Designer Crypto Artist & NFT Practitioner Carlos Luna James

Wow, isn't that so amazing how cool you're going to be so excited and you're going to be filled with so much impactful information on today's episode.
Also, Carlos is a NFT artist and we're going to dive deep into the space of what that means. What is NFT and what does it mean to be an NFT artists? We're here to inspire you. We're here to make an impact so you can take actionable steps in your life, no matter what it is. So through ethics, morals, and values through good intention through being inspired through our, and it's such a blessing to be a human being. And it's such a blessing to have culture and to communicate and share our evolution. And we're here to break generational trauma and to build our community and to honor one another.
So with no further ado, I'm going to welcome Carlos to the show. Thank you so much for being with me.
Thank you, Katie. Appreciate the invitation. And my name is Carlos Luna. James, like you already mentioned, I'm a designer. I'm a character artist. And then if the Practitioner I'm very happy to be here.
Yes, yes, yes. So let's just like go straight for it. Where are you from? And tell us some things about where you're from and what you're most passionate about from your country,
From Mexico, specifically from the border in between Paso, Texas, and Mexico, Chihuahua, the state. I love, I'm going to tell you something about what is that I love, and this is in the world. It's something that is very unique and it's out everywhere that we don't know. And probably most people don't know about it. And if you like burritos, you know that burritos boarding FedEx.
I didn't know that, but I love burritos. Oh yeah,
Absolutely. So burritos Born in aquatics for people that probably don't know. And also another thing is that margarita is more new quite as to, oh really?
Oh cool.
So those are two things that I love about hottest and that most of the people don't know and
Eat or drink don't know where they come from. And those are preserved two little things from legendary. I mean, everyone loves a burrito and Margaret Good margarita. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Very cool. And then where were you educated?
I born racing quadrants. Then when I was 18, I moved to in the center of Mexico and I studied the sign there and I got in love with their culture and their folkloric traditions of Mexico. Because when you do, when, when you live in being a border, it's kind of like a weird culture. It's kind of like the double culture you don't get to have like the, the, the, the full chloric tradition of, of the central Mexico. And you don't get to have like the, the America. And so it's like, you know, so like, it's, it's, it's a very interesting place because there is a lot of traveling, especially people that wants to move to, to America and people that comes from south America.
You know, the sad thing about it is that a lot of people don't make it to, to cross the river because that's the, where they pass and it's pretty dangerous people, or they'd send it back or stay there. And they already put a lot of effort and money and they into get there that when they get back, they stay in quarters and like homeless and which is what are the things that
With. And he is always in your face all the time. Oh gosh. Yeah. Wow. Wow. Yeah. So how did that affect you as a human being on a psychological level and you know, your pathway for life, then you, did you want to make a stand in some way to make a change or did it enrage you? Like how, how was that for you emotionally,
Emotionally? I think I really, I always grow with, with like seeing all these and like, what is it that the people, what is, is like very, very lovable and is very kind, but also in the other side, like, because he's a border, there is a lot of like the, the cartels and all that stuff that it's kind of like crazy. So it's a scary in a way. So
Yeah,
It's kind of like that. So to me growing up, I never see myself like living my life. There never seems since kids, I always wanted to get out. And when I have the opportunity I data like, and also like one of the things that I always wanted to do is being an artist. And, and Since the, since, since forever, I wasn't good at school. Yeah. I wasn't good at school at all. I always doodling doing all stuff
And I was going, I was being sent to detention. I was like, I don't public school. I belong in an art school. I would get in trouble and I would just be doodling. Cause I'd be so bored with like, you know what I mean? Yeah. So you, you started off doodling your
Yeah. Like my mom still have like a beside nights. I couldn't like, I suffer from insomnia. So at nice. I don't know if it has like the blankets in my bed, all doodle, because I was like drawing them on, on my, on the blankets and like suddenly making like a CD with characters and there where like, what have you been doing? Like European draw. like, no, no, no. And I always told my mom and I picked LA. I wanted to go to classes to, to, to, to that are art classes or painting.
And it's very difficult in a way doing that over there because the culture is, is like, you have to be a lawyer or a doctor, you know? And like, they never give me that supportive, but instead like they put me because I was like super hyper kid also, and I was alone. Yeah. So they always putting me in, in, in like football or karate or swimming, I assume since yeah.
Cross country runner.
Yeah. I was swimming in the Olympic pool from, from when I was eight to probably 18 or 19. When I left to go to her, I stopped like swimming, but it wasn't the equator. And then the team and swimming every day for every day, two hours a day, every day,
So good for the body. So good. So through your education and your degrees out, what are your degrees in your education?
So I, I, I did like, kinda like a diploma thing, like a chore before going to, to study the, the, my career. So I did this. I always be being very independent. So I wanted to work when I doing something that I really love. And I work in, in like, like area, like everyone in, in, in, in, in small stores and stuff like that. But I wanted to do something that was related to art. So I did this, like, what is it called? Like a diploma degree, small for doing like graphic design for, for a year, while I was working, I was studying also a high school.
So I graduated from that little thing. And then I started like at the time, like I can do a little bit of graphic design. So I, I started doing like flyers for any of the same time. I was doing music events of like, kind of like a rapes in quiet. It's like building the community of,
I grew up going to underground parties in Detroit before DJs were popular in Western civilization. I mean, I have some really cool DJ stories, best DJs from around the world, you know, all the best DJs from around the world, they would come to you. You'd be like right there with all the DJs. Cool. You were the one I, yo I have a box. I still have, I have two shoe boxes full of flyers and they were the coolest flyers one, but one of them was actually that purple color on the screen for, for the listener. Who's listening. If you pop over to the sophisticated psychos, YouTube channel, you'll be able to see the visual of what we're doing. And Carlos has an amazing graphic design that he created as his backdrop.
