Today, we are shining a spotlight on VWEC, an innovative Eduverse in Second Life designed to provide educators with support and advocacy for educational initiatives in virtual worlds. Learn more from coordinators Valibrarian Gregg, Elli Pinion, and Dodge Threebeards.

What is VWEC, how did it get started, and which communities are involved? 
VWEC stands for the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium, and it began in January of 2021 when many educators realized we had been working for years in isolation and we saw a need to meet to share best practices, ways to advocate for education in virtual worlds, and tips for overcoming obstacles.   

We moved to the newly created VWEC Eduverse in May 2022. We have 48 groups that have regions located in the Eduverse and almost 400 members in the VWEC Group.

First Meeting of VWEC Jan 2021

What are some of the goals of VWEC? 
Initially, our intention was to meet quarterly to discuss and brainstorm about the future of education in Second Life and support educators. We gathered the educational groups that we knew about together and wanted to highlight them, as there was no need to reinvent the amazing “wheel” of work that was already being done here. And it took off! And we have a Welcome Center and Eduverse Reserve.

Now we have formal Vision and Mission Statements:

Vision: The goal of the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium (VWEC) is to bring educators together to share what practices have been successful and to tackle obstacles across virtual platforms and communities.

Mission: The Virtual Worlds Education Consortium connects educators, learners, digital citizens, and virtual communities of learning to share and develop best practices for teaching and learning in virtual spaces.

VWEC Eduverse

Tell us more about the frequent events that happen and how Second Life Residents can get involved.
In addition to our Quarterly Meetings, we have five weekly Fireside Chats where educators in both formal education and non-profits who also teach, can share their experiences and tips, as well as talk about research and approaches. The VWEC Fireside Chats are held in English, Spanish, and Polish at various times of the day to bring in time zones across the globe.

VWEC also presents a bi-monthly Expert Series that showcases successful teaching and learning in Second Life. There are monthly tours of educational communities, as well.  All events are on the website at vweconsortium.org, as well as InWorld.
 
We encourage members to help at our Info Center and through our Instructor Development Projects.

VWEC Expert Series - Photo by PI.Illios

How can educators not yet in Second Life join VWEC?
New educators can find more information on our website at vweconsortium.org. If email is a preference, we have a Google group at metaverselibraries@googlegroups.com. We are happy for them to email us directly for information.   

As a Community Gateway, instructors or their students can join Second Life on our website at https://www.vweconsortium.org/sign-in/secondlife.php. They will land at the VWEC Welcome Plaza to find teleporters to orientation gateways.   

All three of you also have individual educational projects related to the VWEC, tell us about some of those.

Valibrarian Gregg (Dr. Valerie Hill in RL), a professor of Library and Information Science has a background as an educator and librarian. Currently, Val is the Co-Coordinator for the VWEC and is responsible for the VWEC Info Center. She serves as the director of the Community Virtual Library which is a real library run by information professionals in a virtual world. In addition to supporting VWEC, the library holds programs, shares exhibits, provides classes on information literacy (metaliteracy in digital culture), and provides traditional library services alongside innovative metaverse resources such as databases, holodeck read-alouds, and tours of immersive educational simulations. Val’s research on changing literacy led to the adoption of the term metamodernism (our current philosophical moment) in her book Metamodernism and Changing Literacy and numerous research articles, webinars, and presentations on digital citizenship, metaliteracy, and virtual learning environments.

Elli Pinion (Dr. Becky Adams in RL) was the Director of Online Course Development and teaches Educational Technology and Virtual Worlds at the University of New Mexico. She is the Co-Coordinator for the VWEC. Presently, she is working to complete the Welcome Center since the initial build Opening Ceremonies, develop our Models for Teaching exhibit hosting seven instructors who teach in Virtual Worlds, expand the Educational Resources area, is establishing the Eduverse Representative Assembly, and support our teams who are part of the VWEC including our first Student Challenge-athon coming this fall. Elli’s research is in Online Professional Development for Educators.

Dodge Threebeards (Dr. Greg Perrier in RL) has managed the Second Life program for the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) since December 2012. He taught biology at NOVA for many years and incorporated interactive activities in Second Life into his classes. As manager of the program for NOVA, he developed workshops to increase faculty and staff interest in using Second Life with students. Pre-pandemic, NOVA averaged about 400 students a year using Second Life. Use declined drastically during the pandemic as NOVA required all faculty to use Zoom and commercial online labs, but it has climbed to over 90 students using Second Life in the spring semester of 2023. During his initial year in Second Life, he benefited greatly from the support and advice from more experienced educators. Thus, he was excited to see VWEC emerge as a program to provide such support and advice as well as encourage collaboration among educators.

VWEC Quarterly Meetings - Photo by PI.Illios

Where can people learn more about VWEC? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
The best place to learn about VWEC is at our website vweconsortium.org and InWorld. 
VWEC EduversePlaza 
VWEC Eduverse Plaza Welcome Center
VWEC Eduverse Plaza Deck and Fireside Chat
VWEC Eduverse Plaza Info Center   

SOCIAL MEDIA
Linktree  
Twitter  
Facebook  
Linkedin
Instagram
Mastodon
Flickr Group
VWEC YouTube channel has curated playlists across educational communities

For more information contact:
Becky Adams: reada321@unm.edu  
Valerie Hill: valibrarian@gmail.com  
Greg Perrier: gperrier@nvcc.edu

Thank you, Val, Elli, and Dodge for your inspirational work at VWEC. We’re looking forward to attending VWEC’s first anniversary on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 11:00 am PT!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we’re shining a spotlight on Charlotte Bartlett, the talent behind Scarlet Creative, a digital architecture and home decor boutique in Second Life.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I joined Second Life in 2006. I had been an avid fan of playing Myst online and was looking for something that had a sense of community and connecting with people online and found it via a random Google search.

You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started?
I started creating content right from the beginning when I joined, so ouch 17 years. I got super lucky and connected with an inworld architect back in 2006 named Scope Cleaver who built me something called the Bartlett House. I was looking at it for more wider user cases (part of my RL world back then). We called it the Bartlett House and it was pretty unique for it's time and the limitations then. During this, I got to build for the first time using the prim tools and created the swimming pool water for the house (it was all I could be trusted with ha). It was like a light bulb going off. I was hooked immediately on being able to create things in real time and interact with them.

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
Zero background (as you can probably tell!) I learnt using Second Life tools which gave me the ability to understand some basics. In 2012, I transitioned from Prims into creating with Mesh. I then picked a 3D tool that barely anybody else in SL used (why not!) and started to learn Cinema4D (C4D) for fun. These days I still prefer C4D along with Substance Painter and Designer. Anybody just starting out - pick Blender (far bigger SL community to learn from and it's free!)

How would you describe your virtual architectural style and what are some of your favorite items that you have created?
My style is a little fluid and to date I am still trying to figure my own "dream" build for Second Life. Hey I might figure it out by the time my avatar reaches 20! My favourite remains when I was creating more for Scarlet Creative in world, the modernist white beach houses back in 2007 onwards. They were simple but really were fun to build so will always hold a special place in my heart. 

My actual favorites are not houses. My joy was always creating installations and interactive region experiences. It started back when I first joined. I created an Alice in Wonderland set for a SL birthday that had a full on interactive build behind it in a "secret world" through to builds collaborating with brands like Sports Relief, Vice TV, BBC and Adobe in my first few years in Second Life. I did a brief stint as Princess Mole and loved creating with the original small team of Moles. However, my favourite was back in 2008 a region sized secret handbag with adventure rooms and almost like an early style adventure room. My one wish is if I had more time I could use Second Life in this way again. Perhaps actually when my avatar reaches 20 I'll finally achieve another one!

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
There is one person above all others. Her name was Jewell Lamourfou. On the very first day I logged onto SL and escaped the Newbie section (of course I never read anything so just started to press all the buttons). I teleported on to her head somehow. She had also just joined in 2006 and had set up her little plot on Mainland. We both spent the first few days trying to figure out why there was smog everywhere. We became fast friends, and often would create together in the pre-mesh days. She was a real-life highly successful artist and created lovely textures for Second Life called Distressed Textures and had a wildly successful texture app co created by another close friend we both had. Sadly in real-life we recently just lost her this month to cancer, but I know her texture and artwork have left a legacy within Second Life that will keep her memory and beautiful work alive.

Charlotte Bartlett and Jewell Lamourfou

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
SLURL  
Facebook  
Flickr 
Instagram

Thank you Charlotte, for sharing your inspiring journey and introducing us to the beauty of your virtual creations. 

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we’re shining a spotlight on Wanders Nowhere, a talented creator who has been crafting immersive experiences that transport Residents into otherworldly dimensions. From the awe-inspiring era of dinosaurs at Prehistorica to the haunting corridors of Castle Dracula, one can't help but marvel at the level of detail, passion, and creativity.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I have been in Second Life since August of 2006. I first discovered it whilst I was living and working in a tiny rural village in Japan. Second Life became my creative outlet and connection to the English-speaking world, and my primary income after returning home to Australia and growing Prehistorica into a Mesh store in 2014.

You have been a content creator since 2009. What kind of content do you create and how did you get started?
I'm an avatar and creature creator primarily, though I’ve also done tons of worldbuilding, scripting, and experience design over the years. I tell people RL asking about my job that I "make dinosaurs on the internet." It’s just easier that way!

I was fascinated early on by the possibilities of stretching the definition of 'avatar' on SL, even back when we had to use hacked deformer animations to stretch out the underlying skeleton to hang a prim sculpty creature body on, I could see the potential to be a dinosaur, a dragon, or anything else you wanted. Mesh, Project Bento, and Animesh have taken all of that to levels beyond.

Tell us more about Prehistorica and the different experiences it offers Second Life Residents.
Prehistorica was always designed to be an immersive experience, to take you back into the past to experience the prehistoric world firsthand. That giddy sense of awe and wonder we all feel as kids the first time we discover dinosaurs - that these wonderful, fantastical, gigantic beasts that feel like they should be myth really did exist, and once ruled our world - that's the feeling I want to capture with Prehistorica.  

You can ride dinosaurs, hang from a pteranodon's clutches and fly about, or buy one of our avatars or animesh and own – or become! – a denizen of the Mesozoic yourself. Our Primal Life game system allows you to experience a survival game environment where your dinosaur eats, drinks, sleeps, hunts other animals, and gains experience over time. You can also hop up to the floating Azhar Dracys dragon islands above Prehistorica to play a special minigame where you (as a human, dinosaur or dragon) battle invading Elementals for prizes.

You also have another project in Second Life, Castle Dracula, tell us more about that.
This is my other major project on Second Life, which I have been working on for 15 years. It’s a recreation of Dracula’s own castle, inspired by the original novel - and influenced by the legendary Universal and Hammer films, and the Castlevania game series - but with the novel as its touchstone. In 2022, I opened it as “Castle Dracula: A Gothic Horror Experience”, a gigantic, sprawling haunt like nothing else on the grid, and a way for people to discover the original literature in an interactive, cinematic, and scary way.

You take on the search for Jonathan Harker, traveling to Transylvania, meeting The Count Himself, and exploring his Castle in search of Jonathan’s diaries and the truth of his fate. Along the way, there are plenty of chills and surprises and an ending that will haunt you for a long time to come.

Just in time for Halloween 2023, I’ve expanded it with a second storyline based on Sheridan LeFanu’s “Carmilla”. In ‘Carmilla: The Love of the Dead”, you’ll follow the novella’s protagonist Laura as she searches for closure on her encounter with the alluring and sinister Carmilla, ten years after the story. Is Carmilla truly gone? In the tangled depths of the Castle, a story of grief, desire, and terror awaits you with more puzzles, new haunts, unique prizes, new areas of the Castle, and new cinematic twists to a classic tale.

Come this Halloween - and stay forever! Castle Dracula is open all year round, and I intend to continue expanding it with more classic gothic tales in the future; Carmilla is to be the first of several new chapters...so stay tuned, my dear guests, for more horror to come.

Who are some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire?
I still have a profound respect for people like Flea Bussy of Grendel’s Children and Stickman Ingmann of Seawolf and Roarbeast, who were there before me pushing the limits of what SL could do back in the days before even Sculpties were a thing. I think there’s a sense of lost history there. Only Grendel’s, Seawolf, Nargus Labs, and Isle of Wyrms were doing non-humanoid creature avatars when I got my start. They walked so that every creature avatar maker since could run, fly, hop, scuttle, and slither. That’s part of the story of the grid, SL wouldn’t be what it is without them.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
You can find Prehistorica here:
Inworld Store / Main Sim
SecondLife Marketplace
Inworld Group: secondlife:///app/group/0d91b53a-3995-9ca3-41ee-299af853749d/about
Our Website
Discord
Facebook
YouTube
Flickr

Prehistorica, the Dawn Kingdoms

Journey to an age when dinosaurs walked the earth and dragons ruled the skies. Plunge into this time travel experience or battle invading elementals in the floating temple of Azhar Dracys. Explore the primordial jungles, smoldering volcanos, and sunlit seas of a forgotten world. Encounter its majestic and deadly denizens, take one home as an Animesh companion, or become one yourself and experience SL as never before in the form of one of our dozens of awe-inspiring dinosaur and mighty dragon Avatars!

More Info Teleport

The Castle Dracula Experience and Carmilla: the Love of the Dead can be found here:
Inworld Landing Point
Inworld Group: secondlife:///app/group/beaf63f9-e2fa-43b0-4281-185db70dbf0e/about
Discord
Facebook
Flickr

Castle Dracula - Gothic Horror Experience

Journey to 1890s Transylvania in search of the missing Jonathan Harker. Explore the colossal castle of Count Dracula in search of his journals, meet the Count Himself, and do try to stay among the living...if you can. Castle Dracula: A Gothic Horror Experience is a massive, immersive narrative-driven haunt unlike any other, 14 years in the making. In October 2023, plunge into a brand new tale of terror and embrace another classic of gothic literature with our first expansion storyline. Follow the fate of Laura as she pursues the echoes of dread and desire in CARMILLA: THE LOVE OF THE DEAD.

More Info Teleport

Come visit our prehistoric landscape, soar the heavens and swim the seas, hang out with us, and get in touch with your inner dinosaur – or dragon – or giant prehistoric snake 😊 Prehistorica welcomes explorers of every era. Just remember to be polite – some of our denizens get a little toothy when they haven’t had their morning snacks!

Watch a video submitted by Wanders Nowhere for this Spotlight feature, video production by Caelyn Moss:

Thank you, Wanders, for adding the magic of imagination to unforgettable Second Life experiences.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we’re shining a spotlight on GBTH, which stands for Grab by the Horns, an art incubator in Second Life celebrating its 6th anniversary this week. Learn more about GBTH from the founder, Marina Munter.

GBTH Workshop - photo by Soyoy

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I joined Second Life back in 2012 and recently celebrated my 11th rezday on September 1st!

Back in 2008, I read about the art world in Second Life in Wolf Lieser’s Digital Artbook that I found around my mother’s library. Artists like Gazira Babeli and Eva + Franco Mattes were mentioned for the work they developed inworld back in the day. 

Sadly at the time I didn’t have full-time access to the internet and I was also underage, so I waited until the stars aligned to finally create an account!

NON-PERISHABLE by Marina Münter

You are the founder and owner of GBTH, an art incubator in Second Life. Can you tell us more about it, when you started it, and what inspired you to do it? Was there a specific gap or need in the art community that you wanted to address?
The GBTH is an independent art incubator here in Second Life. It has its own region and hosts simultaneously 12+ exhibitions in diverse formats; individual and collective, full environments, and 2D. I started it back on October 17th, 2017 right after I had my first exhibition inworld, called Non-Perishable. It consisted of five monochromatic shipping containers filled with objects of the same color, assembled in a port-like environment built specifically for this exhibit. The dynamics of putting that body of work together made me fall in love deeply with Second Life as a creative platform and even before that exhibition opened I had a gazillion ideas for future projects popping into my head.

