easier for you to develop a style and hone in on really branding yourself in the way you did. Was that a massive help, do you think? Are you aware of it, or does it just come naturally?
[0:07:19] RS: Having that background and being in Photoshop from Photoshop, the first version and working with colors and stuff, I think, definitely helped me for sure, learning the color chart and that stuff. Then also, naturally, pink and purple and that is – It's not something I would ever wear that as clothing. Or it wasn't my favorite color or anything, but I just think with my photos, I just tend to go that way. I can't even stop myself. I’m definitely a more of a cool colored person. Yeah, warming up a photo to yellows and that thing is quite hard for me. I always want to push it the other way.
[0:08:06] JB: The other way. Yeah.
[0:08:07] RS: Yeah. Yeah, it's just something natural.
[0:08:10] JB: It’s a beautiful style. You can see obviously, all the success you're having in every walk of what you've done, I guess, that people love the way it looks. Obviously, you're shooting some incredible stuff as well. It's not just that they're nice colors. They are perfectly composed and right time of day. Everything is just spot on about them.
[0:08:26] RS: Thanks.
[0:08:27] JB: You mentioned about the fact that you hit Instagram quite early. I think you've got 300,000 followers, something like that. Am I quoting that right, give or take?
[0:08:34] RS: Yeah. Yeah.
[0:08:35] JB: That's a lot. I mean, I've got nowhere near that. I think anyone will admit that it maybe doesn't seem like that big a deal to you, but that's a lot of followers. Have you found that to really pre-web? I want to find out. Do you think that was helpful going into web3 to have your reputation that people did see that, whether they admitted it or not always. Also, does that affected your web3 life? Does that give you career options? Did you get a lot of jobs through influencing, or photography jobs, or talking and things like this, or trenched in the Instagram thing, I guess? What's your thoughts on it personally?
[0:09:07] RS: For web2, definitely, it is what made my career pretty much. I hit Instagram when there was no algorithm, when all your photos went out to everyone. It was all in chronological order. I was there in that time when making followers was easy. Some of my first ever photos went really viral. It was a hobby that I just got thrown into being this big thing. I was just along for the ride for the first couple of years. Just like, “Oh, my God. I can't even believe this is happening.”
Yeah, and then little jobs would come through. That was really exciting, too. It was just riding this wave that seemed to bring all these opportunities. Yeah, I really focused on doing prints. I wanted to make sure I wasn't completely relying on Instagram branding type jobs, or tourism jobs, which is more what I did was the tourism stuff. I set about doing my website and I'm still just riding the wave really. We’re still wandering. [Inaudible 0:10:27].
[0:10:27] JB: I like that, though. I'm assuming you've found – you were at the right place at the right time. Now, obviously, you had the skill sets that go with it, which is massively important. I can see why your photos would go viral, besides being perfect in real life and on prints and stuff, they are perfect for Instagram. There's no way anyone could look at that and be like, “Well, I'm not into that.” There's something wrong with them to say those.
On the web3 side of things, do you think that that has helped you as well, just maybe not actually coming to Instagram, people when they say, “Okay, I love this work.” They maybe do a bit of research on you and see if you're going to be here for the long haul, or how established you are, or your price point, or knowing that you have 300 so plus thousand people following you gives you quite a validation, or not?
[0:11:11] RS: Yeah. Well, I've often thought, I wonder if people do that, if they maybe go into your link tree or whatever, and go and have a look. I've never said I was big on Instagram to anyone. I'm not sure. I'm sure it does how – I mean, coming over to Twitter, I just meet so many of people like you and stuff that on the gram, it was just getting too hard to try and keep track of everyone. I'm with web3, mostly thankful for meeting all these wonderful people, like yourself and others that I've met that I just couldn't keep up with on Instagram. Positive collectors especially will do their homework, especially if they're investing that much money into you. I guess, the Instagram thing helps that I am here for the long run for sure.
[0:12:15] JB: I mean, I'm not taking away from anyone's talent. I think, just the reason I want to discuss what you thought and if you had an experience with it was because I think people are obviously searching for answers as to why they're not selling, or why they are selling, or just work out anything about this space. I mean, we've been here a fairly long time now by this space, but it's still nothing in comparison. I'm always of the belief, I think, that if I was investing serious amounts of money in something, I would go and check their other social, their website, if they have a website and go, “Okay, they've got a website. Okay, they've got tear sheets, they've got ambassador roles. They've got this. Okay, this person has been doing this for 10, 15, 20 years.” They're probably not – if they don't sell tomorrow, they're probably not just going to stop being a creator, even if they leave NFTs. It’s all going to be around creating, which still holds its value. Just going to find answers for people.
[0:13:02] RS: I know. It's really such a mind boggle, as they say.
[0:13:09] JB: Do you find Twitter, or Instagram more enjoyable?
[0:13:11] RS: I really like Twitter for just conversing with people. Yeah, getting to see everyone's work. On the gram, it's all over the place. Yeah, and I'm sure I don't get show in so much stuff. I'm sure Twitter's similar, but I seem to be able to see very – well, a lot of things. To me, it just seems really positive all the time. I know it's not obviously not, because nothing is, but I really enjoy Twitter. Yeah.
[0:13:47] JB: Yea. I think that seems to be a common answer, I think as well. For me, it's weird being created. You'd think you'd like just seeing pictures, actually having a conversation and just going actually, even just nothing about photography, or art. Just the vibe. It’s like, I'm actually connecting with a person who was on Instagram. If you commented, great picture. It was a bit weird saying, “Hey, how you doing?” You didn't actually start the conversation to a thread of it. Whereas in Twitter, obviously it's you can share art, but it's more about the words. You actually feel like you're gaining friends and real support crew around you, which is great.
[0:14:21] RS: Yeah. Just the variety of work as well, there's just so much. Honestly, so many creative, talented people. It just blows me away. It's stuff that you wouldn't see on the gram. Because on the gram, you’re stuck in your photo world. But on Twitter, yeah, just keep showing all these things and like –
[0:14:42] JB: It's quite hard, I find. Because you’re like, “God, I'm rubbish.”
[0:14:45] RS: I know, right? Like, just what am I doing here?
[0:14:49] JB: Yeah. I should probably give this up. See these 18-year-olds, and they're like 17-year-olds, or 15-year-olds and likewise, 14-year-olds and just picked up a camera. You're like, “Jesus Christ. What am I doing?”