It's so cool. I need him to do one for me and it, and it can be tagged and I'll tell everyone, yeah, that's my boy. Carlos, you got to go check it out. But it's called, I think it was called like F the system. I think it was called F the system. And it was like all the DJ lineup. And it was like, purple. It was one of my favorite parties, but yo, I kept all those flyers. I have them in two shoe boxes. I'm not kidding those ones. You, oh my God.
I was doing it like that. And in 19 97, 19 98, 19 99.
Yeah. That's when I was going to parties. Hello. So, I mean, just cause it was back then, how much did you get paid for those flyers?
Nothing. Probably like a little bit like that. Yeah. But I was used to bring like, when we used to bring like big names, like John with bollocking for, to, to put like, no for like people that don't know, know, like the story is like crazy. Like how like it Mexico, a crazy town in small town, all those digits when it's to come over there and, and we make the greatest parties and have a lot of fun. And what's crazy.
My very first tour, I was a dancer for area one. It was an area one. Do you remember area one? And I, I was the sole dancer for Paul Oakenfold. I met his childhood friend and photographer grant Fleming from London. And they saw me in Detroit at, at the party. And I went backstage and I met Paul. We were in the trailer and I was with my girlfriend, Christina. very Greek from Greece. Anyway, we were there and they're like, yeah, come. And the next day we're going to Chicago. And then, and then they flew me to LA and I was, I was his dancer in the middle of his shell. Paul Oakenfold when I was at,
Yeah, we were pretty young and we were pretty young and, and the truck has the best house music and like, yeah.
Yup. Babylon bill from Chicago met them when I was 17 years old, I went to Chicago. I knew he was going to be there. That's why I went. And I just, we befriended one another and I've just been along his journey ever since. And I want to collaborate and do something. We haven't done something yet, but maybe, maybe we could do something where he does the music and I curated it. And you do the art on an NFT. Would that be cool?
That'd be amazing. Imagine
With the best house DJ in the world, bad boy, bill bullies.
I'm really into some great memories. So anyway, so I was doing bad. So I went to to study. I studied design, which it's in, in a G-Suite college, a private college. And I'm going to tell you a little bit back. So my parents didn't didn't didn't help me to, to, or yeah, it's kinda like they don't have the money to, to put me in a, in a private school in ma, especially in Mexico is like super hard and you don't, you don't have, so I was like, I'm going to go and, and, and I'm going to pursue this dream. So I went there, I apply, they accepted, but then I have to do something.
So the good thing is that I, I, I, I was a designer graphic designer. Well, I can do so I pay all my college there, graduate from the college as a designer, which is interior design, graphic design, industrial design, very specialized in graphics. So right after I graduate my wife, now, my wife got pregnant. So I'm graduating with my wife, with a Bailey and then no money. And then with adapting to college still adapt in college because I was like, in Mexico, it's like even harder because it's super expensive.
And
The system, the systems that's falling apart, that doesn't work.
Yeah, exactly, exactly. So it was pretty dark. So what I did is like, at the time I publish a magazine, a magazine that was publishing in Mexico, Monterrey in three different parts and in Tijuana. So yeah. So I know there's
A digital magazine. So it was,
It was pretty fun because it was a print magazine, but it was one poster and it was folded into a square. I probably have it. Some, I probably covered it there I'll show you later. So in these, in these magazine, you will open it and unfolding it like this, but it was like, or like design in a way where it was like, the idea was like, oh, well how, how the, the, the, the web works, right? Like you move to hit the here and then you move it down. So you open it like this, and then you put it down and then you're opening and opening until, and it was the idea of like, oh, the web works like that more. We have to make a kind, kinda like a magazine that is not like, like the, like you just read like that.
And you have to really like that. But also Exactly. So when, when we, that I started biting another designers and artists that now are pretty well known and, and to create the poster. So the incentive is like, you have a magazine, but also you have a piece of art in the back. You have like, I don't know, like, are these, like, let me bring you someone that is a decider, Joshua Davis, you know, if you know, it's, it's a well-known designer right now, it's in the Crypto. Then also he has done a lot of crazy art with, so he can read like back in the day, he created this code in flash in, in AASP where the algorithm creates a support.
So back in the days, it was super revolutionary. Like we're talking about 2003, four, something like that, where flashlights like flight, she was like, the thing for animation, you know,
Send me his profile by now he's work or not.
She, she, she does now, also in FTEs. And he has worked for, for a lot of, with DJs health too. So he's somebody that so, well, we have these fees, but the time that magazine was him giving me like the, the financial instability that I needed to, to survive with my wife and my new upcoming baby. So I talked with, with my wife, and then we, we say like, let's go back to El Paso. Let's, let's see if you get a job over there while you make publishing the magazine and our baby born in America, in various states.
So, okay. Let's do it. So we move, they rent a house over there. They ever got a job while I was over there and I was keeping doing the magazine, but I got to the point where all, all, all my earnings start, like going in leaving and I'm like 13, anything. So one of my biggest dream was to come to LA and be a work as a designer and artist. So my daughter born,
I was going to say, so, did you, did you just snap your fingers? And all of a sudden he started working at FOX,
All, something like that. Right. So if it's still known as story, we can try it, but I'm going to continue like chronological. So you know where we started with.
Definitely, definitely. It's all about the journey.
Exactly. That's, that's not the most interesting part. I love it.
We're going to get there. Okay. That's where we're going. We're just giving you the psychological journey, because the why and how is so important. It's so important to understand the processes, the individual artists, because we all have our own journey, you know? So it's like zero to hero a, to Z. So yes, please continue.
And sometimes you do think like, how did he do it? How, where is he? Why is he did it? Because he, they didn't see the work that it took to, to, to take their,
And so many people leave that out. You know, some people just get to, like, they just like cut and dry and they leave that part out. But she's all over the place. That's what it's about. It's about doing the unexpected and dive deeply into things that are unknown. So yes. Okay. The floor is yours for the mic.
