NFT Twitter would lead you to believe that it's all smiley faces and love and pats on the back. Sunshine and butterflies. For many artists what's going on behind the scenes is something much different.

It can be overwhelming, and it's easy to become self-defeating when surrounded by such immense competition and the seemingly overnight success of others. Art and creation is personal to every artist. It is scary to put a dollar value on a piece that has meaning to its maker, and it can be painful when that work isn't appreciated by others.

I've always said, and I maintain, we don't make art because it makes us money, we make art because it makes us happy. It's not hard to lose sight of this when there's so much money flying around and you're left wondering where it will land.

"Crypto Captive" is the 2nd installment in Duncan Rogoff's "Dark Side of Crypto" series which looks to explore difficult emotions many artists face when immersing themselves in the vast space that is NFTs. This series marks a shift in Duncan's approach to art. While he will maintain technical ambition, he is committed to challenging himself to look inward for inspiration, motivation, and purpose behind all future work.