In real life, I had been gathering experience working as an assistant and mediator in a few exhibitions and projects, as well as an academic kickstart with a junior scholarship through the Fine Arts School in the Federal University of Bahia and joined my first collective real-life exhibit at the age of 15.

Here in Brazil, we say “joining the hunger and the desire to eat”, and I think that is exactly what happened. With GBTH I wanted to offer more than just an allocated space and a timeframe - we offer the support, guidance, and management to ensure their idea is coming through and that the exhibition will be completed in satisfactory ways for all parties involved. For us, there isn’t a distinction between art made in Second Life and art made in the physical world, in regards to the work itself - it is all art.

DECOIFFE by Vincent Priesley - Photo by BadUnicorn

The art incubator is a concept that might be new to some readers. Can you provide a brief overview of what exactly is an art incubator, and how does it differ from traditional art museums or galleries?
In simple words, an art incubator focuses on the process of assisting the artist in putting together a body of work, whereas a gallery focuses mostly on sales and a museum, on preservation and display. 

The way I wanted to see the GBTH functioning was to be more active than a mere space where artists would come and just rez their work - I wanted an actual exchange and mutual learning.

VESSELS by Rob Danton

What challenges have you faced in launching and running GBTH, and how have you overcome them?
I had a super old slow computer back in the day. We’re talking like building with an average of 6fps. Using Second Life has a bit of a learning curve and I feel like every day there is something new to learn. Back in the day, my resources to run GBTH were limited to how persistent and creative I could be to keep it going. From asking friends if they could donate a piece of land for the first exhibitions to asking inventory items to be borrowed for a certain project - stuff that seems so simple looking back 6 years later but that played a big part in how I’d structure the place and its values. 

We give an array of options on how to follow through in the process of putting together a body of work here, offering beforehand alternatives to prevent the artists we’re working with from dealing with the same issues so the conversation can move forward.

Being here in Second Life was also the first time I saw myself as a foreigner since I’m Brazilian and never traveled abroad. The cultural and generational barriers were curious to overcome, so one thing we always encourage is for artists to bring their own cultural background into their work, which results in extremely rich and honest exhibitions.

KLUB 15 by Keiko Clementine

How can artists who want to participate get involved with GBTH, do they reach out to you? What types of artists and creative projects do you believe are particularly well-suited for incubation and support through GBTH?
We’re planning on making open calls at the beginning of 2024, so artists who might be interested in working with us can join our in-world group and follow us on social media to be the first to know once that happens, how to reach out and what to send.

The projects are selected based on several factors which vary from case to case, even because it depends on the format they apply to - 2D, full environments, or collective shows. It is important when applying, that the artist understands what we’re offering and what is being asked from them. 

Each exhibition opened is a result of at least a few weeks of work and investment from all parts involved, and we wouldn’t do it any differently because it is part of what makes it pleasurable for us.

Colonia 2.0 Eupalinos Ugajin - GBTH presents Ed. Colonia 2.0

What is in the future for GBTH? Are there any upcoming events, exhibitions, or projects within GBTH that we should be on the lookout for?
Right now we’re wrapping up the final details for the biggest exhibition we had so far: GBTH x Rachel Breaker EPILOGUE. It is a collective exhibition in collaboration with Rachel, and it will mark the celebrations of GBTH’s 6th anniversary. 

For this 5th and last round, we asked the participants to answer how they were feeling through the assemblage and texturing of a figurine. These figurines are made with a kit provided by us with meshes by Rachel Breaker. We hosted a workshop for the participants to talk about conceptual thinking and workflow development and the response was so good! I’m beyond proud and excited to share the result with the rest of the grid.

GBTH x Rachel Breaker EPILOGUE opens on October 20th, 1pm SLT, with a second party at 6pm SLT for those in the USA!

THE SURFACE OF MARS by Rachel Breaker

Collaboration and community can be essential for artists, GBTH is also a part of the Second Life Community Gateway Program, can you tell us more about that?
It is indeed, especially when we aim to burst the bubble and connect with residents who aren’t necessarily in the art field. We joined the Community Gateway Program back in 2019 and it helped us be even more aware of Second Life’s nature of being a user-based platform by not only being more “hands-on” in the process of user attraction and retention but also through the exchange with members of other CGs and getting to know more about the areas they focus in.

DISTANCE by Mich Michabo

As a founder in the art space, you likely have a unique perspective on the art world. Are there any artists in SL that particularly inspire you, or whose work you admire?
I know it will sound cliche but every interaction I’ve had with all the few dozens of artists that passed through the GBTH was really inspiring in their own way. It is really hard to refer to names without feeling someone was left out. There are also people whom I admire and who don't exactly consider themselves artists, but that doesn't make them any less worthy of mention. To name a few:

Lux Chiantelle, an artist who owned the first gallery I visited in Second Life, Suntory Time, and blew my mind with the works on display there;

Vincent Priesley, whose brain I wish I could kiss for how it gifts us with the most fantastically intricate works that I’ve seen here;

Jake Vordun, for his contagious authenticity, elegance, and shared passion for art and museum displays;

Soy, whose creations made me feel at home when I was still not fully invested in Second Life.

GBTH bot photobomb by Autumn Yap

Where can people see your work and get more information about GBTH? Please share links to any sites and social media accounts.
On the GBTH website they can check all the current exhibitions, interviews with artists, links, etc... 
We’re also on X, formerly Twitter as @GBTH_artinc 
on Instagram as @gbth_artincubator 
and on YouTube.

Watch Marina on Lab Gab in March 2021, giving a tour of GBTH! 

Thank you, Marina, for adding your talent to the art community in Second Life and providing a platform for digital artists to express themselves! 

Attend the GBTH x Rachel Breaker EPILOGUE opening party on Friday, October 20th, at 1pm SLT, with a second party at 6pm SLT for those in the USA, and celebrate 6 years of GBTH with the community!

Poster designed by Difficult Conundrum

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on LP Kidd, an award-winning Director, Writer, and Producer of many Second Life machinima! Join him on October 6th for a showing of one of his short films at the Second Life Cinema!

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been in Second Life for seventeen years. My original join date is August 2006 from an alternative account. I learned about Second Life while in college from my art teacher. As a class, we were instructed to join Second Life to further teach us 3D building aspects as well as networking with people in the gaming industry. We visited sandbox regions and explored SL as a class in 2006. Eventually, Second Life turned into a personal hobby for me as my first step away from the class was to join role plays, create content, and explore videography.

You are the Director, Writer, and Producer of many machinima that you filmed in Second Life, which can be viewed on YouTube as well as Amazon Prime. How long have you been writing and creating, and where do you get your inspiration?
I was inspired at a young age by my late father when he took me to theatrical animation festivals. Of course, over time I'd write short stories about my childhood life around the age of eight. Later heroic movies like Superman, Terminator, The Abyss, and The Matrix were influential. An MTV series called Liquid Television, Aeon Flux would further feed my inspiration to write Science Fiction scripts and comic books. I also gathered inspiration from attending college and getting my degree in Game Art and Design, which is where I learned a lot of cinematic videography techniques. Although all these inspirations are from varied sources, one of the most major inspirations I have ever read was from the bible and the study of eschatology.

In light of the recognition your machinima has garnered, have there been any standout feedback or reviews that have particularly resonated with you?
There have been three recognitions.

The first was being accepted by Amazon Prime for my four episodes of The Tales Of Twilight series along with accrediting approval for the Imdb.com listing. The episodes are now purchasable on Amazon Prime. 

The second was being awarded the Independent Short Awards (International Film Festival) for my short film series episode of The Tales Of Twilight: Destineville.

The third was the article review from Film Threat, which covered Resilient Red-X Episode One.

I continue to produce films because I'm passionate about filmmaking, telling, entertaining, and producing stories. I am very appreciative of all of the SL community support, and fan following of my works that I've produced in music videos and in Machinima short films... and thus far these three stand out to me. I count being featured on Spotlight by Linden Lab a fourth.

What kind of software do you use to capture and edit your videos?
There was a time I would not share this information when I worked in videography as a company.  Also, I didn't receive a lot of help, and being an early pioneer and veteran of SL Machinima. A lot I had to learn on my own back in the day using CamStudio and Windows Movie Maker. So I kept that information private for a time, and with a company like DreamFX I kept indoor intel proprietary. However, today so much is shared and exposed within the videography community. I also work more independently sort of how I began. I currently use Davinchi Resolve and sometimes FXHome/Hitfilm, and VideoPad. As for audio enhancement, I use my voice, licensed GhostHack sounds, and a program called MusicMaker.

What can we expect from you in the future? Are there any interesting projects you are currently working on?
I am currently working on a science fiction spiritual drama/adventure series called 27 R.C.  I have three episodes out and plan to produce more. I am also in talks of revisiting Resilient Red-X into a new evolved story. I also look forward to more Tales of the Twilight episodes. I hope to one day get my series more solicited in hopes of syndication. That will be a great day for Machinima animation. I believe Tubi is the next step to get my content out to the world. On a side note: I am always making music videos monthly and bi-monthly so you'll always find some kind of content from my Musicality YouTube page.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Currently, Teal and Vrutega's work is inspirational and very top-notch in cinematic appeal. Both of their works are visually stunning. Just add voice acting, good lip, good facial emotion, and a good script... and poof they are there! The talent list of creators is growing though. So many are now out there making videos from SL now. More and more people are producing content, and for those where finances are not an option, they have the opportunity to use some of the top-end PC software, with fast CPU graphics, as well as education to match... making their machinima look epic, reaching its limits... if it has any. It's always been my goal to produce machinima where people don't know that it's machinima, or they have to ask, "Where does this animation come from? What is this animation?" Because they are intrigued and impressed, and they wonder because it's not exactly like industry animation. When I get that question I feel like I've pushed the SL Machinima visual envelope into CGI Meetup territory.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
The best route is to use my linktree. 

However as an option here is a list:
Media Pages:
YouTube @LPFilmsCGI
YouTube @lpmusicvideos
TikTok @lp_films
Flickr - LP Films
Instagram @lp_films_cgi

Personal or specific Pages:
Portfolio
ResilientRedX
The Tales of Twilight
Twitter @cgiseriesx

Watch the trailer for LP's RESILIENT RED X LEVEL 4, submitted for Spotlight

Thank you LP, for adding your creative talent to the machinima scene in Second Life!

Watch a showing of RESILIENT RED X LEVEL 4 with LP and other Residents at the Second Life Cinema on Friday, October 6th at 12pm PT!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup   

Today we are shining a spotlight on Ravenstarr, a talented Second Life builder who weaves destinations brimming with adventure and dipped in fantasy.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been a resident of Second Life for a remarkable 12 years. It all began with my school, which surprisingly owned an island in Second Life. They tasked us with creating avatars and using the platform to present our research posters. Picture an island brimming with newcomers, all stumbling around, attempting to present our medical research. It was hilarious, to say the least. I became curious about Second Life. I decided to explore this unique realm, and it was here that I truly fell in love with the boundless creativity it offers.

You’ve been building creative, interactive, and fun destinations in Second Life for many years. Can you walk us through your creative process, from ideation to the final build? Where do you draw inspiration from?
My wellspring of inspiration flows from various sources - movies, books, or even chance encounters with captivating images or videos. It all begins with a concept, and from there, I construct my creative vision. I deeply consider the emotions I aim to stir with my "art." For instance, my destination, Kaleidoscope, was inspired by a documentary I stumbled upon during a period I was battling intense anxiety. The breathtaking beauty of monarch butterflies it showcased ignited feelings of wonder and optimism within me. In Second Life, I endeavored to recreate that very sense of awe and hope.

Teleport to Kaleidoscope

What are some of your past destinations that you worked on and also any current ones that Residents can explore and enjoy? Which ones have been your favorite?
I've created quite a few destinations that people may remember. 

My first was Junktown, that was inspired by the game, Fallout. 

Ravenport Reclaimed was another apocalyptic themed region that was a deserted town reclaimed by nature. 

The Pond was an oversized koi pond that you could explore above and below the water. 

This Mortal Coil for SPARK was inspired by the movie “What Dreams May Come”. 

The Deep Woods for SPARK was inspired by fairytales both light and dark and explored fantasy and fairy tales. 

A Who Christmas was a Christmas inspired region. 

Nova was a sci-fi utopian themed build with aliens and a chat AI bot. 

Kaleidoscope - Monarch Education project, which I mentioned earlier, is still open to the public. Kaleidoscope can be found here.     

OLYMPUS for SPARK was inspired by Greek Mythology and fantasy. I wanted to play with proportion again and build something very different. Olympus can be seen here.   

My newest destination, Neverland, is inspired by my favorite children’s story, Peter Pan. I wanted to create the whimsy and playfulness that made me fall in love with Second Life. Neverland can be seen here.

It’s hard to pick a favorite because each one is a favorite for different reasons.

Teleport to Neverland

Can you share more about the Spark Project, what it is, and your affiliation with it?
SPARK Project is a collaborative project with my dear friend, Drew Lukas. We wanted to create an experience that combines music with an immersive environment. We host two day music festivals at the opening of each destination. Then the region is open for exploration for a couple of months before we break it down and create again. I help build the regions with Drew and organize DJs. Our current project, OLYMPUS, is still open for exploration until the end of September.

Teleport to OLYMPUS for SPARK

Are you working on any other projects that you can share with us?
My next project will be a new SPARK destination. It will be something inspired by Agatha Christie. We are hoping to open that one at the beginning of December.

This Mortal Coil for SPARK

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I'm inspired every day by the creativity I see in Second Life. There are so many beautiful people who create from their souls. 

My build partner, Drew Lukas, is a creative genius who pushes me to expand my skills. 

My friend, Faith (proverbs312014), created Cotton Candy Bay, and it's a constant source of inspiration. 

Vɪᴏʟᴇᴛᴛᴇ Mᴏʀɴɪɴɢꜱᴛᴀʀ (Violette Rembrandt) and her partner, Lucifer, have crafted an amazing Wonderland that never ceases to amaze me. 

My friend, Cube Republic, with his sheer talent and the quality of his landscaping plants, is another source of inspiration. 

Vrutega, Macguyver Mode, and Godiva Varela captivate me with their ability to breathe life into their art, creating captivating visual stories.

The list could go on and on because Second Life is a place to celebrate creativity, and it’s a testament to the power of virtual communities to bring people together and foster artistic expression.

Ravenport Reclaimed

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
My personal brand is MORPH Productions. 
My Flickr
My Facebook

The Pond

Thank you Raven, your creative contributions to the community illuminate the vast potential of virtual worlds and inspire us all!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Truth Hawks, the mastermind behind the iconic Truth Hair in Second Life. Trailblazing since 2007, Truth has been crafting some of the most coveted virtual hairstyles and has now impressively extended his genius across diverse metaverse platforms and on the big screen!

Photo by Hayden Rowley

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I created my account early 2007. At the time I was working for myself in graphic and web design and had just started dabbling in 3D. I heard about SL on the news and it sounded interesting so I thought I'd check it out. 16.5 years later and I'm still here! 

2009 Truth Mainstore custom build by Barnesworth Anubis

You are one of the most renowned hair creators in Second Life, how and when did you get into content creation?
I started creating from the get-go. I remember thinking it was really amazing that you could make anything, set it for sale and cash out Ls for real money so easily. I first made some graphic t-shirts and tattoos and rented a little spot in a shopping district. I started creating hair not long after and that is what really grew my store.

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
SL was the main catalyst for my interest in 3D. A few years into SL I moved my family from Australia to Vancouver and LA to study at film school. Since then I've worked with top studios around the world and on movies and games such as Black Panther and League of Legends. I use a wide range of software, I'm pretty tool agnostic and will use whatever works.

