Why is that so hard to say?  

I have always enjoyed exploring new ideas, being creative, and trying new things.  I have about 2-3 side hustle ideas spinning around in my grey matter at any given time.

But for some reason it is really hard for me to declare that I am a Hive Hustler, even though I have a strong desire to live out an entrepreneurial life.  Honestly, I think that I fear failure - not living up to expectations.  But when I reflect on what it means to be an entrepreneur (a hustler), I am reminded that my goal is to met people where they are in their moment of need (that need is caused by some point of failure).  

**My response?**   Met people in that moment.  Embrace the failure they are facing despite fear of my own failure.  


![hive hustler.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/sumatranate/l3RzkLb3-hive20hustler.png)




This post is both my entry for the [I am a Hive Hustler Post Challenge](https://peakd.com/hivehustlers/@thatsweeneyguy/i-m-a-hive-hustler-post-challenge-or-show-us-how-you-hustle) (hosted by @HiveHustlers) and my moment to take a stand.  Today, I draw a line in the sand and take an deliberate step forward to show both who I am and who I want to become - a Hive Hustler!
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<h1>I am an Artist???</h1>

When I stumbled across [NFT Showroom](https://nftshowroom.com/), I knew that my #hive experience would never be the same again.  I applied to be whitelisted so that I could tokenize art.  

I remember reaching out to @juliakponsford with a question about the process.  She asked "Are you an artist?" as she did not see any of my work on my social media accounts.

This question both excited me and frightened me.  Even though I am creative and artistic, I have never called myself an artist.  I am noticing a pattern, are you?

Not only am I a Hive Hustler, I am also an Artist!
  
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<h1>Freshly Tokenized Art</h1>

It is important to remember that not all people like all art.  The same is true for my blog.  The topics I discuss and the ideas I share do not meet the needs of all people.

That is just the truth, and I have to ok with that.

![20200731_203658.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/sumatranate/LSEZZUFL-2020-07-31_20-36-58.png)

But for those who might be interested, I want to explain more about a series that I call **"Hive - The Shirt Off Back."**

The phrase "the shirt off my back" means to take everything from someone or being willing to give everything for someone.  When I think of my #hive experience, I connect with the second definition.  

I have meet so many kind, generous people who are willing to share their knowledge and their lives.  I hope that I have shown the same generosity.

This collection of three pieces weaves the generosity of our community with a wonderful time in my life before I found the #hive community.

My wife and I lived in #Indonesia for more than 10 years. While living overseas, we were introduced to a type of art called #batik.  Batik is a traditional art technique that utilizes carefully placed wax to protect a piece of cloth from various colors of dye.  Every time I see batik, I remember my dear Indonesia friends and how time spent in their beautiful country changed my life.

The patterns used in this collection are from clothing that my wife and I have worn - literally the clothes off our backs.

<h1>The Details</h1>

Each piece is 4000 px by 3000 px (JPG) and limited to only 30 editions.  I will keep Edition #17 of each as a part of my personal collection.

With the exception of the first edition (which cost 25 swap.hive), all of the other editions only cost 20 swap.hive.

- Hive - Burnt Orange Batik features Marker Felt font and is 3.9 MB
- Hive - Brown Batik features Lobster font and is 4.9 MB
- Hive - Purple Batik features Impact font and is 3.7 MB

I would be honored if you would stop by my gallery (https://nftshowroom.com/sumatranate/gallery).  And while you are there, be sure to check out the other art!


<h1>Final Thoughts</h1>
Without #hive, I would have missed out on an incredible, digital playground over the last few years.  I would have missed out on an incredible, ragtag bunch of people that have let me into their world.

Because of #hive, I am now both a hustler and an artist.  That has a nice ring to it.
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I want to hear from you:
<h3>What has hive empowered you to be?</h3>

Thanks for stopping by!
<h3>@SumatraNate</h3>