Yeah. Thank you. So we talk, my wife and I, my daughter born, and I'm having like the most anxiety in my life, you know, like I have a lot of responsibility. I don't have money and the money is going and I don't have anyone to support me whatsoever, or I'm crying or I'm starting like, and I kind of adapting school. So, or I start doing something like your radical, that changed my life completely. Or I'm going to go into the whole, like, or I'm going to ending just working for McDonald's or something, or I dunno, a clothing store or something like
That
Forever. Yeah. So we, we, we, she said like, okay, I let's do it, save this money, take it with you. And I'm going to my mom's house, which by the way, we're not from the same from the same city. So she's from, she's from Topeka, which is in the Gulf and I'm from the north north with the board. So I'm going to end. That was like a, a huge thing to me. Like now I'm going to go to LA. I don't have anyone over there. I have a little bit of money. I don't know anyone, the internet, wasn't the internet that we live in right now.
The iPhone doesn't exist at the time. So I, I have a map in my hands. I have places that I wanted to work. I listed out, I fill out my, my trunk full of food and I'm going into a drive with, with, with a huge dream. And the biggest dream was to something there in order to bring my family with me, you know? And because I don't want, I don't want to, I don't want to be like a lot of people that goes there and then it takes one year, it takes two years. And then they're just sending money to Mexico and supporting their family. And then, you know, so that, for
Me, we're talking about the two thousands,
2000, 2006,
How long were you separated for
Things? God, we were separated for a month and a half. Wow.
Lucky you. I was going to say, I was like, oh, that would have been heart-wrenching. That probably felt like three years.
Yeah, no. Yeah. It was so I'm driving and I'm like scare a F you know, like I'm super scared because I don't know where I'm going. I know that my English is not the best, but I know that I can, I can pass and communicate in a way. And I know that I have a back background in, in design, and I know that I can, I can offer something, right. So I can offer at least something, eh, and it's better to, to go forward and do it than wonder. So I went, I, I, I'm going to take a charter. I slept in my, in my car. There were days where I, where I, where I literally jumped into apartments to dive into a pool and take a shower, Carla, and then go into my car again and then go to McDonald's in 2007, 2006 or seven.
Oh my God. I wish I knew you. I wish I knew you. I would have like, given you a place to live. I was in LA like nonstop then.
Well, things happen for a reason and we know each other now and we have a better plan to in and much better. And I love those because I love all these. And I will do it again because it builds me in a way completely. And like, my backstory is from Gaydon to young age and doing all that stuff helped me a lot. And seeing like what I see in my, in my hometown, she helped me to overcome all the fears that I have and being disappointed with my, even if my parents didn't put me into art, they give me doing a very disciplined, disciplined person and very metallic. I was going everyday to, to like all those things.
I was going everyday to, to swimming. I never, even if the school was the worst and I went to different schools because that thing keeps me in focus all the time. So that helped me to, to overcome all those things. And then I taught my first job, which is, which is the best thing. But the basic is that I have that job. But the worst thing is that they pay me like nothing. Like I couldn't live here. So I go for a job. I said, give me a designer. And I'm like, no, I'm going to bring my wife. And then I'm start checking in how much they apartments are. And then they like operate. We went two bedrooms, apartment, one bedroom, a studio, kind of like a lot, like super as well that I can afford, you know, I can bring them.
So I live in, in, in, in a motel for a couple days, and then I bring them and they will live in a, in a hotel, in a hotel for weeks. And then I got my first studio that I can afford Culver city, Culver city. And then, because I got a job in, in, in my, another re
Marina Del Ray, I've lived there. Yeah. Right on the water. Had a condo there. Yeah. My friend had a condo there and yeah. I lived there for awhile.
I love, I love, I love my Andrei is one of my favorites. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, it was like, that's all then while I was there, keep working. And then I moved to another, another agency. And then,
So you got her, you got representation as an artist. You got with an agency,
Not agency, like, like, like a studio agency where for work. Okay. But then, then I got an agent to, to, to, to bring me projects. So I got not the first one. Then I got the second one and then I got an agency that keeps me bring me projects. And it gives me for the next, for the next adventure or on another.
And you have an agent representing you
Later on, like after I, I was in my first, probably my first, my first job was for a year and that in then I moved to another place for another year. And then from there I started freelancing in different places. I freelance for Univera itself for these names for Sony Paramount. I was working as a freelancer going there for months and then leaving. And then I got, I got into another studio working there. And then what happened is that the, the, the development, the, the economy, God, the devaluation of the, in, in the 2010, there was like a, like a lot of Studios broke and, and it was like the economy wasn't really good.
Maybe something like that in this,
You remember the writer's strike and the whole business flippy floppy, broke out.
So I got laid off. Then
I laid off. So many people got laid off. Oh my gosh, it was very difficult.
It was a very difficult year
For a lot of people
I'm freelancing. And then I got a call from, from FOX. And at the time they found me, I got a call and they told me that one of their directors needs to. So by then I already have an art director. So I was working as an art director in all these places. So I got the call from, from, from parks. And then I'm like, okay, for a week, it's called, let's do it. So I'm going there. And only as a designer, a center director, but I only design no animation and motion graphics. And then I'm like, just Designer. I got bored. And I talked with, with a, with a producer, you know what? I can do animation. I can do motion graphics. I can do everything.
Like, let's relieve whatever She told me, like, okay. And then they told me, so my, my, my play for a week was done. And then I left. I was in an agency and then working in another agency, like a marketing agency for, for movies, for marketing movies. And I'm there. And then I'm not doing anything. I'm just like wasting my time there, but they're paying me for, for a couple of weeks. And then I got a game, the call from FOX. And then can you come again for, for, for another week? And then I'm like, oh, but I'm working here, but let me see. And I'm like, yes, over there.
