Interview with Alyssa Gill: A Digital Interior Designer Who Collects and Designs NFTs
We talk about whether community matters and why you should (or shouldn't) buy an NFT
I met Alyssa Gill through our work with Backstage Capital. Alyssa is currently achieving her MBA at Howard University, as well as building her own digital interior design firm.
We walked down similar paths to crypto: after doing some research, we both started investing at the beginning of 2021, and our interest expanded from there. But unlike me, Alyssa successfully bought her first non-fungible token (NFT) in November 2021.
Non-fungible describes something that is not easily exchanged for a determined value (ex: an original van Gogh, the deed to a house). An NFT is a unique asset that lives on a particular blockchain.
Alyssa’s Journey into NFTs and Crypto
When Alyssa bought her first crypto, she had a couple wallets so that she could trade and stake.
In short, when a person stakes their crypto, they agree to set aside a certain amount that they won’t spend. In return, they earn interest (usually in crypto) on that balance.
You can learn more about how proof of stake works from this article or in this video.
Other than that, she wasn’t actively trading or seeking short-term investment opportunities. But as NFTs gained momentum, she started researching different projects and artists.
Alyssa found Chibi and immediately fell in the love with the art style. She also happened to find the project on its mint day - a truly lucky find!
Minting refers to the process of putting the NFT on the blockchain. Traditionally, a “mint” produces coins (ex: quarters, pence). So when something is in “mint condition,” it’s like brand new because no one has owned it yet.
She didn’t have MetaMask at the time, but she felt pretty comfortable setting it up. “I can’t remember the exact process, but it was easy,” Alyssa says. “They had a tutorial or a link to a step-by-step explanation of how to set up a wallet and get connected.”
As she read more about the project, she quickly appreciated the long-term value of it as well. Chibi Labs plans to roll out games and media in which Chibis (the NFTs) can play and interact. And for those interested in meeting other Chibi collectors, there will be an inaugural Chibicon in 2022.
Does Community Matter?
The “community” has been a huge selling aspect for many NFT projects. But after joining a few Discord channels and Telegram groups, how does anyone actually care or participate in all the communities they’re part of?
Alyssa shared that the 3D art style was the primary factor for her when buying her Chibi.
But she joined Umba Daima for the community first, and the art followed. Umba Daima is an NFT art community focused on promoting Black artists and Black generational wealth through these new technologies.
And after joining the community, she found a number of pieces she liked that may not normally appear on her OpenSea feed.
What She Wish She Knew at the Beginning of 2021
Hindsight is always 20/20. Alyssa’s biggest piece of advice for people new to NFTs? “Buy things you actually like,” Alyssa says.
It seems like obvious advice. But with so much hype around utility and long-term gains, it’s easy to get excited about a project based on marketing. But that’s not always the case, and you don’t want to be stuck with a piece that you don’t like.
Not that there’s anything wrong with utility or long-term gains. Both can be quite advantageous! But if you’re new to NFTs, then a project centered around “flipping” may not be for you.
Flipping refers to buying something with the purpose of selling it later for more money. People often do it with real estate: buy a “fixer-upper,” renovate it, then sell it for more than they bought it for.
It almost requires the dedication and attention similar to day trading. You need to do extensive research into the project as well as trends. And then, once you make the purchase, you need to anticipate when is the best time to sell.
More often than not, you’re better off buying something because you love the art, rather than because you want to make a profit.
And that’s the real takeaway from the NFT discourse: buy something you won’t regret buying.
What Alyssa Plans Next
After seeing the different projects people are building, Alyssa has been inspired to design her own NFTs. She’s currently working on a furniture collection in support of building her digital interior design firm.
So if you’re also interested in building interiors for the metaverse, connect with Alyssa! (Her Twitter DMs are open @decentralyss) “I’m excited to be in spaces where people are just as enthusiastic about the same stuff,” she says.
And that’s the real takeaway from all this crypto and NFT noise. No one should feel forced or compelled or ridiculed for not being in the space.
Many of us gravitated towards this technology because we’re a little bit weird, or our interests are particularly niche, and it’s hard to find equally enthusiastic people in more traditional circles.
So don’t feel rushed to join the herd. But whenever you’re ready, we’ll be here for you.