30 days until launch…
for those of you who are new here, my name is kellan david (most people call me kels) and i am a visual artist/designer based out of minneapolis. i have dedicated my entire career to purpose-driven creative work, which has provided me with great joy and has allowed me to experience a lot of dope things along the way. today i am introducing my next creative project, an impact-focused nft project and web3 experience called, “love wraps”, which will officially premiere during veecon weekend in minneapolis 30 days from today. this only seems right due to the fact that we are a minneapolis-based project team and because of the significant influence gary vee has had on the development of the love wraps nft project, as well as, my creative journey as a whole. over the next 30 days we will use manifesto entries to tell the origin story of the love wraps nft project. each entry will include insights from the most important personal + professional stories, connections, experiences and lessons from my creative journey and how they tie into both the artwork and the structure of the project.
project thesis #1 - art is capable of inspiring people to enact positive change.
q: why do you believe in art as a tool for good?
a: since day 1 of my creative journey, i’ve always operated with the belief that people want to do good, want to support businesses that are doing good, and more and more, just want to feel good about how they use the power of their dollar. but the problem with that belief was that in 2011 there weren’t a lot of culturally relevant brands, artists, etc., who were thinking creatively about innovative ways to make it easier for consumers to participate in the giving economy without having to sacrifice something (i.e., style, quality, status, etc.) however, i knew i could create a dope brand that would fill that void, and i believed fashion was something that resonates with all people all over the world, so i started a socially conscious streetwear and lifestyle brand called hybrid nation. and over the years we were able to prove the viability of a purpose-driven business model (early days of ‘social enterprises’) centered around dope, high quality products with diversity-inspired designs and a low-friction consumer experience, which allowed our customers to giveback when they shop without having to sacrifice style or quality of the product to do so.
years later i took this same mindset and concept of an impact-focused economic model into my career as an artist, which eventually led me to nfts and to the love wraps nft project. once i began learning about crypto, nfts, etc, and all of the potential applications that were being unlocked by blockchain technology, i immediately recognized an opportunity to maximize this idea of purpose-driven creative expression based on the universal nature/appeal and widespread applications of art. and that was the moment that i decided to start developing a nft project that would allow me to sell my art as a way to raise money for important causes. that nft project is love wraps...