I do design. I do, I work, I do my stuff, but I need to talk with these people about that, that I, that I have to leave. So I talked to them like, you know what I have, I have to leave. And they told me like, no, there, the project is coming. It's coming tomorrow. And then I'm like, sorry, I can, I can stay. I already stay here for almost a week and I haven't done anything and you're paying me, you're paying me. So there, you guys are paying me and it's not fair for you. It is not fair for me. So I'm going to, I'm going to move on and I'm going to pursue something that I was looking for. So from a week, it's been 10 years now.
Wow. Another extent week, I've been 10 years now working for FOX.
Yeah. A decade. Congratulations. Wow. Smart work. Hard work pays off kudos to you, but it sounded like, you know, from the beginning of your journey of like not being able to afford to go to the college, and then you talk into the college and then doing an energetic exchange, you took leaders and then you were in a circumstance with your wife and the baby. So then you took another risk. So you're such a leader by taking such great risks. You know, like of course you're going to be working. And someone from Fox is going to reach to you and, and want to honor and partake in, I mean, you're talented. Oh my God. Everyone is going to be in the show. Notes is the website, the Instagram, all of Carlos is social media.
So make sure you follow him on every single platform. And the thing about what I, what I just like was just my mind as a, as a, as a spirit colorful human being, I was, I was just like, My mind was just like, oh, like it's so colorful and vibrant and everything that would excite a human that gets them. It's like the rainbow. It's like, ah, like all the colors are so vibrant. All the artwork it's so unique and so detailed. I mean, no wonder why like your artwork. I mean, your artwork speaks for yourself, but it's who you are and your soul. And you put all that into your work and it, you get transmute energetically.
You can definitely pick it up and feel the vibes, but thank you for your talent in sharing some of your story with us. This is amazing. This is so
Really appreciate. And okay, so I'm going to, I'm going to take you to another trip, how I start doing what I do right now.
Can you give me, can, can I cut corners real quick? Yes. Cause a lot, a lot of times now I know I have to sign an NDA for everything. So is there anything in the past that you can talk about? Like a couple, a couple like, oh, I did this, I worked on this, I worked on that. That we can share something that you're proud of. You're like, oh yeah, I worked on that. That was super cool. Well
Done. So many things that I really like in the different places, one project that I have working so many things, I said, there's a designer. Yeah,
No problem.
Well, I have, I have one for different different movies. One movie that I remember the most, because it was so, so like, like a special moment in time where I just come here, I'm immersive with so many talents and, and it is a great story because now I talk about this a year, two years ago with, with, with, with the person. So I'm clear working for this for the Simpsons movie. One of the, like one of my favorites and I got to work with that directly, directly and indirectly with Matt groaning and the firsthand that draws all the Simpsons.
Okay. The right hand that does all the, the, the drawings and like approves all the, the colors and everything. So I'm working with, with this agency does all the marketing and we're doing all the marketing for the SIM center. And I got to talk with him few times and everything. And, and it was an amazing experience and back and forth and things like that were where you get, like, you get to know the person on the cowl, how they work and how perfect they work and submit the Arctic. And it's crazy. It's crazy.
But it's a place to
Exactly.
So respected the, the, the, the art of it and the discipline, like you said, like those, those are your people because of the discipline.
So I'm flies by years passes. And then he works on FOX. He works for FOX. He'd still there. And later that year stars, I'm like, I met him in person and we worked together. Now we work together in FOX. So we were thinking like, you remember when this happened? And, and when I was in this agency and it's like a weird, weird thing, because the, the, the it's a small world, you know, it's, it's not world because eventually you get to work in, in things that you never thought. And then you're talking with people that you never thought you were going to be talking. And then eventually you're, you're again, like connected again In it's. It's, that's one of my favorite things about being here and experiencing this, these things.
And then where you talking about it was Matt or the other guy, the guy
Julius, Julius. Pray. Peter's just pray. It's I don't, I don't know how to pronounce Julius. Julius. You're just printing.
Not on everything, man. The Simpsons. Yeah. So cool. Yeah. It's so cool. It's like, it's like, it's so you're so disconnected and then you're connected and then you get closer and closer and then you're connected. And then, and then you're having dinners together on Friday night and it's like, and it's like, once yeah. People think it's so big, but you're outside of the fishbowl, but then once you're inside, it's like, oh, it's like, you're then you're in the fishbowl. And then you're like looking out. But like, once you're in the fishbowl, it's like, everyone's interconnected. Yeah. It's very small. People think it's so big, but it's, it's actually very small. And then you're talented. You're reliable. You have your story of your ethics, your morals, your values, your, your work ethic, your discipline that you mentioned. And then they, it's a, it's a rapport and they trust you and they call you back and they know you're the go-to person.
Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's amazing. It's amazing. How, how things, how things circulate and all depends on. Yeah. Like you said, like on the work and you put in how dedicated you are and how yeah. Dedicated. And I love what I do. And, and I put all my efforts into it and
Yeah. And then you mentioned before I shaped, shifted this conversation, you were going to tell like a really cool story. Did you want to share that?
Okay. Seven years ago, that's another big breaking point for me. Kind of like when, when I, when I came here, I decide the, okay, now I'm going to pursue my dream. Like my real dream. I'm already put all the energy into, into design. I love design and everything, but it's not like my full passion. It's like something that I study because it's related to, to, to in a way art, but, but in a different way. So, and that's why I studied design because I was like, okay, my parents don't support me. And they told me like, all the time that this is not a career like doing
Financially, or they didn't support you on an
Ecological and financially,
They didn't know how to say
Hi. Like they didn't know how, like it's culture,
The real on. It's like something you had to explain and draining. Yeah, I get it.
We want to work. So you're going to graduate. What are you going to do? Like, you're going to paint.