[0:15:03] RS: I know. The imposter syndrome is real, right? Yeah.
[0:15:07] JB: Just ride that wave hard, until hopefully, nobody realizes.
[0:15:11] RS: Totally.
[0:15:14] JB: Well, you are an F-stop ambassador, aren't you, for the bags and their gear as well?
[0:15:16] RS: Yes. Yeah.
[0:15:17] JB: I am as well. I thought we were in the same, so that's pretty cool. I don't know if we've ever talked about it, but you hold quite a – Do you hold other ambassador roles, or you've done stuff with Canon and things like that? Are you a Canon ambassador?
[0:15:27] RS: I'm not an ambassador for Canon New Zealand. They don't really do that here. I wish they did, because that would be cool. I do work for them, so they give me job opportunities and yeah.
[0:15:41] JB: How did that come about? Is that through Instagram, so you just start hustling and just doing stuff?
[0:15:45] RS: It’s through Instagram. My first big job with Canon was they – I think, she was the creative director. Really big role followed me on Instagram. She liked the photos. She reached out. Yeah, we did this big video campaign for the lenses. It was a few years ago. Yeah, the connection was definitely through Instagram and not on the web or anything. It was through that, which was amazing. Yeah.
[0:16:18] JB: Are you still in contact? Are you still doing stuff with them?
[0:16:21] RS: Yeah, yeah. My recent thing was I actually did, yeah, this cultural crossover campaign with Navaneeth from India. He's on Twitter as well. He's a amazing photographer. Yeah, so we did this. It was to do with COVID, trying to get people to travel again. New Zealanders go to India and Indian come to New Zealand. Yeah, that was cool.
[0:16:46] JB: Have you been to India?
[0:16:47] RS: No, I haven't. No. No.
[0:16:50] JB: You got to go.
[0:16:51] RS: Yeah. Oh, there's so many. There's so many on the list. Yeah.
[0:16:56] JB: Probably no answer to this, or you might not know. Has there any been discussion with Canon and when you've just obviously knowing these people about NFTs and digital art. Are they obviously, I'm assuming, they're aware of it? Have they approached you knowing what you do? Or have they got shown any interest in it that you're aware of?
[0:17:11] RS: No. I have not been approached, and I've not seen anything? No.
[0:17:15] JB: It's weird, isn't it? Because, I mean, we've gone through this. I don't have much to do with Canon, because obviously, nothing against Canon. It's going to be hard to go, “Hey, I shoot Nikon. Do you?” The same. I'm not an ambassador for Nikon, but I'm one of their creators. I do a lot of stuff. I run workshops for them and have done campaigns and things. I was surprised. I brought it up to them. I was like, “Hey, you know what?” They're like, “No. We don't really.” I was like, “Oh, you guys are – you're creating the tools that people are using to make NFTs.” I don't know how they'd get involved. I'm not their marketing side, but it did shock me that they're not making – They've got content. They've got the tech people to do anything. They could be building platform. I mean, I don't know. Not that I'm desperate for brands to come in and do that.
[0:17:59] RS: No, yeah. You'd think the big camera brands, you say, we're all using their equipment to make these entities.
I also thought that I think it's quite a good thing as well. There's lots of opportunity with that, I think, is that why it’s worth approaching these people and bringing it up to them if you've got the contacts in them and see where [inaudible 0:18:19] for people obviously listening to us that –
[0:18:21] RS: Yeah. That’s a good idea.
[0:18:24] JB: I don't know what Sony is doing. I think that's why I approached Nikon. It was just in a conversation. It wasn't really an approach. It’s just like, what are you doing about this and expecting an answer. It was like, what are you talking about? We're not doing anything.
[0:18:37] RS: Yeah. I still think we are in this small percentage that actually know what it is. I still think there's a lot to be learned. Yeah, I feel like, we're still at the start.
[0:18:48] JB: Do you see that as a very positive thing, while it might mean that we don't see the rewards financially, be short over the coming months, or maybe even years, but do you feel it would be like Instagram for you, when the iPhone 4 was out, I don't know what year that is, but the Internet in 1995.
[0:19:05] RS: Yeah. Dial-up.
[0:19:08] JB: We will reap the rewards for building this and will go down, and I put it down to someone I was talking, it struck me that we could do, talking about learning and how we're setting the ground blocks for this thing, these are over in nations. It made me think, imagine in 20 years if the people studying art history in universities across the world are talking about what we built now. I think they will be. The art has changed and I'm not financially incentivized, is that the word? I'm not sure, but you know what I mean.
[0:19:35] RS: Yeah. I know even.
[0:19:38] JB: I hope and everyone else will. I am more this, I don't know, bit of ego, but it's nice to leave your mark on the world, isn't it? Or feel you did. I think that's more ego-driven, maybe. Maybe the male, or the alpha male just wnats to leave a –
[0:19:51] RS: No, no. It's a nice thought. It's a nice thought to think, “Oh, well. I'm going to be leaving something behind.” It's pretty cool. I really think about it quite often, what this might look like in 10 years’ time.
[0:20:07] JB: What do you think? Or, obviously, we're not going to hold this. If it ages badly, we won't come back and launch the question.
[0:20:14] RS: Yeah. Don't hold this against me.
[0:20:17] JB: This is not financial advice. This is just a pure mystery ball.
[0:20:19] RS: Yeah. Not financial advice, people. Well, I mean, I totally believe in crypto. I have done for, I think, since 2016. In cycles as well. Everything comes in a cycle. I do think this early work that we're putting out there now will be worth a lot more in the future. I'm not really sure when that will be. It's like you said, it's like the Internet and look how far we've come from being on dial-up and all being a kid, we didn't have phones.
[0:20:58] JB: You might need to explain what dial-up is to people as well.
[0:21:00] RS: Oh, yeah. So, kids. Back in the day…
[0:21:05] JB: You couldn't make a phone call and be on the Internet at the same time.
[0:21:10] RS: Yeah. Mom would just keep the phone off the hook, until the Internet died, so she could use the phone. Yeah, I believe this is the way for sure. You'll always have your traditional galleries. I still think you should, because prints and paintings and originals are so epic on display. Wherever I go in the world, I always go to galleries. I just think, yeah, the way that the future's going, this is such a good way to preserve art.