Sculpted Mount Bashenga from Marvel’s Black Panther - Wakanda Forever

You have recently started collaborating with other creators in Second Life, tell us more about that collaboration. 
I came up with the idea of Truth Collective because my releases in SL had been less frequent since dividing my time between SL/RL work. People would often ask when a new hairstyle is coming out so I thought why not invite some talented creators to make hair with my textures. Truth customers can enjoy more releases and the creators could benefit from my large update groups. It's been great working with Wasabi & Faga and having the ability to help each other with hair making, something I haven't had a lot of in the past as I've mainly worked alone.

You have also ventured out into the NFT world, tell us more about what you are doing on other metaverse platforms.
I started creating NFTs in 2020 and sold out a few of my own collections. I went on to work with RTFKT and collaborated with AMC, LVMH, and other fashion brands. My company has organically moved to more of a metaverse focus and we're currently activating 2 major fashion brands on another platform. I feel that the interest and opportunities in metaverse that SL experienced earlier on has seen a big revival in the last couple of years and it's exciting to see where it might go from here.

Modeled & Textured RTFKT x Jeff Staple Meta-Pigeon

How has Second Life impacted your life?
It's hard to imagine the direction my life would have taken if I didn't find SL. It guided me on a career path that I might not have taken as seriously otherwise and I'll be forever grateful for all the support SL residents have shown me for so many years.

Photo by Hayden Rowley

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
My company is VRTL WRLD 
SL Flickr
SL Twitter   
Linktree

Kryptoz x AMC NFT

Thank you, Truth, for pioneering with passion and gracing us with virtual hair that's nothing short of stunning!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Polyester Partridge, the talent behind the Yummy brand in Second Life. With an 18-year legacy, her creations are vibrant masterpieces narrating tales of color and imagination.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been using Second Life for such a long time that I can't remember exactly when I started. If I check my inworld profile, it tells me I've been a member since 2005, which means I've been using it for 18 years now. Yikes! I first heard about Second Life from another virtual world I used to log into called "There".  In There, you had the opportunity to become a "developer" and make custom clothing to earn "Therebucks" which kept me there for a few years. Second Life sounded like the wild west where you could create whatever you wanted, open your own store, and get paid real money for it.

You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started?
I started content creation from the moment we logged in. It started as a fun hobby. My sister Nylon Pinkney and I have always enjoyed doing things online together, she was the texture person and I was the builder. One of the first things I can remember that we created together was a giant head you could walk into for a LL run event called "Burning Life" which was a riff on the real-life Burning Man. Later on, we both established stores to sell our content on a parcel of land that a friend generously rented to us, and over time, I refined my brand Yummy.

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
I don't come from a 3D background, but I spent many years as a professional freelance photographer and used Photoshop in my daily work. My Photoshop, photography, and lighting skills have been helpful in both creating and marketing those creations. Everything I've learned about 3D content creation has been self-taught, learned through other creators, or tutorials available online over many years. I'm currently using a combination of Photoshop, Maya, and Substance Painter for creating my content but I'm always keeping my ear to the ground for new tools.

Where do you get the inspiration for your creations and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created?
I usually find inspiration from various sources. Everything from the current season, the theme of an event I'm participating in, something in a movie or TV show that grabs my attention, my Instagram feed, and even the video games I enjoy can be inspiration. The initial spark is a windy road and can lead to a range of different creative ideas in the end. My last creation is usually my favorite but lately, I've been having a fun time creating rigged earring sets.

Tableau is a mysteriously whimsical destination, and also home to your main store. Can you share how the idea and design for the region came about and what can Residents expect when visiting there?
Tableau began as a shared space we created with a core group of friends for our inworld stores. I can't quite remember exactly how it started, but we would work together on designing a sim, build it, then feel like changing things after a while. We would create scenarios where things went haywire like a virus outbreak, aliens dropping in, or giant hamsters causing chaos and "destroy" everything in real-time, only to close and open up in a week or two with a brand new look. We did this a few times and got a reputation for it, although it was easier back in the day when everything was made from simple shapes and pictures. To this day I still receive messages from people saying how they missed when we used to change the sim every couple of months. 😅 

After a few years, the friends that shared the sim with us decided to explore different opportunities in Second Life and Nylon and I took over the responsibility of managing Tableau. The two of us transformed it into the space you see today.  When visitors arrive at Tableau, they'll be greeted by a desert landscape that appears to have seen its fair share of history with fun mysteries, jokes hidden around, scary dinosaurs, and, of course, a shopping area where you'll find my store along with others. We still like to introduce new elements sporadically and make tweaks, but the desert scene has remained unchanged for a good number of years. Tableau has attracted quite a few interesting fans. An anatomically correct horse, a group of senior citizens visiting The Golden Years, and a wild monkey sprinting around are just a few recent notable ones that come to mind. We also have a friendly ghost who occasionally sends me postcards from their haunting Tableau.

Tableau

Explore the wonders of this desert town, including bombed-out buildings, colorful stucco construction and tumbling tumbleweeds, all situated in a tantalizing desert light. Shop, explore and enjoy the luscious scenery! Tableau is also home to many stores including Nylon Outfitters, Yummy, Paper Couture, Oh La La!, and ZsaZsa's House of Beauty.

More Info Teleport

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
There are SO many residents whose work inspires me that it's difficult to pick just a few but I will try to list only a handful creators here:

I am totally biased, but I genuinely believe that Nylon Pinkney is one of the most creative and skilled people I know. She's great at sim design, 3D modeling, and is well known for creating custom commission illustrations. For a few years she created a very funny comic that poked fun at second life, virtual worlds, and the online culture for New World Notes called "Nylon Pinkney is very online". 

Nikohl Hax from Random Matter always amazes me with their stunning and detailed fantasy creations. They cover a wide range, crafting everything from decorative pieces to intricate jewelry, and I'm always excited and incredibly jealous when I see their latest releases.

Walton Wainwright of [ContraptioN] is so talented it makes me question if they're human. The high-quality fantasy and roleplay items they create are meticulously designed and could fit right into a AAA video game. Each one comes with an interesting backstory adding an extra layer of depth.

Salt Peppermint of SALT & PEPPER has been so helpful to me and has put many amazing tutorials out there for anyone to learn how to create things for second life on youtube. Shout out to the Creators supporting Creators discord!

Doux is a true artist when it comes to hair design. Their releases never fail to impress. In fact, if you're reading this you probably already own at least 1 or 100 of their hair creations. Their work has set a new standard for hair enthusiasts within the Second Life community.

Vespertine of Vespertine makes beautifully detailed handmade deco and each piece she creates carries a distinct and personal touch that sets it apart from the crowd. Her knack for creating lifelike plants and food deco is truly remarkable and I want to own everything she makes.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Flickr
Facebook 
Twitter
or you can find all my socials here on my carrd: https://yummylinks.carrd.co 

Thank you Polyester, for bringing years of creativity to the grid, and sharing your journey with us.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Hamlet Au, also known as Wagner James Au. Hamlet is a journalist that has been diligently reporting about Second Life for two decades on New World Notes, and has just released his latest book, Making a Metaverse That Matters!

Can you give us a brief overview of your background and how you got involved with virtual worlds, especially Second Life?
Back in 2003, I was a young San Francisco-based freelancer writing about games as an emerging cultural force for Wired and Salon. The PR firm of an oddly-named startup called Linden Lab invited me to see a new online game world they were creating. (Yes, Lindens called it a game back then!) 

After Philip had taken me on my first tour of Second Life, his head of marketing at the time, Robin Harper, suggested that I could write for them -- as a journalist embedded in their virtual world. My first avatar, Hamlet Linden, was born, as was my blog: New World Notes.  

After I left Linden to write my first book, The Making of Second Life, I moved my avatar identity to Hamlet Au in a transfer ceremony. I’ve always worn a white suit, sort of my silly tribute to legendary “New Journalist” Tom Wolfe.

One of the very first Residents I interviewed was Catherine Omega, an amazing scripter who casually mentioned she was temporarily homeless in real life. So I quickly realized an amazing community was developing, and that it was the story of a lifetime. I’ve been writing about SL culture whenever I can ever since!

For instance, I recently interviewed BunnyGPT, one of the first SL bots wired up to ChatGPT. 

I even still have an office space in Waterhead kept from my Linden days. Come visit! There’s an official shrine to Snow Crash there, approved by Neal Stephenson himself.

Your first book, The Making of Second Life, was published in 2008. How has Second Life evolved since then, and how did that evolution inspire your new book Making a Metaverse That Matters?
Second Life's visual quality and backend reliability have greatly improved since 2008 for sure, but to me, the most important evolution since then happened with everyone else: In the last five years or so, metaverse-type virtual worlds have finally become mainstream. And what’s exciting is that Second Life is not only still thriving, but is an important role model for these newer platforms. As I noted a while ago, Second Life creators make about as much money from the virtual world as Linden Lab itself. No other metaverse platform can say that!

The Making of Second Life (2008)

So that’s what inspired me to write Making a Metaverse That Matters: I want to take all the lessons we’ve learned from Second Life over the last 20 years and apply them to new metaverse platforms so that we can finally realize the best and largest virtual world possible.

Making a Metaverse That Matters (2023)

As someone who has worked for Linden Lab, what insights can you provide into the challenges and successes of maintaining and evolving a platform like Second Life?
The biggest and most amazing challenge is that the community is basically an equal collaborator with the actual company. This is both a blessing and a curse! When I was a Linden, the team would often stop work to marvel at the latest user-made project which included technical workarounds the engineers never anticipated -- and then realize that they couldn’t easily patch that workaround since doing that might break the user’s creation.

With your blog New World Notes running for over 20 years, how have your thoughts and insights about virtual worlds changed? Can you share a particular event or moment that was a turning point for you?
During a conference where I was speaking about my first book, I randomly visited a virtual Bayou bar, where I saw an avatar playing blues guitar. His appearance was customized to look like a tall old Black man, which I assumed was just his roleplay character. 

Mr. Bristol photo credit: Russ Roberts/Etherian Kamabuko

But clicking on the user’s account, I realized that in real life he was Charles Bristol, an 87-year-old Bluesman and the grandson of once enslaved people who lived long enough to play live music in Second Life.

Wow, I thought to myself -- if people as amazing as that are in SL without me knowing, who else is in there? So I’ve never really left. Even if Second Life is not the largest virtual world, it’s definitely the most interesting and inspiring -- and the best role model for making the Metaverse.

Tell us about some of the Residents in Second Life that have left a lasting impression with their work in the virtual realm.
There are so many! But I’m very grateful to Cajsa Lilliehook for covering SL’s incredible Flickr community every week, and Sanny Yoshikawa for translating New World Notes to SL’s large Japanese user base. And to all my regular New World Notes readers! 

I should also mention metaverse artist AM Radio, who is not as active in SL in recent years but still keeps his eye on the virtual world, and whose work has been so influential. I recently wrote about how his real life son is helping keep his art alive.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your books, websites, and social media accounts.
New World Notes
Making a Metaverse That Matters
Facebook: Hamlet.Au
Twitter: @SLHamlet
Plurk: Hamlet_Au
Discord: WJA#3523

Thank you, Hamlet, for all your years of reporting the metaverse news! We especially enjoyed your recent article in The Atlantic: There Will Never Be Another Second Life. Catch Hamlet tomorrow on Reddit for a special AMA!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Grant Valeska, a visionary artist that shapes high-fashion photography and art into visually stunning narratives. Grant is an embodiment of LGBTQ+ pride, celebrating his identity while inspiring others.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
My gateway to the world of Second Life was The Sims Online, where I had met other Residents who were transitioning to the Second Life platform as Maxis shut down their own metaverse. I dabbled in Second Life on various accounts as a teenager (remember teen grid?! RIP) but it wasn't until I graduated high school in 2010 that I started using Second Life regularly. I was no longer just making friendships at a random hub or dancing in the corner of a club afraid to talk to someone. In fact, I met some of my closest friends, to this day, mere days after creating Grant Valeska!

You are known for your sense of style and editorial photography in Second Life. Do you have a background in fashion or photography?
I think many people are surprised to know that I have zero background in fashion, besides working retail for almost a decade. From the time I can remember, I have had an obsession with fashion - specifically when it came to popstars and the back pages of fashion magazines (that's where the editorials gather, in case you didn't know). I found fashion to be an escape from reality, it was otherworldly and perfect. In a place where I felt everything was so boring and mundane, fashion became my escape from the walls of a conservative Christian upbringing, to quote Andre Leon Talley, "It's a famine of beauty, honey! My eyes [were] starving for beauty!"

How has Second Life impacted your creativity and are there any RL fashion influences that affect your work in Second Life?
Without Second Life I would not have an outlet to rid my brain of its ideas and creative cloggination. Cloggination is not a word but let's pretend it is for today! Haha! Though there are many things I can't accomplish YET within Second Life, it does force some creativity in Photoshop to make my ideas come to life which in turn has forced me to become quite the wizard at Photoshop! When it comes to influences, I have a handful of fashion industry icons that I try my hardest to not copy but emulate in some form or fashion. I have been obsessed with Grace Coddington since seeing her in the documentary 'The September Issue' in 2009. I was familiar with her prior but her commentary about ways to create an image, specifically storytelling and emotion, is constantly on replay in my brain. Along with Grace, I love David LaChapelle's photography style - it's so vibrant, campy, and over the top yet still fashion-forward! There are so many iconic images that have come from his lens. A quick Google search will leave you breathless. Outside of fashion industry icons, I am overwhelmingly inspired by pop culture moments and music. There's something about a conceptual album rollout that gets my heart racing! In more recent memory, Dua Lipa's 'Future Nostalgia' album was a major source of inspiration for me - from her promotional imagery to the music to the music videos, it spoke to my love of disco in such a graphic way!

What is your creative process when styling for a shoot and what tools do you use to get your photos to look polished and professional? Any advice for those looking to increase their skills in fashion photography?
My creative process is chaotic, like most creative people I've encountered in my lifetime. It can start anywhere. When it comes to Second Life I have styled an entire outfit based on a pose, I've styled based on a color, I've styled based on a dead tree lying in some grass that I saw on a walk (true story!) - it can come from anywhere and anything! I believe inspiration can be found in anything if you are open to letting your mind lead you. Cliche saying alert: the brain is a powerful thing! As mentioned in the last paragraph, I use Photoshop for literally everything. Without Photoshop, no one would be impressed with my photos, I swear! My advice for anyone wanting to increase their skills would be START NOW. If you don't start somewhere, you won't get anywhere. My images from a decade ago compared to my images now look like a whole other person. Note: I do have a re-style of an image from 2011 reimagined to 2023's standards coming soon to a top-secret publication, then you can see for yourself how booger I used to be! Ha! Also - I can't go without saying these four syllables - EX-PER-I-MENT! Don't get stuck repeating the same thing, if someone "copies" you (I use that term very loosely, everything is a reference of a reference of a reference, in my opinion) create something new. When you do something over and over, not only do you lose the interest of the people viewing your work but your mind is on autopilot. Forceable creativity works!

June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this month?
Pride in Second Life is incredibly important to me. My first introduction to queer people was through Second Life and has continued to be the primary source of my interactions with other LGBTQ+ people on a daily basis. Where I currently am living we don't have any Pride events, let alone any LGBT spaces, so to say we have a community would require enough of us existing from beyond the shadows. For this reason, Pride events in Second Life have always been a great way for me to celebrate in my own way! In previous years I've had the pleasure of doing some live tribute shows at Second Pride, a great non-profit LGBTQ+ organization within Second Life; most recently paying tribute to queer icons Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Last year's tribute show was at max capacity and crashed an entire region! While I don't love the concept of crashing a region I was extremely excited to have so many people come together to enjoy a show I put my blood, sweat, and tears into all in the name of Pride!

