Eric's Blog

Eric's Blog

Eric's Blog

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The Great Debate: Who Gets to Be an Artist

Rising Tide – Episode 58Listen to the episode on Pods, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and everywhere else you get your podcasts. In this episode, Darren and I unpack what really defines an artist, why that definition matters, and who gets left out when gatekeepers draw the line. We also break down Apple’s quiet shift on NFTs and crypto payments, the true cost of always-on tech, and what new AI-at-work data says about autonomy and stress on the job. In this episode, we discuss:Why the “only world-bu...

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The Artist's Oath

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Visualizing Emotions

Emotions: 13 Color Palettes

Not My First Rodeo: Minting SuperRare Ghost Tokens

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Cheap Stickers and Sacred Symbols

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Don't go chasing platforms

Most Popular

Emotions: 13 Color Palettes

Not My First Rodeo: Minting SuperRare Ghost Tokens

Cover image

Cheap Stickers and Sacred Symbols

Cover image

Don't go chasing platforms

Eric's Blog

A place where I share my experiences with art, tech, and culture. Subscribe and follow along as I explore how creativity and tech shape our lives.

Written by

Eric P. Rhodes

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I Built This Because I Had To

How is AI really changing the way we work? This independent study explores the impact of AI on trust, stress, autonomy, and meaning in the workplace. It’s based on a survey developed and refined over months of research, and now open to participants.

Discover card cover image

Why I'm Moving On from X (and Choosing Farcaster)

After years of building a community on X, I’m shifting my focus to Farcaster permanently. This move is not about chasing trends. It is about finding spaces that prioritize curiosity, community, and creation. I believe in owning my work, building on open protocols, and leaving behind a trail others can carry forward. If you are already there, I look forward to connecting. If you are curious, come find me.

Discover card cover image

When Art Became Social

For the first time in history, visual art has a social layer. This post explores how NFTs and networked platforms have transformed art from something private and niche into something people can share, remix, and build community around. Drawing comparisons to music, gaming, books, and sports, it reflects on how distribution models drive cultural connection and why we are still early in art’s evolution.

Discover card cover image

The Artist's Oath

The Artist’s Oath is a personal commitment to how I show up creatively. It is a reminder to lead with integrity, to resist the pressure to perform, and to make work that reflects truth, not just what gets attention. It is a compass for navigating the tension between expression and permanence, and a way to stay rooted in what matters: presence, process, and purpose, not perfection.

Discover card cover image

Who Gets to Claim the Moral High Ground in the AI vs IP Debate?

Explores the quiet tension between AI and intellectual property law. Questions whether current systems truly protect creators or simply preserve corporate control. Invites a deeper look at who gets to claim moral authority in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Discover card cover image

Book Notes: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

A reflection on Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential, exploring how progress, environment, and support shape success more than raw talent. From Cy Young winners to astronauts, the book challenges traditional gatekeeping and reframes what it takes to be seen. I connect Grant’s ideas to personal experiences and creative spaces like Web3, where the path forward often means finding a way in through the side door.

Discover card cover image

Art Was Never Enough

In a world where AI and digital tools redefine creation, the myth of “pure art” is unraveling. This post explores how attention has always been the true driver of value, not just skill or craft. From Da Vinci to Van Gogh, history shows that exposure and recognition elevate art more than the act of creation itself. As AI and NFTs shift the landscape, we must reckon with the new reality—attention matters more than we’ve ever wanted to admit.

Discover card cover image

On Becoming a Designer

I didn’t set out to work in tech. I just wanted to take an art class. But a detour through computer science led me to something deeper: a path that combined logic, creativity, and human-centered thinking. This essay traces how an unexpected beginning shaped my approach to design, helping me become the kind of leader who thrives in ambiguity and builds bridges between people, ideas, and systems.

Discover card cover image

AI Won’t Kill Junior Roles, But It Will Squeeze the Middle

As AI automates routine tasks, early-career roles are not disappearing. They are being reshaped. This piece explores how the middle of the job ladder is compressing, pushing junior workers into more complex responsibilities without traditional support structures. Drawing on historical parallels, it argues that AI raises the floor rather than eliminates it, and calls for new systems of training and mentorship to meet the moment.

Discover card cover image

Not Everyone’s Chasing the Same Thing

I’ve been creating since before I knew what “legacy” meant. Art was never a race for me—it was how I stayed grounded. Some of us build from the margins, in connection, not competition. This is where I build from.