And so many artists, we want that emotional, psychological support from our parents, but they just, and it's like one foot in one foot out. And it just, it pains us every single time because we don't, we don't, we want their approval, but they don't know how to give it to us.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So I started the sign, which I think was the best decision I could make. So I'm, I'm like reflecting on, what am I wanting to do? Like in the future, like, I'm thinking about 10, 15, 20, 30 years, 40, and I never want to retire. I want it to keep my legacy until I die. So I'm like, I'm not, I love doing design, but I, I, I don't want to live my life doing that and eventually work for someone and then get laid off and, and
Was someone else's dream build someone else's dream. You want to build your own empire, your own legacy. Totally. I feel, yeah. I love, I love your foresight 20, 30, 40 years from now. So the listener, the viewer, I mean, listen to the psychological strategy of like, looking ahead, 20, 30, 40 years from now, like, this is magnificent.
So I talk with my wife and we did this decision of I'm going to open my studio. I'm going to continue working on, on FOX because there's going to bring me money, but I'm going to invest in, in, in building my dream. I don't want to do painting because I think there's so many good artists that paint and does it like beautiful and better than me, but I want to create something different, something unique that blends in between animation and art. So I went into, so I, I cut all the TV. Like I don't, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna spend in different things so I can have that money.
I'm not gonna buy anymore. Or the other car I'm going to finish paying my car. You're still, I'm going to cut all the, the phones I'm going to not have TVs. So we're going to leave as basic as possible in order to support these four, to see if, if it works and, and, and Cabot a different adventure. Because I'm thinking about in the future years, you know,
When you do that, when you cut the inflammation, when you stick to the core of the basics, which in life is all we need is the basics. You actually, you starve and you get closer to that, that hunger of the dream of what you desire. And it helps. It feeds you when, when you can say no, because like energetically on a psychological level, you're saving yourself time and stress and all these other things outside of yourself. Can you just simplify by saying no? And you, you're closer to the bullseye target. I love this. Anyone listening can totally learn from this. I feel, yeah. I had to unhook from so many things that were just a distraction. And I spent this year just really just unhooking from people on a psychological level, even the closest people to me, like so hard, psychological level, and being more of a minimalist.
I've been practicing that since 2012 being a minimalist in an honoring that art. So please continue. This is,
Yeah. And, and it gets tough when, when you have kids, then when you have already just stopped her a little tougher, because there's so many things that you need to take in to consideration. And thanks to my wife that supports me and helped me to, to, to like, make this transition and, and, and
So nurturing, you know, and supportive of you and your future family. That's awesome. Like, you know, she's the backbone of it. All right. That the energetic goodness. Yes.
Yeah. So I opened my studio, eh, six years, seven years ago. And then I started like, okay, I need to change everything. The way that I used to think an our thinking our thing is a sculpture is in, in a traditional way to make it a new media way. So I started like playing with laser card. Like I also like carpentry. So I like, I like wood and I start like building stuff now in my studio. So I spent till now, I think I spent every weekend, every holiday, every, when people it's, it's having fun.
I mean, my studio, that's where I have fun. I don't watch TV. I don't watch anything. I just focus on, on my, on my dream. And, and that's been paid off. Like I started building now I will start playing like there with, with projections. And I started buying like equipment and I started buying like things that I needed to, to in order to, to make my work. I started buying screen led screens and everything. So I started putting that creating and building sculptures with, with, with screens. And, and you seen 3d print, you see laser cutting, losing. You're seeing my tools to, to do carpentry and building building.
And now I create, it's like blending between the physical and digital art doing installation.
And to break it down to Thank you. And then to, to break it down, you took actionable steps and you invested in yourself, you invested in your dream, you invested in your artists. Cause I spent a lot of my years as a youngster, I thought someone else was going to, I was going to get an investor. I was going to get a venture VC. I was going to get someone to invest in me. And I went around so long being extroverted, meeting all these multi billionaires and millionaires and all these guys and all these people, wanting them to invest in me. None of it, none of it, one person, maybe one time through all the fricking years 30, they just want a good time. They want you around blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But when I started taking actionable steps and started like saying no to those things, and I invested in myself, I took actionable steps.
Even if it's one step, if it's one penny one coin, or it doesn't even have to be money, if it's just your time and that you're, you're investing your time into yourself, not selfish sleep, but for self-love like all those things you went and got this, you went and got this, all those things that you went and got like, look at your journey. You shared with us to be able to get those things, to purchase those things, but then you reinvest it on an energetic, psychological level, financial level. You reinvested all that for the next 40 years of your life. So I mean, w what the viewer here, the listener, I mean, these, this is just a beautiful journey that you're sharing with us. Thank you to take actionable steps now. Like, it doesn't matter how old or young you are, like knowing is going to invest in you as much as you.
So this is very, very important. And you learned this at a very young age, so thank you. Thank you for sharing that.
No, thank you. And yeah, I think you, you understand and appreciate all those things and those sacrifices and, and it takes, it takes a lot of effort for winning a little bit of things, and it takes years to overcome and, and, and being it's it's, it's, it's, it's a journey and you have to love that journey. You have to be like, yeah, you have to embrace that journey. And things don't happen in a, in a, in a, in a, in one day, two days in a month, two months, a year, things happen for a reason, but it takes years of, of, of putting the time and then putting the so
Path. I mean, you're in, you're excited, your ambition ambitious. You want it to happen now, but, and you're so excited and you want to bring people on board and they want you, you want them to be a part of what you're doing, because you know, you have good ethics, morals, and values, values. You know, you're going to put amazing art into the world, but that's, that's your flame and your fire that keeps you going through the journey. Like you said, it's not going to happen overnight, but when things do happen overnight, it's because you've invested all those times and taking those steps to make it happen, dreams into action.
Exactly. And then you start to making decisions and who you want to be around too. Like a lot of people, like you started being like more picky and, and things, and then more methodic and more. Yeah. So yeah, it's been, it's been a, it's been a journey. It's been beautiful. I wouldn't change anything. I probably make a, will probably make a better decision in things if I know that I have to, but since everything is so new and everything, it's just experimenting. I think it's beautiful. Everything. I will do it again and three times.
