Welcome to Creative Culture Corner. This is a newsletter designed to connect creatives with the tools, resources, and knowledge to help navigate Web3 and live a better life overall. I appreciate you joining me every week and enjoy this edition.

In todays newsletter:

• Building a Brand Won’t Do It, Create a Movement

• Artist Spotlight

• Thread of the Week

• Thought of the Week

Building a Brand Won’t Work, Create a Movement:

Are you an artist or photographer navigating the NFT art world, are you trying to be a content creator in Web3, or are you looking to start an online business? If these questions reference you, then it's time you forget “building a brand”; and rather aim to build a movement. Everyone on Twitter talks about building a brand, so why am I telling you not to focus on building a brand? A movement can be the difference between an artist getting minimal sales and barely scrapping by, or an artist selling out their collection at insane ETH prices. Here’s a fresh perspective on why you should aim for a movement over a brand and five actionable ways that I use to try and achieve this.

1. Build Everything Around a Core Mission

Brands may be built around products or services, but movements are built around missions. The difference can be compelling. For example, take batteries or napkins, we don’t have an emotional connection to products like this, even though they are from a brand. Now take Nike, Coke, or Tesla, these products set out with a core mission and built everything around this core mission. When you think about Nike and their slogan “Just Do It”, you connect with it much differently. This is because Nike has created a movement and not just a brand. Identify your core mission and make it the epicenter of everything you do. What world-changing impact are you aiming for? Make sure this mission resonates with your target audience's beliefs and values. This way, you're not just selling a product; you're offering a cause for your community to rally around.

2. Cultivate a Committed Community

Forget one-time collectors, or people responding to your tweets one time; build a lifetime of devotees by letting them know you support and care about them. Use online forums, and real-life events to foster a sense of community. Give your followers a name, a shared language, and even traditions. Use community-building platforms like Discord or X groups to maintain constant engagement. This turns community members into active members who will naturally evangelize your brand. The main takeaway from building a community is to genuinely care for your community. If you decide to take this role, you often will be looked at as a leader and this is something that you can’t take lightly. If you aren’t authentic, your community will see right through it.

3. Leverage Storytelling

Stories are humanity's primary way of assigning meaning to random events. Use storytelling to make your mission relatable and inspirational. Share success stories from your community and yourself, craft a compelling origin story, and keep your audience updated on your 'journey.' This adds an emotional dimension to your brand, making it more resonant and unforgettable. This is how you are going to get your community to fall in love with you. This is something that I am currently spending time learning because telling stories in tweets and content is challenging. I am putting in the time to learn it because I believe it will be worth the time investment.

4. Create Shareable, Value-Driven Content

The best movements spread like wildfire. To achieve that, offer value that’s worth sharing. This could be insightful blog posts, engaging videos, or eye-catching infographics. The idea is not merely to promote your product but to enrich your audience's lives. Giving value is a key component of creating a movement and this value can come from many different areas. Remember that giving value to your community is one of the most important things you can do. The more value you give, the more your audience will amplify your message. If you want this to happen, your community needs to feel like you have their back.

5. Celebrate and Elevate Your Community

Make heroes out of your community members. Share their stories and art, showcase their achievements, and reward their loyalty. Create avenues for them to participate actively in your movement, be it through user-generated content, community forums, or co-created products. The more ownership your community has, the more invested it will be in your success. This makes your community feel as if they are part of the movement, rather than watching the movement. I do the same thing when I lead my manager meeting every week. If I sit there and give me ideas, then my managers will feel like they are only executing my plan. The plan hits differently when they are involved and ultimately feel like they were part of the planning. Usually this results in much higher dedication, ownership, and ultimately success.

Conclusion

Brands may come and go, but movements withstand the test of time because they provide a sense of belonging, a mission to believe in, and a story to be a part of. Follow these five steps to transform your digital art brand into a dynamic movement. In doing so, you’ll cultivate not just customers, but devoted advocates who will propel your mission far into the future.

Artist Spotlight:

Featuring the talented @AnnaLZubarev

Meet Anna Zubarev a talented illustrator of monochromatic dreams. She creates beautiful floral fantasies with the elegance of black Ink. Creating black and white art allows Anna to imagine vibrations of all the beauty within. Her art is inspired from her love for flowers and nature.

Thread of the Week:

Thought of the Week:

We are in the middle of a bear market, sales are slow, engagement is down, and it’s easy to doubt yourself. You’re not alone, it’s normal to feel this way. I have had doubt creep in recently, and I’ve found myself second-guessing every move like it's a life-or-death decision. The key is to kick the self-doubt right away. Your self-doubt is a hurdle and hurdles are meant to be cleared. Do not dwell on this doubt, and remember to remind yourself that you’re doing great.

Thank you for reading this weeks edition. I hope you have an incredible week and I will see you back here next Wednesday.

Much love,

Creative Culture