First things first: What is Web3?
Did you know that the internet has had three iterations since it was first created at the end of the last century? Web1, Web2, and Web3 are all terms invented by engineers that define historical periods of the internet.

Web1 – the first stage of the World Wide Web revolution – is usually referred to as the “read-only” web. Websites were limited to static content that were hyperlinked together. There was no interactivity in Web1; users would simply go online to read information, and did not have the ability to interact with other human beings.

After Web1, corporations quickly discovered the value of creating interactive online communities. This is where Web2, the current state of the internet, begins. Web2 emphasises social networking and information sharing, with users providing content as opposed to merely viewing it.

Web3 emerged out of a desire to combat the influence big tech companies have over the internet and culture in general. Web3 incorporates blockchain technology and token-based economies (AKA cryptocurrency) so that users are able to safely conduct online transactions and build communities without the need to rely on a central authority for governance, such as any large social media platform. Web3 seeks to break down the big tech monopolies that formed in Web2 and put power back into the hands of users.

One of the big components of Web3 is a creative community. Like the artistic communities that have sprung up before it in earlier versions of the internet, artists have assembled through the creation of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, and marketplaces that sell them. NFTs have enabled the making and selling of digital art to be accessible to anyone with access to a computer.

Knowing where to start in a space as vast as Web3 can be overwhelming, so below, we’ve put together some resources to help you learn more.

Often, the best way to learn more about a platform or new space is by following your peers on social media. It’s a great way to draw inspiration and build community as well. Follow these social media accounts to get inspired:

WomenRise
Women Rise is a collection of 10,000 NFTs featuring women around the world. Their social media presence consists of the collective’s travels around the world to different coding camps and festivals. They also actively retweet the work of women NFT artists worldwide.

Follow WomenRise here

Lucréce
An NFT artist, Lucréce posts an image of their work – which is regularly auctioned on Sotheby’s – on Twitter every day. They also post the occasional message of inspiration to the NFT community.

Follow Lucréce here

VeeFriends
VeeFriends is a media and events company with a collection of over 200 characters in its brand. It has cultivated a global community of NFT minters and collectors based around the principles of empathy and kindness. Having spawned their own conference and clothing line, they regularly post memes with their namesake characters and motivational messages on their social accounts.

Follow VeeFriends here

Emonee LaRussa
Emonee LaRussa is a two-time Emmy Award-winning motion graphics artist working in Web3. Her non-profit JumpStart Designers is an organisation working to deliver computers and Adobe Creative Cloud software to creatives from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Follow her Instagram to learn more about how she creates her art.

See more from Emonee LaRussa here and JumpStart Designers here

Kristina Flynn
Kristina Flynn a digital creator in the Web3 space who’s seeking to teach fellow creatives how to create art in Web3 and get paid for it. She has a large presence online and is the host of Rug Radio, the first decentralised Web3 media ecosystem.

See more from Kristina Flynn here and listen to Rug Radio here

It’s always a good idea to keep tabs on what is happening in the greater NFT and Web3 worlds. One way of doing this is by subscribing to newsletters. We recommend our own at Voice, as well as BFF, a community for who they describe as the “crypto-curious” and NFT Now, an editorial platform delivering the latest news, features and analysis on all things NFT and Web3.

Subscribe to Voice’s newsletter here
Subscribe to BFF here
Subscribe to NFT Now here

The first hurdle when getting into NFTs is to decide which platform you want to mint, or create art on. Most platforms require you to apply in order to sign up for an account on the platform and be able to mint. At Voice, we’re all about making art accessible – so it’s free to join, and to mint.

You have the option to choose between two public chains to mint on – Ethereum and Polygon – and we’re committed to honouring creator royalties. This means that each time a collector decides to sell their NFT on the secondary market, the original artist will receive a percentage of the sales.

Find out more about Voice here

Sometimes artists like to adapt traditional art that they’ve made with physical materials into digital art, just like creator and Voice resident Tochukwu Orazulike Kingsley did with their piece, Sweet. Apps and programs like Lighttricks, Procreate and Stop Motion Studio offer a variety of ways for you to experiment and adapt your art into an NFT.

Find out more about Lighttricks here
Find out more about Procreate here
Find out more about Stop Motion Studio here

Want a one-stop shop for learning about upcoming NFT collection drops? Look no further than NFT Calendar. This website lists upcoming drops and even has an ‘Explore’ option that shows drops on popular public chains such as Polygon and Ethereum. Better still, you can list your own upcoming drops on the calendar. In a few clicks, you can let the greater Web3 community know to mark their calendars so they can buy your latest collection.

Find our more about NFT Calendar here

As an NFT artist, it’s essential to have access to a digital wallet. You’ll transfer sales and earnings made from your creations – which will be in cryptocurrency – from your NFT platform of choice into your digital wallet. From there, you’ll be able to convert them into currency that can be transferred into your personal bank account. We recommend creating a digital wallet with either Coinbase or Kraken, two well-known and trusted companies.

Find out more about Coinbase here
Find out more about Kraken here

In the NFT space, it’s important to know your rights – especially when it comes to intellectual property, which is always a hot topic. We recommend checking out our article summarising a panel discussion with our CEO Salah Zalatimo and several intellectual property lawyers, as it delves into ways you can protect your art.

Read the article here

...

Voice is a Creative Lives in Progress brand partner. Every year, we partner with like-minded brands and agencies to support our initiative and keep Creative Lives a free resource for emerging creatives. To find out more about how you can work with us, email [email protected]