Are there any other projects, activities, and events you are involved with in Second Life? What can we expect from you in the future? 
Wow, this is quite a segway from my previous response because I do, in fact, have a few projects coming up soon! I have partnered with Smokefest to pay tribute to Rihanna this upcoming August and I am currently working on another live show to debut around Halloween at Second Pride since I was unable to do so for their official Pride season events. Beyond live entertainment, I was recently approached by Grab By The Horns to collaborate with them on an art installation located in their incredible region which is the home to other amazingly talented artists in Second Life. My debut exhibit, PRIMITIVE, opened on May 27th and is currently still open to the public. Creating this exhibit was one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of in Second Life! Make sure you grab some merch and if you like any of my pieces they are available for sale, profits not only support my art but they help support GBTH!

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that you find inspiring and whose work you admire.
Creating a chosen family is something I never expected I would have but in the past 13 years, I've created a group of friends that have become my family. They are an insanely talented group of individuals so before I mention anyone else I must give a shout-out to each of them. Gianni Broda of David Heather, my co-designer at BlondeSushi Landscaping & Interior Design and former creator of Le Primitif - Bae Leaf, my insanely talented photographer nieces Krishna, Goldie, and Chai - along with two other creator nieces, Riley Yen of Pox and Oliver of Pare!

Outside of my tiny but mighty chosen family, I have a handful of people who inspire me with their creations, their images, and sometimes both!

Rowne probably takes up more inventory space than any other creator. Their pieces vary from high fashion to casual but I highly recommend anything they create goes straight to your inventory - Rowne is always in style. Timeless and iconic.

When it comes to hair, this girl has been my go-to for years, not only to buy from but to send aggressive messages about creating a specific hair at my request - Nova Faerye of Nova - and she always delivers, I am a Nova Hair stan for life! P.S. The aggressive messages are my privilege so don't come at her crazy or I may have to amend this statement - haha!

Jack Valentine of Boys to the Bone is a great example of someone who does it all - their creations are not only groundbreaking and outside the realm of the normal Second Life creations, but their photos are always a 10 out of 10. I have been known to admire their Flickr in a semi-stalkerish way and I have no shame about it. I did what I did and I said what I said!

To continue my admiration of someone who can do it all, Keiko of Keikumu has been another obsession. She creates some of the most beautiful makeup Second Life has to offer - so many options for someone who wants a subtle look to those of us who enjoy a heavy-handed application! Beyond the amazing makeup, her photos are to die for. She is another resident whose Flickr feed I find myself getting lost in, every image is surreal and feels like a dream!

Someone who is a newer find for me, Naomi Wong, can't go without being mentioned here. Not only are they an exceptional stylist and photographer, each image they produce feels like a high-concept fashion editorial, but they have now dipped into the world of creating and I am loving everything I'm seeing. I highly recommend taking a trip to their Flickr feed and in-world store, you won't regret that time spent!

Now since it is Pride season I'd love to give a shout-out to some amazing LGBTQ+ creators who I have had the privilege of working with and blogging for over the past 13 years - Alexander Powell of Thirst, Danny Boo of Noche, Marco Nova of Clef de Peau, House Bunny of Shushu, and Tim Yung of Fake Society. Many of them have great Pride merchandise out right now, so give their stores a quick pop-in!

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Blog  
Flickr  
Instagram  
Twitter  
Facebook  
GBTH Presents: PRIMITIVE by Grant Valeska - https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GBTH/57/163/35 

Thank you to Strawberry for reaching out with this opportunity (and for attending the opening of my exhibit), being recognized as a legitimate artist and creative by the Second Life/Linden Lab team has been incredibly affirming and exciting to have happened to me in all these years on the grid. I am particularly honored to be a part of the Pride Month Spotlights. As a very loud and proud gay man, and a lover of all things LGBTQ+, this was a great way to start the month of June! Happy Pride ya'll! 🌈

Thank you, Grant, we’re delighted and honored to have you as a part of the Pride Month Spotlights and appreciate the high-fashion photography and art you bring to the grid!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Max (Cosmic Cat), a singer and songwriter, and the talent behind Cosmic Dust, a clothing and accessories brand in Second Life!

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I joined Second Life in 2013, so it has been about 10 years for me in Second Life. I first heard about it after looking for a new home when the virtual world I was in at the time, called vSide, had shut down. I guess it’s safe to say that Second Life became my new home in the past ten years.

You have been a content creator in Second Life with your store Cosmic Dust for almost a decade! Tell us how you got started, where you get the inspiration for your creations, and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created.
When I started Cosmic Dust, I genuinely didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew is that I wanted to make stuff and being someone who loves space, I immediately knew I wanted to name my brand Cosmic Dust. What I did have was an amazing support system of friends and family. With the help of some of my fellow creators, I was able to get started and learn the basics of creating/meshing as well as collaborate with friends on some more advanced projects. 

I get a lot of my inspiration from pop culture and everyday life. I tend to see things and think, “How cool would that be in Second Life?” My store has been on a bit of a hiatus since I have been focused on my music more recently, but some of my favorite items have been some of my sillier ones such as my backpack bra, as well as the fanny packs and boomboxes I made ages ago.

You’re also a singer and songwriter in the real world. Tell us more about your singing career and do you also sing in Second Life? Where can people hear you sing?
Growing up, I was very into pop music and pop culture. I was always interested in singing and songwriting but very shy about it. I had a notebook where I would write some songs and little tidbits of unfinished lyrics, but I never ended up doing anything with them. During the pandemic, I went through a bad breakup and never got any closure from the relationship. I ended up writing my first song Forever Goodbye, and showing a rough demo to some friends.  Everyone was super supportive and told me I should release it. I ended up writing a few more songs, which really helped me heal and give myself the closure I didn’t get. When I finally released my first EP Heartbreak Hotel, I ended up sharing it with the SL community and having a virtual release party, and everyone was very supportive. I am currently working on writing and recording my second EP which should be out later this year. 

In Second Life, I am working on making my live singing debut at Smokefest in August, so be sure to catch me there! I am also planning on doing other shows this summer as well. You can keep up to date with me on my Flickr as I will be posting more details there.

June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this month?
Pride month is very important to me as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Growing up Indian and gay, I felt like I didn’t have the best support system, nor did I know how to navigate battling societal pressures to live life as my most authentic self. Second Life really gave me a safe space to be myself and meet many other people who have stories similar to mine. I am so grateful for all of the people I have met along the way. 

Although I do have a lot of RL commitments this month, I will be DJing at Pride At Home twice this month and have a free gift out at the Pride At Home sim as well and am definitely looking forward to attending as many Pride events as I can. If you see me around, feel free to say hi! 

My DJ dates for Pride at Home:
Pride Prom - June 24th @ 8 PM SLT
Pride at Home Closing Party - June 30th @ 4 PM SLT

I’ll also be playing, show #1 live at Smokefest on Saturday, August 5th at 6 PM SLT. 

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
(Nokey) Kitty.Cat, Rikku (Bitey.Cat) & Glitch (Gae.Passion) are three creators I really admire. Glitch really helped me learn a lot in my early days when it came to creating in Maya for Second Life and she has come so far with her own brand, Quirky. Nokey and Rikku are the creators of HAZEL and STOIC. They create super fun high-quality items and animesh attachments that are super unique.

Geena Carminucci is a wonderful blogger and photographer in Second Life and a great friend in real life. Her work completely blows me away and she often does my ad work for Cosmic Dust. She always inspires me to improve my skills and continue to learn new techniques every day. 

Jade (Chibi.Resident) & Jess (xoJessxo.Pexie) : Although these two are not content creators in SL, they have become my family and inspire me to do better and be more creative every day. They are my biggest supporters and always give me new ideas for my creations and music. I have known them for over 8 years and they are some of the people I have known the longest in SL that continue to inspire me. 

Sol (Cool.Cat) is an aspiring graphic designer and content creator who is super creative! I love her work and she actually directed my Heartbreak Hotel (Acoustic) music video used in this spotlight!

Video production by Sol (Cool.Cat)

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Cosmic Dust
Flickr  
Facebook  
Destination  

My Music (Late Night Feelings):
Spotify:  
Instagram  
Facebook  
YouTube  
Apple Music

Thank you, Max, for adding your talent and voice to the Second Life creator community and live music scene!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Happy Pride Month! Today we are shining a spotlight on Dash Huntsman, an innovative new content creator that considers Second Life to be a safe haven for the LGBTQIA+ and credits the community for their support in his transition journey.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I joined Second Life in 2010. Wow, it’s been 13 years! I was playing a mass of other games with a friend. I was really into MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games) back then, and they asked me if I wanted to join them on another game. I remember coming online and thinking it was basically a version of the Sims but with other people! She introduced me to a roleplaying sim where I could sword fight and shoot a bow and arrow. I wasn’t very good at it but I felt like I was Xena. I remember having a blast creating all sorts of storylines and getting into mischief. I became a transient on Second Life and have explored different types of communities, and the diversity and creativity in Second Life have always astounded me.

You are new to content creation in Second Life, tell us how you got started and what kind of tools you use to create.
Last summer, I took a leap of faith and saw Joey Macmoragh offering mesh classes tailored for Second Life on my Facebook. I enrolled and have had a blast making content ever since. I opened my store Aardvark right after the class ended on the first week of August. I’ve been hitting the ground running ever since. Honestly, I’m super excited about creating content and get antsy when I’m not making something. I use Blender to create my 3D items. I make everything from scratch, starting with a basic shape, usually a cube. After that, everything goes into substance painter, where I do the textures, and with some luck, patience, and little chaotic flailing, an Aardvark creation is rezzed into Second Life. 

Where do you get the inspiration for your creations and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created?
I get a lot of my inspiration from random memes or jokes. I founded Aardvark on the mindset of food, fun, and decor. I’ll brainstorm randomly about how to make people smile or laugh. My partner also helps me brainstorm different ideas on things she finds on social media. She has just as an imaginative and witty brain. Other people will sometimes drop me random suggestions, and I’m always appreciative and honored when I receive recommendations. I’ll get tagged in the odd meme or random product someone sees in real life, and it’s so cool to think that someone thinks of Aardvark. My top 3 that I hold dear are Sassy Vases, Gingerbread Fighters, and Potatoes.

This meme on my Facebook showed a vase that seemingly looks like it’s judging you. It inspired me to bring this to life. These vases are all personality and say quite a few things back at you when you click them. 

I also like to make everything interactive. So much of my stuff makes a funny sound, talks back, or animates the avatar somehow. For example, I made a set of Gingerbread Fighters over the holidays last year, and they were so fun to make that I couldn't help but laugh as they came to life. My partner offered to make sound effects for them, so she practiced “karate” in the hallway, and well, you’ll just have to come by the shop and hear them for yourself to see how that turned out!

Lastly are my positive potatoes and tater family. For some reason putting a face on a potato makes them adorable, and I wanted to inject positivity into the world. So these little spuds were created; sometimes, a potato gift can bring smiles when we don’t have the right words to say. 

You credit Second Life for assisting in your journey of self-discovery. Can you share in what ways SL has impacted your life?
I’ve met many amazing people on this platform and will always be in awe of the creativity and talent here. Second Life is a safe haven for a lot of the LGBTQIA+ community. It allows us to express ourselves with the grace of anonymity where we may not be able to express who we truly are in real life. Second Life was the first place people referred to me by he/him pronouns, which was comforting and validating.

2018 I found SL's Facebook community. I didn’t know it existed! It was another way to comfortably express my thoughts through words and photos. I started to blog and was able to express all these complex emotions about my gender identity through photography. I came out as a transgender man in 2019, and I started documenting my social transition on my SL Facebook. I wasn’t entirely confident with coming out in real life with people that knew me personally, but online I was open with all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I didn’t feel alone anymore, nor did I want others. I talked with other transgender individuals, parents of children with questions, people questioning, and allies about their stories and struggles. Everyone wants to be seen and heard, and I finally felt that in who I was.

Sharing my transition in such a raw way gave me the confidence to do it in real life. At the end of 2019, I started to seek options to transition medically, and in 2020 right at the start of the pandemic, I started hormone replacement therapy with testosterone. I continued to share the ups and downs of coming out to my family and workplace and how my body changed.

In 2021, through the generosity of friends, family, creators, performers, and entertainers, we created a fundraiser called “From her to Me” to help me get top surgery. It’s a gender-affirming procedure that is a double mastectomy. Honestly, my mind is still blown. On February 14th, 2022, I had my top surgery. I wouldn’t have been able to have this surgery without the help of so many people from Second Life.

I owe Second Life for so many things that have impacted my real life. I've built impactful relationships with many people who have touched my life, and I will forever be thankful. I hope my story can show others that you are not alone. There are a lot of transgender individuals on Second Life, and although the world can be scary, be proud of who you are. It took so long to accept myself finally, and I want you to know that you are just as valid in your journey of self-discovery.

June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this coming month?

I’m proud to participate in a couple of events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. First, I’ll be participating in several events hosted by Pride at Home. The owners, Tink and Coral, have graciously let me create a Transgender Resource Hub at the Pride at Home Sim. There I’ve left some resources and information to help transgender people and allies. Pride at Home opens June 1st. 

In addition, I’ll be one of the judges at the Live Drag Race Competition hosted by SeraPride on  June 18th at 5 pm SLT. During the event, Aardvark will match all donations up to L$20,000 to benefit Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit organization that assists LGBTQ+ individuals. 

I also have some fun plans and gifts for Pride with Aardvark and will spread some fun shenanigans all over the grid. So stay tuned; I hope to see you all around the grid!

The Transgender Memorial is located at the Transgender Info Hub at the Pride at Home Sim. Each candle is named and represents a transgender or gender non-conforming person who was lost in the act of violence. There are 88 candles in total for the 45 lives lost 2021, 32 in 2022, and now 11 in 2023. We've also included a guestbook to leave messages and a small display of resources about Transgender people in history, basic terms and terminology, and words of kindness.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
So many people have inspired and helped me along this journey, and I could write a book about each of them. However, some of the residents and creators I admire the most are the ones you never know what they will create next, and I strive to be one of those content creators. Lundy Lovely from Hive has such a fantastic aesthetic, her eye for detail and how she lets customers customize her products are incredible. Kota Kirax at MoonRabbit is one of my favorite brands that create so many outside-the-box ideas and is so witty! I’ve been a long fan of Radio and Lattee Bixley, the creative geniuses behind Junk Food. They bring comforts and nostalgia from the real world into Second Life. Finally, Ikari Ichibara from Tardfish is a creator of the most kawaii things and, honestly, one of the best at cute Animesh! It’s always cool seeing what they all come up with!

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Everyone is welcome to stop by the main store located at beautiful Peaceful Shore. 
Our marketplace and Flickr have our full catalog
Also, you can view some fantastic work from others with Aardvark items in our Flickr Group
Or our Facebook

Thank you, Dash, for sharing your heartwarming journey with us!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today, we are shining a spotlight on Iki Akiri, the talent behind Violent Seduction, a virtual fashion boutique specializing in elegant, Gothic, and Lolita styles.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been in Second Life since 2005 and heard about it through some friends on a forum I was running at the time.

My early days involved turning up unannounced to people's houses in a party hat and forcing people to party. It was always my birthday. Endless entertainment for me, maybe not so much for them. My friends can vouch the troll never left.

You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started?
I started my store around December 2008 as a hobby right after finishing high school. I had not had an easy life prior to this point and I turned to art to regain my energy. I had been in and out of Second Life for a year or two, but I wasn't happy with a lot of the style of clothing Second Life had to offer in 2008, so I started making my own and never really stopped. 

It was just a drive to make things that don't exist yet and it became a hobby and a tool to help me destress. Over time this became a lifeline and learning tool that supported me through many other hardships and redundancies after. I am so grateful for it.