Very cool. Very cool. Cool. So, so let's pivot. So now you are officially an NFT artists, and not only are you an NFC artist, but you've sold like a lot of your work on nifty gateway. So explain that process as a NFT artist,
I've got to tell you a little bit of the background to take it to the, to the NFT. I'm doing my art and galleries. art fairs here in LA and Miami are everywhere.
Cool art galleries and digital and physical. Are we just talking about physical right now,
Physical and then digital to plaque. I did a few beer. We were told galleries to in, in Santa Fe and then like here in LA or another very tall, that just happened last year in November. So, but from 2018, probably 17, I've been doing all physical galleries and everything, meeting people, meeting galleries, connecting with collectors and stuff like that. So I'm moving my stuff. And also like, it's it's for me.
And probably for every digital artists was in a way hard to get into, into, into, into galleries, especially, especially because they were thinking like, okay, I need, we don't want technology in bowl, because if we thinking about the future, like if these broads or the, and I'm having like, like, think about this, like the same way of people restores art restoration of art in the future, there's going to be a restoration of technology is going to be quite the same. And the most important is the data that lives in it. So I'm convincing everyone and then chairing my, my, my, my ideas and everything with every that investing tool, like going into the different channels and, and putting my, my installations and stuff like that.
So meeting people was the best. And I got to the point where last year I got canceled three installations here in LA and one in Santa Fe. And I'm like to the COVID to COVID. And I'm thinking like, oh my God, like this year, everything that I embed, everything that I, that I put what is going to happen, like I'm going to put it on weight. My student's going to be on weight for, and I'm going to keep paying for, for, for, for these, I got introduced in the Crypto art, like in NFT in 2000, 19, 18 or 19, I remember with Crypto punks and with the gallery, the Cassie gallery that they, they, they promote.
And they, they were selling the crypto, the crypto punks. And then we talk with, I meet them. They, they shared their stories and I'm like blown away with the, with how, how the, the NFT and quick color works. And I'm like, yes, this is the thing that this is the, what, what, like what, what, what would I have these dreams just kind of organically happened? That all those installations didn't happen. I got an invitation to, to, to do a project with Mel Wolf. I don't know if you know them well, Wolf, it's a, it's a museum that does interactive experiential it's incentive pay.
They open one in another, in Las Vegas, and they are opening up another in Denver is very well known.
The Lincoln I'll put it in the show notes. So the viewer and the listener can definitely check it out.
Yes. So I got an invitation to do. They, they, they were invited to, to do a piece for burning man, very tall. So they, they do, they do like the burning man veer tall, where you have the avatar, you go inside, you go to places you enjoy with the music. And, you know, and a male Wolf has their own installation, a cathedral, a cathedral. And inside the cathedral, you go inside and invite for four artists that are digital artists to create their, their room. So I was super happy for that invitation when we make it work.
And then suddenly I got a call from, from insect collector curator galleries that also met him before, but also works with a nifty gateway. And when I, when, when first I show him my work, he was like, oh, this is really cool. He likes it and everything, but he didn't solve where that can feed my work in that time. But when nifty came out, she was like, oh, this guy's perfect for, for, for that. So I got the invitation, we did their eye drop. And that was like, for some reason, all the work that I did before landing to, to, to this, to this time.
And then we did that, we did the first drop and it was at success and sold out.
That's so cool. That's so cool. And then for M NiFi gateway, which wallet do you
Use
That for? Yeah, I use Mehta mass few. So I just, as you know, I did my first job on open. See I was going to do rebel, but I did open sea, so
Great. Yeah. It's, it's one of the best, I, I think you did a great job there and picking. They're also amazing. I don't know about rateable. I'd probably read them all. I don't know if, if I think if you're, you're in open, see your perfect stitch stick there and you're you have the opportunity to go to foundation eventually? Well, let's do a foundation. I got, I got an invitation. I haven't dropped anything, but maybe we can do something together and drop something in inundation.
Okay, cool. Cool. And then, you know, you know, Emerson, right? Yeah. So he just his peace today. I think he just dropped too. Yeah. And an art collector found him and bought one of his pieces for like 300,000 a few days ago. And then he just, that was his first one. And then he just dropped another one. Oh my God.
You see, it's crazy. I love that. I love the, what is happening right now. We living in a, in the perfect time, in the perfect moment, our success, a digital artist will be putting digital art for 10, 15 years. Just for the sake of doing it. I used to do art and just like, just to create conversation, just do, to show my art to, to, to the world and great conversation in flicker when flicker was the thing is my space, my space. What's the thing.
I get an email every once in a while. I have photos like on flicker.
I have, I probably well limited just because
Yeah, it's funny. Yeah. I mean, your colors are just amazing. Oh my God. It's so good. It's so it's so my spirit, I just I'm obsessed, but let's do it. Like I, growing up in the, you know, the Detroit EDM world, I make beats, I produce electronic beats, like, you know, in Ableton, that's the software I use and that YouTube.
Yeah. I have a, an APC 40, and then I can, I get to Ableton and then audition. And I create my, and then I record some, some birds, some natural things. And then I distorted a little bit. And then I create like, yeah, I love it. I love it. But I love also like listening to other people because it gives some like for my next job, I am doing this collaboration with a guy that I like, because it gives you another, another exactly
Energetic port, all it's like, and then in the collection, do you know how many pieces you two are doing together?
And this collection that is coming just one piece that is a physical digital NFT. Yeah. And then I have another collaboration with 3d artists too, that we're doing like, like this environment together, all the innovation together, we just sharing, sharing files and stuff and, and creating something.
And then for my everyday I do voiceovers. So like, if you're doing like an animation thing and you need like a cartoon, Katie, like a cartoon voice, a voice over for the piece, right. I'm releasing the whole collection from a lover's Fairytale, my new poetry book, which is available on Amazon. So that's poetry coupled with the original Polaroid that was discontinued in 2001. So it's super rare, limited edition. And it's, I'm the first official artist to drop. It's a revolutionary moment to actually drop a poem on love, coupled with the original Polaroid. So it's going to be 11 separate NFTs, but as a collection, and then I'm going to do another collection of, of just voices.
