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Contents 24.
56.
Through the Lens
The talented blogger and photographer, Taylor Wassep takes his lens and gives us an inside look on his Thanksgiving.
The Proust Spotlight
Teaming up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, we shine the spotlight on talented group member Cryssie Carver and her work!
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68.
90.
106.
Celeste Forwzy
122.
Artist Highlight
ECLIPSE Magazine interviews female fashion blogger of the year, Celeste Forwzy.
World of Roleplay
Ahn Avion goes in depth and explores the roleplay community, Cocoon. This is what he discovered.
Trending Now
The ECLIPSE stylists show us their take on some of the hottest fashion trends for the winter season.
From the WSL management company, we feature artist Porter Paquot.
130. xxStanxx
ECLIPSE Magazine interviews male fashion blogger of the year, xxStanxx.
s
ECLIPSE Magazine is dedicated to not only offering an aesthetically pleasing publication, but to also be considered a platform that offers rich and relevant content. Each month, we showcase residents and groups that have taken the concept of “your world, your imagination� to such great heights that they have impacted the culture and lifestyle of the Second Life community.
38.
Cover Story Miaa Rebane Cover Photographer Lessthen Zero
144.
Ask Noey
154.
Voices from the Grid
184.
The Wayfarer
Writer: Cajsa Lilliehook
Noey Ivy London Flower offers the best advice on the grid for all your Second Life needs.
Each month ECLIPSE asks residents a question, see what they have to say.
Join the Wayfarer on a journey exploring the sim, Sol Existence. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 7
inspire
ed dreams/224/75/3002
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executive team
No
trouble dethly Publisher
Taylor Wassep
cajsa lilliehook
carley benazzi
jessyca teardrop
Creative Director
Lead Stylist
Copy Editor
Marketing Executive
the c
writers
photographers
Ahn Avion Cajsa Lilliehook oey Ivy London Flower Oema Synful Aeon Wendz Tempest Xandrah Sciavo
Alex Avion Kess Crystal Kiana Jarman Lessthen Zero Sungyoung Jang Taylor Wassep Tempest Rosca Wendz Tempest Wicca Merlin Xandrah Sciavo
models AnnaG Pfeffer Lua Vendetta Steele Sirnah Tempest Rosca Wicca Merlin Xandrah Sciavo
guest stylist & photographer Taylor Wassep
interested in advertising with eclipse? have an idea for a great story? looking to start a new career in second life? email trouble.dethlysl@gmail.com
contributors
I am a fond believer in the idea that even the most seemingly insignificant interaction… in some way still impacts the bigger picture. This concept always seems to weigh on my mind more around this time of the year, American Thanksgiving. Let us forego the white washed stories of Pilgrims, I simply become more pensive. I reflect upon the friends I have, eternally grateful to have them in my life. I consider the friends I have lost, through my fault or their own, even a combination of both. My heart always does break a little. Also, I am rather ill. There is a strong possibility I skipped all my classes yesterday. Ten points to the first person to message me in-world about what Taylor forgot to take off in one of the photos in “Through the Lens.” There’s a hint somewhere there, but seriously I’ll send you a gift card to the store of your choice, if you are the first one to answer correctly. Our cover story this issue is on Miaa Rebane, the winner of the 2017 Blogger of the Year award from BVN. I have always found her story curious, as I originally heard about her in modeling circles. And one of the few who has transitioned successfully into a fashion blogger. We also have two other features, one for male fashion blogger of the year: xxstanxx, and female fashion blogger of the year: Celeste Forwzy. And for this issue of Voices from the Grid, we pose the question, “How has SL changed you?” Be sure to check out the rest of the issue, and viel Spass beim Lesen!
letter from the publi
isher
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through the lens
taylor wassep and friends share their thanksgiving. Photography by tayl
s
lor wassep.
