Hi Noël! It's so great to be chatting with you today. To begin, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

I'm Noël Kalmus, living in Austin, Texas. I have a painting degree and work in oil paint, usually with digital manipulation, graphite, and Procreate. I incorporate colored pencils and gouache as well!

A cool combination of mediums, awesome. When did you first encounter your own creativity? Is there a moment you remember or has it always been there?

I have identified as an artist from a very young age. I was sick with asthma a lot as a kid and had to stay home with my grandparents, who were avid JRPG gamers. I would reference the character design pages in their Prima strategy guides and draw my own characters. I also discovered the Sailor Moon manga at Hasting's when I was pretty young, and was very inspired by that.

I was constantly drawing since I could hold a pencil, getting in trouble for doing it in class. So it's definitely always been there, and even beyond drawing and painting, I live a very creative life - I wear cool outfits, do weird makeup, make up little songs that I sing to my pets, have a house full of collections and decorations.

Awesome! Imaginative world building runs in the family it seems. You have a style I would describe as whimsical, but how would you describe your work in your own words, and what are some other examples of early influences that have made their way into your own aesthetic?

I would say I work in a few different visual styles depending on if I am oil painting, or creating a drawing, or an ethereBB doll - but all my work is tied together by a figurative theme. I love to create little characters that wear weird clothes and sometimes present their gender in neutral ways.

I want to express my affinity for the outcasts that I've always been grouped with, as a high school goth with juggalo friends, expressing myself, rejecting the "mainstream" through style like that has always meant a lot to me.

Other examples of early influences besides JRPGs and Sailor Moon: FRUiTS/Japanese street fashion, old Hot Topic, 90's club kid/raver style, and Littlest Pet Shop toys.

Thats cool. Tell me a bit more about EthereBBs!

A friend of mine posted an IG story asking if anyone "knew about crypto". I hardly knew anything, but responded and said I did because I love to research stuff that people want advice on haha. She had seen an old friend of hers talking about making money via NFTs.

I had heard about "crypto art" before, but hadn't really looked into it. I started researching, started with Known Origin since that's where her friend had sold. Then I found Trym Ruud's Rude Boys, and the Rarebit bunnies, I think just through the #NFT hashtag on Instagram. This was a little before the big explosion of all the other collectible NFT series.

I was intrigued and wanted to dive in. Even though I had a lot of artwork already, I loved the way that the collectible series concept responded to the medium of NFTs. I wanted to participate authentically and be an innovator, not just mint old work. I created my first doll, Brea, which was my childhood nickname when I still went by my first name, Breanne.

Having that kind of structure for my practice was super inspiring and motivating to me, and I was able to create a new doll every day. I also got lucky because my first collector DegenBobs found me on Rarible and would buy out the entire edition of my dolls. Making those early sales and his encouragement in our DMs was so motivating.

Each ethereBB doll is a celebration of fashion subcultures like I mentioned before, or a character that I love, or a response to something cultural, like the Bull and $GME BB. Each one is a reflection of something about me. Even the Bulma doll - I didn't really love Dragonball that much, but I was trying to get the attention of a boy who did, so she'll always remind me of that certain time in my life. I think they're a lot more personal than most of the collectible series out there, which makes them unique.

I agree, especially after hearing this story, I can tell you put a lot of thought into the project and it really shows. Narrative is a key aspect of this whole NFT game, I'm glad to see you taking such a thoughtful approach.

I love to wrap up with this question I ask of everyone. What advice would you have for someone just beginning their own creative journey? Or a tip or some wisdom that you wish you knew earlier on?

Embrace making ugly, bad art. Even though it's frustrating to be in the process of creating something that isn't up to your taste level, don't think of it as a waste of time, and don't let it discourage you from making more art. When I make something that isn't even worthy of being shown to other people, I am grateful to have gotten it out of me, and I know I'm one step closer to making an image I'm proud of.

If I have enough time, usually when I start a new drawing in the same sitting after working for awhile on one that turned out really bad, that next one will turn out really great.

So persevere and create without judgement. And don't wait for inspiration, show up and make the work, move the pencil and you will channel something through you.

Wonderful advice. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and your world with us. What're the best places for people to connect with you online?

@noelkalmus on Twitter and Instagram :)