Creatress (Sarai Mora) is creating at the intersection of virtual reality and fine art. She crafts light-based 3D artworks for live audiences, and is the first woman to mint a glass blown sculpture as an NFT.

Now that you’ve performed at more than 25 events since 2021, I’m curious to know when it all started, and how you first discovered your passion for this new art medium.

I love technology, so when I got into VR Sculpting, I was incredibly amazed by it. My first thought was, I need to show somebody this. I wanted someone to see what it looked like from my point of view, because it was so freaking cool.

How did live VR 3D sculpting as performance art become a profession for you? At what point did the light bulb go off?

I quickly figured out that you could cast your view to a TV or screen, so other people can watch what you’re creating. That happened almost immediately after I started VR sculpting.

VR sculpting is a type of 3D sculpting that is done in a virtual reality environment. This allows users to interact with their models in a more intuitive and immersive way. VR sculpting software typically allows users to use their hands and controllers to manipulate the 3D model, as if they were working with tangible materials. 

Light-based 3D objects utilize light to create the illusion of depth. They can be created using a variety of techniques, including projection mapping, volumetric capture, and 3D printing.

Popular VR sculpting software options include:

Medium by Adobe
SculptrVR
Gravity Sketch
Quill
Tilt Brush
Nomad Sculpt

I had already done some live painting with Acrylics before, so I knew I could do it. When I was invited to perform a live painting during NFT.NYC for NFT.me, created by Jonny Caplan. I suggested VR sculpting instead, because I had already been working in it.

Producer JJ Love agreed to have a projector, WiFi and a computer for me to log into and we made it work. I had no idea if this would be of interest to people until I actually did it for the first time. It was an experiment to see if this works, and if people respond to it.

“I had so much fun! It was an exhilarating moment. The energy from the audience with the music was incredible. I needed to perform again.”

Creatress

I’ll never forget the feeling I had looking at a photo from my performance. I remember having tears of overwhelming emotion that, wow, I think I found my art medium I want to explore for the next foreseeable future! That was everything.

It looks like any Web3 event in search of a creatively unique live performance with wow factor, you’re it—and easy to program. It’s all PnP (plug and play)?

The tools I use are a VR headset, and Gravity Sketch. I use the controllers that came with my headset. I enter my customized virtual studio—made to look any theme, color, or mood I design. The headset casts wirelessly to the computer and a large LED screen or projector via Bluetooth, or HDMI. 

Sounds intuitive. How do you prepare?

At the very core of my performance art, I’m a receiver. I begin with a very clear intention and inspiration. My intention is to become a mirror; to reflect the energy I’m feeling from the audience.

“I translate the energy I feel into color; repeating patterns and shapes. I feel like I’m taking a picture of the audience at the precise moment in time my 3D sculpture illustrates.”

Creatress

Is there any intentional symbolism in your 3D sculptures?

My performances are very much inspired by the human heart. I’ve included human hearts in a lot of my art, because of its electromagnetic pulse, and the electromagnetic field it emits that can be measured outside of our bodies. We’re all walking around broadcasting our emotions; if your heart is racing, or if you’re mad, or excited, it’s a different BPM (beats per minute).

I tap into that energy coming from the audience, so I encourage the audience to be happy, to dance, and to get into that energy. The happier and more positive their energy is, the more beautifully expressive my sculpture becomes; it’s a 3D representation of energy in the space.

Channeling energy as an art form. What memorable performances come to mind?

One of many memorable non-fungible moments for me was my performance for the 1st Annual Social Innovation Summit. Paris Hilton‘s team at 11:11 Media hired me to perform. My Web3 community helped me book that performance, because so many people recommended me—including my friends who support women creators, Shira Lazar and Swan Sit, who introduced me to Paris Hilton’s team.

I’m happy to have a community I can rely on. That performance happened about a year into my journey doing live art VR 3D sculpting, and it gave me more confidence to evolve and experiment. I’m honored to have been part of the event, and Meta Quest Pro, one of the sponsors, even gifted me a headset.

How did you establish your performance fee?

Actually, my first almost ten performances were unpaid. I wanted to develop my show with as much experience and exposure as I could. Perhaps that’s something I wouldn’t recommend in hindsight, partly because of my traveling expenses. There comes a time for every artist to get compensated, because we’re here in Web3 partly to eliminate the starving artist stigma and stereotype.

Did you establish your performance fees relative to the bull market? How has that affected your bookings since the end of 2021?

I had a situation once where I was awarded a grant at a Pitch-A-Thon, but the dollar value was cut in half because of the volatility of the token. So I’ve been there, and that’s where we are right now. Everything is down. I definitely feel it. That’s why I’m experimenting with a different model, where brands or companies can sponsor me directly to travel, and essentially sponsor my performance at any event I perform at. I’m doing this for community-led events that are aligned with supporting women, or working with people that I know and trust.

I see you working very hard. Even during the downturn, artists are still shining, and you’re a bright example. One day you’ll look up, and the bull is back.

I can only imagine how other artists feel who are just trying to travel to see their work exhibited, because a lot of artists can’t afford to be present for those industry receptions. But this has been my lifelong dream; I want to be like Karrie Ross, a complete legend in her 70s, still making art every day. So the bear or the bull is irrelevant to me; it’s like summer and winter.

I see myself performing all over the world as an ongoing thing well into my future. Maybe fewer performances than my first year, but I want to continue to develop my multi-reality viewing experience. I’ve only had a chance to perform with live DJs a couple of times, and I’d like to push that further. My goal is to perform with my favorite musicians and artists on stage at whatever festivals they’re playing for on their tours.

So you’re considering new ways people can experience your performances as technology continues to evolve? That’s inspiring to hear.

