I once stumbled upon this great tip that said:
“If you want to maximise your web3 learning experience, start with what you're already passionate about.” ~ unknown.
Using your existing interests as an entry point can make those technical concepts a whole lot more engaging. For me, that existing interest is poetry.
So to test out this theory, in this post we’ll take a closer look at how poetry and AI coincide with the world of web3, as well as the role NFTs play in this unique realm of creativity. Let's dive in!
Poetry & NFT’s.
My love for writing poetry started off as a mild obsession of being able to articulate things through rhyme, but now its evolved into an appreciation of being able to both capture and behold art in a written format.
Yet, despite this written format, in web3 everything from assets to even one's identity exists digitally. And with the given rise of NFTs, it's clear that digital art is no exception.
What is an NFT you ask ?
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain and cannot be replicated.
Each NFT is assigned a unique identification code that works not only to help distinguish different tokens from each other, but also provide proof of ownership.
For all the other questions you may still be asking, this article does a much better job at breaking down all things non fungible.
When it comes to NFT’s and digital art however, a lot of the emphasis is typically placed on traditional artwork, music, photography and even collectibles. Yet, not much is being spoken in favour of poetry being an equivalent art from.
However, these initial assumptions were challenged, after I delved deep into the rabbit holes of web3 Twitter. For I was pleasantly surprised to discover a thriving community of web3 poets and enthusiasts.
As with everything in web3, many different names have already been accredited to this growing sub niche, be it:
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On-chain poetry
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Poetry NFTS
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Cryptopoetry
(I’d even take it a step further by self proposing the name Poetr3.)
Regardless, I thought I'd highlight a few interesting projects and creators that I came across:
Projects 📝
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The verseverse is a poetry NFT gallery that seeks to celebrate the rise of crypto-native poetry, whilst leading the movement to build the future of blockchain literature.
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Cryptopoetry is a global community hub for poets creating NFTs in the Metaverse.
Creators 👥
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AshwiniDodani is definitely one to follow within the crypto poetry community. I appreciate how she identifies as a word artist. A simple yet profound breakdown of what being a poet is.
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Arjan Tupan I’ve found to be an active contributor to the space. Not only has he minted a plethora of poetry collections, but he’s a massive supporter of sharing the work of others.
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e.g, Arjan’s curated this insane, immersive poetry gallery to showcase the work of various artists in the space. A true testament to what community building and using web3 for good is all about.
More cool finds/reads 🚀
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Check out this article that dives deep into the need for poets to assert their value onchain !
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Really enjoyed this write3 podcast that explored the future of writing on the blockchain. Definitely worth a listen.
Generative AI.
During my research, one trend that kept reoccurring was how many poets were making use of generative AI images to supplement their NFTs.
For instance: Check out this cool NFT by @LεonFæsulis:
but what is Generative AI you ask ?
So, for the purposes of this post, as well as my own personal curiosity, I decided to try it out for myself and mint my very own poetry NFT. 🥳 ( which you can check out here )
How I did it.
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Although obvious, I first had to write the poem. Whilst I usually prefer long-form pieces, I decided to keep this one short and simple.
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I then used DALLE-2 ( a text-to image AI ) to generate an image based off a prompt that summarises the poem. I refrained from passing the entire poem as a prompt, as I was curious to see what the AI could come up with.
Having tested multiple iterations, this was the final image result:
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Using Canva, I then edited the poem’s text to be layered over the generated image.
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Finally, I followed this step by step tutorial to help me mint my newly created NFT image on Objkt - a NFT market place on the Tezos Blockchain.
Given that I was playing around and experimenting, it was only right I named the NFT collection: Poetic Playground. ( 👈🏾 which again, you can check out here )
Behold then, the final piece ……
Still feeling unsure about NFTs?
Don’t worry you’re not alone.
For a long time, I too avoided them like the plague, not understanding their purpose or value. But having now discovered a way to tie it with something I genuinely care about, it’s become much easier to recognise their potential.
Thus, I hope this encourages you to put on your researcher hat, and to explore how your own interests intersect with the world of Web3.
I can assure you, you'll undoubtedly learn more than you would by attempting to understand the complexities of Bitcoin at large.
Takeaways.
I’m grateful to have stumbled upon this unique intersection, as I believe it offers a lot of opportunity for many poets out there. For instance, rather than having your poem remain as a static Instagram post, now one is able to transform their work into an NFT !
Ultimately, this can lead to increased:
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Empowerment 🚀- Writers now have full control and ownership over their work and audience.
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Engagement 📈- Rather than just hitting the like button, fans can now show more tangible support through directly purchasing the NFT.
Super excited to grow and contribute in this space. I believe the future of creative expression lies in the ability to make use of both traditional and technological tools to appeal more people towards art.
If you enjoyed the content, follow me over on Twitter @lysirebe for more. Thanks for reading and Happy Poetry Month 🤍
~ Lys.
(ps..)
I’d actually been holding onto this post idea for a while, but I never managed to take action. That is until recent, when I decided to go for it again and to my surprise, I discovered that April is Poetry Month - mind-blowing, I know !
Thus, I hope this can serve as inspiration to keep pursuing your ideas, as maybe one day, like me, you'll be surprised by a moment of creative alignment ✨.