[0:21:41] JB: Completely. I think I'm either. We talk about the metaverse. I still plan on living in a house for the rest of my life. I'm going to have walls in that house, hopefully. I still want those walls to be nice and have nice art on them and whatever it is I like looking at. I totally agree. Some of these other podcasts I've done, I've heard, which is quite interesting. Not something I've thought about, because I'm not in that nomadic lifestyle at the moment. Someone I was talking to was saying, they wanted to collect art, but they were constantly moving around.
Even if they had a house, they were there for six months, and then they'd move, and, you know, or whatever it might be. He was like, “I'd wanted to collect art, but I'd never collected art, because I didn't – it would just be buying art to store.” Now he's like, “This is the perfect time for me, because obviously, one day, I'll settle down and find my root, or whatever. But now, I can collect art and it's just – it goes with me.” I was like, “Yeah.”
[0:22:27] RS: So true.
[0:22:29] JB: They’ve totally got a place together, I think, for all it. Obviously, you can make your NFTs into wall art as well, when you do, when that time comes.
[0:22:35] RS: Absolutely. Yeah, we're all winning.
[0:22:39] JB: I noticed, which I didn't know about, you've done a bit of writing as well with your – outside of work. Excuse me, know how to obviously know how to write. I mean, for me, I've done a bit of writing, but I'm not a writer. It really is it was horrible for me to do and I was like, how to have edit – made editors understand that this. I'll do this photo essay with some words and you spruce it up. If you want to put it to my name, then fine. Rather than, not that you went down that route, but did you just realize that was another way to get commissions, get work in magazines, get stuff like that going. Or is it something you actually had a real passion about?
[0:23:10] RS: I wouldn't say it was a passion. But I mean, English were probably my best subject, and music was maybe subject in school. It was just, I think it comes naturally to me. I enjoy the finished product, like I enjoy putting something out there that's going to help people, whether it's learning to use a camera, or where to go New Zealand, or where to go overseas and what settings to use to get to all these really cool places. I far more enjoy taking the photos. Writing is, yeah, I do it also for my website, and just creating new content and keeping people involved in what I do. I don't want people getting too bored or anything.
[0:24:01] JB: Search engines as well, I suppose if you got some good keywords in there.
[0:24:05] RS: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. Yeah.
[0:24:08] JB: Moving on to your web3 journey, you've been in it a relative a while. Obviously, you said crypto, there for, since 2016. I don't know when exactly. I'm pretty sure you were already in web3 when I arrived into web3. I can't remember if you were exactly, but I think you were. You must be getting on for what is that? 18 months, two years now, at least?
[0:24:27] RS: Yeah. I joined in August. Well, late July, 2021.
[0:24:34] JB: Okay, yes. That's about it. We’re about the same time maybe.
[0:24:36] RS: Yeah, yeah, but it was – even though I had a little bit to do with crypto, the NFTs was like a baptism of fire. Because I was still – so in February 2021, I talked to my brother-in-law about NFTs and I just didn't get it. I was just like, I just don't get with the crypto parts and that thing. I said, why would people do this? I don't get it. I did start to get it. By April, I was thinking about it a little bit more. Then my friend, Lee Cook, my friend, great friend and business partner, he sold out his collection on OpenSea, within, I don't know, an hour or something. Yeah. He messaged me, and he was just like, “I just can't believe what happened.” Okay, well, I think I might join the Twitter community and just –
[0:25:35] JB: [inaudible 0:25:35] as well.
[0:25:37] RS: Find out. He was like, “Yup. Just join and learn, and try and figure it out. Yeah, take it from there.”
[0:25:46] JB: You sound like, you did a bit the same as me. I think, it was around the turn of 2020 to 21 when I first heard about from Ed from Sloika, and Elia Locardi, who are probably people you will know as well. I think it was a January, they called me into a clubhouse. It was us three and one other person, who I now forget who that fourth person was. I’m always like, “What?” It’s like, I could see what you're talking about, but I was very much like, what? What? Really? I spent quite a lot of time learning. Then I think it was probably not until 8th February, April time, where I started to have a bit of time to look into it. Then I spent six months really looking into it I’m trying to understand it. Probably a bit slow.
[0:26:29] RS: Me too.
[0:26:31] JB: Yeah. But I think what I saw from you and whether you did it or not, and there's no right or wrong answer here, I felt someone like you had planned what they're doing. You've thought about it, rather than just mint stuff and luck out, which obviously, like I said, there's no right or wrong answer. It felt like you had a business plan, a roadmap, a strategy, or whatever. Is that the case? Did you do something like that? Or did it just come naturally? Or do you actually really think about it? Or did you just fluke it and just go for it, then everyone has loved your work?
[0:26:57] RS: I knew I wanted to release a collection, because collections were the thing to do at the time. They seem to be a good way to break into the market. I knew I wanted to create a collection of some of my best and most well-known work from New Zealand. It was dreamy skies, because that's what I love. That's what I tried to incorporate into all my photos, the skies. Yeah, so that was definitely planned. I still have images that I put aside for those the more one on one single release images. Yeah, and I followed it up with a second collection, which in hindsight, I would probably not have done two collections. Just done one big one. Yeah, it was all just that whole learning process at the time and a roadmap sort of, but winged it as well really –
[0:28:04] JB: hey were both really –
[0:28:05] RS: Yeah. Helped give me some really great advice.
[0:28:10] JB: As in our Matt. Me Llamo Matt.
[0:28:13] RS: Yeah. Me Llamo Matt. Yeah, he helped a lot with advice.
[0:28:17] JB: He's definitely a big fan of yours. I know that. That's not why you're here. This was me who did this, but was very happy to hear when I said, I want to speak to Rach, because I would like her to –
[0:28:27] RS: Yeah. It’s so lovely. I hope I get to meet you all one day, but had being down the thing of the world.
[0:28:33] JB: I mean, that's one of my things I'd note down as well. I know, obviously, just us going to arrange this call. I mean, you're heading into the next day. No, no, I'm not [inaudible 0:28:42]. For me, I'm starting out a day, you're ending a day.
[0:28:45] RS: I know, right? Yeah.
[0:28:47] JB: Obviously, I always actually think Europe is quite a good time zone for NFTs, because we can hit the European market. We can still catch anything going on in Asia. You don’t have to stay up too late to still be active in the US market. Whereas, I guess now, the US is still asleep. They could still be going from the night before, some of those guys and girls.
