issue 04: can digital replace physical?
welcome to issue #04 of moments, our bi-weekly newsletter. this is the space where we share product updates, news from our community, and a curation of the best things we’re seeing online and offline.
this week was incredibly exciting: we launched audio minting (our biggest new feature release to date). we also spent time thinking about the nature of online identity, curation, and bridging online < > offline connection.
as if you needed reminding, we’re so happy to have you as a part of our community. you’re among a select group of cherished friends, family, and early supporters. now, let’s get into it :)
the past two weeks have been a whirlwind of exciting updates:
- audio minting is live 🔊 – take any sound and turn it into a moment you can listen to again and again. collect some audio moments by tapping into this highlight or try minting yourself
- profiles (beta version!) 🖼️ – just in: custom profiles on primitives, a new way to showcase the moments in your collection and your online identity
- primitives selects round 2! 🏆 – help select the best moments minted over the past week - tap over to our instagram story to vote for your faves :)
we thought the newsletter would be a fun place to share a bit of behind-the-scenes content on launching audio minting and why it was so meaningful for us.
we've always thought about creating holistically at primitives. for us, this means recognizing that creativity transcends visual images. it's found in sounds, in music, in the audio of our lives - big and small. it's a new mixtape you make in your garage, the symphony of horns honking on a crowded street, a spoken word poem performed for the very first time.
our guiding mantra is see and be seen. but, as time went on, we started to wonder – why not hear and be heard too? we're focused on building a platform for all creators to find abundance, which means thinking through the multitude of ways we can build tools to support your creations.
it’s incredibly gratifying to see audio moments resonate with our community already (not us tearing up a little reading all the replies 🥲). launching it was truly a labor of love for three of our engineers (s/o amelia, ricardo, and paul) who spent hours troubleshooting and making sure everything ran smoothly.
try it out and let us know what you think :)try out audio minting
our featured creator this week is victoria brown, better known by her creative alias, LLANAKILA. she’s a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores identity, empowerment, and womanhood. victoria works as a full time brand designer while raising two daughters.
tell us a bit about yourself
i’m a graphic designer and i love using computers and ipads as mediums. i’m from brooklyn, with jamaican roots, and have lived in different parts of the u.s. on both the east and west coasts, which has influenced my creative spirit. i grew up in a creative household and currently live in maryland.
when did you start creating? what inspires you?
i discovered my love for art during high school, spending hours getting lost in the joy and therapeutic release of painting and drawing. my source of inspiration is god. i know that my talent and blessings in life are gifts from god, and that is what drives my creativity. it’s inspiring to know that even when i take creative breaks, my ability to draw and paint never goes away.
what does being a creator mean to you?
being a creator to me means bringing authentic ideas, experiences, and emotions to the physical and sharing them with others. the most fulfilling aspect for me is the release of emotions and imagination to share.
what drew you to primitives?
minting on primitives is easy! i like that you’re a startup and provide creators with a community. primitives allows me to build [connection] with those who purchase moments i create.
want to collect a limited edition of victoria’s work? we’re excited to share four of her moments: play, spin, lick, and shine. there are only a few copies of each so get them before they’re gone :)collect a moment from victoria
primitives is, of course, a digital company but we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how to bridge offline and online moments. nothing beats the democratic access you get from being able to share digital creations. and yet, there’s something very special about seeing works in person, whether it’s listening to a concert, screening a film, or taking in the texture of a drawing.
as the primitives community has grown we’ve been toying with the idea of hosting an in-person pop-up gallery 👀 is this something you’d be interested in?! let us know :)
a few other things we’ve been loving: water and music’s mind-bending ai market map, a manifesto for artists and designers, an accelerator for emerging artists, lil yachty’s the ride, and amber vittoria’s gorgeous open mint.
as always, thanks for reading! have any feedback for us? you can always feel free to hit “reply” to this email or slide into our dms.