Since I do voiceover,
That's amazing how excited you are. I'm so excited. I'm just going to feel, so it feels like to explore to know happiness. Yes. I feel you
It's like who I am and how I think, like, everyone's just so linear with one thing. And I'm like art on art, on art and I can curate, and I know how to curate certain things and like put them together. So I feel like now it's like the world's finally catching up to like, what's already been going on here. And I bet I'm sure you feel the same way as well, right?
No, absolutely. Yeah. Where, where I'm fire
And we're really little legendary artists. Very cool. Very cool. So yeah. Yo Nikki Scorpio, I don't know if I sent you his Instagram, I'll send you his Instagram, but all of his beats that he makes, we make music together under the sophisticated cycles and also our production of, you know, videos and things we do. But yeah, we'll, we'll talk and we'll do like a, a beautiful connection and collaboration together on nifty gateway or, you know?
Yeah,
Yeah. We could do,
I haven't, I haven't done anything in foundation and I wanted to try, I want it to mean something there. So there'll be something cool to do.
They're good for me.
Yeah. I love foundation because it's in, in, in it's through invitation, we choose the people that, that goes into it's like, I want this guy or this person to be in there. And he's not like a, probably like a super rare or nifty that he's like, it's only curated and that's it. And they're like super strict. And, and my father is like, I don't know, like, it's not like mental or other. His daddy is hard to see, to see where, where you are. Like the traffic is not so traffic. It's like, you know?
Yeah. So I think that the open sea or, or foundation will be great.
Okay. And then did you hear about Tron TROs, Tron Tron? So, you know, Lindsay Lohan, she sold a piece for,
And then it flips
Right away for 56,000 or 57,000. Well, I was just on clubhouse with her the other day in an NFT room. Oh my God. To six in the morning to Friday morning, but I was kind of 300 people. I was on the panel for hours. I just, we were just looking at the community, talking and stuff like that, and Lindsay was on. And so she's going to be, she did, but she's doing a bunch more and she's doing it with Justin who owns Tron and its Tron foundation on Instagram. But it's free for the, for the artists and for the talent for the person to put it on Tron. There's no gas fees. So like some other places, you know, for people who don't know, there's something called gas fees, but on open, see, you don't pay the gas fee and on Tron, you don't pay the gas fee.
So I wanted to release some, a collection. I'm going to release a collection on there. We have, we have couples therapy. It's a web series I created during the pandemic. So I'm going to release in there five to eight minute episodes. So I'm going to release all of season one. There's eight episodes. I'm going to release that on Tron. And then we're about to season. Two's about to go on the sophisticated cycles, YouTube channel. And then we already shot season three, but I curated and produced all of that. Not through the union sag union. I did this, did it as an improv actor. Cause I didn't want to jump through hoops of having other people involved. So I did what you, what you're doing, minimize, minimizing all the tangles and all the loopholes.
So no one can say anything except for me and the person. I created it with my partner, Niki Scorpio. So it's like, I can go put these on Tron and I don't have to worry about music rights because we did all the music. I produced it, we edited it, like all that stuff. So that's the cool thing about doing it as a collaborative collective and bringing power to the artists and back to the humanity, to the humans, getting rid of the banking system, getting rid of all the passwords. It's such a headache. It's like 47 passwords. You don't have to remember passwords. Cause you just, you log in with your S E E D seed phrase. You're the only one to know it. You don't take a photo of it anywhere ever. You don't take a photo of it it's you have to memorize it. And then you have your seed phrase.
And then when you go to like buy something, if you're going to buy you just click and that's your signature to click it. It's just, it's so much better in the new world. And it's so exciting because I'm an empath. And as an artist, like for me to like, and I'm like, I've never been diagnosed like ADHD. Cause because there's no test you could do for it. I've been to doctors. I've had my MRI brain scan. I did like all these scans and to find out like, is my blood flow good? Am I, is the oxygen level in my brain? Good because I have like 17 different things going on and I see it zero to hero, but it's called the Putnam theory, Hilary Putnam he's from Chicago. And he passed away a few years ago. But the Putnam theory is you have these ideas in your mind and most people have these ideas.
So according to Dr. Joe Dispenza, we have 60 to 70,000 thoughts per day. And 90% of those thoughts are the same thoughts. 90% of those thoughts are negative. So you're firing and wiring firing wiring, these negative thoughts. Well in the NFT world and being artists, we, you know, we we're like, we're always like creating new ideas and saying yes, so we're firing and wiring explorations of goodness. But we have to learn to unfired and unwire the psychological trauma generational trauma. What we were taught, the old, the old energetic grids that just collapsed during the pandemic. Cause they weren't working, which was a detoxification on a psychological, physical environmental level for the planet because the planet is a beast and it's so sensitive, but it heals itself.
And so if you see one big rock with will Smith, oh my God. It's on Netflix. One FA one big rock is amazing, but circling back around. We were talking about the seed phrase we were talking about. What were we talking about before I went off on Dr. Joe Dispenza,
The
Seed phrase and put it doing your signature, not remembering all the passwords, being a part of the new world. I lost it too bad. We can't rewind. Anyways. It'll come back to me.
It will, it will not. Cause I'm the same way. I'm the same way. And then I tried to do 50 times 50 things at the same time. And I'm like, this is that's it.
I was like, oh, I have these 17 train tracks going on. So the Hillary Putnam theory, you know, a man from Chicago, the Hillary Putnam theory is you have an idea and most people have an idea and then it just stays there. But to actually have those ideas, those thoughts go into a thought form, turns into these foam pads or this Michael or foam or this bracelet it materializes. So to have a thought, most people just keep it into the brain and they don't actually actualize, you know, dreams into actions, things we were talking about. Yeah. Yeah.
Well, yeah.
Hilary Putnam look up the Putnam thing.
