Inspiring A New Generation With NFT Kid Creator Teresa Melvin

What were you up to when you turned 13?? Teresa Melvin , creator of the AvaRamona series, was busy creating and selling digital art in the NFT space. ? She’s also collecting works by / bringing light to other “kid artists,” and imagining how she can teach what she knows to others someday.????

I recently met Teresa at the NFT Kids booth at Crypto Connect Expo in Miami, and I couldn’t? wait to have her on Goddess of Crypto so we continue our conversation. ? So without further ado, here’s a quick peek into the life of a savvy Web3 teenage entrepreneur:?

Welcome, Teresa! ? You know, I’ve been in business many years, but when I was a teenager, lemonade stands and bake sales were the main ways a 13 year-old gal could make money.? By contrast, at that age you are already creating a career for yourself by doing what you love and creating digital art.??

Would you explain how you got started and what you wanted to do? ? And maybe tell us a little bit about your NFT collection, AvaRamona ?

“I started in the NFT space in August 2021, when I was 12.? I created artwork, made videos, and posted them on Instagram. My dad, who has been in the NFT space longer than me, introduced it to me. He told me all the basics. He said it was going to be a great space for me to grow as an artist. Since then, being in the NFT space has changed my life.

?“I have these two characters that I love creating into NFTs:? Ava and Ramona. These two are my original characters.? I made them up a few years ago, and my first NFT was about Ava, a bubbly, cute character who loves donuts.? Ava’s best friend is Ramona. She’s bold and loves skateboarding. These two are BFFs.? I’m currently making a project about these two characters, and it’s going pretty well.”

Let’s back up and talk a little about NFTs.? [Halle hint: remember, NFTs can be a lot of other things, not just art.] ? Can you describe your characters Ava and Ramona as NFTs, and unpack how they are created?

?“Sure.? NFTs are non-fungible tokens. Fungible means replaceable, so it’s non-replaceable tokens.”

?In other words, it makes them unique. Each token is unique.

“Exactly.? You can create and sell NFTs in different online marketplaces.?

?“I create digital art of my two characters on an app called Procreate.? I then make these digital illustrations NFTs so people can collect them.?

?“Halle, you mentioned NFTs can be more than just art. That’s what I believe as well.? In making these NFTs for my new project/collection, I want to add a lot of utility. That means when somebody collects my artwork, they will get a lot more than just the NFT.”??

[Halle hint:? “Adding utility” in the crypto space is a similar concept to “adding value” in traditional business markets.]

How do people get your NFTs?? Do you sell these, or do you give them away?

“Actually, both.? I sell my art NFTs to collectors, but I also have this collection called Genesis Sketches by Teresa Melvin on OpenSea which I give as added utility. ? For example, when somebody collects one of my “final piece” NFT sets, they also get the sketch version for free (which is also an NFT).?

?Do you collect NFTs as well???

“Yes!? Right now, I’m collecting a lot of kid NFTs.? I use some of the funds from my sales of AvaRamona to give some light to other kid creators, because there are a lot of great NFT kid artists. ? For example, I have another collection on OpenSea called Teresa’s Frens .? It’s not for sale:? it’s just there as an NFT.? In Teresa’s Frens , I’m drawing portraits of all my friends who are in the NFT space.? It’s a way to keep these memories forever.? Through Teresa’s Frens , I can also spotlight a lot of kid artists. I can put their bio and talk about them when I’m creating the work. That’s another way that, using my art, I can help other people. ? I want it to be more of a collaboration and not a competition.”

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To learn more about Teresa’s artwork, her thoughts on the metaverse, and her vision for how other young people might get inspired to learn about Web3, click below to read or listen to the entire episode:

LINK:?

https://halleeavelyn.com/guest-teresa-melvin/