In this series, we shine a light on the uniquely talented creators that have joined the Uptick Network. Introducing the artists, showcasing their work, and interviewing them on the thought process behind their art, their experience as a creator, and their journey into this new and exciting space. This is the first in many series to come.

Petey McFly, otherwise known as ‘Peter Rodriguez’ to his friends and family is a digital artist based in Laredo, South Texas - a small and vibrant city located on the Mexican border. Ever since an early age, Petey was fascinated with the arts, involving himself in everything from dance choreography to music composition. However, it was only later in middle school where he discovered his true love and passion for the creation of said art. It would be here where he really refined his drawing, painting and sculpting skills, and what ultimately led Petey to continue down this creative path.

The ‘Cool McFly Club’ NFT Collection is an array of uniquely designed characters; built around the theme of singularity, laced in floral patterns, soaked in pop-culture references, and sprinkled with their own sets of fears, hopes and dreams.

One of the reasons Petey created this collection was to use it as a tool to combat mental health, and he uses art as a means of expression and self-healing. Through this collection, Petey can live vicariously through the lives of these characters, and at the same time, express some of the feelings he is battling. Along with the 1/1 art pieces, there is also the added physical element of an apparel store attached to the characters in this collection.

We caught up with Petey and had a chat about his artwork, influences and perception on the wider NFT space!

Well I’ve always been a big fan of the arts since I was a kid, and not just drawing and creating sculptures and such, I mean all kinds of arts like dancing choreography and composing music, that kind of thing. In elementary school I was in cheerleading and in football but I didn’t find my creative outlet until I was in Middle School. There I discovered my need and my love for creating pieces of art like a wannabe Picasso. I participated in contests revolving around art pieces, drawings, paintings, sculptures, that kind of thing.

I won a couple of events, and in high school I was in Theatre Arts which is a completely different way of expressing yourself and I found myself completely in love with this form of expression. In my spare time I would create little comics or comic strips with a group of friends and since I was part of the acting circle, I would do the voice acting for some of the characters. We would do a table read to our group of friends and see how far we can go with what we were doing at the time.

I am from a small city in South Texas called Laredo. It’s not known for tech savvy people. NFTs are not popular whatsoever here. There is very little news about them and the community. I always find myself explaining what exactly I do when I tell people that I’m “Self-employed and I work for Web 3”

Inspiration can come in many forms. I get inspired to create by reading a good book, watching a good film, reading a good comic, watching a good anime, and mostly I get inspired by my emotions. For example: through these years of the pandemic, I was really everywhere when it came to me emotionally. I had gotten covid and I was in the hospital for about a week. It just seems like a really dark time for me; I had lost my job, I got sick, I got my family sick, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety which was such a crazy thought to me and I was medicated for it. All of that fuelled my need to express myself.

Initially the project was called ‘Cool Guy McFly Club’. I had over 100 different templates of entities made for the specific project, but I got covid and was admitted to the hospital. While in the hospital, I had a partner who was helping me get the foundation of the project ready. Through some unorthodox events my partner managed to get our crypto wallet and OpenSea account hacked; I lost about 94% of all of my NFTs. After I got out of the hospital, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. During this time I didn’t feel like starting a new project and I felt like I lost my will to continue going. One day when I was doodling while trying to avoid everyone in my life, I kept thinking of the concept of singularity.

I kept thinking about a hypothetical future where technology growth is out of control and irreversible, I kept thinking how my life in its current state meant so little to the continued growth of technology. I felt that instead of letting this overwhelming feeling consume me, I should embrace it. I started to think about different scenarios with different people and how they would go about their lives feeling the way I do. This overwhelming feeling of your world crumbling down at any given moment must be different for everyone, so I started to come up with characters that would fit in the scenarios that I would come up with in my head. I came up with Wade, Gracie, James, Stacy, Lucy, Phoebe, Zeke and a transgendered individual by the name of Jude. I kept thinking how they would tackle, embrace, and/or avoid this particular mental situation. I couldn’t stop drawing. I didn’t feel alone anymore.

