Phoenix: Resilience

The Phoenix symbolizes resilience, strength, and transformation, as it can rise from its own ashes to reach greater heights. The phoenix is also a global cultural symbol. Its message is: She Who rises From the Ashes to Recreate. Whether in Arabic poetry, Greco-Roman culture, or even a lot of the East’s historical legacy. It has been found in cultures' mythologies, including Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Hindu, Phoenicians, Mesoamericans, Native Americans, and more. In the Chinese culture I grew up with, the Phoenix (凤凰 Feng Huang ) doesn’t just symbolize the highest virtue, strength, or prosperity. It also represents the yin and yang, that duality that shapes the whole existence of the universe.

After working in the startup world for the last 12 years, the news of NFT marketplace MakersPlace's recent Series A raise got me thinking about the world of startups and what it takes for founders to be successful in such a competitive space: Resilience (Phoenix), Strength (Griffin), Imagination (Pegasus), Courage (Winged Lion), Creativity (Hippocampus), Magic (Unicorn in Color), and even Luck (Unicorn in Gold). And then, I realized that those are many of the same attributes of successful artists. So I created a new NFT collection, "Makers of Magic," that embodies what I see as the 7 vital qualities above of creators, artists, startup founders, and makers of all kinds.

Before NFTs, digital art was either free or in a supportive role to facilitate selling products in the business world. We all know it has intrinsic value, yet it can not be manifested without attaching to a business or product. However, the existence of NFT adds the financial layer to digital art. It makes the artistic content immutable digital collectibles, which can protect and help monetize digital creators' work. This digital asset class is empowering creators and revolutionizing how they can create real value from their work. NFT can change my life and other creatives like illustrators, animators, musicians, and even entertainers, to leverage digital collectibles to engage their community authentically, supplement their existing revenue streams, and truly become the makers of magic ✨🦄✨.