I worked in a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, sewing shirts for 12 hours a day, earning $90 a month. The factory was hot, crowded, and noisy. My fingers bled from constant stitching. I thought this was my life forever.
On my old Nokia phone, I saw a Facebook post about NFTalk. Someone shared: “Upload your textile patterns and earn money.”
That night, after my shift, I drew traditional paisley motifs and floral borders on notebook paper, photographed them, and uploaded them as “Bangladeshi Textile Pattern Templates.”
Within two weeks, a Canadian design blogger used my motifs, and I earned $35. I cried tears of hope.
I continued uploading daily after factory shifts. In eight months, my earnings surpassed $800 per month. I resigned from the factory. Today, two years later, I earn $2,200 per month. I work from home, create designs I love, and support my younger brother’s college tuition.
NFTalk freed me from exploitation and gave me creative independence. It turned my pain into art and art into freedom.