2011 vs 2023

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
I was originally an aspiring 2D artist working to become a concept artist. By the time I had started my degree in Game Art, I had decided that 3D had more freedom, more prospects, and an easier barrier to entry than concept art for my future, so I switched to the 3D electives early into the course and graduated in 2012.

After that, I learned a lot about lighting and rendering during my time working in Archviz. This allowed me to learn the specifics of light and material properties early on before a lot of games had built the visual equivalents into their base engines. 

I taught game art (UE3-4) for 5-6 years while I was running my store on the side and this also gave me the added motivation to teach other SL creators using the curriculum I was already teaching, but with a pipeline more suited to Second Life.

Since then I've been jumping into indie work specializing in high poly assets and skilling up using adapted game industry standards in parallel to my work in Second Life to keep me up to date. 

The main programs I use regularly are 3DSmax, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter + Sampler, Zbrush, and Marmoset Toolbag. I add, remove or switch programs, pipelines, and plugins depending on the type of item I'm making or if something new seems interesting/applicable to test.

I also do the majority of my quick reference sketches using Fashionary sketchbooks and lately; Procreate using a fashionary template. Imagine the satisfaction when I found out these were recorded, what a time to be alive:

You create high-quality Gothic styles that are always efficiently using the latest technologies available on the grid, such as PBR. Do you have any tips and/or advice for creators looking to increase their content creation skills?
Yes! My advice would be to start looking into alternative pipelines, programs, and engines, expanding your problem-solving skills with more than what you are used to. Learn what the industry is doing right now and see if you can learn those tools and techniques to improve your own quality. Focusing on efficient content allows you to work in a nonconstructive way alongside the gaming industry, meaning your portfolio and skills will transfer and you'll be able to pivot and adapt as a creator during things like the addition of PBR and future updates if you keep on top of your ongoing learning. 

Find Game Art 3D tutorials and watch them in your spare time. Dedicate an hour (30 mins even) every day to learning a new 3D skill, or alternatively, if you don't have time to learn; build those tests/skills into your work as you go. You'll get better very fast and it is absolutely worth the time even if it's not 1:1 applicable with Second Life. It might be valuable information later down the road.

I'd highly suggest finding some local Game Dev Discord channels local to your area and sharing your work, asking for constructive criticism, and adapting on the feedback of peers with wider experience. You can make a lot of local friends in the industry and improve super fast this way! 

There are so many benefits to aligning yourself to a more efficient workflow, and it does wonders for networking in the real world too.

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created?
Fashion is definitely one of my major loves my whole life. I have been designing clothing well before I started in SL and had some real-world experience watching seamstresses work with patterns at an early age too. My love for fashion is the main driving force that keeps me creating here.

My inspiration often comes from seeing certain cuts, wrinkles, or fabric types and building a design around the idea I'd like to test in 3D. As a result, I don't often use complete pieces of reference and will take snippets of many different references to create something new. I personally feel that Second Life is a research and development tool in a way so I enjoy pushing myself into different styles and testing to see if people think they're cool or not while I keep pretending to be a fashion designer. Perhaps it will be real-world applicable to me one day.

I'm inspired stylistically by a combination of substyles namely Larme Kei, Gothic Lolita, Otome Fashion, Cyberwear, and Techwear as well as designers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, and Iris Van Herpen. I will often be inspired by random objects I've seen while traveling or historical Victorian patterns I'm itching to translate into Marvelous Designer. I also really love to use SL to experiment with my designs by crossing different substyles and seeing if that will translate into the real world. Tying my real-life fashion style into my design process is so important for my creative motivation.

My favorite works are generally the ones that were the most annoying to make. They act as my heavy-hitting portfolio pieces as some of the technical aspects are fiddly and need a lot of early problem-solving to achieve efficiently for Second Life. I hated doing it and didn't sleep for most of it, but now I love them:

Nemissa Set - Regicide Set - Theia Set

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I'm a bit of a hermit and honestly, I don't get out much, so my inspirations are people and friends I've followed for quite a long time:

Hinadori Chang (ひなどりさん♡): I've followed Hinadori for many many years. The way she combines sub-styles together and presents them in an old "Street Snap" style really resonates with me. If you've ever collected any Japanese fashion magazines you'll understand immediately!

Contraption: Walt builds some of the biggest, coolest, and most efficient builds in Second Life. They're beautiful and I'm so excited to see more from him - especially with the upcoming PBR updates as well as his work with world/sim building.

Insomnia Angel: I don't know how to explain this, but whenever I see Insomnia Angel reference a tiny aspect of an outfit I've only seen on display in the basement of Laforet it makes me so happy, like an inside joke only 3 people get. She gets fashion in and out for the same styles I'm interested in. ♡

Tonktastic: Real OG, Tonktastic has been pushing efficient content longer than anybody I can think of. Highly recommend looking at his breakdowns over the years! 

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
New Website: violentseduction.com  
Mainstore: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Violent%20Seduction/221/135/169 
Entire Catalog on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/violentseduction 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violentseduction.SL 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/violentseducti 

Thank you, Iki, for adding your style and expertise to the Second Life fashion community!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Sage Absinthe Oatsmill, a multi-talented creator bringing inclusive avatar components, decor, and destinations to the grid! 

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been a Second Life resident for a little over ten years. I discovered it through researching virtual worlds at the time. It was number one on the "Top virtual worlds of 2012" list on some tech blog. I've always been fascinated by virtual worlds, MMORPGs, and other metaverse continuums. 

You have a store, Mura, where your creations range from unique food, to hair, and other avatar accessories. How did you get into Second Life content creation and what are some of your favorite items you’ve created?
Although I launched Mura in September 2021, I've dabbled in content creation previously. I launched two clothing stores - Chloe in 2014 and Audace in 2016. Since I needed to gain the skills to mesh and create my own content from scratch, I purchased full perm meshes of clothing and worked to give them some really unique textures. Unfortunately, I decided to close them both when I took a hiatus from Second Life in 2017. I came back in 2020 during the pandemic. After reacquainting myself with Second Life, I decided to learn how to make original 3D content. I took a class by an amazing creator, Mesh Kitti, which lasted about two months. I felt that was all I needed before launching my first original mesh product, which was the Jollof rice set. Some of my favorite items that I've created are:

1. Seafood party platter
2. North African Mezze Platter
3. Interactive Cocktail Set
4. Nigerian Buffet
The common denominator of these products is that they're meant to bring people together through food.

You are also an incredible photographer and machinima artist, along with being the Marketing and Digital Director for Sage & Crystals Magazine in Second Life. Do you have a background in videography, photography, or magazine work?
I have a real-world background in all three. Years ago, I worked at Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Magazine's editorial features department, among others. This experience helped inform my knowledge of the production flow of an issue. Currently, I'm a commercial director and photographer, working with fashion, tech, and entertainment clients.

After all of that, you also run Teranga City in Second Life. Can you tell us more about this destination? What inspired it? What are the different venues Residents can find there, and are there regular events they can attend?
It's a funny origin story, but I started working on Teranga while I was sick and bedridden from COVID in real life (April 2022), but I still wanted something to do to keep me busy. It took about six months to complete. I wanted to create a slice of my family's home countries (Senegal and Morocco). I never really saw a sim or community on Second Life that accurately depicted modern cities of North and West Africa. There's the representation of historical depictions or things like safaris, but that's not the actual reality for millions of people on the continent. I intended to create a space for everyone of all backgrounds to enjoy, explore and connect with the culture. In addition, I wanted to provide a hospitality destination with this same ethos, so I created Al-Mouna Resort, which takes up a little more than 1/4th of the sim. I custom-built the resort's main building and landscaped and decorated the sim with the help of my Second Life family members, Zoeynova Oatsmill and Zai Starchild, who are also phenomenal decorators and developers. 

There are so many things to do in Teranga. As I've stated, there's Al-Mouna resort which has a bathhouse, a spa and wellness center, a self-serve buffet, a beach, pools, and soon a MyStory-compatible restaurant. But, this is only accessible to guests that rent a room or villa. On the rest of the sim, which is open to the public, there's Absinthe Club and Lounge, La Galerie Mall, which hosts the Dancing Robot arcade, a food court, an apothecary, Lucien's Jazz Bar and Lounge, and La Tois de La Teranga, a rooftop club, and pool. There's a Souk (traditional North African market), a beauty salon, a cafe, multiple eateries, a museum specializing in African diaspora art, and Mura, my mainstore. We have regular events at Absinthe lounge, where folks can dance and enjoy salsa and Afrobeats music. Monthly, we've had Layali Troupe, a belly dance entertainment group perform, as well as Semina, a talented live singer.

Tell us about some of the other Creators in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Many creators inspire me so much, and the list is terribly long. As you've noted, I dabble in various creative modalities, so I can attempt to categorize those who inspire. As a content creator, I'm most inspired by Lucas Lameth, who is a wonderful and talented creator and a kind and generous person. His work and artistic style are unique and some of the best I've seen on the grid! I'm constantly drooling over his mesh food releases. 

In the realm of videography, I'm most inspired by Sere Vene, who released their short film "Magazine" about two years ago. I was in awe when I saw this piece for the first time. At this point, I've only been creating videos for six months. Nevertheless, it was one of the best-executed shorts I've seen in Second Life at that moment. The way each sequence transitioned into another, the editing, the costume and set design, the animations, and the sound engineering all made it so extravagant and special. As someone who mainly focuses on music video machinima, all of those aspects are so important to capture effectively in a small period of time.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
People can find all of my links through my linktree.

Watch this amazing machinima submitted by Sage.

Thank you, Sage, your work is truly inspiring!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Cain Maven of Maven Homes. For over a decade, Cain has been at the forefront of virtual home design for the Second Life community - learn more about his journey!

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I first set foot in SL about 14 years ago. Some online friends of mine had migrated here after the game we were playing was shut down. Needless to say, I stayed longer than I planned to -- which was every bit as much about making new friends as reconnecting with old ones. Then there's of course that certain magic that SL possesses, and that we all keep coming back for more of.

You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started?
The plan was not in any way to start creating content. I had bought myself a nice modern villa and had fun furnishing and landscaping. Then, one fateful day, I decided that one of the rooms was too small, so I set out to modify it. I soon realized that I could maybe build whole houses, maybe put them up for sale, maybe... you see where this is going. In those early days, most of the revenue stream stemmed from my friends' pity purchases; fortunately, things got a little bit better over time. In 2010, I acquired one of my competitors and early this year I expanded with a third region.

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
Sadly, I don't have a background in 3D content creation. My formal education is as an architect, but I somehow got sidetracked and ended up in journalism, software development, and graphic design. While I had tinkered a bit with various (now discontinued) tools, it wasn't until SL gained support for mesh upload in 2011 that I sat down and taught myself some new and useful tricks. My current toolbox includes Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop, and copious amounts of coffee.

How would you describe your virtual architectural style and what are some of your favorite builds that you have created?
I'm not sure I have an architectural style per se... but if forced to choose I would probably say modern/contemporary. However, I do dabble in many different styles, with a possible fondness for Mediterranean Revival; it's hard not to love the old masters of the Italian Renaissance and their impact on today's designs. That said, I think it's challenging to do good work in a style that you don't personally like, which probably is why you will see some stylistic omissions in my portfolio. In terms of favorite builds, I would pick the Cosimo mansion (because every home should have a dome) and the modern Pacific, because its entire being centers on the collision and cooperation of weird angles.

Are there any other projects or events that you are working on? 
The main focus for 2023 is creating a collection of smaller homes -- and hopefully, being able to get into some of the bigger events. If they will have me.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Looking back, Robert Galland pretty much owned the architecture market when I first started out. He, therefore, became the reference, the benchmark, and the competitor I measured myself against. Robert is still active and remains an inspiration. I'm also a fan of Danny Bourne of reBourne fame -- his treatment of light is second to none. And when it comes to daring concepts and outside-the-box thinking, Sergio Botha is the master.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
My current selection of homes is available at the regions Maven Homes, Maven Homes 2, and Quantum Luxury Homes.

Marketplace  
Flickr  
Instagram  

Thank you Cain, for helping Second Life Residents create a virtual home away from home.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup 

Today we are shining a spotlight on Anu Papp, an artist, musician, dancer, and kundalini yoga instructor who has brought her skills into Second Life with her own dance company, Muse Dance Co.  

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I joined Second Life in April of 2007. A friend of mine from Oregon who was already a resident told me about Second Life. At the time I was the CEO of a non-profit, In Gaia’s Lap, and its division Artist4Mercy. Through means of internet radio, our tag was to “connect the Globe through the power of music to bring awareness to the needs of children in orphanages”. He told me it would be a great platform to promote the non-profit. Telling him I was not a gamer lol, I created Anu Papp, and one day while exploring Lost Gardens of Apollo, I hear “This is Anu. You are listening to the Artist4Mercy.” Little did I know I was already reaching Second Life through music. Nor did I realize that Dane Zander was one of my biggest donators in the physical world. From there I went on in the hope of creating a better world virtually.

In the physical world, you are an artist, a photographer, a musician, a dancer, and more! How does your background inform and shape your work in Second Life?
I am a licensed Kundalini Yoga Instructor. In addition, I am an artist of many mediums. In my early days of Second Life, as a folk vocalist, I performed live around the grid.

You can hear my music here: Featherbed by Anu (soundcloud.com) 
I believe that its all inclusive and ever evolving. As I grow in the physical world, my virtual world is a reflection of that growth. Second Life is my arm that connects both worlds. It allows me to run communities and organize events, teach, make friends and confidants when the time is needed.

In Second Life, you have a dance company called Muse. Can you tell us more about your experience founding and managing it, and when and where is the next show?
I began dancing in Second Life by hosting a small sacred dance circle. One day I was told by one of my guests that she was wheelchair-bound. The dance circles brought her alive because she could actually move! Sadly she has since left this realm, but it was the seed that fueled my continuum in dance. I manage all shows solely on my own. From set design to streaming music to laying out the choreography, I am a one-woman show. With a multitude of HUDS on my screen, I move people, change sets, and manage the entire production. We have over 40 dancers with Muse Dance from all parts of the globe and as I often say, it takes a village. I am grateful for each dancer who dedicates their time to be a part of the team and visions of Muse Dance.

On Sunday 7 May at 9 am SLT Muse Dance will be presenting Mystic India.  

A dance performance created around the colors of the chakras and culture of the Punjab region of India. Chakras are one of the many lenses through which we view the energetics of the world. Everything from yoga asana, meditation, colors, and how we interact - has a charge behind it. The subtle body, or energetics, are part of our experience of living just like our physical bodies. Join us as we travel the journey of the soul through dance. 

Mystic India 2023 - Official Trailer:

You currently have a destination in Second Life that is a real-life replica of the iconic Taj Mahal. What inspired you to create this, and do you have any plans to expand on it?
As my personal life has always been involved in yogic and meditation practices, the culture of India is strong in my heart. Ironically my region Ravenhart was the same theme in 2008, so I have returned full circle 16 years later. Future plans include meditation and tai chi areas, and Swami Café for social connections. The theater of Muse Dance is also located in the same region, so continual dance performances, including but not limited to, cultural, ballet, modern dance, and even some musicals.   

With the events of our World over the past 10 years, it's important for me to offer everyone regardless of your religious beliefs, a place within Second Life to find your Nirvana.

Visit the virtual Taj Mahal in Second Life!

How has Second Life impacted your life and what do you enjoy most about being a Resident?
I laugh when I say this, but like many, I grew up in Second Life. It allowed me as an artist to expand beyond anything I could have imagined. It's been my canvas. It allowed me to “put smiles on sad faces” as said by Paramahansa Yogananda. There is such joy when I present a dance production or design on my region Ravenhart where others can experience things they may not be able to do in RL. Muse Dance Co. is poetry in motion and I have no intention of stopping as long as I have breath. 

