Raphael, better known as "Raelsworld", gave the archetypal interview, based on my own expectations. You can see for yourself what makes him such an interesting gentleman and artist among other things. There is no how do you do. We just get to it.
Right after the Raelsworld interview, I've added a small plug for the NFT group, CookieNFT. Since I'm still trying to figure out how to interview teams using this format, I'll be testing out different things to see what works best.
Now, without further ado...
RAELSWORLD
What is your real name?
The name I was baptized with and the one that my parents chose for me is Andreas Roland Raphael.
What do you like to be called?
Raphael is the one that resonates with me most.
In your own words, who are you?
That’s a good question and one that I’ve been asking myself since forever. But I’d like to think of myself as someone sensitive, loyal, and open-minded who likes to express his inner emotions especially those arising from the lower end of the spectrum. Someone who uses his inspirational spark to express his genius to freak nature through art that is heartfelt and driven from my need to protect and guide my tribe.
Where in the world are you from, where in the world are you now, and where in the world would you like to be?
I was born in Germany, and I’m currently living in Spain. If I could choose a place to be in the world, it would be on Big Island, Hawaii.
What was school life like for you?
It was about rules and as per your third question, it’s taken me a lifetime to fully comprehend that one has to understand the rules in order to break them.
Were you an average teen, a trouble-maker, goody-two-shoes, or?
I was a freaking idiot as a teenager, without any particular desire to be one. As I write and read this, I am aware that it makes me sound like a c**t. However, it’s the truth. I had the girls, I had friends who looked up to me and I was lucky enough to feel free, to experience pleasure and joy without any regrets. It was really all about Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll and it made me feel like a Rockstar without having to be in a band, that is.
What did you do after leaving high school?
I was obliged or better obligated to join the mandatory military service in Germany, and I was enrolled in the Naval Services.
What do you do for a living and do you enjoy it?
In a nutshell, I offer my broad portfolio of professional experience gathered in the business, creative, strategic marketing, and holistic counseling sectors. And do I enjoy it? Yes, I enjoy the variability factor of it all. Being able to work, move and shift across the different sectors successfully, ultimately makes me very happy.
What do you do for fun?
I take care of my cats; I play golf and I like to tend to my garden. On a less serious note, I like to stick my finger in someone’s else pie and wait for them to point their finger at me and burn me at the stake once I’ve spoken a truth that they cannot bear to hear.
Anything you would like to share with everyone but maybe shouldn't?
Life has taught me that by wearing my heart on my sleeve and by speaking my unaltered thoughts, I haven’t really left anything out when it comes to sharing.
Tell us of your creative journey. (What were your influences, when did you explore your creativity, and did anything change at all when you took it seriously?)
It began through my father. He played the piano and was an adamant Fine Arts aficionado. He was, what in Germany is expressed through the definition of Schöngeist, which in English roughly translates to “The Aesthete”. So, since I was a young boy, he got me interested in aesthetics, music, literature, art and design in a very general kind of way. So, it’s difficult to say when exactly I explored my creativity. Always or never, is what comes to mind. My only regret, if any, is not having learned to play a musical instrument. In regards to taking it seriously, no I tend not to take anything too seriously, especially my artwork.
Have those influences changed?
My influences change on a daily basis. They are driven by the emotional wave and the emotional intelligence that it carries. So, yes, they have changed but the change is constant.
What makes you shine as an Artist?
The lighter spark when I’m lighting my cigarette while I’m creating definitely makes me shine as an Artist. Seriously now, I don’t know how to answer that question. To self-define myself as an Artist is a cognitive struggle for me. There are a million other people who I think are much more talented than me and who deserve or at least can be defined by that tile and by the shimmering glare that comes with it.
Traditionally, you've heard art is open to interpretation. That isn't normally the response I hear when talking with Artists nowadays. Personally, do you think your artwork be taken at surface value, does it have some deeper meaning, or is it too, open to interpretation?
All the interpretation and the perception of art lies in the eyes of the beholder. I can’t control that, so I don’t think about it. In other words, I don’t produce any work with that in mind, if it has any meaning or any deeper meaning at all. I just want to express myself and the rest is noise, really.
Does your style of art help you convey exactly what you want to communicate?
See above. I like to express my inner self. The finished product that you or whoever else sees and may define as art has no meaning for me. To me, it’s the process that’s important. The journey is what counts and I’m not a missionary, in this regard.
Do habits help (or hinder) your creativity? What habits?
LOL. This question makes me think of school, rules and learning how to break those rules. To be more specific, why should I care about habits? I’m going from what you refer as an artist, to a cat lover, to a marketeer, to a gardener, to writer… I’m just following my inner flow you know? To the point where I leave things unfinished until I find somehow, without any thinking or intention the spark to apply myself to them again. Ultimately there are no habits that either help or hinder my creative process. It’s just about being in the flow and it comes and it goes and there is nothing that I can do about it. It just is.
Why do you do what you do?
Because I’m f**king loving it. Easy.
What is the best thing that has happened to you because of your creative endeavors?
Authentic acknowledgment and recognition.
What is the worst thing?
Having to explain myself.
Is there any neutral subject matter you wouldn't explore, under any circumstance? (If so, why?)
I don’t understand what you define as neutral, so I can’t really answer. Although this may but be a neutral subject matter, the only thing I wouldn’t explore is child abuse-related subject matter. There is no why.
How long have you had an interest in cryptocurrency?