Charlie Secretspy Hair: Stealthic- Reprise Shoes: =Zenith= - autumn long boots with socks Jacket: =Zenith= Cape Coat Earrings: **RE** Kitty Pearl Pants: Izzie’s Sheer Tights Taylor Wassep Hair: Reach by Stealthic jacket: Alfen Duffel Coat by Howl Pants: Jumper Set by ISON
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Taylor Wassep Hair: Reach by Stealthic Sweater: Roman V Neck Pullover by Ascend Pants: Cross Strap Boots & Pants by Gabriel Trouble Dethly Hair: Stealthic - Hysteria Sweater: Etham - Marcelo Pants: Deadwool - Peak Suit Trousers Shoes: Deadwool - Monk Earrings: Mandala - Taper Pierce Star Bracelet: Aitui - Long Live Glasses: Balaclava - Mikael ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 29
JangSung Young Top: Jeune by Rowne - Dylan Fur Gilet Top: TETRA - Lace-up Wool Sweater Pants: Blueberry - Poppy Leggings Socks: fri.day - Marnie Warmers Shoes: Maitreya - Stagioni Boots Hair: Little Bones - Faye Page 30 | ECLIPSE November 2017
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Charlie Secretspy Hair: Stealthic- Reprise Shoes: =Zenith= autumn long boots with socks Earrings: **RE** Kitty Pearl Pants: Izzie’ Sheer Tights Sweater: ISON- anne fall sweater Dress: ISON- marie fall dress JangSung Young Top: Jeune by Rowne - Dylan Fur Gilet Top: TETRA - Lace-up Wool Sweater Pants: Blueberry - Poppy Leggings Socks: fri.day - Marnie Warmers Shoes: Maitreya - Stagioni Boots Hair: Little Bones - Faye Taylor Wassep Hair: Reach by Stealthic Sweater: Roman V Neck Pullover by Ascend Pants: Cross Strap Boots & Pants by Gabriel Trouble Dethly Hair: Stealthic - Hysteria Sweater: Etham - Marcelo Pants: Deadwool - Peak Suit Trousers Shoes: Deadwool - Monk Earrings: Mandala - Taper Pierce Star Bracelet: Aitui - Long Live Glasses: Balaclava - Mikael Page 32 | ECLIPSE November 2017
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Everyone is welcome, if you’re looking for jus Sponsor boards are available for 40 Winners are offered an interview
Apply HERE. Watch pre
st friends, romance, friends with benefits, etc. 00L$ a week to sponsor an episode. post-date to discuss how it went!
evious episodes HERE.
and the bloggie goes to
written by cajsa lilliehook. photography by lessthen zero & mi
iaa rebane.
Photograph by Lessthen Zero
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There is no industry that does not have awards for those who excel. From the waste industry’s Dive awards to the film industry’s Oscars, awards for excellence promote healthy competition and lift up the work of those who may serve as models of worth ethic, ingenuity, or dedication. Second Life® fashion is no different and recently the Bloggers and Vloggers Network celebrated its first anniversary with a ceremony honoring several people for their contributions to the art and craft of blogging or vlogging. While there were many categories, the most coveted award was the Bloggies Award for Blogger or Vlogger of the Year — the Best Picture Oscar of fashion blogging. The winner this year was Miaa Rebane.
Rebane describes herself as “A geeky Indian girl living in a windy city in the US who loves bright colors, coding, spicy food, korean dramas, coffee & Seinfeld.” Those who follow her on Flickr and her blog obviously describe her as one of the best fashion bloggers in SL. Rebane joined SL® in 2009 out of curiosity. She was in grad school, working for a masters in human computer interaction. “During one of my lectures, our professor mentioned this Wired magazine article on virtual rape and it’s impact. That article got me curious, I mean why didn’t the person just turn off their computer or log off, what created this kind of mental trauma to this person if this is just a game? So to find out, that evening I created an account and joined SL.”
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She does not remember much about her first day. “I’m sure it involved penguin walks in some freebie sim, probably even naked.” But there was something there for her because eight years later, she is still here. She joined the MAD Agency and blogged for the agency for a time before launching her blog in 2011. She began blogging “out of pure passion with no goal to make it into anything more.” She was influenced by several early bloggers: Emi Bade, Newreem Waffle, Strawberry Singh, Irie Campese, Vega Arida, Euni Kira and Tact Arida. She notes, “My focus was on editorial fashion angle and surprisingly the response was good. I think people could tell that I was doing it because I loved it and that encouraged me to keep going.” She describes her blog as “My personal space to share my fashion experiments. I don’t have a goal other than simply following my gut instincts.” She spends most of her time on her platform working on fashion, styling, photos, and blogging, but in her free time she enjoys exploring sims. She recalled a recent exploration, “I visited The Dreamers recently and it was almost a spiritual experience. The music, ambiance everything was pure magic. Back in the days, I used to hang out a lot at Drowsy but unfortunately that sim no longer exists.”