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Each dancer of Muse Dance Co. is amazing and continues to be the fuel that keeps me creating. They are all my heroes. Oriolus Oliva from region Verdigris - amazing sim and human. Catherine Nikolaidis for her intricate photography. Jojo Deed who has since left Second Life was the push that got me into blogging. China & Goodies and all the builders that create such beautiful historical work. Ulysses Cabaret, my dearest and oldest friend in Second Life, who was my inspiration in learning how to build. Last but not least, my Second Life partner who is also my physical world husband of 20 years. He is who keeps me going in all worlds. Too many to list but the journey to now has been an amazing ride.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Muse Dance: www.musedancesl.com
Blog: www.anupapp.com
Flickr: Anu Papp | Flickr
YouTube: | muse | dance company - YouTube
Our cinemaphotographer: Glynola Productions - YouTube
Facebook: Anu Papp | Facebook
Soundcloud: Stream Anu music | Listen to songs, albums, playlists for free on SoundCloud

Watch this mesmerizing video submitted by Anu for her Spotlight feature. 
It is the official trailer for Anu Papp's original production "State of Grace" choreographed for Muse Dance Co. of Second Life.
Video by Glynola Productions

Thank you, Anu, for bringing your artistic mind and endeavors to Second Life. Attend Muse Dance Company’s next show, Mystic India, on Sunday, May 7th at 9am PT!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Yu Zhu (Jamaicasianbaby), a multi-talented Resident with an impressive array of skills, from photography to vlogging to styling, and even landscaping!

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I have been in Second Life since 2011. Actually, I can't quite recall the website where I first saw the ad for Second Life, but I do remember that it immediately caught my interest because I’ve always enjoyed playing life-simulation games, like the Sims, since I was quite young.

Your Second Life photos are amazing, do you have a background in photography, and what are some of the tools you use to enhance your images?
Thank you, and unfortunately, I do not have any background in photography. I was raised by very traditional, well-intentioned parents who preferred that I attended dental school instead of art school. My late older brother, who passed away in 2020, was actually able to become a photographer/videographer. He was always very skilled with computers and gadgets from a really young age. He was the one who introduced me to the program Adobe Photoshop when I was around 12 years old and he taught me how to select objects in an image to remove the background. 

When I was under a tremendous amount of pressure during dental school, I was able to use SL photography as an escape and an outlet for some of the frustrations I felt at the time. As much as I hate to admit it, I am sort of a pushover by nature so I found some satisfaction in portraying a more assertive and endearing character through photos of my avatar. My aim when editing snapshots was to enhance the realism of this character and the scenes as much as I could. I started with the old skills that my brother had taught me and I continued to polish those skills, learning mostly by trial and error since I didn’t know of many SL photo editing tutorials at the time.

Around 2013 I was introduced to Flickr and that was where I started sharing my work. I soon started blogging and enjoyed it for a few years. This experience pushed me to experiment with different ideas and concepts, which then in turn helped me to further develop my skills with SL photography. After some time I started receiving requests for portraits and store advertisements. In the past, I used to be more active with accepting clients and have done ads for various stores like Addams, Bad Unicorn, Cold Ash, The Forge, and others. I have drastically reduced my client intake since then because my hobby started feeling too much like ‘work’ rather than something fun and creative. In any case, I have no regrets about the experiences as I was able to learn a lot through them and met some really great folks along the way. 

Recently, my partner upgraded me to a custom gaming pc so I was finally able to start playing around with Black Dragon viewer. After having used Firestorm viewer for years on my laptop, I was blown away by the quality of graphics on Black Dragon and how it’s able to significantly augment the overall aesthetics in Second Life. This viewer definitely helps to enhance images and make them more realistic with less requirement for post-editing of snapshots in Photoshop. It does take some time to become familiar with all of the settings. I am still in the process of learning myself, but I have really grown to enjoy using this viewer to capture my raw images.

You have your own YouTube channel, can you tell us how you got into creating videos, what kind of content you focus on, and what are some of the tools you use?
I think the moment that triggered the chain of events that led me to start my channel was around the end of 2022, when I logged into SL after a long time and was going through my inventory with an intense feeling of guilt. I couldn't believe the embarrassing amount of unused items that were just sitting in my inventory, some that have not even been unboxed yet. Around this time as well, I was watching various architectural and home decor videos on Youtube because I had just married my SL partner in RL and we were attempting to design our first official home together. I felt spontaneously inspired to attempt a little virtual home tour video with a skybox that I had set up at the time and that was the very first video I uploaded to Youtube. 

There are so many things I enjoy doing on SL that I personally can’t always capture through a snapshot, like decorating and landscaping. Even when it comes to fashion. I play dress-up with my avatar on a regular basis and I go through tons of outfits that I often don’t get the chance to take pictures of. I take a decent amount of time to edit each image and I have my limits when it comes to tastefully capturing an entire outfit from head to toe in a single photo. I figured videos would be a nice way to showcase many full outfits and pretty much all the rest of the things I like to get into on SL. I wanted to create fun and aesthetically pleasing videos that I could look back on and perhaps others would enjoy watching them as well. So far it has also been a nice way to share in more detail about what I do on SL with my RL friends and family.

I guess you can describe my content as 'vlogs' as I focus on the things I do on SL/how I spend my time on SL. The topics range from fashion to creating shapes to landscaping and interior design to photography and photo editing plus more. I use a free screen recorder from ScreenRec.com to capture my scenes. The first video editing program I tried out was Shotcut, which is free and pretty straightforward to use. But then I learned about Filmora shortly after and tried the demo version of it. I had so much fun using this video editor and learning all the features that I went ahead and got the full version. 

You also co-own the Bamboo destination in Second Life. What inspired it and what can Residents expect when they visit?
Bamboo originally started off as a homestead and my private home with my partner, Jin Zhu. We’re both Asians living in the Western part of the world, so we wanted to design our SL home in a way that would represent our traditional cultures. Jin has roots in China, while mine are in Myanmar (a country in Southeast Asia). We wanted to create a home where we could feel nostalgic and relive familiar experiences from our childhoods. As we worked on materializing our vision, our passion quickly grew for this personal project and soon we expanded our homestead to a full sim and made it open to the public on March 18, 2022. 

Although we are both quite aware of the many unique differences between each Asian country, we can also appreciate the vast similarities that the majority of Asian cultures share. An often humid atmosphere, the rich smell of earth after the rain, the intense singing of insects and wildlife that thrive in lush vegetation, dense forests of ancient bamboo trees, and the sizzling sounds of fragrant foods cooking around street market vendors, are just a few examples of the similarities among Asian countries. Buddhism is also a prevalent religion in most of Asia. In many towns, one can find Buddhist temples and it is common for homes and places of business to have shrines and statues of Buddha. From our own personal recollections, we found that most countries in Asia are also especially similar when it comes to rural landscapes and villages. We pulled inspiration from memories of our travels back to our motherlands in order to create a place on SL that, in our perspective, showcased the essence of a rural far-eastern environment. 

Visitors may also stumble upon a hidden memorial on our sim that Jin kindly helped me to curate. This memorial was set up to pay tribute to the thousands of heroes that have fallen at the hands of the Myanmar military since 2021 - some as young as 1 year old, some even younger. Not very many are aware of what has been happening in Myanmar as these events have been overshadowed by the major war between Ukraine and Russia. Nevertheless, the crimes that have been committed against humanity are equally abhorrent. We wish to promote awareness of the current events that are still unfolding in Myanmar and the resilience of its civilians in their resistance against a well-established dictatorship. A cruel dictatorship that confiscated and withheld oxygen, medical supplies, and services from civilians during the peak of Covid-19 outbreaks. My own paternal uncle and cousin, who were both residing in Myanmar during this time, were not able to get access to the oxygen they needed and eventually lost their battles with the virus along with thousands of others. I am now constantly worried about losing more loved ones. Those who are resisting the military are mostly young high school students, nurses, doctors, teachers, farmers, and activists among many others. Innocent human beings, most of whom have never seen a weapon in their lives before these events. They are fighting for the freedom to hold onto their dignity and dreams, things that we often take for granted in democratic countries. The only thing that is keeping this current revolution alive is the conviction of those fighting for peace and their hope for a brighter future. The story of Myanmar is full of beauty, inspiration, tragedy, and heartbreak. I sincerely implore anyone who may be curious, to dive into its rich history and learn more about it.

Needless to say, our Bamboo sim holds much sentimental value for both me and Jin. It is a space to honor those who stood for peace during their lives and it further serves as a place to nurture and find peace within one’s own current life. This is what Residents can expect if they do decide to visit the Bamboo Destination in Second Life.

How has Second Life impacted your life?
Perhaps this may be considered taboo for most people to say but I have to admit, Second Life has been more than just ‘a game’ for me. It somehow evolved into something bigger and has integrated into my life where it will forever serve as a historic foundation for the person I am today. When I signed up with the most uncreative username that I could come up with in two seconds, I was not expecting that SL would pretty much change my entire life. 

Second Life gave me the creative outlet I didn’t really have growing up. Through this platform, I was able to explore my creativity and get through difficult times by being able to express myself in a variety of ways that would not have been possible in reality. 2020 was an especially tough year and with the travel restrictions, it was nice to be able to do things on SL like building places to escape to or taking pictures at beautiful locations that you can get to with the click of a mouse. 

I usually would never share any of my artwork with anyone I knew in RL but the warmth and encouragement I received from the Second Life community for my work really helped me to start believing in my own creative abilities. I am sincerely grateful to those who have been so kind and supportive to me over the years because it helped me to open up more in RL. My brother was the first person in my life with whom I shared my SL photography and landscaping work and it is now one of my most cherished memories with him. Since his passing, I finally gathered enough courage to share my work with my parents as well. I think many people who have grown up around western culture but under strict traditionalist, Asian parents can relate when I say, opening up to our parents is one of the hardest things to do. I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t understand much of what I was showing them but their acceptance and support for me that day has also become one of my most cherished memories in life. In a way, SL helped me to break many boundaries with my family.

Last but not least, I met my now real-life partner in Second Life. I actually already knew about Jin Zhu before we even spoke for the first time in 2018. Dynasty was one of the very first stores I discovered and loved on SL as the items invoked feelings of nostalgia for me and especially because in my early days on SL I did not come across many items with Asian themes. At the time I would have never expected that one day the creator would personally reach out to me, much less that I would end up marrying this amazing, talented, and kind individual. Jin and I were really able to connect and learn about each other through our creative endeavors on Second Life. We were able to talk a great deal and got to know each other while working on different projects and over time, precisely three years of long distance and a lot of traveling later, we both had the profound realization that there could be none more compatible than we were for each other. Jin proposed to me in Jamaica, where I grew up since I was 2 years old, on November 18, 2021. We have been married as of September 28, 2022, and I am now living in a whole new country and have a totally different life than what I could have ever imagined before I signed up to Second Life with a silly username.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
This question is the most difficult to answer as there are many talented and inspiring residents in SL. A few of my favorite stores that I can list off the top of my head, other than Dynasty, of course, are .Shi, BBQQ and [SAU] Motors. The creators behind these stores are all amazing individuals who are always so humble and supportive. I also admire artwork by Petra Messioptra (PM), who is one of the first artists/bloggers that I started following when I joined Flickr in 2013. William Weaver was also a great inspiration to me in my early days on Flickr, but unfortunately, I can no longer find his work on the platform. Some of his videos can still be found on Youtube. I've also enjoyed videos/blogs by Strawberry Singh, which I find to be quite detailed and informative. There are so many amazing residents in SL and I could fill many pages if I were to list them all here.

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.

• Flickr  
• Youtube
• Instagram  

Watch this fantastic video submitted by Yu Zhu for this Spotlight feature.

Thank you, Yu Zhu, for sharing your life-changing experiences with us.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Soull Starlight, an inclusive Experience Creator in Second Life who has a passion for traveling and creating interactive destinations across mainland.

Photography by Caroline Danger

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been in Second Life since 2007 and first learned about it from a professor in college, who introduced SL as a community history project. I spent my first few months in SL engaged in research, learning about various communities present at that time, and have been around off and on ever since!

You are an Experience Creator in Second Life. Can you tell us more about what that is and how you got into that?
When I began curating land in 2019, I was impassioned to first create spaces that were uniquely me and exuded the warmth and coziness that I like my homes to have, as a respite from my travels across the continents. My first home was in Heterocera - after traveling along the mountain road leading to the Great Wall, I discovered a parcel that faced a resident-created Stonehenge and had a beautiful vantage point, purchased it, and settled in. As I continued my travels, I started to find even more parcels with beautiful views, accessible travel points (like roads, waterways, and mountain paths), and interesting Linden landmarks around and created more homes that I soon realized I couldn't inhabit myself as frequently as I'd like. AscendBnB, my travel-based rental company, was born from this. I had too many homes at that point to live in and wanted to share my travel-friendly, fully furnished homes with others.

After creating a bunch of homes all around mainland that I felt good about, I started to hone in my ability to create public spaces that evoke a feeling, sentiment, or pure joy. I realized that my passion was in creating and finding spaces that shared an experience of some kind - in my travels, these were the spaces that really stuck with me and kept me coming back, and I wanted to extend that love at interesting places around mainland to further encourage travel. I've created the term 'Experience Creator' as my role because it encapsulates the energy that is felt when you visit one of my spaces. I create and curate to evoke a memory, or thought, or to encourage joy, fun, and freedom. 

You seem to have an affinity towards mainland as most of your destinations are there. Why is that?
I'm an avid SL traveler and spend a lot of my time finding and enjoying engaging spaces in my travels that share a sentiment, a memory, an interest, or just a sense of joy. I deeply appreciate the creativity I find as I traverse the continents, and mainland to me is the best place to discover and explore for as long as I'd like, via publicly accessible spaces. Much like real life, taking a ride, sail, or flight along mainland routes is an adventure, and one that I feel expresses the deepest intent of SL- to allow humans from all parts of the world to live, work, and play in a space they've co-created. The ability to hop in a vehicle and explore the wonderfully varied experiences that you could have on mainland is what keeps me both exploring and creating on the continents, and it's my hope that more people discover and contribute to mainland in a way that keeps exploration and creativity accessible and alive. 

Can you tell us about some of your current destinations/experiences and what Residents can expect when visiting them?
I've now curated a number of experiences that are open to enjoy and find on mainland right now and am excited to share more about them! 

In Corsica I've created Wonderpark Theme Park with Autumn Yap (and Janessa Westwood Neil with Lifestyle Inc destinations who created a Wonderpark Resort in 2020), featuring over 20 interactive rides and experiences, a water park, a food court, and more. 

Eatonville Living History Museum, an interactive exhibit featuring culturally-affirming literature that shares the Black experience during the US Reconstruction era, is also located in Corsica, along with a relaxing spa, brewery, fine dining restaurant, and community garden in Corsica South Coast. 

In Heterocera, you can find Ascension Park, off High Mountain Road with picturesque views from the mountain and a public train that takes you sightseeing across regions, and an adjoining glamping resort with finely appointed tents, hot springs, and an outdoor bar. 

In Bay City, my Bay City Activity Center allows residents to work out, learn new skills like cooking or painting, take a yoga class, and more! I encourage folks to travel the mainland, check the destination guide to find more of my spaces, or visit  https://ascendbnb.live/fun-experiences.

Are there any upcoming projects, destinations, or events you are working on that you can tell us about? What can we expect from you in the future?
My latest experience is the Dulla Centre Community, located off the Circuit la Corse in Corsica, a live-work-play space where visitors and residents can find creative, restorative, social, and professional spaces to meet, interact, collaborate, and play. The community features a rooftop mini golf area, coworking space, a flower market, breweries, a yoga studio, an eco-conscious coffee shop, and more! it is a project I'm working on with other community builders, artists, and creative contributors. 

