For most of his life, 18-year-old Justin Bodnar, better known on Web3 as jstngraphicsHe hoped to become a professional soccer player. But as if to set the wheels of fate in motion, before he could reach adolescence, a hole in his heart (very physically, that’s not just being poetic) would put a damper on his dreams and effectively change the trajectory of his life. life.
“When I was younger, I played soccer, basketball, and baseball; but I really started to focus on soccer. But when I was 10, around fifth grade, I had to have open heart surgery,” Bodnar said in an interview with nft now. “Apparently, there was a hole in one of the walls of my heart, and all the blood was going to one side. So I had to have surgery for that, which meant I couldn’t play soccer for a while. That’s when I got into graphic design.”
Art commissions during a global pandemic
Resting from surgery and no longer able to go out on the field, Bodnar did what any fifth grader would do and dove right into video games. As he got better and better at Obligations, he decided to record his matches and edit his trick shots. To do this, he first employed Adobe After Effects, which acted as his entry into the world of design. from there, he started making his own miniatures and realized that he could earn some money with his rapidly growing skill set.
“I thought, ‘Hey, I could probably make some money on this.’ At the time, she was probably 11 or 12 years old. I decided to create a Twitter account and from there I started selling cheap Twitter headers, thumbnails, really anything for $10-15,” Bodnar said. “After a while, I started charging around $25 to $50 or something. That’s exactly what I did until around 2019, when I really started experimenting with my designs and doing commissions.”
In 2019, although Bodnar was an example of health and continued to enjoy football without rushing, it was undeniable that art had taken over his free time as his main hobby. And for good reason, considering that he could now earn money by doing commissions. But in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, things changed for everyone, including Bodnar. During the year, he began to really focus on creating his own art, not just commissions created from the ideas of others.
Fortunately for him, his timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and in the fall of that same year, he was exposed to NFTs for the first time. First minting of a piece in rarible, Bodnar scouted other artists on Twitter and established a small network of creators in a group chat. Although he admits that he really had no idea what he was doing from the beginning, his name started to spread once he crossed paths with a particular superstar DJ.
Charting a path to sustainability
After learning about the Clubhouse social audio app, which dominated the first half of 2021, Bodnar participated in several rooms (engagements to speak on the app), simply hoping to hang out with friends and maybe talk about his art. However, he says that he didn’t really talk much the first few times, that is, until he ended up in the same room as DJ and featured creator/influencer of NFT 3LAU.
“Honestly, I was freaking out! But finally, I thought that I could do it too. So I waited until there was a period of time where no one was talking, and I unmuted and said, ‘Hi, I’m Justin. I’m a 16-year-old 3D artist,’ and 3LAU was the first to respond,” Bodnar said. “He said, ‘Great, where can we find your work?’ I gave him my Instagram and Twitter, and instantly, my Instagram was blowing up… 3LAU actually tweeted my art, he tagged me and followed me.”
From then on, Bodnar and 3LAU connected and talked more outside of the Clubhouse, eventually culminating in the DJ purchasing one of Bodnar’s NFTs at a private sale. And then Bodnar got a nice surprise when 3LAU asked him if he would like to create a cover for one of his upcoming songs. “It was incredible. Especially since that artwork was with the first music drop in his actual platform. So it was great to be a part of that story.”
Considering Bodnar’s ongoing love for bright and emotional electronic music, being chosen for a 3LAU collaboration was certainly a potential bucket list item checked off. And as his surreal and dreamscape NFTs continued to gain traction, he found opportunities to work with other prominent Web3 names like Josh Pierce and Dave Krugman as well. However, with his artistic goals beginning to be achieved, Bodnar realized that he had an opportunity to change his focus and become an inspiration to other young artists.
“Being a young artist and getting into the NFT space is not easy. I was lucky to get into the space and so many people were very helpful. I want to inspire other artists, hopefully younger artists as well,” Bodnar said. “That is my main objective. You know, apart from going into a museum or something (laughs)”.
From achieving six figures in sales in Super rare to an upcoming collection to be released at Nifty Gateway, wherever Bodnar strives to take his art next, it’s clear his mission is solid. And like his vibrant landscapes and stunningly beautiful worlds, his own potential seems vast and limitless.