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For her, SL is a creative outlet. She describes it as “a place that motivates me to make something beautifu—be it an avatar, outfit, or a connection with someone, and I love that. I’d love to create mesh and build things too but with my RL job, I just don’t get the time to do anything more than what I currently do.” Rebane is known for her striking, bold editorial style. She has no problem cutting off part of her face if it makes a more dramatic photo that emphasizes a shoe or cropping close to highlight a design detail. Her blog actually features far more photos than her Flickr, the opposite pattern of most bloggers. The photos are large, sharp, and beautifully framed. She describes her photos this way, “My photos are my way of showcasing the outfits the best way I can. If I can make someone buy an item because of what they see on my blog, then I have succeeded. There are times I feel that the blogging aspect limits me as a photographer though because my focus is so much on the product rather than conveying a ‘feel’.”
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Asked about how to approach blogging an event in contrast to regular blogging. Her advice is “That really depends on the event. If it is say a shoe event then my focus would be to present the shoes the best way I can. If it is for an event like Collabor88 then like any other blog post, I’d use the items to create a great outfit that encourages people to buy the individual items.” She mentioned that Collabor88, along with Uber, Epiphany and TMD are some of her favorite events. Like many she sees events as a mixed blessing, recognizing themes and the frequency of events can constrain innovation and creativity. “I miss the variety of options available back in the days style wise and also the whole excitement of waiting for a collection’s release. But then nothing ever stays the same, so let’s make the best out of what we have in our hand right?” SL has been a mixed blessing. She has this creative outlet she loves, but she has
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become a bit more jaded. She says she is less trusting of people as she used to be. In fact, she added, “the fashion aspect of SL is the only thing that makes me come back.” SL, though, gives her a chance to explore style in new ways. Her personal style is similar in first and Second Life, with some differences. “Style is an inherent expression of how you interpret your surroundings, culture, music, your influences and society. In both worlds, it is the same me, just a more free (& revealing) version of me in SL than RL.” Rebane is a warm and friendly person who welcomes questions about blogging and photography. “I want the readers to know that you can reach me anytime with questions about blogging or photography. Also, thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it a lot.” Don’t you wish Oscar recipients could be so warm and gracious?
Photograph by Lessthen Zero
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Miaa Rebane Her inspirations. Chloë Sevigny, Bianca Jagger and more recently The Line Up & Oracle Fox Her favorite book. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho & A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson Her favorite music. By Soley, Olafur Arnalda, Banks, Rose & Austine Her favorite quote. “Stay Hungry, stay foolish.” Her favorite movie. Pulp Fiction, Whiplash Her Social Media: Flickr Google+ Facebook Twitter Blog Pinterest
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the proust spotli
photography by cryss
The Proust Spotlight is our monthly feature where we highlight one of the many creative residents of Second Life®. Utilizing the Proust Questionnaire, whose namesake comes from the late 19th century French writer, we will offer a glimpse into what makes them tick. ECLIPSE Magazine has teamed up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, so each month the blogger we showcase on the Proust Spotlight is a group member. The group member we feature this month is the talented Cryssie Carver. She shares with us, “I’m an eternally confused 33 year old with too much sass and never enough time. I love gaming, blogging and laughing so hard I can’t breathe. If you ever want to get on my good side then just bring me food because I’m easily bribed with anything delicious, especially pizza.”
ght
sie carver.