To me, each NFT I create has a completely different vibe to them. In a way, they have their own mood, their own beginning, and their own journey. So if people wanted to carry that with them in not just a digital aspect, but in a physical aspect, I created the apparel side of the project. The original project I had in mind before covid was more of a superficial apparel meets project kind of thing. The Cool McFly Club had much more of a purpose in my mind and to me.

Thus, I feel that if people want to wear the NFT or show it off in some artistic way, then they could. Some of the designs of the apparel, once they come to fruition, are simple in design. However, if people would want to cut them in several places, change them up and make them part of a different collection that they have, or just make them their own style, they could. I encourage them to do so.

It should also be noted that holders of the ‘Cool McFly Club’ Collection will be getting access to the online store, and will be receiving free merchandising in the future.

Anytime I have the ability to create something, my brain goes into a positive frenzy. Any kind of art really is a means of an outlet for me, you know. There are just so many different forms of art that anyone can explore. I feel that we as people experiment with different kinds of mediums of art. I’ve always considered music to be a profound medium of art and so many of us have no idea that we participate in the creative process of that particular art form. I feel like it’s not just the song or the music that is composed that is the art, but it’s the community behind it and how we support the artist. That creates this visual and living aesthetic that people gravitate to. And coming back to NFTs, I feel like it’s the same process.

I rely heavily on my mental state when it comes to my creative process. It gives me the direction in which I’m going to create. It’s my compass. The mind is such a powerful tool, but sometimes I find that my own thoughts are extremely loud, so I’ll start to draw and whatever it is that I’m feeling, I’ll let my emotions guide me. I usually stop drawing or doodling when I feel that my mind is finally quiet and that I can finally hear myself breathe.

Food. Whenever I feel that I have a blockage in the creative process, I figure it’s because I’m hungry. I like to cook and I feel that after taking a breather and participating in a different activity like cooking, I feel like my whole creative process gets revitalized. I definitely feel that cuisine itself is an artform, you know?

I would say it would have to be the idea of Gracie McFLy as an NFT. The idea behind Gracie herself is basically she is your typical pretty girl where everyone thinks that she is full of herself. The famous IT-Girl & a femme fatale. However she feels like she is the complete opposite. She and Wade are the main protagonists in this NFT project of mine.

Instagram was the medium where I found out about NFTs. There I was introduced to the Bored Ape Yacht Club and all of its glory. From there it was OpenSea that really did it for me in convincing me that I could do this, you know?

I feel like the NFT space is only going to grow much larger. You know one of my goals is to have real estate in the metaverse and create a hub for all of my project’s holders. Recently I heard about actual physical real estate being on sale on Ethereum, and I feel that’s only the beginning. As I think about singularity it is really coming back to it. 360 the technology is going to improve and I feel that all those who support NFTs will understand their position in this space better. As a creator, the space will be more open to comprehending objectives involving whoever decides to purchase and hold any NFTs I create. Ultimately is the understanding that I as a creator have the task to deliver on all fronts and deliver quality content to my supporters. I know I have a long way to go before that comes my way but I am conscious about it.

Have you ever heard the song ‘Slow Dancing in the Dark’ by Joji? I absolutely love it. It’s my favourite song of all time. Joji is a genius, he uses the metaphor of slow dancing in the dark to characterize a failing relationship. I saw him turn from Filthy Frank to Joji. It’s like a parent watching their kid grow up. It hurts, but it’s ultimately for him, so we’re proud of him. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person. I’m really happy that Joji is happy and addressed his health problems and took all the hate when he posted that video and still tried his hardest to make a successful career out of music. Thank you Joji for all that you’ve done.

Uptick NFT is the world’s first decentralized full-featured mobile NFT app, now with web version. It is based on the commercial-grade NFT infrastructure of Uptick Network, and safely and conveniently manages users’ digital NFT assets, while supporting the independent issuance, purchase, transfer, resale, and cross-chain transfer and interoperability of users’ NFT assets. Uptick focuses on the pan-entertainment and life service industry, aiming to form a new creative economy for the Web 3.0 era.