Discover card cover image

"There's a reason and a season"

The Brutalist Mannequins series began as a way to process four decades of anxiety and depression, but it ended up revealing something deeper—the quiet unraveling of a 12-year relationship. Created during a personal breakdown, these works became a mirror for emotional truths I hadn’t yet faced. This reflection revisits the series five years later and explores what it helped me understand, express, and survive.

Discover card cover image

My Artistic Foundations

A personal reflection on the lasting influence of high school art teachers and the interdisciplinary art program, The Palette Paradigm, developed by Doug DePice. Through archived video lessons and storytelling, Eric explores how early exposure to the connections between art, science, math, and humanities shaped his critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning—revealing the deep impact of integrated arts education.

Discover card cover image

I Built This Because I Had To

How is AI really changing the way we work? This independent study explores the impact of AI on trust, stress, autonomy, and meaning in the workplace. It’s based on a survey developed and refined over months of research, and now open to participants.

Discover card cover image

Why I'm Moving On from X (and Choosing Farcaster)

After years of building a community on X, I’m shifting my focus to Farcaster permanently. This move is not about chasing trends. It is about finding spaces that prioritize curiosity, community, and creation. I believe in owning my work, building on open protocols, and leaving behind a trail others can carry forward. If you are already there, I look forward to connecting. If you are curious, come find me.

Discover card cover image

When Art Became Social

For the first time in history, visual art has a social layer. This post explores how NFTs and networked platforms have transformed art from something private and niche into something people can share, remix, and build community around. Drawing comparisons to music, gaming, books, and sports, it reflects on how distribution models drive cultural connection and why we are still early in art’s evolution.

Discover card cover image

The Artist's Oath

The Artist’s Oath is a personal commitment to how I show up creatively. It is a reminder to lead with integrity, to resist the pressure to perform, and to make work that reflects truth, not just what gets attention. It is a compass for navigating the tension between expression and permanence, and a way to stay rooted in what matters: presence, process, and purpose, not perfection.

Discover card cover image

Who Gets to Claim the Moral High Ground in the AI vs IP Debate?

Explores the quiet tension between AI and intellectual property law. Questions whether current systems truly protect creators or simply preserve corporate control. Invites a deeper look at who gets to claim moral authority in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Discover card cover image

Book Notes: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

A reflection on Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential, exploring how progress, environment, and support shape success more than raw talent. From Cy Young winners to astronauts, the book challenges traditional gatekeeping and reframes what it takes to be seen. I connect Grant’s ideas to personal experiences and creative spaces like Web3, where the path forward often means finding a way in through the side door.

Discover card cover image

Art Was Never Enough

In a world where AI and digital tools redefine creation, the myth of “pure art” is unraveling. This post explores how attention has always been the true driver of value, not just skill or craft. From Da Vinci to Van Gogh, history shows that exposure and recognition elevate art more than the act of creation itself. As AI and NFTs shift the landscape, we must reckon with the new reality—attention matters more than we’ve ever wanted to admit.

Discover card cover image

On Becoming a Designer

I didn’t set out to work in tech. I just wanted to take an art class. But a detour through computer science led me to something deeper: a path that combined logic, creativity, and human-centered thinking. This essay traces how an unexpected beginning shaped my approach to design, helping me become the kind of leader who thrives in ambiguity and builds bridges between people, ideas, and systems.

Discover card cover image

AI Won’t Kill Junior Roles, But It Will Squeeze the Middle

As AI automates routine tasks, early-career roles are not disappearing. They are being reshaped. This piece explores how the middle of the job ladder is compressing, pushing junior workers into more complex responsibilities without traditional support structures. Drawing on historical parallels, it argues that AI raises the floor rather than eliminates it, and calls for new systems of training and mentorship to meet the moment.

Discover card cover image

Not Everyone’s Chasing the Same Thing

I’ve been creating since before I knew what “legacy” meant. Art was never a race for me—it was how I stayed grounded. Some of us build from the margins, in connection, not competition. This is where I build from.

Discover card cover image

"There's a reason and a season"

The Brutalist Mannequins series began as a way to process four decades of anxiety and depression, but it ended up revealing something deeper—the quiet unraveling of a 12-year relationship. Created during a personal breakdown, these works became a mirror for emotional truths I hadn’t yet faced. This reflection revisits the series five years later and explores what it helped me understand, express, and survive.

Discover card cover image

My Artistic Foundations

A personal reflection on the lasting influence of high school art teachers and the interdisciplinary art program, The Palette Paradigm, developed by Doug DePice. Through archived video lessons and storytelling, Eric explores how early exposure to the connections between art, science, math, and humanities shaped his critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning—revealing the deep impact of integrated arts education.