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What is your ideal of perfect happiness? Spending time with my loved ones, an abundance of snacks that are bad for me while there is lots of running away from dinosaurs in Ark. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? ‘Do you know what I mean?’. I use it way too much and I think it’s quite a common phrase in the part of Wales I live in so it only stands out when I’ve realised I’ve used it for the 90th time today. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Definitely a cat and then I can eat, sleep, purr and sleep some more with the occasional random zooming from room to room just because I can! What do you most value in your friends? Honesty and loyalty along with a really good sense of humour. How would you like to die? Probably peacefully, in my sleep, surrounded by loved ones. Isn’t that most people’s hope to die? What is your motto? Don’t argue with idiots on the internet! It’s never worth it. Connect with Cryssie on her Plurk, Blog and Flickr.
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the world of role
this month we feature “cocoon.” written by ahn avion. photography by a
play
alex avion.
It is the year 2487. The Earth surface has become nearly uninhabitable. Humanity has fled the surface towards floating cities and outworld colonies. Cocoon is an artificial asteroid orbiting Earth—a shipping hub connecting outworld commerce with the floating cities nearer to Earth’s surface. It is a crossroad in space where freighter crews, smugglers, dealers, and drifters of all kinds meet. Cocoon is owned and governed by Cocoon Corporation. The owners and board of directions of the corporation are unknown yet they run the place through subsidiary or outsourced companies. Welcome to Cocoon.
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Cocoon is an immersive roleplay community in the sci-fi, cyberpunk, tech-noir genre. It is a mature-rated sim as visitors and players may encounter foul language, sexual scenes, and a variety of other adult themes. Cocoon allows only human, humanlike characters such as clones, cyborgs, genetic aberrations, and artificial character types such as robots, androids, and synthetics. No aliens, angels, demons, ghosts, mythological creatures, anthropomorphic animals, or animal-human hybrids. Animethemed avatars are only permitted to artificial type characters. Landing on Cocoon, there is no mistaking the sci-fi vibe. The structures have that almost smooth and dark monochromatic look yet you can practically feel the grunge beneath your feet while pulling on your shades for the colored brightness of ticker tape of every size and fashion mixed with neon signs in a variety of languages. Even if an avenue is empty, it feels like a bustling futuristic anime city come to life. One of the characters I met was Blight (virtualremnant), an alpha class synthetic (android) named Sparrow with no biological parts as opposed to a bioroid, like the replicants from Blade Runner. The character is fully sentient, and has developed her personality as her story progressed.
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Having spent time in a couple Battlestar Galactica sims during my time in Second Life, I was curious to know of any similarities between bioroids or synthetics and Cylons from the newer version of the BSG series. “I would think based on the intricate test measures it took just to determine who was and was not Cylon on BSG, that they would likely be considered Bioroid in this setting. Sparrow is made of synthetic materials that only help her appear human. Her internal workings are mechanical and aided by nanites. Further, she appears a little too symmetrical and her skin is a bit too perfect. Some think she might be a cyborg in a full prosthetic body, or someone who’s been specially gene-engineered,” Blight explains. “It’s dystopia shrouded in a bit of mystery. But it’s not without its silver lining. There are benevolent forces in this world striving to break the oppression of malevolent, or possibly just apathetic, powers that be. This setting ranges from baseline humans struggling to compete, to strange synthetics with dazzling technological powers. From the ravaged surface of Earth, to the platform, and on into cyberspace, there is a vast space here for creating stories,” she continues. Page 76 | ECLIPSE November 2017
Cocoon lies between where higher corporation buildings and ghettos would be amongst the floating cities. Built in 2441 as a second order, unimportant artificial asteroid rotating in Medium Earth Orbit, today it is a shipping hub strategically located to allow docking of non-atmospheric ships coming from Luna and Mars colonies and sub-hour commuting with the Earth floating cities located a few thousand meters above sea level. Cocoon started as a corporate storehouse for their owner´s products with towers on the upper level containing offices for the corporate employees and stores, docks, and factories for the blue collar workers. It soon became a shipping hub, adding offices and housing for resident workers. A floating box of steel with docks, and drunken freighter crews wandering around the few pubs on the surface. As usual, some enterprising types came in and started bars and brothels to cater to the working crowd. Long-haul transport pilots and smugglers started using the place as a refueling stop and begun cutting deals in the bars and back alleys. And as it also usually happens, the underworld wanted a cut of the action.