Website** | Telegram | Medium | Twitter | **Contact

In this series, we shine a light on the uniquely talented creators that have joined the Uptick Network. Introducing the artists, showcasing their work, and interviewing them on the thought process behind their art, their experience as a creator, and their journey into this new and exciting space. This is the first in many series to come.

Petey McFly, otherwise known as ‘Peter Rodriguez’ to his friends and family is a digital artist based in Laredo, South Texas - a small and vibrant city located on the Mexican border. Ever since an early age, Petey was fascinated with the arts, involving himself in everything from dance choreography to music composition. However, it was only later in middle school where he discovered his true love and passion for the creation of said art. It would be here where he really refined his drawing, painting and sculpting skills, and what ultimately led Petey to continue down this creative path.

The ‘Cool McFly Club’ NFT Collection is an array of uniquely designed characters; built around the theme of singularity, laced in floral patterns, soaked in pop-culture references, and sprinkled with their own sets of fears, hopes and dreams.

One of the reasons Petey created this collection was to use it as a tool to combat mental health, and he uses art as a means of expression and self-healing. Through this collection, Petey can live vicariously through the lives of these characters, and at the same time, express some of the feelings he is battling. Along with the 1/1 art pieces, there is also the added physical element of an apparel store attached to the characters in this collection.

We caught up with Petey and had a chat about his artwork, influences and perception on the wider NFT space!

Well I’ve always been a big fan of the arts since I was a kid, and not just drawing and creating sculptures and such, I mean all kinds of arts like dancing choreography and composing music, that kind of thing. In elementary school I was in cheerleading and in football but I didn’t find my creative outlet until I was in Middle School. There I discovered my need and my love for creating pieces of art like a wannabe Picasso. I participated in contests revolving around art pieces, drawings, paintings, sculptures, that kind of thing.

I won a couple of events, and in high school I was in Theatre Arts which is a completely different way of expressing yourself and I found myself completely in love with this form of expression. In my spare time I would create little comics or comic strips with a group of friends and since I was part of the acting circle, I would do the voice acting for some of the characters. We would do a table read to our group of friends and see how far we can go with what we were doing at the time.

I am from a small city in South Texas called Laredo. It’s not known for tech savvy people. NFTs are not popular whatsoever here. There is very little news about them and the community. I always find myself explaining what exactly I do when I tell people that I’m “Self-employed and I work for Web 3”

Inspiration can come in many forms. I get inspired to create by reading a good book, watching a good film, reading a good comic, watching a good anime, and mostly I get inspired by my emotions. For example: through these years of the pandemic, I was really everywhere when it came to me emotionally. I had gotten covid and I was in the hospital for about a week. It just seems like a really dark time for me; I had lost my job, I got sick, I got my family sick, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety which was such a crazy thought to me and I was medicated for it. All of that fuelled my need to express myself.

Initially the project was called ‘Cool Guy McFly Club’. I had over 100 different templates of entities made for the specific project, but I got covid and was admitted to the hospital. While in the hospital, I had a partner who was helping me get the foundation of the project ready. Through some unorthodox events my partner managed to get our crypto wallet and OpenSea account hacked; I lost about 94% of all of my NFTs. After I got out of the hospital, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. During this time I didn’t feel like starting a new project and I felt like I lost my will to continue going. One day when I was doodling while trying to avoid everyone in my life, I kept thinking of the concept of singularity.

I kept thinking about a hypothetical future where technology growth is out of control and irreversible, I kept thinking how my life in its current state meant so little to the continued growth of technology. I felt that instead of letting this overwhelming feeling consume me, I should embrace it. I started to think about different scenarios with different people and how they would go about their lives feeling the way I do. This overwhelming feeling of your world crumbling down at any given moment must be different for everyone, so I started to come up with characters that would fit in the scenarios that I would come up with in my head. I came up with Wade, Gracie, James, Stacy, Lucy, Phoebe, Zeke and a transgendered individual by the name of Jude. I kept thinking how they would tackle, embrace, and/or avoid this particular mental situation. I couldn’t stop drawing. I didn’t feel alone anymore.