I'm also working with Yukiko Yeshto to plan and build this year's NatureCon 2023, a large-scale nature conference featuring nature creators, organizations, and groups to collectively encourage more exploration and discovery on mainland and in Bellisseria, and am working with Ayame (stable.mum), creator of the Moorcroft Community in Sansara and the Show Society to create a mountain retreat in Heterocera. I'm always open to collaborating with other creatives to add experiences to mainland to inspire, engage, and delight residents! 

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I am deeply inspired by so many creative residents in SL, and the unique experiences, products, and ideas that they bring to the grid. 

Ayame, Marianne McCann, and Georgina Rowley of the Moorcroft, Bay City, and Seogyeoshire communities have contributed amazingly beautiful builds and experiences for residents of Sansara and Jeogeot, and are always open to sharing what they've learned with others. 

Latte Bixley of Junk Food brings SO many fun, engaging items that evoke a sense of nostalgia and joy, and inspires me to add that element of interactivity and fun to my builds. 

Emmalee Evergarden, creator of The Nature Collective and co-creator of the Mainland Community Alliance creates the most inspired landscapes. 

The content created by Aurora Mercury, TheAriellXO, Ashiko Mi, Jaira Che, and Vrutega is always entertaining and shows how varied SL experiences can be and what sort of things you can find to engage in, visit, chat about, and/or share. 

There are so many more residents, mentors, and friends who have helped in or inspired my builds and the things I share. I wish I could name them all but I share a deep appreciation for all who add to my SL experience.

Watch this video submitted by Soull for her Spotlight feature
Video Production by Lozza Weymann

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
To learn more about me, my travels, and the things I contribute to the grid, you can follow me:

on my website: https://soulstarlight.life 
on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soullstarlight.sl
on the AscendBnB site: https://ascendbnb.live

Thank you, Soul, for adding your creativity to mainland.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on KaidenTray, a virtual landscaper in Second Life whose  landscaping skills have become renowned for their realistic detail and stunning visual appeal. 

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
Officially I have been in Second Life for eight years and seven months. However, I have taken long breaks in between that time. I was brought to Second Life by the recommendation of my real-life friend who told me about all the artistic and unlimited possibilities within the game. 

You are an award-winning landscape artist. How did you get into landscaping in Second Life and where do you get your inspiration?
I have always been interested in art as a type of expression and used to draw when I was younger. When I came to Second Life initially, I explored many sims and was inspired to create different cities and locations from my mind’s eye. I was able to do so with the creative freedom that I was provided. After I completed some of the projects I worked on as practice, word of mouth created my landscaping business. 

I find heavy inspiration from real-life cities that I become fascinated with, especially those that I would enjoy visiting or living in. The majority of my life has been spent in the United Kingdom, but I am heavily inspired by countries outside of my own, including the United States and Spain. My ability to generate these cities with as much realism and detail as possible allows myself and others to be transported to those areas in a virtual world. 

What kind of detail do you look for when designing your landscapes and what are your favorite kinds of landscapes to design?
I look for small details that can immerse the person into the environment to feel like it is real, such as dirt over a road or slanted trees. It is interesting to me because so many of my clients prefer things to be perfectly aligned, clean, and straight. My mentality is very different. It is these types of imperfections of the real world that make the mind feel you aren’t in a virtual setting. However, my main concern is client satisfaction, so I make sure to provide whatever style they would like.

My absolute favorites are forests, woodlands, farms, and rainforests. However, what I adore more than anything are simply landscape challenges. I enjoy expanding my skills as much as possible with complexity. 

Tell us more about some of the destinations you have designed previously and any current or future projects you are working on.
I have completed many destinations over the years, so there are a lot to list. However, my main pride and joys are those that I have opened for Halloween events, such as The Bates Motel (2020), The Freakshow: A Halloween Experience (2021), and Nightmare in New Orleans (2022). 

Some of the popular destinations that I have completed upon commission are: The Atlantis Pemba Resort, Koyo Kyoto Resort, and the Dare to Bare Nude Beach Community. 

My main current and future personal projects are my own community/destination that I co-own with my partner, which is Wandering, New York. We are expanding into the second sim, and it is our intention to keep the sims very active with events, performances, and activities. 

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I have respect for all of Second Life’s landscapers because it is a unique niche that can often be stressful. I encourage and appreciate all of the art that can be brought into Second Life. There isn’t anyone I can name specifically and, I wouldn’t want to single anyone out from the hard work of others, per se. I can tell you that my favorite location and landscaped work in Second Life is the Elysion Sim. 

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
I have had many clients over the years where my work can be visible, but quite a few of them are on private sims and therefore not available for viewing. However, some of the easily accessible places where my work can be viewed are the following stores and locations:
Rosary (Moderate)  
Canape (Adult)
Mila (Moderate)
Alme (General)  
Dare to Bare Nude (Adult)
Wandering, New York (Moderate)

Facebook
Facebook Portfolio
Instagram

Thank you, Kaiden, for adding realistic beauty to virtual destinations.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Severus7 XOXO, an open-format DJ who has been wowing Second Life and Twitch audiences with his infectious energy.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I found Second Life randomly through a YouTube ad while on bedrest from a foot injury I got in a basketball game. Since you can't do much with an injured foot, I was just bored and looking for stuff to do so I clicked the ad and here we are. I have been around for 5 years now!

How did you get into DJing in Second Life?
About a month in Second Life, I was casually hanging at a club one day and they had job openings for hosts and DJs. At the moment, I had no clue how the whole DJ thing even worked so I put in an app for a host spot. I started hosting for different DJs and working with them triggered my curiosity to dive deeper into the art of DJing. So I started researching and educating myself about the basic stuff. Like what software to use, how to match beats, how to stream music in SL, etc. Eventually, I got the hang of it and ended up applying for the DJ position to give my first and only DJ audition. The DJ manager loved me and I was accepted as a DJ. Since then I just fell in love with DJing more and more and never stopped. I ended up being invited to different events around the grid and slowly became addicted to it.

You also stream your sets on Twitch, how did you get into that and what are some of the advantages or challenges of DJing in SL versus Twitch?
I had no clue what Twitch was until a friend shared some DJ's stream with me. I was so amazed that the first thought was "Wow...I wanna do that too!". The idea of streaming simultaneously in SL and on Twitch, where virtual people can watch me DJ at the same time was so fascinating that I started researching how to stream and what hardware software I need. Still remember streaming my first DJ set on the study table with a very bad camera at the time lol.

Personally, starting out as a DJ on SL gave me a huge advantage on Twitch compared to people who just started from Twitch. I have met so many people that took them more than a month to be Twitch affiliates when they started. Whereas, my channel got affiliated within a week because I was getting good viewership due to my SL following. Twitch has its own advantages too. It has helped me connect and meet with many DJs and music artists outside of SL. You can make a lot of connections through Twitch and I'm blessed to have made some myself. Last but not least, Twitch is definitely another good platform to expand your following and make an extra income.

What are your favorite genres of music, and what mood do you usually go for when you DJ?
I'm an open format DJ, which means I love exploring and playing all kinds of music, from EDM genres to Hip Hop, and from Heavy Bass and Dubstep, which are my favs, to even kpop as of lately. But my first love will always be Dubstep. It's what I'm mostly known for, which is why my SL DJ group is called 'Severus Seven's Headbangers' cause we definitely love to turn it up, breaking rails and go hard. As far as it concerns my mood, one day you can find me playing some chill House vibes and the next day you will see me throwing down heavy bass and headbanging on my stream. I love to make it a musical journey for my crowd and even mix everything up in a set sometimes cause why not. 

Which venues do you regularly play at in Second Life and are there any upcoming shows Residents can see you at?
I DJ 3 times a week (Wednesday-Friday-Saturday) at a place called "The Dumpster". That is definitely the place to be if you want great music and to party hard. On Saturdays, there's a different themed event, at 8 pm SLT, with amazing giveaways sponsored by some of SL's hottest Brands/Creators for those best in theme. There are some more future events I'll be performing at. One of them that I'm really looking forward to is Smokefest 2! I was the closing DJ at Smokefest and that was an amazing experience so I know the next one is gonna be even better, so I am excited for that and I am sure you will be too!

How has Second Life impacted your life? 
Well, where do I even start? lol. SL has impacted my life in ways nothing else has. I can start with my passion for DJing and performing in front of people. Before SL, I had no clue what a DJ was, no knowledge about any DJ equipment or even EDM in general. I was just a nerdy Mechanical Engineer and then through my experiences, I learned about all these things that I'm doing right now. SL helped me find my calling! A year back I was working for an HVAC company in my city and now SL and Twitch DJing is my full-time job. Because of SL, I don't have to worry about missing my alarms in the morning and sleep whenever I want. Making a living through something I'm passionate about was always my goal growing up. There are many goals that I am working on every day but I am truly blessed in that regard.

Besides DJing, I have met so many amazing and talented individuals here. I wouldn't be where I am without my small circle of friends, who have stuck around from day one. These bonds have helped me through thick and thin and I'm forever grateful for it. The best thing I like about SL is you can be whoever you want to be without the influence of any RL social standards. 

Connecting with people from different sides of the world and accepting each other for who we are is amazing in my opinion.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
It's hard to name individuals but I would say a big thank you to the people who I had hosted for when I was basically an SL newbie. All of them plus the people who have collaborated with me over the years inspired me to learn new things and always helped me push past my limits. Most of my inspiration for the way I DJ comes from some RL artists like Excision, Virtual Riot, Subtronics, and Kompany.  Also, I get inspired every day by all of SL's creative individuals no matter if they are DJs, bloggers, or creators. I appreciate and get inspired by their art, hard work, dedication, and passion!

Where can people follow you to know more about your next shows? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
You can find all my links here: https://linktr.ee/itsSeverus7 
and I do encourage everyone to join my discord community to stay updated about future sets and events and also come hang with us!  

Thank you Severus7, for the addictive energy you add to the live DJ scene in Second Life!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Dixmix Source, a visual and musical artist and the curator of the Dixmix Gallery in Second Life, which showcases the work of other digital artists from around the world.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
After reading an article about Second Life, I logged in for the first time on a rainy day on November 10th, 2006. At first, I thought it was some kind of chatroom, but soon I discovered it is much more than that. 

You are the curator of the Dixmix Art Gallery in Second Life, can you tell us more about the Gallery, when you started it, and why you decided to curate a digital art gallery?
As soon as I rented my first land, a friend of mine gave me the “NYC loft.” At first, I uploaded some of my pictures, and then I invited other artists to have an exhibition in the place. Last December 2022, the DiXmiX Gallery celebrated its 15th anniversary!

Are you an artist yourself in either the physical or virtual world?
I’m a visual and musical artist in RL maybe that’s why I understood quickly the art scene in SL and some of our possibilities. I was a TV producer and believe me, to organise exhibitions and opening parties is nothing compared to a TV show or a movie documentary. Anyway, I take it seriously and always try my best to be supportive and positive with Artists. I am one of them and I like to treat others like I would be treated. For one year now I have been retired in RL and I like to travel so I reduced the surface of the gallery and the number of exhibitions to make time for exploring the physical world (without teleportation.)

Can you tell us about any upcoming art exhibitions, shows, or other events in Second Life that you will be involved with?
During March, we have EtaMae showing her last exhibition titled “See me.” Starting on April 8th, Catherine Nikolaidis will be back for her annual exhibition (title to be confirmed) and then later on April 24th with Akiko Kinoshi, we will perform our new Sound & Vision particle show titled “Shamanic Vision” at the Fantasy Faire.

Tell us about some of the artists in SL that inspire you, or whose work you admire.
I do love so much Maloe Vansant, she is a long-time friend and the SL artist I’ve been working with the most, like me she lives in Belgium. Just a few times more than Harbor Galaxy with whom I organised a big retrospective last Summer. Also, I have to tell you about Megan Prumier, an amazing builder and photographer with whom I have developed many projects over the past twelve years.

Maloe in the Gallery

Where can people see your work and follow your activities? Please share links to your sites, social media accounts, inworld groups, and slurls to locations inworld.
Here we go: 

• Dixmix Gallery LM: https://secondlife.com/destination/dixmix-gallery 
• Dixmix Gallery on Facebook
• Dixmix Source on Facebook
• Dixmix Gallery's fliers, the full collection on Instagram
• Dixmix Gallery Flickr Group
• Dixmix Source on Flickr
• DJ tunes 

Thank you, Dixmix, for all your contributions to the Second Life art scene!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Marly Milena, a creativist known as Niela Miller in the physical world. At the age of 88, Marly has been bringing years of her educational experience and expertise to build communities in Second Life!

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I have been in SL since October 2007. I heard about it at a transgender event (The Fantasia Fair of Provincetown, Massachusetts) where I led workshops for years. One of the transgender community leaders, who is also in SL and was my initial mentor for all things SL, told me about it and it appealed to me immediately so I joined as soon as I got home! I just knew that, for a creative person like me, there would be many things I could do to transfer my skill set and experience from my physical life to Second Life. One of my first projects was facilitating support groups for transgenders in SL. Then I trained some facilitators from that community to take over.

How did you find the new user experience in Second Life when you first started? Do you have any tips for newcomers?
Having a mentor/guide made all the difference for me. I am pretty sure that, without that help, I would have been hopelessly frustrated. I strongly suggest that when new people come in, they are assigned to, or find, a personal guide to help them learn the ropes. It isn’t enough to provide self-guided orientations unless the person is very tech-savvy. The guide should also have a basic training in pedagogy as it applies to adult learners. Adults usually learn best by doing, not just listening to information.

Tell us more about your educational background and work experience and how that assists with the work you do in Second Life.
I combine many arts-based tools (I am an amateur musician, composer, singer, multi-media artist, actor, and writer) with my training and background as a Gestalt therapist, group facilitator, educator, humanistic psychology practitioner, coach, organization development trainer, and consultant. 

I have designed and implemented programs and offered training in a wide variety of settings ie corporate, non-profit, military, medical, religious, and more. For fifteen years, I was with a group called Associates for Human Resources in Concord, Ma. We went to many locations to do all kinds of programs and then, in 1984, I left to create my own business called PeopleSystems Potential. It still exists as a DBA although I am mostly retired and do the majority of my work now as a volunteer in Second Life. 

I also have a monthly Zoom class focused on Creative Process. It was a natural transition for me to bring in my hefty creative and pedagogical background to SL and not only design and implement a wide variety of presentations and interactive programs in a virtual world, but find collaborators and also create new organizations. 

Visit Butterfly Gallery in Second Life

How do you integrate symbolic modeling into your avatar's personal development? Can you elaborate on the two types of creative expression - theatrical applications vs shared creative expression and how you use them in Second Life? Any examples?
The best way for the viewer to get a sense of how I developed and used SymMod in SL is by watching my YouTube videos, which are linked from my website. The videos provide demonstrations in all three areas: Personal Development, Education, and Creative Expression. 

Music is a big part of your life. Tell us more about your music career and is this something you do in both the physical and virtual world?
I play piano and guitar, was a singer-songwriter for many years, and have an album called Songs of Leaving  (under my name, Niela Miller, produced by numerogroup.com) II. This is the LP album cover. I am a teenager in Washington Square Park in NYC where all the folkies played.

I also started performing when I was very young at the great Catskill Folk Festival (and others).

I also have a one-hour video of a concert of all my piano music and some separate albums as well played by other pianists. As one teacher clarified, “You are a composer who plays piano, not a pianist who composes!" They are available at the Marly Milena Music Library in SL at the Community Virtual Library. We are collecting music and performers at the library and it is currently being administered by Katsii Tennen (known as CATS) who is my program manager and the Acting Director of the music library. My musical activities have been steady my whole life but not as a professional, just as a lifelong hobby and love. 

In SL, I have had my music streamed in/performed by Tip Corbett, also a composer and professional musician who has done improvisations to some of my pieces, and also by Ari who plays piano collections at many venues and events in SL.

