Update March 2022
TL;DR – Each day for 100 days, I merge a poem & AI generated image into an NFT. This is the first ever NFT project to bring together poetry and AI generated digital art. All 100 NFTs are unique and all collectors of an NFT will also receive a free copy of the physical book containing all poems and images.
The most important links
1. To the NFT Collection: https://objkt.com/collection/KT1CKPaVUGBLEQCw7gpyrigNpwNfTe4W8S4Z
2. To the Instagram where you can see all poems and images: https://www.instagram.com/symbiosiscollection/
3. To the guide on how to buy an NFT: https://inspirationpub.com/how-to-buy-my-NFT
For the full story, please continue reading. I promise that you won’t be dissapointed!
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February 2022
Around one year ago I dipped my toes into the NFT space. Ever since, things escalated quickly… I bought sports moments, collected different types of digital art, and bred digital racing horses. Today, I am proud to announce the launch of my own first NFT collection: Symbiosis.
What does this mean?
- Yes, I will create my own NFTs.
- Yes, I will sell those NFTs.
- And no, I’m not doing this to make money, but because I want to create and share art.
If you are too curious to read the full description of this project and want to dive right in, then here is a link to the collection. If not, please continue to learn more!
So, what is this all about? Let me start with the factual explanation: I will write one poem a day for 100 days. I will also use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to create an image for each poem. The poem and image are then uploaded as an NFT. There will be 100 NFTs in total, 1 per day for 100 days in a row.
Now that was the practical (and somewhat boring) explanation… Let’s try this again, but this time I’ll explain it from an artistic and creative point of view to show you why I’m so excited about this project.
Symbiosis is a story about a surprising friendship between two artists, Maximus and Nova. Maximus is a human being who writes one poem a day to teach his robot friend Nova about life. In return, Nova uses artificial intelligence to generate an image for each poem. These two are then merged into one NFT.
This is the first ever NFT project to bring together poetry and AI generated digital art. To connect one of the oldest forms of art with one of the latest technological developments. At first sight, these two types of art could not be further apart. But when you think about it and when you look at the Symbiosis collection, you will see they are not that different.
Both poetry and AI art allow artists to use their own creativity and imagination to express themselves. With poetry, the writer is telling a story with words. With (this) AI art, the artist uses words to let an AI robot create a digital image. Both outputs are telling you a story, complementing each other such that one plus one equals three.
When you buy one of the 100 NFTs of the Symbiosis collection, you become the unique owner of that poem and image. You can tell your friends that you own a piece of a historical and experimental art collection. Digital ownership will also give you the right to use the poem and image commercially. And because it is an NFT, you can sell it again if you want.
“But wait, there is more!” (please read this sentence with the voice of a late-night infomercial)
All owners of a Symbiosis NFT will receive a physical copy of the book with all 100 poems and images, for free, when the collection is finished. This is another way in which the project is building a bridge between the old and new, between the physical and digital worlds, between books and NFTs.
Alright, that was quite a lot of information already… I hope that you now sort of understand what the Symbiosis project is about. But I can imagine that you still have a lot of questions. Let me try to answer some.
1. Why is the project called Symbiosis?
Symbiosis is a term from the world of biology that stands for an interaction between two different organisms that live together in a certain way. An example of a symbiotic relationship is that between the crocodile and plover bird. Crocodiles cannot use dental floss, so they get food stuck in their teeth. When the crocodile feels the need for a good tooth cleaning it will sit still with its mouth wide open. The plover bird then flies inside the mouth to eat the meat from between the teeth.
If you ask me, this symbiotic relationship is an appropriate metaphor for the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. At this point in time, you could argue that we humans are the crocodile. We can use AI to make our lives easier, but we can still live without AI and don’t really have to be afraid of it. In the not so distant future, when AI is more integrated in our lives and becomes autonomous (so we can’t turn it on and off anymore), these roles may very well reversed. Let’s hope that our symbiotic relationship will remain beneficial for both… Like for Maximus and Nova :).
2. What will the poems be about?
Maximus is using the poems to teach his robot friend Nova about human life. This means that the poems can be about anything. They will be about life in general, happiness, inspiration, relationships, and love. But some of them will be much more random as well. Maximus is only human after all.
3. How does robot Nova create a digital image for each poem?
Nova is a robot that uses artificial intelligence to create images. It (Nova has no gender) combines machine learning image generation with natural language processing technology. Or in plain English: Nova has been trained to create art with a text input, based on hundreds of millions of images.
I have to be honest though… Nova is a fictional character. But the technology used to create the stunning images in this collection is very real. I’m using a platform called Pixelmind.ai to create all images, based on text input. Pixelmind is a fantastic tool that reduces barriers to become a visual artist. If you can picture something, their AI can turn it into a beautiful picture.
4. How much will a Symbiosis NFT cost?
I want this collection to be about the art itself, not about the money. So all 100 NFTs will remain affordable.
Each NFT will be sold for 16 Tezos each (which is $32 / €28 at the time of writing). All NFTs include one free copy of the physical book with all poems and images after the collection is finished. This also includes shipping costs.
5. How can I buy one of the NFTs?
You can see the NFTs that are for sale on the Objkt.com platform. If you are familiar with buying NFTs and if you already have a Tezos wallet, you can go straight here.
Don’t worry if you have never bought an NFT before and have no idea what I’m talking about. I have created a step by step guide to help you set up your digital wallet. You can always reach out to me if you need any more help with this.
6. Is it possible to buy your NFT on the secondary market?
Yes, it is possible to buy and sell Symbiosis NFTs on the objkt.com marketplace. When an NFT is listed, you can find it here. Please note that I don’t control if anything is for sale and what price is asked.
You can always make an offer on the NFTs, even if they are not listed for sale. You can also check the Discord channel to see if anyone is open to selling his or her NFT. You can find more information on the Discord channel below.
7. Why are you selling the NFTs on the Tezos blockchain?
Most popular NFT projects are on the Ethereum (ETH) chain, but I chose Tezos (XTZ) for three reasons:
- Tezos is a ‘Green NFT network’, currently using about 150.000 times less energy than Ethereum and Bitcoin.
- The transaction costs for Tezos are on average around 500 times lower than for Ethereum.
- Tezos is smaller and less known, but more focussed on some niche art. I like that the emphasis of collectors on Tezos tends to be more on the art itself and less on flipping it for a quick win.
8. When does it start and how can I follow the project?
The first NFT of the Symbiosis collection will be launched on 13-02-2022!
The best way to stay up to date is by joining the Discord channel for this project. Discord is a messaging platform that you can use on your phone or laptop.
The channel is basically a mini community where I share news and engage with people following the project. We talk about poetry, AI art, and absolute nonsense. There will also be a few give-aways, so join the channel for a chance to win a free NFT.
9. Where can I read the poems and see the images?
You can find the full collection here, on the NFT platform.
But I can already hear some of you thinking: “Wouter, I just want to read your poems and look at the images without doing anything that involves cryptocurrency and NFTs.”
I have good news for you! As some of you know, I’m not active on social media. But I have created a new Instagram page that will only be used to upload the poems and AI art, open for everyone to see. Here you can find each new poem and image, every day for 100 days in a row.
10. Any other questions?
If you have any other questions or would like to have a chat, feel free to come over to the Discord channel. If you prefer email, you can also drop me a message at wouter@inspirationpub.com.
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