[0:29:07] RS: Totally.
[0:29:09] JB: You miss it. You seem to have done really well and everyone knows you. You’re considered part of the community. Everyone loves what you're doing and you as a person. How have you managed to do that for other people who maybe are in Hong Kong, or on the East side of the world, also in South East? Has it just been, you stay up for all hours?
[0:29:30] RS: Yeah. No. No. Yeah, so I have three kids. Pretty busy. Everything revolves around them. It's quite a lot of luck that they go off to school. Then so it's about 9 am in New Zealand. I am able to come on to Twitter and look at – try and catch up with everyone's work and everyone's posts and what's been going on. I don't know if that just coincides with the USA. I'm still catching a little bit of USA and Canada. Yeah, I did notice when I was in London in a couple of months ago, it was a little bit hard to figure it all out. Yeah, I basically just am winging it.
[0:30:22] JB: That's a good answer. It’s honest, rather than try to make something up. It goes to show, you're still showing support for the community. You're showing them. You're retweeting things. You're coming in. I see you in spaces every now and again, when it happens, obviously, the time work. You're just making sure, and it's good to know that you're doing it. When work is around you, you're taking what's really important and your family life got to come first.
[0:30:44] RS: We do. Yeah. I mean, it is quite hard to juggle it all. I always say, I can't be on Twitter, like say, when I was traveling around in my 20s thing before kids. I can't give it as much time as what I'd maybe like to. I do try my best to get on there and support everyone and see what everyone's up to and look at all the new work, because it's super inspiring to go and see all these beautiful photos and artwork and stuff. Yeah, it is difficult. But I just do what I can.
[0:31:29] JB: I think you’re doing a good job of it. I mean, it struck me as I was like, God, I find it hard. I think, I'm in a fairly good time zone for it in a way. I've got three kids. I've got two kids, but still I know, I know fully how not quite the three, but there’s a lot of work to manage your business. Showing up on Twitter supporting this community and obviously, looking after your family is the main thing.
[0:31:53] RS: There’s lots of us. Lots of us doing it, though. We're all just running around.
[0:32:00] JB: This space has moved on a bit, I think I think for some of us, the longer you're here, the more you can dip in and out as well, because they know that you're here. They know, which is quite healthy. I felt when I first joined the space that it was a bit more, you need to constantly show up. Now it was like, no, we can't all just do – be on Twitter all day. Going to drive us all crazy and maybe could drive us all broke as well every time there is a bear market like now.
[0:32:25] RS: I know. Yeah, it was very much like that when I first joined. I think it was there was a lot of pressure to be there a lot. yeah, you just, I don't know. I think you just figure out actually. I know what's important to me, so I have to do that. then if I get canceled, whatever, for not being there, then oh, well.
[0:32:50] JB: I'm not losing my family over this. You either deal with it and accept me for who I am and what I'm going to do, or go and move on. Yeah. I think people are – I don't think I know people are accepting you, so that's awesome.
[0:33:02] RS: It's nice to hear.
[0:33:04] JB: I know, well, you've collected a piece of my edition. I know you collect a bit. Have you done much collecting? No pressure, or not trying to judge if you haven’t.
[0:33:12] RS: No, I have. I’ve got I think 60 pieces, I think, around – Might not be that many. Do not hold me to that figure. Yeah, I have collected quite a bit. It's in editions and a few one on ones. Yeah, and honestly, every day, I'm like, “I'll just buy this one.” Just really love it. Then like, “Oh, but I can't really. Because they just –” Oh, yeah. It's quite hard times there when you're seeing everyone's beautiful work and you just want to buy it all.
[0:33:48] JB: Well, you want to support people, don't you as well? On that, so when you buy art, is it because you just love it generally? Are you looking at it as a investment? Or is there any strategy? Or is it, you do just love it and you want to support that artist and you love that piece at this stage?
[0:34:06] RS: Yeah. Well, most of it that I love the art and I love the person, too. There's a few bits of art that I've bought and sold, yeah, for profit. It's just, yeah, I guess, I can see what is trending. If I see someone who's got this amazing style, or a similar to another, Grant Young, or something like that, I'm like, well, I could support this person. Then yeah, secondary sales and then use that money to buy someone else's work. Yeah, I basically just try and to keep it all on the same pool.
[0:34:53] JB: Yeah, that's a nice way of doing. That’s the tactic I go with. I’m not really good at picking the winners always.
[0:35:01] RS: Yeah. It's so hard in this market. It's really hard. I think, secondary sales you know how we were talking about the future. I think that's going to be a big thing in the future, because all this work that we're minting now is coming with a lot more later.
[0:35:22] JB: Yeah, I completely agree. I don't know when it will be, whether it's 5, 10, 20 years, I think people will be – I think as well, the fact of for me, it's the secondary sales as well as an artist, you could have a passive income. If you keep going in the right – we’re going in 10 years, could you imagine the money that could be coming in for the next 100 that could be an actual – it could be a serious income for children, or for our families, or if we need it if we're still here.
[0:35:47] RS: Totally. Yeah.
[0:35:49] JB: The thing I find with the art I buy as well is most of it, I'm going to struggle to ever sell this. It's going to have to be – If you've spent some editions, you buy them at .05, so it's quite affordable. It's going to have to really go to five Eth and we depart with this piece. Even double is not enough. I just love the piece. Someone's got to come in with like, what would be now a crazy offer for it.
[0:36:15] RS: I've definitely got pieces like that, too.
[0:36:17] JB: I've written off in my mind that these are just things that I love and I buy. When I buy off and my house is full of Magnum art. It's going up in value and I've had offers on some from people –
[0:36:28] RS: Really?
[0:36:29] JB: Nothing would make me sell, but it's just this – It probably would, because I just love them. Every day I wake up, I look at them on my wall, and I'm just like, “Yeah, I've got Steve McCurry’s in mind. I'm not showing off very little six by sixes. I've got these wall of Magnum stuff.
[0:36:41] RS: Oh, that’s amazing.
[0:36:42] JB: I love the process. I can't ever imagine a day when I’ll part with these, unless and someone comes to you, “I'll give you millions for your collection.” I’m like, “Okay. Maybe we can do an offer.” If you’re putting a few 100 extra dollars on it, it’s like, no, not even close.