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The original community was made up of freight handlers, mechanics, independent freighter pilots, and people who came from other places because of the relative freedom to get lost if you wanted to. City security would not come after you as long as you keep your head down and avoid drawing attention to yourself. The place never was very hospitable. Originally, Cocoon was meant for working shifts and not residential use. Visitors and workers returning to their homes at shuttle distance, or renting a hotel room to spend a night, would come and go, but the ruling corporation’s loose laws have made it a land of opportunity and safe harbor for many among the thriving businesses. Even for the less fortunate, plenty of space can be found near the warehouse areas, which are also places for drifters, illegal traders, street walkers, dealers, illegal splicers selling irregular cybernetic implants and all kind of netrunners,
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bodyguards, and assassins, waiting to be hired. There are battles in Cocoon as well. Since most governments and factions take on a kind of criminal organizational form, the scale is more a skirmish than a war. There is espionage, criminal activity, hacking, and counterhacking. But sometimes you just have to have some people killed to get what you want. The surface is known to be a violent area, plagued by radiation and violent storms. It’s been left to the mutants and robotic relics that still wander about. It’s a deadly place. The city itself is a bit more civilized. Most of the time. There was an event a while back where one faction needed to hack the other from the inside. It turned into a bloodbath. Speaking of criminal organizations, I met Abaddon Mortmagus while visiting the sim. His character’s name is Akio Saito, also known as Zero. He’s one of the leaders of the Twin Dragons Crime Syndicate. He, alongside
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the syndicate, is looking for the unification of the Underground: the discarded, the disenfranchised, and those who have no place in the corporate landscape. He’s a combination of a street ganger, and a Yakuza mob boss, often times running protection rackets, organizing raids, and even fight clubs. He considers himself to be disenfranchised, and has the rare chance to rise up. He determines that his syndicate is too small to take it on the corporations and that many attempts before him failed for the same reason, so he looks for unification first. Interested in the underground in space? Abaddon suggests, “To just dive in, to get familiar with the lore of the sim, and create a character, an arc, and a setting where you feel comfortable and let your story flow naturally.� To learn more about the various races and factions of Cocoon, or to start your character application visit the website or stop by the sim for a visit.
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Trending now
the talented eclipse models show us their favorite colder weather trends. photography by Temp
pest rosca.
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AnnaG Pfeffer in Double Denim Hair: Exile -Raspberry Beret Jacket: COCO - SlimDenimJacket Pants: Emery - Ambrosio Flared Shoes: Baiastice - RockStud Flats Broch: Donna Flora- Magda ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 93
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Lua Vendetta in Cozy Knits Top: tram - Rib Knit Dress Hair: *ARGRACE* - KOMA Makeup: *League* - Amaia Legwarmers: Blueberry - Tinker Set Shoes: Blueberry - Sneakers ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 95
Steele Sirnah in Rolled Necks Brooch: A:S:S - Ekin Hat: JFL - Pork Pie Shoes: Bravura - Formal Pants: .Shi - Houndstooth Jacket: ZD - Van Page 96 | ECLIPSE November 2017
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Tempest Rosca in Polka Dots Dress: Stories&Co. by Flowey - Chloe Hair/Hat: Exile - Snowfall Jacket: Gabriel - Offshoulder Black Fur Boots:[VALE KOER] - BELLA SUEDE BOOTS Page 98 | ECLIPSE November 2017
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Wicca Merlin in Pant Suit Outfit: TS - Lexi Suit Shoes: [Gos] - Cassie Pumps Clutch: By Tracei - Petite Malle Necklace: MINIMAL - Angela Necklace Hair: MINA Hair - Indica Makeup: Slackgirl - Angie Shadow
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Xandrah Sciavo in Oversize Coat: David Heather - Fain Fur Coat Dress: OVH - Lisa Dress Boots: David Heather - Sace Boots Hat/Hair: Nutmeg & Entwined - Cameron Choker: CLAVv - My Edgy Look Choker A Page 102 | ECLIPSE November 2017
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celeste forwzy eclipse shines the spotlight on the female fashion blogger of the year. written by synful
aeon. photography by celeste forwzy.
