Meet Bakery Featured Artists: Today (08) Zen Visuals, the self made 3D artist.

Like any other craft and skill, digital artistry comes with myriads of challenges that are capable of discouraging upcoming artists. Zen, a 3D design expert and one of the most successful NFT creators on BakerySwap, talked about some of these challenges and ways of staying on top of the game as a digital artist.

The level of interest from rich celebrities and the amount of money that is pumped into NFTs are pointers to the fact that becoming a digital artist is one of the best choices in the blockchain and crypto ecosystem. With a single digital artwork selling for several millions of dollars, NFTs are among the most lucrative facets of cryptocurrency. One of the issues with artists is that most people decide to become an NFT creator just to make a fortune without understanding that before the dollars come, one must be ready to overcome the challenges that abound in digital artistry.

In this week’s edition of BakerySwap’s interview session, Zen talks about various challenges a digital artist should expect and how to handle them in order to become successful

Thank you for joining us today. Please can you tell us about yourself?

Hello, thank you for having me. I am Álvaro, also known as ZEN. I would describe myself as an introvert from school who always wanted to be different. My inner world was based on comics and video games which I grew up with and have helped me define my style.

Many people dream to become one of the featured artists on BakerySwap. What are the necessary preparations one needs for this great and rare opportunity?

The key for me is having a unique style and pushing my own boundaries. Making innovative designs and being true to one’s essence — our genuine self and our interests. Bakeryswap team is committed to continuously looking for new talents. Who knows if you, the artist who is reading this, could be the next one?

How did you become an artist?

It all started 5 years ago. I was studying graphic design by the time, although I didn’t quite understand why it all was so rigid and complex. I didn’t like to follow the rules as I wanted to experiment and reflect on my inner world. It was then when I started being interested in photography. I bought a raincoat in order to create an alter ego and hit the streets looking for hidden places in my city. I really enjoyed taking these photographs and it felt like what I was creating was a part of myself for the first time. Later on, when I had already wandered through the whole city, I was introduced to 3D design and how I could create new places for my pictures. That idea blew me away! It all started back then.

What is the next project you are working on?

I am working on some new 3D tokens NFT for the bakery community. DOGGY, BARK, CAR, or SOCCER will be some of them. I am happy to be here today and I want to devote a bit of my time to support the community of artists and investors that trust this project the same way I do.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered so far as a digital artist and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was to drop out of my design studies in order to fully become a 3D artist and photographer as an autodidact. Design universities are quite expensive here in Spain and it was a financial effort from my parents. I told them to trust my gut that I would get far, and so they did. From that moment on I am half investor- half artist and I love that.

3D is not for everyone. It is very time-consuming and takes a lot of trial and error to get to a decent outcome. The good thing is that you can create amazing images that have never been seen before. It is a great challenge that keeps me motivated and brings out that desire to learn and improve, just like investments.

What is your advice to upcoming artists who feel like giving up on their dreams due to many challenges?

I would tell them not to give up but be careful not to burn out. Self-care is essential. Some days you feel super inspired while others you don’t feel like doing anything at all. Determination is the key to success!