“[NFTs have] allowed us, without any kind of central banking system, without any kinds of galleries…to change lives. I think they’re going to be here for a lifetime.”

By Adrian Jimenez Staff Writer UNSUGARCOATED Media  May 14,2021

In Episode 54 of UNSUGARCOATED with Aalia, host Aalia Lanius dives into non-fungible tokens (NFTs). But what exactly is an NFT? And how is this growing market empowering artists? 

On this episode of UNSUGARCOATED with Aalia, you’ll learn all about this new and exciting technology. This week, a very special guest joins Aalia as a co-host— her husband Joseph Lanius, a major motion picture producer and entertainment lawyer. The two team up to interview their guest— artist Ali Sabet. For years, he has been making a splash in the art community with his animated portraits of the human figure, but he is now finding major success in the NFT space. 

At first, Sabet was skeptical of NFTs. It may have taken weeks of his friends telling him to pursue this artistic frontier, but Sabet finally decided to start making and selling them. An NFT is a form of blockchain technology that creates a certificate of authenticity, allowing the owner of an NFT to claim ownership of a unique digital file. Little did he know, this investment would change his life.  

“With NFTs, it was like: ‘The work I’ve done for 6 years…all of a sudden it’s worth something? Way beyond what I’ve ever been paid for them?’” Sabet told Aalia.

Sabet expressed how NFTs have freed him from financial burden: “For once I knew that I never needed to worry about money anymore…financially [NFTs are] very freeing and it opens you up to get creative, to do things you’ve been dreaming of.”

By repurposing his library of artwork as unique digital files, Sabet has sold more than 500 NFTs and has earned well over six figures since February, 2021. Recruited by exclusive NFT website  KnownOrigin, Sabet was happy to share how independent artists can succeed with NFTs and how the new trend can reinvigorate their artistic practice.

Sabet told Aalia, “People look at the success I’ve had in the NFT world and feel like: ‘How did he do it so fast? Where did he come from?’”

While Sabet shared an artist’s perspective on the world of NFTs, Joseph Lanius helped untangle the legal and logistical benefits that NFTs offer artists. NFTs allow for ‘smart contracts’ that allow artists to make money off their work when it gets resold. “[They] allow the artist to have more control over their work … taking out a lot of middlemen that are just taking off fees.” 

For many years, artists have had to deal with outlandish contracts pertaining to the sale of their physical work. Now, thanks to NFTs, artists are finally breaking free from the chains of the highly exclusive fine art world. Artists can now sell their one-of-a-kind artwork to anyone in the world through digital means. 

“There’s so much you can do to build your brand and own it a lot more and not have to give it up…and really engage with your audience.” Lanius said.

“Now, I’m talking to my collectors directly,” Sabet said, happy with the increased freedom and interaction that NFTs have given him. “They have an input on some of the stuff that I put up. They’re grateful that they’re able to purchase a piece, which is insane to me.”

Through smart contracts and the decentralized nature of blockchain and cryptocurrency, artists like Sabet have been able to take their destiny into their own hands. This technological advancement ripe for the 21st Century is empowering artists to sell their work to anyone in the world without physical limitations. Without the interference of art galleries or the pickiness of curators, artists now have the opportunity to build their own online audiences and provide fans and collectors with one-of-a-kind digital artwork.

Curious about this new technology? Or maybe interested in making NFTs work for your own art? 

Tune in below to the full episode to learn more about Joseph Lanius and Ali Sabet and their UNSUGARCOATED discussion with Aalia!

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To learn more about Joseph Lanius, visit his Instagram: @joseph.lanius

To stay connected with Ali Sabet, check out his Instagram: @Sabet and his personal website: sabet.art

To stay up to date with UNSUGARCOATED Media, visit UnsugarcoatedMedia.com and follow us on Instagram: @unsugarcoatedmedia.

Stay connected with Aalia on Instagram: @aalia_unsugarcoated, as well as on Clubhouse and LinkedIn.