I'm going to check because I'm like you all over the place,
But I'm the kind of person where I have an idea. I like Paul, I take action on it. Most people don't I'm
I have to, I have to like, to me, like even I, I, I struggled to sleep because I have to, and then I'm just, I'm not allowed to sleep. And then suddenly this idea came to me and I gotta go in and type it out or do it and then type it or drop my phone and then put it there and then I'll get, go, go, try to sleep. And then I'm like, just thinking into that idea again and then another, or I'm working on something and then I'm working on another thing. And then I'm working on another thing because there's just like flying and flying in here. They're like these things that I have to grab everywhere in order to like, if not, if not disappears that I don't, I don't never back.
Yeah. Chasing, chasing the excitement, you know, it's what we live for. You know, when people try to tell you not to do that, but it's like, you're disciplined in other areas. But when it comes to the creativity, like I was in Hong Kong when I wrote Juliet, it's the 11th piece in my book. And when I did Juliet, I was sleeping and I woke up. I just like my whole body just boom came up like that. I looked over, it was like 3, 3, 3 or something. It was like three something in the morning. And I just grabbed the pen and paper next to my hotel, nightstand bed. And I just wrote Juliet verbatim. Boom, boom, boom. And boom. It just, just like that. And that's how I wrote all my poetry pieces. It just came to me and you just have to like grab it while it comes through.
You might not be there in the morning. It won't be there.
Oh no, he won. He won there's there's there's seasons that it happened. Like I'm gonna, I'm gonna remind in the morning because I'm so tired already. Like my brain is not working, but I have this idea. I'm going to leave it in during the morning I wake up and what it was that it was so fantastic. I remember it, it was so fantastic. It was going to explore the world and he was going to be so where he said, I can't find it. Now that that part is not going to come back forever. And I was like, so frustrated now I learned that every time that those things happen, because it happens a couple times, you better put it on paper, you better do it. Something.
Even because if not, it's gone forever.
So wrapping up here for the NFT community, for people getting into the new space. That's so like next level people are hearing about it for the first time. What are some tips and wise words, encouragement that you can share with other fellow humans and artists to get into the spaces in a safe way.
I think, I think the safest way, and one of the good things about now is that we have different hubs, social media that you can use in your favor to credit community and use that as a, as an action and yeah. Build your community. Be present, keep, keep working on whatever your idea is and just make it happen. It can happen. You build
Your community on Instagram, anywhere
Else. Twitter is very good. I felt like I have Twitter since 2009, right? Oh, I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. So in December I went back, I went back because, because clubhouse, like I was obsessed with LFTs, but now I'm obsessed with NFT is a clubhouse in community. So when your community, if you have the opportunity to be in clubhouse, utilize that because all the entrepreneurs, all the collectors, all the artists that are interested in and are passionate about these technology and you need to utilize it and, and be there.
And have you put the folio in your Instagram, make conversations in Twitter, goal, communicating in, in, in a clubhouse and create your community and help others ask others. I think that's, that's the biggest tool. Yeah. If you want to get into, into NFT, that's the biggest tool right now to utilize, to succeed in, in, into an empty man. We are in a great time. I tell you again, like in the best time ever to do I change, like I'm so happy. I'm so humble. I have so much energy and me that I went to explode and I really, really, really looking forward for the next thing right now, which is decent in what is com.
So in the next week or two, let's do our first room together. We'll do a room together and clubhouse about NFTs and arts and will dislike, you know, have a conversation there and with people in the community that could be really cool. And yeah, that's really neat. And then I'm just wondering, like, what's one of your favorite hashtags on Instagram.
It's my favorite high stacks. And if the community Like, like, if you like this and you're interested, that's the best hashtag, but it's like to bring people with you and gravitation and, and keep the conversation.
Cool. Very cool. So, oh gosh. I mean, I'm going to say NFT community. I mean, that's my, that's my number one now. That's my one. That's my number one. For sure. I think I, and I see community as well. Yeah. And if, see artists, like I just changed my bio, like NFC artists, cause I'm like a fish chalet and MTA artists. I'm so proud. Thank you. And it's like doing something for the first time and to like coin it and own it. Literally. It's like, it's really, really empowering. And it's a really, like you said, it's an exciting time. Last words for anyone listening that you want to share on a NFT level, on a human level, as an artist, like any, as a father, family member, like anything you want to say less a quota, last words of wisdom.
I think don't get discouraged. If things don't come your way, like right away. And if you see like NFT or there's a trend right now, and you're thinking like this is going to change your life in, in, in a day or two days or in a week, it's like everything that you have a great tool, you have a great technology, but you need to do your work and the work it's making actions. And the only, the only way to make action is go on on outside connect, build your, build your community and, and do everything you can in your hands to succeeding to what you want
Due to great creations. Start there. So it's the inner work right? To, to bring out all the goodness. Cool. Cool. Thank you so much for joining us. And I would definitely love to have you back on in the near future and celebrate more of your artwork and your journey and your NFTs and everything. If you would definitely like to come back on in the near future. That'd be awesome,
Katie. It's my pleasure. I appreciate you. And thanks for inviting me. You are amazing and I love to be here with you and really appreciate.
Yeah. Cool. So thank you so much for listening to she's all over the place. Please subscribe. If you're not subscribing already and to buy thousands of followers. Thank you so much subscribers. I appreciate you for being here for showing up for being a part of my journey, honoring other humans and artists and you know, and making an impact in the world with ethics, morals, and values, and not selling out our dreams for the bigger, better deal or for the illusion of what could be staying true to who you are and, and being a part of the discovery of why we're here. So a couple of call to actions, I would definitely love for you to subscribe. Like I said, if you're not already definitely look at the links below, follow Carlos and check out his NFTs on If you gateway.
And definitely I just signed up for the Patrion recently. So there'll be a link in the show notes. So definitely like subscribe there and be a part of my community. And we'll see you next week. Love you so much. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you next time. Kyriaki, over and out.