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Scanning through a Maxium magazine in real life Celeste Forwzy found an article about Second Life® and became curious about it; however dial-up internet and skepticism kept her from joining at the time. After debating for a time,she made an account. A year or two after joining Second Life Forwzy discovered that taking photos and using Photoshop® to edit them was a thing. By watching tutorials and advice from friends she started taking photos and editing them with Photoshop or Paintool SAI®.She admits her first photos were terrible but after a bit of time, they gradually got better. Coerced into blogging by an old Second Life friend who loved her sense of style Forwzy began sharing her photos and style with everyone in 2012. She had her doubts about being any good at blogging but she is glad her friend had pushed her into doing so. Forwzy has been drawing since she was a little girl and took several art classes in high school and college.
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Inspiration comes from many places for Forwzy but for blogging a photo she starts with the outfit she styled. Her style tends to vary depending what kind of mood she is in. Sometimes she likes to be cute and girly and sometimes she likes to wear eyeballs on her pants. Then she moves onto the furniture and backdrop for the photo. When creating a scene for her blog post she uses items that she needs to blog for the event. It can sometimes be difficult when things don’t exactly fit or the atmosphere doesn’t come together how she would like. When that happens. Forwzy will throw in older items that fit the scene. Lately, the backdrops that designers have been making have been her goto items for her posts and sometimes she adds items to them to create a more personalized scene. It just really depends on how she feels that day. Sometimes she is rich in inspiration inspired and sometimes it takes awhile for her to pull together a post.
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Looking at Flickr® she looks to other bloggers for inspiration.“One of the first bloggers I had looked up to was Uma Ceawlin. My gosh, I wanted my avatar to be just as stylish as hers was back in the day! I’d say that one of the current day bloggers that inspires me now is Neva Seljan. Her outfits are OUTSTANDING. She has such a sense of style and really knows how to put things together,” said Forwzy. Even some of her real-life friends who are artists spark a fire in her to create photos. It took awhile for Forwzy to get her first sponsor. When she started out as a blogger she was frequently declined but she kept working
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on her photoshopping skills and putting posts out so that people could see she was reliable and dedicated to her work. A makeup designer came to her first, asking for her to blog for them. The first store that accepted her application was The Secret Store back when the store wasn’t that big. She loved the style of The Secret Store and was so excited to be apart of the team. Another designer that Forwzy was excited to be accepted for was Pixicat. “When I found Pixicat I was like ‘this is my aesthetic!’ I remember when she opened up blogger apps I didn’t make it at first but awhile later, her blogger manager at the time had come to me and asked me if I would like to blog for Pixicat and I felt so honored,” said Forwzy.
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The biggest issue that plagues many bloggers also plagues Forwzy— good time management for doing all the posts for her sponsors each and every month. Her trick to staying on track is not to sign up for a million events and designers. ”You really have to know your limit so you don’t get overwhelmed or burned out or even confused. I keep my list short and sweet so I am able to keep myself on track and meet the requirements,” explains Forwzy. She uses social media such as Flickr, Plurk® and sometimes Facebook® to present her blog posts to the public. While there are more female bloggers out there then male bloggers,Forwzy thinks it’s equally hard for both male and female bloggers to impress designers enough to consider them for their blogging team. “Personally, I had to blog as frequently as i could and really make my photos eye-catching with Photoshop. To gain followers, I started to add people on Flickr, not just designers but all kinds of SL people. If they like your photos and are interested in what you are doing, they will most likely add you back,” said Forwzy.
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It surprised Forwzy when people started to notice her as a blogger as she never expected anyone to notice her work. She is extremely critical of how she puts together an outfit or a scene and has a hard time believing she has what it takes as a blogger and still does. When she found out she was nominated for the Bloggies it felt good but yet at the same time it was nerve-wracking because she had never been nominated for anything in Second Life before. “There are so many great bloggers that were nominated and even ones that weren’t. So it really was an honor and I didn’t really expect to win,” said Forwzy. When Forwzy isn’t blogging she is occasionally creating for her brand Can’t Even. She sometimes even role plays or hangs out with friends. If you are new to blogging Forwzy advises you not to give up if you don’t get a designer you want. Keep learning new techniques, working at it and to have fun with it so that you can be the best blogger you can. Check out her blog, and follow her on Flickr.