I had known about it in a superficial way for years, as many friends were interested in it. Then in May 2021, triggered by my involvement in a blue-chip marketing project I became aware of it, so I investigated it further, and finally, my interest deepened and turned into an obsession within the Torum community.
How do you feel about cryptocurrency, in general? (Do you own any?)
In regards to the financial aspect I don’t really know what to say, but what seems clear to me is that the blockchain technology that supports the cryptocurrency world, will play a major role in the future of humankind.
At what point did NFTs enter the picture (no pun intended)?
Just before I joined Torum back in May 2021, I was struck by the Sotheby’s sale of Beeple’s “Every day the first 5000 days” for 69.4M approx., at the beginning of March. So, that was the spark that propelled me to study the NFT phenomenon, even though if at a superficial level. While working on the same blue-chip marketing project mentioned above, I thought that it would have been a good idea to open a new distribution venue via the NFT in order to promote the celebrity talent attached to this particular project.
Did you start to create your own at that time?
No, not at this time (March 2021), I was too much involved in the aforementioned project. However, when I joined Torum a few months later, I thought that it would be a smart move for me to get more involved, so I started to make my own NFTs spurred primarily by an investigative hitch to see – for practicality’s sake – how it worked.
Has your perspective of the NFT scene changed from then compared to now?
I’m still on the fence on this one. However, what’s clear to me is that if there’s not enough social media hype or no use-case such as gamification pushing any particular NFT to the public’s attention, then there is no way for it to become monetized.
Where do you see yourself within the scene?
As a guppy swimming with the big whales.
Other than helping artists maintain ownership of their creations, why do you like the concept of NFTs?
It’s giving artists and creatives a handle to open the door into the digital realm in order to express themselves with the potential to reach a broader public.
In your opinion, what part will NFTs play in the future of contemporary art?
With technology advancing, artists as well as gallerists will be able to produce and/or display more complex work, and necessarily without the current financial strains involved in the making and displaying of contemporary art.
Any "irons in the fire" or collaborations on the horizon?
Yes, I do have some ideas I’m working on, but I am not ready to disclose them, yet. In regards to collaborations, I’m open to invitations.
Name a single NFT artist whose work you think is under-appreciated.
The first one that comes to mind is Klaus Fuermaier who has yet to enter the NFT world. I would also like to mention an artist that I have discovered lately on Torum, whose handle is CryptoBluebird. His work reminds of David Shrigley.
What is your favorite word?
“I’m a little bit very [type adjective here]” and “You can’t fix dumb”.
What is your least favorite word?
“You have to…”.
What turns you on?
Surprise, surprising myself.
What turns you off?
Routine.
What sound or noise do you love?
Music in any form.
What sound or noise do you hate?
High-intensity noises such as those coming out of a vacuum cleaner or those from a busy construction site (i.e. Caterpillar).
What is your favorite curse word?
F**k.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Chef, carpenter and/or psychologist.
What profession would you not like to do?
Sniper.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Finally, you made it.
Short of moving to a video-based platform, in your opinion, what can I do to improve this project?
Go your own way. That’s the best opinion I can share with you. Be the “guru of your own culo”. Culo in Italian means arse. In other words, be your own teacher, be your own master.
Is there any free site on the internet that you've found to be invaluable for what you do that you would like to share?
There’re millions of them. Displate, Red Bubble, Society 6, just to name a few. But if we are talking in terms of value, they are gimmicky, really. You get peanuts for your content. So, the way I look at it is that I’ve been planting seeds, but in terms of reaping any fruits from these trees, my best chance is to divert my attention completely to the NFT world.
Current Projects
"The Torum Files"
Part 1 https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/asset/1099557487055
Part 2 https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/asset/1099559643256
Part 3 https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/asset/1099562228672
"Meet Frieda"
https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/asset/1099556774444
Contact Information
E-mail Address: armesserer@yahoo.de
Twitter: @Raelsworld1
CookieNFT is an NFT-related project co-founded by young aspiring artists and visionaries around the world. The whole squad is composed of the leading founder, Cookietoshi, The Warden, Jdev, Promad, Walledgarden, and Franzu. They aim to give NFTs, secondary functionalities such as staking and mining rather than being just an artwork itself. That being said, the organization also aims to support underrated artists by collaborating with them and giving them a platform to showcase their work. It is also in their roadmap to launch their own token in the near future. That is the bigger picture. However, CookieNFT is still in its early stages and so far, they've already incorporated the NFT mining and staking system on Discord. Users are able to mine and earn passive Cookie rewards on their server. But what exactly is a Cookie? "Cookie" is the said token that the project is planning to launch in their roadmap. For now, it can be used to buy other exclusive NFTs.
Recently, they made a collaboration with growing artists on the WAXP blockchain, like LevitatedArts, DarkandDarkMusic, LJPSaveSaveSave and more. The main purpose of the pack drop was to fuel liquidity for the soon-to-be token mint. Currently, as of writing, they have made 80 Sales and more to go on neftyblocks. Other than that, they are also keen on hosting stake-able NFT giveaways such as WSB.PUNKS. Although the project still has a long way to go, it is safe to say that they are progressing as scheduled. Lots of plans are in store for CookieNFT and it is expanding. Now, every successful thing has always started small. It is up to you to join the journey by supporting them while they're still new and growing. CookieNFT believes that their community plays a vital role in their success. Now's your time to become a part of our family, "Buy.Mine.Stake.Repeat".
On Discord: https://discord.gg/tQp8m7nY
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/CookieNFT
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