To me, each NFT I create has a completely different vibe to them. In a way, they have their own mood, their own beginning, and their own journey. So if people wanted to carry that with them in not just a digital aspect, but in a physical aspect, I created the apparel side of the project. The original project I had in mind before covid was more of a superficial apparel meets project kind of thing. The Cool McFly Club had much more of a purpose in my mind and to me.

Thus, I feel that if people want to wear the NFT or show it off in some artistic way, then they could. Some of the designs of the apparel, once they come to fruition, are simple in design. However, if people would want to cut them in several places, change them up and make them part of a different collection that they have, or just make them their own style, they could. I encourage them to do so.

It should also be noted that holders of the ‘Cool McFly Club’ Collection will be getting access to the online store, and will be receiving free merchandising in the future.

Anytime I have the ability to create something, my brain goes into a positive frenzy. Any kind of art really is a means of an outlet for me, you know. There are just so many different forms of art that anyone can explore. I feel that we as people experiment with different kinds of mediums of art. I’ve always considered music to be a profound medium of art and so many of us have no idea that we participate in the creative process of that particular art form. I feel like it’s not just the song or the music that is composed that is the art, but it’s the community behind it and how we support the artist. That creates this visual and living aesthetic that people gravitate to. And coming back to NFTs, I feel like it’s the same process.

I rely heavily on my mental state when it comes to my creative process. It gives me the direction in which I’m going to create. It’s my compass. The mind is such a powerful tool, but sometimes I find that my own thoughts are extremely loud, so I’ll start to draw and whatever it is that I’m feeling, I’ll let my emotions guide me. I usually stop drawing or doodling when I feel that my mind is finally quiet and that I can finally hear myself breathe.

Food. Whenever I feel that I have a blockage in the creative process, I figure it’s because I’m hungry. I like to cook and I feel that after taking a breather and participating in a different activity like cooking, I feel like my whole creative process gets revitalized. I definitely feel that cuisine itself is an artform, you know?

I would say it would have to be the idea of Gracie McFLy as an NFT. The idea behind Gracie herself is basically she is your typical pretty girl where everyone thinks that she is full of herself. The famous IT-Girl & a femme fatale. However she feels like she is the complete opposite. She and Wade are the main protagonists in this NFT project of mine.

Instagram was the medium where I found out about NFTs. There I was introduced to the Bored Ape Yacht Club and all of its glory. From there it was OpenSea that really did it for me in convincing me that I could do this, you know?

I feel like the NFT space is only going to grow much larger. You know one of my goals is to have real estate in the metaverse and create a hub for all of my project’s holders. Recently I heard about actual physical real estate being on sale on Ethereum, and I feel that’s only the beginning. As I think about singularity it is really coming back to it. 360 the technology is going to improve and I feel that all those who support NFTs will understand their position in this space better. As a creator, the space will be more open to comprehending objectives involving whoever decides to purchase and hold any NFTs I create. Ultimately is the understanding that I as a creator have the task to deliver on all fronts and deliver quality content to my supporters. I know I have a long way to go before that comes my way but I am conscious about it.

Have you ever heard the song ‘Slow Dancing in the Dark’ by Joji? I absolutely love it. It’s my favourite song of all time. Joji is a genius, he uses the metaphor of slow dancing in the dark to characterize a failing relationship. I saw him turn from Filthy Frank to Joji. It’s like a parent watching their kid grow up. It hurts, but it’s ultimately for him, so we’re proud of him. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person. I’m really happy that Joji is happy and addressed his health problems and took all the hate when he posted that video and still tried his hardest to make a successful career out of music. Thank you Joji for all that you’ve done.

Uptick NFT is the world’s first decentralized full-featured mobile NFT app, now with web version. It is based on the commercial-grade NFT infrastructure of Uptick Network, and safely and conveniently manages users’ digital NFT assets, while supporting the independent issuance, purchase, transfer, resale, and cross-chain transfer and interoperability of users’ NFT assets. Uptick focuses on the pan-entertainment and life service industry, aiming to form a new creative economy for the Web 3.0 era.

Website** | Telegram | Medium | Twitter | **Contact