I'm very excited for this conversation with my dear friend and fellow Sony Alpha Ambassador Cath Simard. I first met Cath on a once in a lifetime trip with our collective, wandering through the highlands of the Isle of Skye. I was immediately blown away by her work, her ethic, and her welcoming and creative personality. I'm excited for her upcoming SuperRare Genesis drop- to connect with Cath across the metaverse, visit her link tree. Let's begin.

Can you begin by introducing yourself to our readers? Your name, where you are from, and the mediums you work in?

My name is Catherine Simard and I’m a landscape/composite photographer born in Quebec, Canada and now living in the Canadian Rockies. I like to immerse myself in nature and capture images as little pieces to my puzzle, and the bring them together into a single image that represents a blend of reality and my own imagination.

I’m currently a Sony Alpha Ambassador, and lead photography workshops and expeditions in places like Patagonia, The Andes, Iceland, and in my home in the Canadian Rockies.

Let's start in the present, and work our way backwards, because I want to put some emphasis on your upcoming SuperRare genesis drop! How did you first become aware of NFTs and Cryptoart, and what excites you about the potential space? What can you share about your upcoming work on SR?

I learned about NFTs back in February and I rapidly became obsessed by the space. I'm not a huge tech person, but somehow crypto and crypto art really caught my attention. I love everything is is new and avant-garde and NFTs are exactly that. I started to jump on Clubhouse rooms and got on Twitter, slowly building my knowledge and making new friends and connections.

What excites me the most about the space is the strong sense of community & building up each other, which frankly, I haven't felt anywhere else, especially not on Instagram. NFTs have pushed me to take a deeper look inside my work and how I connect with my art, understanding why I create the way that I do and why do I push myself the way that I do. In a sense, NFTs brought me from a place of purely focused on ''doing'' to a place of ''being'' which in my opinion, is way more meaningful.

For my Genesis drop on SuperRare, I wanted to take a deeper look at how my photography and composites have unconsciously been telling my story over the years. My drop is a parallel of my own personal journey as an artist, but mostly as a human navigating the different challenges that life brings us, and how to break out of your own comfort zone.

The drop is names ''Lumière du Noir'' which is a metaphor for being stuck in a very dark place, a place of comfort and apathy and finally discovering the possibilities of the world outside of your comfort zone, a world with light and potential. The Genesis Drop is split into two distinct parts.

The first part is The Cave Collection which includes a series of 3 art pieces created from multiple images taken from the inside of caves around the world. These caves represent being stuck inside yourself, isolated and disconnected. Inside, there is only darkness, comfort, and apathy. Outside, there is light, discovery and potential. Each cave image tells a story and symbolizes different ways to break out of your own comfort zone: creatively, physically and mentally.

The second part is, ''The Master Experience'' which includes a single image and an in-person experience from a place within the light ; Spirit Island, a remote mystical island located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The photograph is the most appreciated of my entire work. It has been viewed and shared tens of millions of times on social media and featured on some of the largest photography pages.

Spirit Island is of the places where I truly got outside of my own comfort zone and began to overcome the fear of the unknown. I want to inspire one person to actually step outside of their own comfort zone. The first collector will get the chance to join me on a 5-day trip in the Canadian Rockies including a 2-day guided backcountry canoe trip to Spirit Island. All ground expenses will be covered and the itinerary will be adapted to the collector’s preferences and fitness level.

You've clearly put a ton of thought into this and I'm so eager to see the reception. Let's move backwards into the social media era of our careers for a moment. I feel that NFT and Web 3 solves a lot of problems of Social and Web 2. What has your experience been making a living through social media, and how does this new world change your perspective on what is possible for artists where they intersect with technologies?

Today, most of my income comes from teaching people about photography, not selling my art itself on social media. Even if my work did multiple magazines covers and got licensed by big brands, this was usually not enough to put food on the table. I've always been driven to create art for myself first & for creative self-expression. However, early on my career, because of the lack of confidence in my work and experience, I did feel a pressure to create more in order to grow an audience, which led to forced art. But quickly, I learned to slow down, focus on what I enjoy creating and embrace the long and thoughtful process that goes into my work.

I feel that NFTs are a great way for artists to eliminate all social pressures and truly create for themselves while building their own careers according to their rules. It feels that social media is so focused on the visuals only, but the NFT space values the narrative and artistic intent as much as the visual. NFTs are a great way to expand your creativity without any rules or boundaries, while being compensated for all the hard work.

I think it is really cool that one of your pieces comes with a once in a life time experience. Why did you decide to incorporate something like this into your drop?

On this genesis drop, I’m bringing the collector on a journey of self-discovery, from a place of darkness (our caves, our comfort zones) to a place of light and I want to inspire someone to take that first step in getting out of his/her comfort zone. I wanted to offer a collector the chance to not only own the NFT, but experience this NFT in real life and creative lifetime memories. I love to bring people with me on adventures and see their excitement when getting to a new location, there is a real fulfillment to that and it helps me connect with places that I tend to take for granted.

I love that you are doing this, it is such an authentic approach and so in line with what you have been doing with your career. I truly think its a unique way to create a more meaningful experience

.ALLSHIPS is all about community, how we are stronger together, and when we collaborate instead of just compete. How has the idea of community enabled you in your pursuits, both in your traditional photo path and this new world of NFT?

I’ve always done everything solo since the beginning of my career. Because I’ve chosen to approach landscape photography in a non-traditional way and because I’m more of a lone wolf, it has always been difficult for me to find my ‘’tribe’."

However, entering the NFT world has completely changed my perspective on community. It has shown me that moving forward together goes a long way. I don’t think I’ve felt this sense of belonging and acceptance anywhere else and there is as much satisfaction in seeing fellow artists succeeding than succeeding yourself. I love the selflessness and uplifting vibe that happens every day, it’s been incredible and very inspiring.

Ok, lastly, I love to add some value to the community by asking what advice you may have for a creative who is earlier on their path!

I feel that there is real value in taking your time with NFTs, just like you’d take your time in creating a piece of art that is valuable to you. Take the time to understand the space, create connections, build community and dive deep into your art. Think about what you can bring to the table that’s different. It can be a strength, a style, your personality, anything that makes YOU and your art unique. Doing some introspection is a great way to present your work with more substance and depth, which will add value and help you attract the right collectors.

Wonderful advice, and thank you so much for speaking with us today. Best of luck on this SuperRare drop, I'm sure it will be a great success! To the reader, you can find everything Cath Simard via her LinkTree.