[0:36:56] RS: No. No, I agree. Yeah, I was going to say, I was looking at just speaking of secondary sales, X Copies work. Yeah, he's got some insane secondary sales. I was just like, “Oh, my God.” Maybe that is the future, however far away it is, but you know.
[0:37:18] JB: People use X Copy, don't they, as an example for us quite often isn't it? [Inaudible 0:37:22] work, we’re really struggling. Almost gave up, I think. I don't know if I'm quoting the story accurately, because I don't fully know it.
[0:37:29] RS: Yeah. Some of his early super rare stuff is 0.6 Eth. Then you’ve stuff that's been bought for a 1,000 Eth. It's like, look at the difference. Yeah.
[0:37:42] JB: Good for him, or her. Does anyone know who X Copy is? The banksy of web3.
[0:37:49] RS: Yeah, totally. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Just look so good.
[0:37:55] JB: Hat you're saying, I think that the people that like to stick around here and keep building this, I don't think we'll see the same maybe growth as X Copy. I think, the margins where it’s still, people really want it when you've been here three or four years. I mean, that's going to seem like a lifetime, isn't it?
[0:38:10] RS: It will.
[0:38:11] JB: We’ll be aged and wrinkled.
[0:38:12] RS: [Inaudible 0:38:13] in the bull market when it was a week was, “Oh, my God. I feel like you've been here a year.” What are you take? One day on Twitter and it's like, “Oh, my God. I missed everything. What happened?”
[0:38:27] JB: It's good being in the bear market about. I slowed down to a manageable pace here. I can keep up. I mean, I still miss stuff, but it's definitely more manageable. That's for sure.
[0:38:38] RS: I agree. Yeah.
[0:38:41] JB: To finish up on directly talking about web3 and NFTs in terms of how your journey, you've seen a lot of success. Obviously, we've gone over a bit of how you did that and some of it as you openly admit, has been right place, right time and obviously, your massive amount of talent. For someone coming in, or just starting their journey, or maybe even who's an established artist, but struggling, have you got any advice that you could give them to help them out and keep them stuck here and keep them grinding out?
[0:39:04] RS: Yeah. Well, I think the community is pretty important, just to get involved and get to know your peers and who you connect with. Yeah, just make that connection with the community. Yeah, just to have a bit of a plan with your minting. Yeah, just don't meant for the sake of it, kind of thing. To actually think about what you want to mint. Also think of the future. You might be wildly successful and you might want to save some of your more iconic pieces for later down the track, or there's a few that I've probably sold that I wish that I maybe had held on to a bit longer, but I'm not sad about it at all. Yeah. Just thinking about it a little bit more.
[0:40:03] JB: I think that's a great piece of advice, especially if you've got those real gems that you know, they might sell very quickly in a collection, or even as a one-on-one. Later on as you establish, they could have what, you sold for 1 Eth, or even 3 to 5 Eth could be, if you establish yourself, it could be a much larger sale than that, if you've got that. Obviously, we all know those real gems that we all take lots of good photographs, but those real gems are not quite as often are they? [Inaudible 0:40:30] as well, the harder it gets to do it. It's a lot easier when you don't need to look for that 10 Eth piece, or whatever it is.
[0:40:37] RS: Yeah. I guess, yeah, just have a little bit of a plan. Yeah, just learn about the market as well. Just watch for a bit. Just watch for maybe a month, or two. Watch this Twitter space and be involved. Then yeah, see what fits. Maybe it's an open edition for your first mint, or, yeah, maybe just see what the vibe is.
[0:41:02] JB: I think that makes sense. I mean, that's how I've treated this space personally is have a plan. Think about it, which I think I was just, I don't know why I'm normally not like that. I'm normally rushing like a bull in a China shop and I’ve been [inaudible 0:41:15]. Whether I was just like, something hit me, I was just getting old. I was like, “No, chill out.” I think as well, patience as well as you hit on there as well. Just being like, yes. It's really hard to have patience, when you're seeing a bit easier, maybe in a bear market. When you're seeing people selling left, right and send. I mean, it was yeah, it was hard for me when I first started minting stuff around June and stuff. People were really pumping. I was tempted to put on more work and I was like, “No, I really stuck with my guns of slow down. Don't just rush it.”
[0:41:43] RS: That’s so good. Yeah, you did the right thing.
[0:41:47] JB: I feel like I did, but it was very, very hard to not just try and bag some Eth at the time in that run. I think, obviously, again, not financial advice for anyone. If you need the money, do it.
[0:41:58] RS: Yeah. I know everyone's situation is a bit different.
[0:42:02] JB: Yeah, exactly. I want to talk about, found out a bit a bit more about you as the person as well.
[0:42:09] RS: Again.
[0:42:09] JB: You’re just like, “I’m an open book. There's nothing to know you don't know.” What motivates you to just keep pushing and grinding and just in your life, just keep moving forward? You seem like a very positive person. What is it that drives you? Not just in art. I mean, anything. What in life is your passion that outside of art really, maybe that drives you?
[0:42:33] RS: Life is, I think, we're really lucky to be here. That helps me try and just make the most of my time here. Yeah, I've always been quite determined. If I've got an idea, Pete, my partner knows this. Like, if I've got an idea that I'm doing it. I'm doing it.
[0:43:00] JB: It’s not just openness. Is that we're saying?
[0:43:02] RS: Pretty much. I am notorious. Yeah.
[0:43:05] JB: I'm very much the same. It’s like, I want this. I'm going for it.
[0:43:08] RS: Yes. Yeah, I'll do it. Yeah, obviously my kids are everything. Everything I do is for them pretty much. My whole career. Yeah, I just I was sitting with the kids watching movies tonight and I'm making up frames print, while I'm doing it. It is always –
[0:43:34] JB: That’s a good answer. Very good answer.
[0:43:36] RS: For long.
[0:43:37] JB: I liked as well what you said about the fact that you just love life, if you're lucky to be here. I think that resonates with me. I don't know if it's what about me, but I've just had this ability to be like, I even enjoy the bad things. It’s like sadistic, or whatever it is. Don’t expect it all just to be perfect. I'm like, if there's a problem, I – I’ll go for a run and I’ll think about it. I'll be like, “Yeah, this is making me –” the blood’s pumping now.