I’m trying to find ways the audience can observe my performance, and feel like they’re in my creative world, because I feel their energy; I hear them around me, and sometimes people interact with me. People dance with me while I’m performing, so they’re already very much part of it. I want to make their experience more immersive.

I have so many ideas that can’t really be done yet. I have a few ideas for VR apps; art apps. I’m not quite technical enough yet for something I have in mind that I’ll need a team for. I want to invite friends anywhere in the world to collaborate with me in real-time, and I want to perform on even bigger stages and events that aren’t necessarily Web3.

Because my performances don’t scream Web3, I want to be a bridge through my art. The sculptures I create during my performances are NFTs; they’re minted on the Ethereum blockchain. When you claim my free POAP by email, it puts you on my presale list to collect the NFT you watched me create in the moment.

Claiming a POAP is almost always a positive experience too—unlike crypto dropping in value overnight, or a rug pull that could be unintentional or deliberate.

An opportunity to claim a free POAP is an incentivized nudge to take the next step: With only 7 days to claim their free POAP, each claimant must open their own cryptocurrency wallet if they don’t already have one.

More about POAPs:

• They are a way to prove that you attended an event or participated in an activity.
• They are a way to collect and display digital badges.
• They can be used to access exclusive content or events.
• They can be used to earn rewards or discounts.
• They can be used to build a community around a shared interest.

POAPs, or Proof of Attendance Protocol, are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that are minted and distributed to people who attend events or participate in rewarded activities. They're stored on the Ethereum blockchain and can be viewed and verified by anyone.

To claim a POAP, you need a compatible Ethereum wallet like MetaMask. Once you own a wallet, you simply visit the POAP website to scan the appropriate QR code, or manually enter the claim code provided by your event organizer. Once you scan or enter the claim code, your POAP will be minted and added to your wallet as a digital collectible.

You may also claim a POAP from a custodial wallet, which is a type of cryptocurrency wallet where the private keys are held by a third party, such as an exchange or a wallet provider. This means you don't have direct access to your funds, and must rely on the 3rd party to keep them safe. In this case, you need to transfer your POAP to your own wallet in order to to fully own it.

We talk about on-boarding a lot. I’m of the mindset you can’t drag people kicking and screaming to the blockchain; they have to want to learn more, with enough curiosity and desire to follow through every step of the way.

How were you introduced to crypto?

I started around 2017. I felt enough excitement that I bought and traded my first few coins. Then in early 2021, I joined Clubhouse and started meeting people that were into NFTs. I spent 3 months listening and learning and consuming as much information as I could before I went ahead and bought some Tez, bought some ETH, and started minting art.

Are you completely crypto native now? Is all of your income earned from the Web3 space?

It’s a mix. I’ve never been paid in crypto for a live sculpting performance; I’ve only been paid in fiat. I used to have my booking rates in fiat ($USD) and ETH on my site, but I had to go back and update ETH pretty often because of the volatility of cryptocurrency. I also receive payments in USDC, because it’s important for me to offer options. I think it’s part of the future of work.

As a performing artist, do you represent yourself?

I do all my own outreach on social media, my own marketing—everything at this point. I have a planner, I use my calendar, and I want to continue to do it this way for as long as I can; I work so many hours to keep up. It does become a lot to manage, and I would love to just make the art, so I’ve considered representation to help me book more events. I believe live performance art can transform any event; not just Web3 events.

Talk about being a woman, and also a woman of color in Web3. How does this affect the way you navigate this predominantly male, and often abusive space?

I’m going to make a personal confession here—along with my formal apology, because I remember being quite forward with you in DMs a couple of years back at NFT.NYC. I immediately regretted that—in part, because you shut me down. I sincerely apologize for shooting my shot. In hindsight, it was inappropriate.

Yeah, well, first of all, thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you to apologize. I don’t think about it too often, mainly because in this industry, I don’t have as many issues with men like I did in my previous industry, which was dealing with lawyers, primarily. That was horrific, to be completely honest. So for me, it’s been pretty good.

I do occasionally get people who sometimes talk to me out of romantic interest when I’m absolutely at events strictly for networking and artistic purposes, and I know it also happens to other women. A friend of mine who is well known in this space—I won’t mention her name, but she told me someone kissed her at a conference, and she was completely surprised. She didn’t initiate. She has a boyfriend. So I know it happens, and I hope that people—anyone, whether you’re a man or woman attending these events, just remember most people are there to network in a professional way. Maybe some people are looking for a new partner at these events, but it’s not the majority. Conduct yourself with that in mind,

So there actually is an industry where men are more toxic than Web3, and that’s apparently the legal profession.

Yeah, believe it or not.

Have you always considered yourself an artist—before NFTs, before the technology?

I would always tell jokes as a child. I like to make people laugh, and change the energy in a room. Since I was ten years old, I’ve always known you actually can be an artist full-time, and leave a legacy that can be donated to a museum, because my great grandfather did exactly that. Since I was a child, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can possibly make a living as an artist myself, so I went to art school. I’ve tried every type of art I could express, including some performance art in a gallery, and theater.

You seem to be everywhere these days. Are you still Maui based?

I am still based in Maui.

Is it a crypto friendly place?

It’s a really small community here. There aren’t very many crypto natives—at least not that I’ve found yet. But there’s at least one NFT artist that I know of, who I’ve met in person at Web3 events, so I’ve got at least one friend out here.

How large is the community you’re in? Are we talking hundreds, thousands?

The town where I’m at is probably like 1,000 people.

It sounds like paradise whenever I hear about it, or see pictures.

It’s beautiful. Everywhere you look there’s a plant growing; it’s green. I’m seeing green and blue. I would prefer a little more action; there’s no coffee shop, not too many galleries, not a lot of art things to do yet, but everywhere you look, it’s gorgeous. I’m really grateful to be here.