Why Pathfinders?

Part 1 - The Art

Over a year ago we decided to build a Ghibli-inspired collection. We did this for a number of reasons, but above all else, it just felt right. Sometimes it can take time to unknit the why in what we do. But every decision we make originates from somewhere. I have always loved Studio Ghibli: I love the art. Miyazaki’s worlds live in the space between the real world and dreams, they have as much in common with the flickers of light on a cave wall as they do with an old photograph of a cherished loved one. All good art uses form to bring to life subjective experience. Reality cannot reflect what a person may feel. But fear, joy, enthusiasm, and desire can colour how we see the world, and all of that can be reflected in the art we make. What then can the artistry of Ghibli tell us about the world? It’s message is clear: there is light in the darkness. A world rich in colour is the world as seen for the first time. In essence, all of Ghibli’s work: whether dark, or light, should be understood from this vantage point. It is a world seen by new eyes. To put it plainly, it is the world as seen by a child. To me, our choice to choose this style was not commercial, it was deliberate. I wanted to see the world again for the first time. I want people to remember what that feels like. I want them to tap into the present moment, to smell the flowers, to notice the subtle shades of green, and blue, that colour the sky. I want to bring colour to people’s lives. Our art is vibrant because the world can be vibrant, if you let it. All it takes is the right perspective. That is why I chose Ghibli. @Pixisu

Part 2 - The Philosophy of Life

In truth, I lived most of my life as an anxious and lonely person. I’d had a beautiful childhood full of giant dragonflies, and mystic forces, and the love of a caring family. But as childhood ends, it’s easy for a person to dry like concrete, and that’s what happened to me. Just as the bones in a person’s body stop growing, so too does the garden of a person’s beliefs. But worse still, a weed enters the garden, it grows up the walls, and locks shut the gate to the outside world. It’s easy to believe that you know enough about the world to pass judgements on everything in it. To modern people, the world has been mapped. There are no new wonders, there is nothing left to be discovered. For some a sense of the lacklustre nature of daily life goes one step further. A harsh inner voice can warp reality and turn it into a living hell. I once lived in hell. It came at me in waves, each bigger than the last until something had to break. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, either the wallpaper would go, or I would. Fortunately, it was not just the wallpaper, but the walls that went. The first step was in realizing that I might be wrong. The inner voice that I judged myself with could be mistaken. I began to read philosophy: from the great Stoics to the mighty individualist Friedrich Nietzsche. They all suggested a different path. The Stoics taught me how to disempower anxious thoughts, and Nietzsche that the road to personal growth sometimes requires stepping backwards and starting over. When it came to crafting a message that I wanted to tell others, I naturally drifted to Hayao Miyazaki. I sensed a kindred spirit: someone trying to help others grow, and someone who could give those on the precipice of giving up a glimpse into a different world, the perspective of a child (as already mentioned). We need this message now more than ever. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, sadness are all epidemics. But they need not have to be. Things might be bad, but are they really as bleak as they feel? Instead of saying: ‘how cruel it is that I am here’, the mantra should be ‘I am humbled to be alive when most people who have and will ever exist are not’. This then is one purpose of this project. I want to dig up the weeds, and break open the gate for others. I want to let nature in, and show others the colours. I want to show people a glimpse of what being alive again can feel like. @Pixisu

Part 3 - An NFT First

It’s important to execute an idea with precision. There are many artforms and a project can take on many forms, but it was always obvious to me that Pathfinders should be an NFT project. For starters, a doctor should go where the sick are. Having explored the NFT space for a long time, and having gotten to know so many of the people within it, I felt that there were many people struggling here. I have always believed that confronting fears in art can help people in real life. The NFT is a new and emerging medium — this is exciting in itself. But a profile-picture NFT also has its own particular advantages. When a person wears a PFP, they become that character. It is a subtle type of immersion, but the blurring of the identities of the holder and the wearer might allow for some interesting effects. If one aim is to make a mind more malleable, to get them to remember what it was like to see the world as a child, then having them in some sense become that child in their daily identity can subconsciously begin to accomplish that aim. On the NFT collection side of the equation, this medium is conducive to creating communities out of thin air. It as a powerful means of bringing people together in an almost impossible (and absurd) circumstance, it also happens in a very short space of time. NFT collections are not just personal, but global too. Another route to showing people that there are other opportunities and ways to exist is through a global network. The world is small only if you refuse to walk beyond the line of the trees. Pathfinders are youthful explorers who learn that the world is bigger than they ever thought possible, and the NFT allows us to realize this in fiction and reality. @Pixisu

Part 4 - Celebrating Virtues

The world of Pathfinders is not our world. But it is as real as we take it to be. Miyazaki has always been a firm believer in celebrating a very specific set of virtues. His characters are often: courageous, determined, and have a capacity for hope. Pathfinders is a metaphysical realm in which those who demonstrate these behaviours ought to be rewarded. A fighting spirit goes a long way, and we want to nurture these qualities both inside and outside of our universe. Be brave. Be bold. Be kind. Believe that there is something to believe in. Maybe we will succeed in our mission to help people, maybe not. But we want to practice the virtues we preach, and we have the courage to try. @Pixisu

Our Message

What do we want to say in our art to the world?

1. By confronting fears in art we can learn to deal with them in life.

This reflects our vision that we can do something meaningful with NFTs, that we can teach people something that they didn’t know before, or give them a worthwhile experience that helps them grow and deal with their daily life.

2. Have hope, be determined in what you do, and show courage.

We should celebrate the virtues that make the world a better place. There is a nobility in all three of these qualities and our stories should reflect them.

3. The world can be beautiful and wondrous if you choose to see it that way.

Our aim is to help people see the world from a new perspective, and to open themselves up to new opportunities and experiences.

4. It’s okay to be afraid, but never lose your sense of adventure.

As said in the novel Dune, fear is the mind-killer. Conquering fear is a human imperative. Being open to going out on an adventure is the best way to destroy fear.

5. The world is bigger than you think, and you ought to explore it.

Our collection celebrates exploration. In order to see the world with fresh eyes, sometimes starting over in a new place is the way to do it. All of our Pathfinders may come from a particular faction, but they get to see and interact with each other in a huge world.

6. Our world is just as alive as we are.

The world overflows with life. Noticing animals, plants, and nature from time-to-time helps us understand our place in the universe. Nature is an important part of Pathfinders, and reveals itself even in personified forms.

7. Always seek out new opportunities.

Adventure. Exploration. Observation. Persistence. Hope. Optimism. What these all have in common is the underlying belief that openness leads to a better world. We want to build confidence in our holders, and show them that there is much to be excited about, much to laugh about, much to be amazed about, and so on.