[0:44:03] RS: Yeah. I think the bad things, yeah, they shape us and make us really appreciate how lucky we are, or how lucky we've been to have these people in our life who are not here anymore, or all those things. Yeah, I do feel pretty lucky. Yeah, and I feel like, the whole luck thing here, the Instagram, the becoming a photographer and doing what I love to do. Yeah.
[0:44:33] JB: If you looked at me outside, it feels like it's just fallen at your feet.
[0:44:38] RS: I know.
[0:44:38] JB: You’re going for [inaudible 0:44:38].
[0:44:40] RS: So breezy and easy.
[0:44:41] RS: Squeeze it a lot. Yeah.
[0:44:44] RS: Oh, no. Trust me. It’s not easy. Yeah. I still have to be appreciative of how life is. Yeah. I'm always just thankful.
[0:44:59] JB: With all this going on in your life, like with kids, work, obviously adding things in with NFTs, what do you do to relax, or do you decompress and just spend some time on your own? Or is it with the kids, or go for the beach, or walk in the mountains, or whatever? Or stare at a wall and just chill for a second.
[0:45:15] RS: Watch paint dry. Oh, well. Me and Pete, we go away and take photos and he's got a little boat. We have this couple time as well and work time, but we're going off hiking or yeah, going overseas to some crazy destination. I love that. I also like taking my kids away too, and watching them grow up and watching them play. Yeah, if you ever think life’s so serious, just watch some kids innocently play and wish that you were back at that age.
[0:46:03] JB: I'm very jealous of my kids, or you just think of. What the hell? I don't sleep that well. I mean, I sleep solidly, but I don't sleep for very long, which is probably, obviously, you get older, you sleep less. I’m jealous, they go to bed at 7 and they’ll still be asleep for eight. You’re just like, “How are you solidly sleeping for 13 hours?” You’re so rested.
[0:46:22] RS: No wonder that feels so good, right? It’s no wonder that they have so much energy.
[0:46:27] JB: Well, I go to bed at 7 or 8 quite happily. Sometimes I'll fall asleep after a long day at 8:00 or whatever, and the kids have been hard when they were a bit younger, especially. Then I wake up at 2 in the morning.
[0:46:38] RS: Oh, no.
[0:46:39] JB: Then I'd actually start even working at 3 – I started getting into a routine of running at 4. Then you get very tired later on in the day. It was like, “God, I just like to be able to stay asleep for a little bit longer, without some pills or anything. Just actually do it naturally.”
[0:46:55] RS: I think, I'm quite lucky that way. I go to bed and then I wake up to the alarm.
[0:47:01] JB: My wife is like that as well.
[0:47:03] RS: I’ve always been that way, too. Yeah, it's not often that I wake up during the night if there's a sound or something. Yeah.
[0:47:13] JB: I'm quite a light sleeper. Yeah, I don't need much sleep. I can get by on little amount. Can you tell us something, no pressure, about you that we may not already know something –
[0:47:23] RS: Yeah. I saw this question.
[0:47:25] JB: Put you on the spot.
[0:47:27] RS: Yeah. Well, so you might not know that both of my parents were in the Royal New Zealand Ballet. They were both ballet dancers for years, and principal ballet dancers. Right at the top. I did ballet. I was a dancer, right up until I was about 14. Then I started surfing and then surfing was my whole life. Before photos and children, I just surfed pretty much whenever I could all the time. Yeah, I was a dancer and a surfer. My mom's also an incredible piano player, and so was my Nana. I have a bit of that though.
[0:48:13] JB: Is there anything you can't do, or your family can’t do? Everyone might end up not liking you quite so much after this.
[0:48:20] RS: Trust me. Trust me, there's so much I can’t do. But yeah, I guess that the upside is in there somewhere, but whether it was buried down deep, I’m not sure. Yeah.
[0:48:36] JB: My wife say, I was never – She was big into ballet and our little – our daughter now does ballet.
[0:48:41] RS: Cute.
[0:48:41] JB: I'll DM you and you can let me know their names. I can Google ballet dancer Stewart. She may even know them. I don't have much interest in ballet dancing, so we don't talk about it a lot. If I ask her, she might be, “Oh, yeah. I forced the hand.” That's quite cool. I want to talk a little bit about tech in the market. Not too much.
[0:49:01] RS: Oh, yeah.
[0:49:02] JB: Is there anything you're seeing in the space at the moment that you're loving, whether it's the tech, way people are using the tech with art, whether it's just a way someone's used their art as a drop, as an edition, on open edition, a collection, or anything that you're just like, “Wow, that's really, really cool. I like that.”
[0:49:19] RS: Just as in drops, I really loved Rich Coldwell.
[0:49:26] JB: Yeah. He’s English, isn’t he? I think he lives in America, but he's English. We'll hold him proud as an Englishman.
[0:49:31] RS: Yeah, okay.
[0:49:31] JB: Begging to say.
[0:49:35] RS: I really liked his edition series that he just did, which was with 12 other artists. Yeah, they had their own style based on one of his artworks. That was on nifty gateway. I thought that was a really cool drop and a way to get 12 other artists. No, I think it was more than 12, actually. Might have been 24 to do this big drop with him. It was yeah, they dropped different artwork each day. I thought that was –
[0:50:07] JB: I missed that, I think. I think I saw, he did something. There's so much going on in this space isn't it? He did something with Sarah and Braid and they do something together. Is that what you're talking about? Is that something different? Am I confusing?
[0:50:18] RS: Oh, yeah. No, he did do that, but this is a different thing.
[0:50:23] JB: Oh, I think I did miss the one you’re talking about. Well, tell me more then. I’m sure that we can ball all the other people if they already know. Because I think I totally missed this.
[0:50:30] RS: Yeah, he does the aerials. He involved, I think it might have been about – I thought it was 12 artists, but it might be more – It was 12 days of art, so it might be more than that many artists. They all did their own style of one of his works. Jarrod at YF, he did a version of his art. May, who does the 3D work, she did one of his artworks. Yeah. I just thought it was such a cool way of community. Yeah, he organized all these artists to do this work. I'm guessing, that they got something out of it. He got something out of it. It was just a really cool –
[0:51:17] JB: I’m going to have to head to nifty gateway after this and check it out.
[0:51:20] RS: Honestly, the artwork was amazing. Yeah, interesting work.