We do a program called Improv: Musicians and Artists where we have one of each improvise to each others’ creations.

Featuring piano performances by Molly Lozeau and Justin McCarthy for Marly’s 85th birthday.

You are also an artist. Tell us more about your art, which art mediums you use, and do you sell your artwork in RL or SL?
Again, this has been a lifelong pursuit of mine but not as a professional. Anyone can go to my art page on my website and download copies of my mixed media art. I also have a Padlet page with art I have done for classes or on my own. I take classes on a regular basis in drawing, mixed media, and collage. Once a year, I am in an exhibit at the Concord Center for the Visual Arts in Concord, Ma. I have the soul of an artist and, therefore, would be doing some form of art as long as I live. Money has never been a motivator for art-making. I earned my living with my therapy, teaching, and training skills. I just happened to be able to incorporate arts-based tools into those processes! 

See more of Marly's art

You have a group called Octagon in Second Life, can you tell us more about this group? 
The full name of the group is Octagon:Creative Exploration and we offer programs just like the title indicates. One is called Visions of Self for those who want to experience SymMod for their own personal insights. One is a training program for those who want to learn how to use SymMod with their constituents. One is a theater program called Shakespeare’s monologues which combines speeches, costumes, Symbolic Models of the characters, and audience interaction (ie what is the archetype represented by x character which shows up in contemporary life?) I also do a lot of presentations for groups like Nonprofit Commons, Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable, and conferences in SL.

Visit Octagon Cinema Grove in Second Life

Are there any other current or upcoming projects or events you are working on in Second Life?
I have been doing ongoing groups in personal development and intuitive education for almost as long as I have been in SL. The current group is called “Beneath the Waves.” We explore all sorts of Ways of Knowing beyond our primary consciousness.

Different people facilitate based on their interests. VOS (Visions of Self) will be offered again in April. For all inquiries about my workshops and presentations and Octagon programs, please contact my Program Manager, Katsii Tennen (known as CATS in SL.)

I am also very involved in the growth and development of VWEC and am on the board. We keep evolving and doing all sorts of projects. We are working on bringing in as many educators and institutions as we can find who can see the value of teaching and learning in virtual worlds.

I will be doing a few programs for the upcoming VWBPE Conference. The full program can be found on their website. It runs from March 23rd to 25th .

Visit the Marly Milena Music Library in Second Life

Where can people learn more about you and see your work in SL or RL? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
I am on Facebook and LinkedIn as Niela Miller.
My comprehensive website has all of my information: peoplesystemspotential.com

I am also always open to collaborations and especially finding people who want experience and training in Symbolic Modeling.

Thank you, Marly, for being an inspiration with all of your community-building work in Second Life.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Semiiina, a talented live singer and musician taking the virtual music scene by storm with her soulful performances that blend a range of styles and influences.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I've been in Second Life for 10 years! I first heard about it from my friends. I had just gotten back to Sweden after playing music in the states for a while. My friends thought SL would be a great way to keep in touch and still hang out over the pond. 

They eventually got tired of SL but the vampire world sucked me in together with the art, creativity, and the different communities. There was something about always being one teleport away from the next adventure and getting to know people from all over the world that kept it interesting for me. However, I've been a human for years now! haha!

How did music become such an important part of your life?
Music never "became" an important part of my life, it was just life. My mornings as a kid always started with walking straight to our black piano in the living room. I would sing a note with my tiny morning voice and then press down the key I thought it sounded like on the piano. I didn't always get it right back then but I do now.

Saturday trips were to the record store. Dad and I spent hours listening to music in crappy headphones that were attached to the wall. You skipped tracks until you found something that spoke to you and if it was a good Saturday, you even got to buy a single to bring home.

My bedtime stories were reading sheet music by Debussy, Chopin, or Liszt and the fairy tale stories I was told were the life of David Bowie and The runaways mixed with the artwork of Andy Warhol.

When I was playing with my girlfriends we all wanted to be princesses. My princess was always called Edie Sedgwick. Pretty alarming looking back at it now!

Do you write your own songs and/or compose your own music? Do you play any instruments?
I do! Quite a lot! I haven't done any shows in SL yet with only original music but I'm planning on it. I play the piano, guitar, bass, and harmonica; and I also DJ.

How would you describe your music, and who are some of the musicians who have influenced your style?
How I would describe my music is always the hardest question for me. The way I deal with everything that comes with being a live musician (SL and RL) and me being an introverted extrovert is to stick to my part.

My part is to perform and do every creative thing that pops up in my mind and not question it or what it sounds like, am I good enough? What do people think of me? Is this a good song choice? I just follow the creativity and the flow.

If I step out of my part, I would probably go insane. However, I guess I could describe the music as "Chamelionic." In both worlds, I like to jump between genres and not stick to the same thing.
It goes from Indy to Jazz to showgirl to pop to electronic to acoustic to a beautiful classic piano to singer-songwriter. Most shows I do in SL are acoustic with piano/guitar and vocals.

Musicians that have influenced my style are definitely Björk, Marina, Bon Iver, Fever Ray, Soko, Lykke li, Lana del Rey, Birdy, and the list goes on and on and on.

When did you start performing in Second Life, and what venues or shows can people visit to hear you sing?
This is my third year as a live performer in SL! I play all over the grid so it's hard to mention only a few. It's been a tradition for me to play at the Second Life Birthday Event, Fantasy Faire, and Rezz Room & Versovs’ ugly Christmas sweater party.  

Posters come out every week on my Facebook, in my in-world group, and on discord so the best way to catch me is to join any of my social media groups.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Bryn Oh is my number one inspiration. She is an amazing artist in both worlds. I've been amazed by her work since my first week in SL. Bryn was also the first one to ever give me a stage to perform when others turned me down because I had no experience in performing in SL. She didn't have to do that for me at all being a stranger at the time. Her heart is kind and she has a way of telling a story through her art that I've never seen before.

Another inspiration is Tye Dinzel-Easton and Gabriel Easton. They literally saved us all from boredom during the pandemic. Together with their High Life destination team, they put together the most amazing resorts in SL with the best RP activities you could ever imagine. I had the privilege to perform at their Vegas sim together with the Dollhouse dancers. They put up a whole vegas show! Just by being in their creative and passionate presence inspires me so much.

Every creator inspires me, every artist inspires me, photographers, models, DJs, designers, bloggers, event creators, and kind people in general. There is so much creativity to be found in Second Life and so many opportunities to go all in on what you're passionate about. Whether that be hunting for blood, running a venue, performing live music, or just simply having a conversation with a stranger on a wooden mesh raft in the middle of the Blake sea.  

Where can people follow you to know more about your music and shows? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.

• Facebook  
• Discord  
• In world group: secondlife:///app/group/7ebe3807-5ae8-25bc-2d9c-2fd58e34d24a/about 
• Soundcloud  
• Spotify  

Thank you Semiina, for adding your voice to the live music scene in Second Life! 

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Apple Dismantled, a talented 2D artist seamlessly combining art mediums and bringing her digital art into Second Life.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I first heard about Second Life in 2004 from a friend. I signed up, realized how much money it took to get set up properly, and never touched it again…. Until 2009 when I decided that I was interested and wanted to play again. I ended up making a whole new account and I have been here since.

You are a real-life artist, can you tell us what kind of art you create and what are some of your favorite art mediums?
I tend to lean towards the abstract realm of art for the most part. My favorite mediums for 2D art are Acrylic, Watercolor, and Fountain Pen Ink. I also dabble in digital artwork and make some pretty neat mandalas. Most of my artwork in Second Life is Fountain Pen ink as I have found that’s one of my favorites because, with simple chemical additions or techniques, you can make it react in a variety of ways and get some interesting final pieces. Though I will admit that there are plenty of failures along the way, it is still all a part of constantly learning. I’ve also done all types of other types of art in Real Life too. If you name it, I’ve likely tried it, or want to.

The piece that started it all, Dissolve, in progress

Tell us about some of the artists or works of art that inspired you to become an artist.
In real life, my art taste is all over. I can clearly remember the first piece of artwork I became very interested in because I had a moment of “You can really do anything” was Edgar Degas “The Little Dancer” where he combines a whole heap of materials for a stunning final piece. (That tutu though was what first caught my eye) However, I’m the kind of person that can look at most any art piece and find something about it that I really like and inspires me. Art is subjective and I like being able to offer my art as abstract with the song that inspired it and letting the person make their own journey. I don’t like to present my art with a clear strict message on how to consume it, I present it in a way that allows the person to take it however they want, or leave it. The journey can be different every time too depending on your mood and where your mind is at. 

You also bring your art into Second Life, how does your RL art experience translate to your SL art experience?
This is a tricky one to answer as I’ve never really had the opportunity to present the art I offer in Second Life in Real Life in a gallery capacity. I did make a website that was a gallery of my art with links to the music for each piece, but the cost was a bit intense to maintain and I just felt like nobody really understood it so I got uninspired and let it go. I feel like Second Life offers me more freedom in how I present my artwork and I can present it in a gentle way to where like anything in Second Life, people can make their own adventures.

What art communities or groups within SL are you connected to?
I’m not really connected with any outside of Curated Event.

Do you have any helpful tips for new emerging artists?
Don’t base your idea of success on other people’s opinions of your work. 
Stay Weird. 

Are there any other projects, activities, and events you are involved with in Second Life?
Outside of the few events that I am in with my artwork, I have been a DJ in Second Life for over a decade and used to do 2-4 sets a week, now I tend to do one-off events here and there at places like Leviathan Bay. I was also involved with the art side as well as DJ’n at an event called Smokefest which was pretty rad and I’d love to see more and get involved in larger music events like that in Second Life. As for other stuff, I’m honestly not doing a ton in Second Life currently, however, I’m always on the lookout for more fun things to help however I can.

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a plethora of artists in a variety of mediums and expressions and every single one of them in their own way inspires me. Whether it be seeing the cool stuff they do and being able to gas them up and in return, it inspires me to do cool stuff too, to when you get those compliments from creators and artists you admire and it surprises you because not only do you realize they know you exist, but they think your stuff is cool too! Second Life is full of artists because it’s a completely blank canvas that residents have built up over the years. It's become not just a virtual world but an entire interactive gallery you can enjoy however you’d like.

Where can people see your art? Please share links to your inworld galleries, sites, and social media accounts.
Well, if they DM me I’m more than likely to show whatever WIP I have going. But really, just keeping up with my Second Life Flickr for all I do here in Second Life. I am also currently working on an Art Facebook Page as well as a Youtube channel where I post videos occasionally. 

• InWorld Gallery  
• Satellite Gallery at Leviathan Bay  
• Flickr  
• Facebook  
• YouTube

Apple is also generously giving out a piece of her Art for free at her gallery to celebrate this Spotlight Feature. It will be available until March 31st, 2023. Teleport over to pick it up today! 

The Art of A. Rose aka Apple Dismantled

An interactive gallery of Real Life artwork and the music that it was created to and inspired by. New art is added often.

Visit in Second Life

Thank you, Apple, for adding your talent to the vast art community in Second Life!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Teal Aurelia, a fantastic storyteller that creates uniquely edited machinima incorporating exciting visuals that engage and inspire the viewer.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I was an Alaskan living in Thailand in 2009, and SL was the platform that my local friends socialized on when it was too hot to go outside. I miss that level of RL/SL overlap, honestly. I'd love to see metaverse platforms become mainstream community space.

I've bounced in and out of SL since then. I joined the Flickr community last year to practice Photoshop edits, and it made me realize that I'd never seen an SL video edited as heavily as photos. I figured I'd try. 

You’ve been creating stunning machinima, do you have a background in video editing and what kind of tools do you use?
I just graduated with an animation degree last summer, but I plan to specialize in post-production. My university is known for its traditional animators, so if I wasn't drawing, I was in a stop-motion studio working with physical rigs and cameras. I use Toon Boom and TVPaint for 2D animation, Nuke and After Effects for compositing, Premiere and Avid for editing, and the cheapest sketchbooks to draw in. I didn't plan on learning CG or visual effects. 

I think that sometimes the universe shoves us unsubtly towards the right circumstances for our evolution. The pandemic shut down my campus for a year, so I veered into CG character-modelling and animation in Maya as a sidequest. I didn't expect to fall in love with environment design, or that my grad film would involve landscapes with 40,000 trees that would take impossibly long render, or that those things would force me to film on green screens and learn proper post-production. 

I create machinima because it allows me to skip straight to the parts of filmmaking I adore. That wouldn't be possible without all the creators whose work I utilize for characters, props, and sets. Brands like Doux, The Forge, and Swallow have supported me from the beginning, and I might have stopped filming after one video if not for the force of their kindness and creativity behind me.

Your machinima is a mix of Second Life and other virtual worlds and gaming platforms, what inspires you to blend all of these elements?
I think if you asked SL photographers why they do what they do, a lot of them would say they enjoy editing. That's also why I film. Compositing SL avatars into other game environments may sound lazy, but it takes skill. It's the same skill that puts monsters and superpowers into live-action movies, and if it's done well, it sells a film. It's what I want to do for a career. If I can convince you that an SL avatar belongs in a non-SL environment, it means my editing is okay. It's a process of stitching two worlds together with color and light. 

My latest video for Signature is shot entirely in SL with sets from Fanatik Architecture, but I still filmed the avatars against green screens. Separating characters from backgrounds allows me to create an army from a single avatar, to make buildings collapse realistically, and to layer effects. When I edit, I learn, and it improves my worth as a freelancer RL.

Fantastic storytelling is a significant part of the draw in your machinimas. Where do you come up with your ideas and how long does it typically take you from concept to execution?
I dreaded this question! A one-minute film currently takes me about a month to complete. I use the same pipeline as I would for creating a RL film or commercial, so I typically spend 40% of that time in pre-production (researching, storyboarding, figuring out the animation, testing lighting, arranging sets), 10% filming, and 50% in post-production. Add an extra week for things to go wrong. 

To apply that to my recent Signature film, I didn't just log in and start filming on day one. Raph Dirval was really supportive in allowing me to run with whatever concept I chose, and I knew I wanted a film that could showcase how naturally-expressive Signature's mesh heads are. I needed a story with anger, with sadness. Those emotions have always been tricky to portray in SL machinima. I'd experimented with animating Lelutka heads in a previous video, and was confident I could push it even further for this Signature film. 

"Though victory's proof of the skill you possess, defeat is the proof of your grit," is the beginning of the Edgar Albert Guest poem that became the concept for this film. I wanted a main character who'd lost everything and faced horrible odds, but stood up and fought back. I think everyone can relate to that feeling of being crushed to dust but choosing to reignite.

See the Signature video on the Second Life YouTube channel submitted by Teal for Spotlight:

Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
I made a video called "Artists of SL" which features a few of my influences. It was really a thank-you to some of the creative giants I've learned from. Tutorials by Anya Ohmai and Strawberry Singh got me started in Photoshop. Artists such as Emeline Laks and Panda Banana showed me that it's possible to tell a story in a single frozen moment. A movie is just thousands of those moments squished together, so by understanding how photographers like Panda and Eme create remarkable images - the composition, lighting, posing, colour - I become a better filmmaker.

For videography, Vrutega directs really complex cinematic scenes with an insane level of artistic technique. Godiva (Riqan Resident) has knowledge and perfectionism that make me feel less alone in how much time I spend on pre-production. Any Bergan, Lipe Vortex, and Kelie Ladys make incredible commercial videos showcasing products and events. 

ColeMarie Soleil's audio-visual alchemy for events like The Engine Room and Midnight Order reminds me that art should be a shared experience, even in a virtual space. She has such a genuine way of bringing creative people together. 

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
Flickr   
Facebook   
YouTube   
Instagram   

Thank you, Teal, for your mesmerizing visuals and endless inspiration.

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup