A Guide to Buying NFT Art, and 19 Female Artists Leading the Charge
Hi everyone, Brit here! Today, I collaborated with my friend Randi Zuckerberg, our latest partner at Offline Ventures, to talk to you guys about NFTs. For those who don't know, Offline Ventures believes strongly in the potential of Web3, and we back companies that aim to balance our online and offline lives, with the end goal being happier and healthier lives for everyone. That's one of the many reasons we're so excited to talk to you about NFTs.
The whole world is abuzz about NFTs, and for good reason: This new frontier of buying and selling digital goods is super exciting, both for its potential to change financial markets and its ability to create new income opportunities for artists and creatives. Admittedly, though, the concept can be tricky to wrap your mind around. Here's what you need to know about NFT art, and some of our favorite choices for NFT holiday gifts.
What Are NFTs?
NFT stands for "non-fungible token," which means that NFTs are digital tokens that cannot be replicated or replaced by a similar digital item. In other words, when you buy an NFT, you're buying a one-of-a-kind digital file whose value stands apart from the rest of the market.
In traditional markets, when you buy an item — let's say a sweater — a large portion of its value depends on how rare it is. Is it a designer sweater made for Paris Fashion Week, of which only one was ever made? Or is it one of 100,000 mass-produced sweaters that look the exact same? The first sweater will obviously have a much higher value, because it is rare and one-of-a-kind.
NFTs work similarly. Because only one of an NFT is ever made, the amount of that NFT in existence will always be 1.
Furthermore, NFTs are a natural fit for art. You can buy unique NFTs that can never be reproduced, and store them in a digital wallet, knowing no one else has access to your art collection. Your NFTs will never get damaged, torn, or broken — in short, they're completely digital and trackable.
We think creative types, design lovers, and makers will absolutely LOVE building a personal art collection of NFTs. If you have a friend who you think would love to own a unique piece of digital art, we've got plenty of picks for you to choose from! (No judgement if you'd rather get these for yourself though — we won't tell.)
For The Activist And Intersectional Feminist
Women Rise
Why we love it: Artist and creator Maliha Abidi is an artist, author, activist and incredible woman, which are just a couple of reasons why we love this collection. (Instagram)
For The NFT Newcomer
Curious Addys
Why we love it: Curious Addys is by far the friendliest and most encouraging community for NFT newbies. (Twitter)
For The Boss Lady
Boss Beauties
Why we love it: Creator Lisa Mayer is the ultimate boss, and built this collection to empower the next generation of women. (Instagram)
For The Dancer/Theater Lover
Image via The Prima Ballerina
Prima Ballerina
Why we love it: Because the only thing better than seeing the Nutcracker this holiday season is owning your own virtual rendition! (Twitter)
For The Nursing Mom Or Breast Cancer Warrior
Hello Breasties
Why we love it: We absolutely adore this funny, fierce, and relatable art. (Instagram)
For The Total Badass
Women and Weapons
Why we love it: Artist and creator Sara Baumann is a total badass who combines 1950s housewife aesthetic with badass weaponry. (Instagram)
For The Romantic Flower Child
Flower Girls
Why we love it: First of all, Varvara Alay’s art is gorgeous. And we love her co-creator Kira Bursky as well. Two amazing women in NFTs! (Instagram)
For The Solana-loving Crypto Enthusiast
Image via SolSisters.
SolSisters
Why we love it: We love Solana and this is a beautiful collection of artwork on the Solana blockchain, celebrating a new era of eco-sustainability in NFTs. (Twitter)
For The Climate Change Warrior And Environmental Activist
Image via On Chain Monkey.
On Chain Monkey
Why we love it: Tying NFTs to real world social good, this community has evacuated a family from Afghanistan and raised money for clean water and ocean relief. (Twitter)
For The Animal Lover
Image via Cheetah Club Coalition.
Cheetah Cub Coalition
Why we love it: Club Coalition has 7,100 NFTs, one for every cheetah left in the wild — and each purchase helps adopt and save a cheetah. (Twitter)
For The Woman Who Loves To Support Other Women
Image via Rebel Society.
Rebel Society
Why we love it: This NFT collection of 7,000 female characters was created in celebration of all inspiring badass women. Also, they designed a custom Randi rebel!! (Twitter)
For The Person Who Loves A Surprise
Staxx Invaders
Why we love it: Designed by an awesome woman who goes by Stackles, Staxx Invaders is now selling “mint passes,” which means the mint hasn’t happened yet and you’ll get to experience the excitement of a mint and reveal. (Instagram)
For The Fashion Lover
Fierce Studios
Why we love it: These NFTs provide real women (the models) with revenue generated every time their NFT sells, giving them the chance to own their finances and careers. (Instagram)
For Celebrating Your Body
CypherCHK
Why we love it: We love how CyberCHK celebrates body positivity and all the beautiful shapes a woman’s body and story take. (Instagram)
For The Friend Going Through A Rough Time
Sad Girls Bar
Why we love it: Because the holidays can be tough and everyone deserves to wallow in a healthy dose of self pity every now and then. (Instagram)
For The Dog Lover
Bear BNS
Why we love it: The women founders of Bear BNS run an animal rescue organization in South Africa and this NFT collection is based on Bear, a blind rescue dog. (Instagram)
For The Comedy Lover
Stoner Cats
Why we love it: We adore this NFT animated short series, created by an amazing group of women we love. (Instagram)
For The Lover Of All Things Adorable
Kumo x World
Why we love it: One of the things that makes Kumo x World so exciting is that it's a story that evolves with the community! (Instagram)
Crypto.Chicks
Why we love it: GO YANKEES! (Ok, that one was all Randi.) And they have tons of other great gals too, all with a fun NYC edge. (Instagram)
How To Buy NFTs
Buying an NFT can be as simple as going to NiftyGateway or MakersPlace, where you can use your credit card to purchase the NFT directly. However, the preferred purchasing method (and arguably the more fun one) is to purchase NFTs using cryptocurrency.
Sites like OpenSea, Foundation and SuperRare allow you to purchase NFTs using crypto. Not sure how to get crypto? Just use a service like Coinbase or Gemini to purchase it with a credit card.
Lastly, you will want to set up a MetaMask wallet. This is the service that will allow you to actually log in and use the NFT platforms mentioned above. If you've purchased your cryptocurrency, the final step is to transfer it to MetaMask so you can use it to buy NFTs. After you've purchased them, your tokens will live in your wallet for as long as you'd like! You can keep them forever, sell them, or transfer them to friends as gifts.
Are you excited to get started with the world of NFTs? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know — and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates for makers and creatives!
Lead Image by World of Women/an NFT owned by Brit Morin.