[0:51:24] JB: I might have seen some of the pieces. When I see it, I might be like, “Oh, I saw that piece, or something.” I've just been since NFT NYC, I've just been on assignment and go, go, go. I pick things up. We all know how fast this space moves. That's awesome. Well, the reasons I asked this question is if I – what have I missed, if I’m missing someone else, probably has as well. That's cool.
I mean, I love them Transient Labs. I’ve asked a few people at Transient Labs, so get a big shout out. No disrespect to Transient Labs. I'm glad we got something a bit different, just because Transient Labs, they’re awesome. I wanted to try them.
[0:51:58] RS: They are awesome.
[0:51:59] JB: We want to try and get a bit more in there as well. There's other awesome stuff apart from what Ben and his team are doing.
[0:52:05] RS: Yeah. No. We'll be in it. Yeah, they've definitely tech wise, they're doing some pretty amazing stuff.
[0:52:14] JB: Yeah. Well, obviously, we know what the current state of the market of NFT is. I think, we safely do. How do you see it? What are you doing in these slower times, if you've got any tips or advice, or strategies, or anything of what you're doing, or what you – and where you think it might be going, if you were to make a prediction on when we might see some upturn in the market?
[0:52:35] RS: Gosh. Well, yeah, where the markets going, I really – I don't really have a clue.
[0:52:45] JB: That’s a fair enough answer.
[0:52:46] RS: Yeah. I feel like, it's going to be like this for quite a while. Maybe at least another year or two. I'm not sure. Yeah. I feel, it's not really going to change too much in the next 12 months. But then I might be absolutely wrong. I mean, that's sort of, I'm talking more like, yeah, the value of Eth and that stuff. Maybe that will bring more collectors in, when people are starting to buy up Eth while it's so low and Bitcoin and all the other coins. You get these new people coming in, because they're like, “Oh. Well, I might get some of that, because I'll buy it while it’s low.”
NFT-wise, yeah, it's really hard at the moment to know what to do. Because it's a bear market. I've thought about it so much. I've probably tired myself from thinking about it. I basically have come to the conclusion that I probably will slow down on what I'm minting, just because I just want to be more methodical about what I meant. Still, I'm halfway through an edition series called The Seasons. My main focus is to finish that, which I had the – It's a year-long project. I'll be finishing that in June. It seems like the market at the moment is more for editions and open editions at the moment are massive. Yeah, I think probably my one-on-one mint is not going to be as many. Yeah.
[0:54:42] JB: I think that's probably smart. It shows that you're thinking about. I had noticed that you'd slow-down of your one-on-ones, which is why I assumed was not just you couldn't be bothered. It was probably, you thought about just black coffee. I don’t know. That's a bit of advice I've got from people as well, when I've spoken to collectors, they're like, you could put one-on-ones and you might sell them, but you probably won't certain pieces if you show them. They’re like, that if you wait X amount of time, that's going to get the value it's actually worth. Whereas you sell it now, it might be – that's a 5 Eth piece, say. That's what I value it at, or whatever.
They're saying, you’ll probably get 1 Eth, or maybe 2, but you're not going to get fire on that. Obviously, they don't know. They're not trying to be negative, but they're just being [inaudible 0:55:23] talking to people behind closed doors a little bit, because then you get the real truth, rather than on Twitter. I hate the term toxic positivity. No one's going to go, “Just don't do that.” Everyone's always like, “Yeah, go for it.” Sometimes actually, just going for it. Slow down.
[0:55:39] RS: Yes, just slow down. Yeah. I think, yeah, it's really hard to know what to do. Because you have, yeah, all these things happening. Some people are maybe selling their one-on-ones, but they're at a cheaper price. Then you're like, “Oh, but how do I stay relevant if I'm got these pieces, but I'm not minting anything. Am I still relevant? Am I still being seen to be contributing?” There’s honestly so much crap rolls through my head about what to do.
[0:56:15] JB: I don't think you're alone there. I would say in my opinion, that I don't think that not minting pieces means you’re becoming irrelevant. I think, if you're still showing up, you're still sharing, you're still talking art, you're still building, the community is still putting back to this, that's more important than I don't think anyone thinks, oh, that person, she hasn't minted in three weeks, or six months, that's a problem.
I think, the other way is worse, isn't it? If you suddenly just dropped 50 pieces and they sat there, that's probably – people would think, that was a worse scenario than if you didn't do anything. Because this, I think, shows that you're thinking. You're just like, right. I know. Everyone knows we're in a bear market. Everyone knows that it's that time to slow things. I think, all these things play through our heads all the time, of course.
[0:56:58] RS: Yeah. Oh, God. Yeah. Just so hard to know. Yeah, that's the path I've chosen is to slow down, because some of the work I have got, and I've got two pieces minted now, but some of the other work, I've got to actually took a lot of effort for me to get those photos. I know that if I let them go for less, that I probably won't be happy about it. Yeah, I've just decided, I'm just going to focus on finishing my edition collection. I also got struck with TIMEPieces with Deepak Chopra, which was amazing. Yeah, I can't believe that.
[0:57:44] JB: I can see that. I did see you on that line up. A good friend of mine, Matthew Cherry, I remember he – I mean, do you know him? Have you met, connected with him? He's one of the artists in this. I met with him when he first came into Twitter, and he's still up and coming artist, or that's what he calls himself. If he hears this, you know. I saw something in this guy. I was like, I don't know what. I just like the way he tweet. He had a few 100 followers. I was like, “I’m going to follow this guy. I don't care about followers.” That he seems cool. We've got on the phone and we speak like most weeks now. Because obviously, and all the time.
[0:58:17] RS: That’s so cool.
[0:58:19] JB: He nominated me for the year, but we've become friends and we've hung out a couple of times in New York and in London and stuff.
[0:58:23] RS: Oh, how good.
[0:58:24] JB: He put out a tweet, give or take a year ago saying, one day I'm going to be a timepieces artist and he's so bullish on himself and such a great member of this community. Then to just see this whole thing, I was like, “Wow, man. That’s so amazing.”
[0:58:37] RS: That’s so cool. That is so cool.
[0:58:41] JB: He's just come from nothing. I mean, nobody in the art world anywhere and he's just taken it by storm and is just like, wow, I’m so proud of him.
[0:58:47] JB: Amazing. Yeah.
[0:58:48] JB: He helped me a little bit blow my own trumpet. I was like, I'm glad I could see something in you. You for some reason, I need to connect with this guy. Because I remember ringing, I was like, “Can we have a phone call? Can we jump on the phone?” He's like, “Yeah, of course.” We started chatting. I was just like, “Do you know something I don't know? Because you seem like you know something I don’t know.” He's like, “Man, I don't know what I'm doing.” I was like, “Okay.” I vibe with him just the way he tweeted and the way it was just like that. Yeah, to see him on that was like, wow, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you. All of you, of course. For him, I was really stoked, man.
[0:59:25] RS: Yeah, that is so awesome. There are those people that you really connect with that, yeah, never meet in real life.
[0:59:32] JB: You still want to do this to witness their full journey as well. It’s like, wow. Just say, he's going to do something and then –
[0:59:38] RS: And tell it.
[0:59:39] JB: Obviously, he can't have known he was going to do it, but he went, “I'm going to do it.” He's driven towards it and he's done it. It's like, it goes to show that if you want something in this space, or not even in this space, probably the world. If you want to get something done and you're prepared to put actual – you don't want it tomorrow, you realize it might take you 365, it might take you 700 days. If you want it and you want it enough, you work for it, you will get there. People will take notice.
[1:00:04] RS: A 100%. Yeah.
[1:00:06] JB: It's been absolutely amazing to talk to you really, really. I'm so glad we got this opportunity. I'm sure, people are going to listen to this, but even if no one does, I love the fact that I just get the opportunity to hanging out with people I respect and admire.
[1:00:17] RS: Oh, same. Me too.
[1:00:21] JB: I'm the only one who definitely can't lose in this situation.
[1:00:25] RS: No way. I've wanted to talk to you for a long time.
[1:00:28] JB: I'm glad we've made it happen.
[1:00:29] RS: It’s been awesome. Yes.
[1:00:31] JB: Have you got any last thoughts, or something you wanted to share with us, or with me, or anything that you – we haven't talked about. Again, no pressure to just come up with something for the sake of it. If you think we've covered anything, I just want to give you the opportunity. Likewise, if you've got any questions for me, fire away.
[1:00:48] RS: Yeah. I just think we're all in the same boat. Not to feel like you're the only one that doesn't know what to do, or feeling overwhelmed. I think we're all there.
[1:00:59] JB: That’s a good last thought. Yeah. We’re all in this. We're all screwed. We all [inaudible 1:01:03]. Not screwed, but we're all headless chickens just trying to work it out as we go.
[1:01:09] RS: Yeah. Yeah. Again, not to be scared to ask for advice, or how – Yeah.
[1:01:16] JB: I realized, my DMs are closed in my Twitter and I opened them up and I was like, “Oh, maybe people will actually come and ask me some relevant questions.” All I got was just stupid stuff.
[1:01:25] RS: Oh, God. Yeah, I get those too.
[1:01:28] JB: Yeah. I want to open, so when an artist needs to reach, wants something from – wants some advice, so then I can get to me. Then I also don't want to just be offered stupid stuff that’s scamming, could empty my wallet, by me accidentally clicking on.
[1:01:41] RS: I know. I know. Yeah.
[1:01:44] JB: Before we finish up, any shoutouts? Anyone that's made a big impact on you, your career that you think you want to give a heads up to? Again, don't feel pressured. If you don't, because sometimes there's so many people, you don't want to miss someone. I understand that.
[1:01:55] RS: Oh, I know. There is so many people. But I have to shout out Me Llamo Matt, right? He's just been –
[1:02:04] JB: We’re on his podcast after all.
[1:02:07] RS: Yeah. Come on.
[1:02:09] JB: It doesn't get aired if you don't shout him out.
[1:02:11] RS: Yeah, true. Yeah, he's been such a huge inspiration and yeah, really supported my work. Yeah, he's been amazing. Yeah, of course, Pete, my partner. Yeah, he's behind the scenes when I'm so nervous and all the stuff. Yeah, just Gina Dixon, she just welcomed me into the community. Really lovely. Yeah, so I was really thankful to her for being so kind to me at the beginning and now. All the ladies I chat to and just, yeah, you, everyone for being so inspiring. Wishing that I could jump on a plane all the time and go and take photos, but I'll do my best.
[1:03:08] JB: Is there any chance we're going to see you in New York, or over in Miami? Or in Lisbon? Or in London?
[1:03:15] RS: New York, I would love to try and get there. I also need to take my kids away for a holiday overseas. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, if Eth decides to freaking sort itself out, then yes, I will be there. Otherwise.
[1:03:36] JB: We’re then Eth mooning and then you're in New York with the kids.
[1:03:39] RS: Yeah, with the kids. The kids will be like, “What the hell?” Yeah. I would really love to try and get there. I'll really try my hardest one day. Yeah. I would love to meet you all.
[1:03:51] JB: Build this up. When you do, if you don't make it this year, when you do, it will finally be like, the second coming of Christ and something you’re like, “Whoa. Rach is here. She’s made it.” That would be awesome.
[1:04:02] RS: Funny. Recap it. Thank you.
[1:04:07] JB: Yeah. Exactly. We’ll roll out Me Llamo Art for you, definitely.
[1:04:11] RS: Yeah, yeah. No, I really hope I can get there. It’ll be cool.
[1:04:17] JB: It'll be great to meet you in person. Yeah, this has been absolutely fantastic. Yeah, thank you for taking the time to talk to us, or talk to me.
[1:04:22] RS: Thank you.
[1:04:23] JB: Share your thoughts to the public. It feels like long overdue for me. Yeah, I'm really, really glad we did it and appreciate you taking the time. I'm glad we made it happen. Thanks very much.
[1:04:32] RS: Me too. You've been amazing. Thank you.
[1:04:35] JB: No, it's my pleasure. Anytime. Yeah, lovely to talk to you. Yeah, take care.
[1:04:39] RS: You too. Bye.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[1:04:45] JB: Thanks for tuning in. As always, a huge thanks to my guests, Rach Stewart, for taking the time to chat with us today. It's always a pleasure to chat with such an amazing artist and I hope you enjoyed the episode. Me Llamo Art is a web3 nonprofit supporting creatives. To find out more, listen to future podcasts, please visit us at mellamoart.com. Or you can follow us on all the usual social channels @mellamoart. Thanks again. Until next time, take care of yourselves.
[END]
