Michael Stone

If you’ve spent any time with my work, you’ve probably noticed they keep showing up: cats, clocks, and balloons. Sometimes they’re obvious. Sometimes they’re half-hidden, watching from the edges or floating just out of reach. People ask me all the time if they “mean something.” They do—but not always in the way symbols usually behave. Thanks to myths about “nine lives” and their calm…

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash For a long time, people believed the only path to success ran straight through a college campus. A degree was the ticket to opportunity, financial security, and social respect. But today, the world works differently. Technology, entrepreneurship, and the creator economy have opened countless doors that don’t require a diploma hanging on the wall. This doesn’t…

Here are 25 well-known achievers—from technology, business, the arts, activism, and sports—who reached extraordinary success without completing a college degree: Technology & Business Steve Jobs — Co-founder of Apple; dropped out of Reed College. Bill Gates — Co-founder of Microsoft; left Harvard to start the company. Mark Zuckerberg — Founder of Facebook; left Harvard during sophomore…

The world of art and creation keeps evolving — and so does the way people connect with the artists they love. For years, creators have relied on ads, algorithms, and endless subscription models just to stay afloat. The Stoneworks token changes that story. It’s part of the Access Protocol (ACS) ecosystem — a new way for artists, writers, and fans to interact using blockchain technology. But don’t…

Art has always been about connection. For me, creating a piece isn’t just about the brushstrokes, the symbols, or the layers of surreal detail — it’s about the people who bring that work into their lives. That’s why I designed a release system where every week and every month brings something new for my community. It keeps the rhythm alive, rewards loyalty, and turns collecting into an ongoing…

I’ve been hearing the question a lot lately: “Are NFTs dead?” My short answer is no—but things have definitely shifted. When NFTs first exploded, fine art NFTs looked like a revolution. Artists suddenly had a way to sell work directly to collectors, with built-in proof of ownership. That’s still true, but the hype cooled once speculation got louder than the art itself. Today, fine art NFTs live…