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artist highlight
photography by taylo
or wassep.
Porter Paquot is one of the many talented live artists with Whispering Sands Live Promotions, having recently joined them within the past month. She has an upcoming showcase with them on November 22 that she is quite eager about. Her time as a Second Life musician began almost as soon as her avatar was created, she shares, “When I first started SL back in 2008 I saw someone perform when I was around 2 weeks old and was like “hey, that happens here? I could do that.” I had been trying to figure out where I fit in, and it just made sense because I’m a singer and performer in my RL.” When asked about what her career has been like, she points to the fact that it was only this year that she took on a manager. Previously, she handled all her own booking and management. So what can one expect from her show? “I think that’s what sets me apart from other people - I work really hard to put on a fun show, full of stupid antics and silliness, and some heartfelt moments, and some raunchy humor.” She is quick to admit that her humor can get her into a bit of trouble sometimes, like when she makes up song requests and dedications to people who have just met or do not even know each other at all. While her most active years were between 2009 and 2011, she comes back when she can as her RL permits. She tells ECLIPSE Magazine, “In the meantime, I started doing my original music in RL, recorded an album, and went on tour. That also has a way of sucking the air of my Second LIfe. I just go really focused on that music for awhile. But now I’m back, my band, Vinyl Gold, is working on new music to release in the spring or summer, so I’m pretty much just standing around my skybox while that process unfolds.” These are her top 5 favorite songs to sing: 1. My own originals 2. trashy pop songs on the radio 3. 90’s RnB hits 4. grocery store music 5. funk songs with horns (live) As for her most favorite performance in Second Life, she shares, “I think that I have a lot of fun at my shows every time - crazy dances, gesturing wildly, One recent one that stands out is a dual-stream with Stratus MacTavish. He’s just so talented and wonderful, and such a good friend to me. We have such different voices and in some ways, styles, that it’s hard to think of us dualing, but it totally works. I’d love to do that again, Strat, if you’re reading this!”
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Toxie’s Top Five Songs to Sing “Am I The One” by Beth Hart (Favorite Blues Singer) “Bilingual” by Jose Nunez (Favorite Adult Tune) “She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles (Her life soundtrack) “Possum Kingdom” by The Toadies (Loves the rock vibe) “Imagine” by John Lennon (Reminds her of SL)
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xxstanxx
eclipse magazine showcases the male fashion blogger of the year. written by sy
ynful aeon. photography by xxstanxx.
xxStanxx came into Second Life® more than ten years ago out of curiosity and with a desire to create but real life made him cut his first attempt short for several years. On the advice of his real-life girlfriend, who was a blogger and photographer he came back into Second Life. Photography came naturally to xxStanxx since he is the amateur photographer in real life taking landscape and proxy photos for a few years. He first started taking photos in Second Life of his avatar then of his surroundings and documenting where the photos were taken. Almost instinctively, blogging came next for him. “Blogging, whether for fashion or exploration, is a great way to inform Second Life residents, both old and new. I myself subscribed to a number of blogs or vlogs to keep me informed of new developments, both fashion and anything that can affect the evolution of the platform itself. It is this desire to inform, to show and to promote that motivated me,” said xxStanxx. xxStanxx takes raw shots and enjoys editing them in Photoshop. It just
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depends on whether it’s a photo for blogging or not. He then works hard to reproduce as accurately as possible the color and material of the items in his photos, especially when it comes to skins. ”I shoot under Firestorm and I use the windlights frantically.I especially love having fun with the DoF which allows amazing TiltT-ShifT effects. The SL camera is an extraordinary tool, worthy of a high-end SLR! Comfort, in addition, lol, no need to crawl on the ground in the mud to take a picture,” explained xxStanxx. He then edits his photos in photoshop because Lightroom is only really effective in real-life raw format. Almost anything from music, an emotion, an item’s material or its color, even an atmosphere can be a source of inspiration according to the mood of the day for xxStanxx. By looking at the work of others in real life and Second Life he finds inspiration everywhere. He greatly admires bloggers who bring to life a room with decorative elements. He has regular favorites on portraits, black and white, and landscapes. Some
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bloggers he admires for their technicality, others for what they transmit in emotions. He admires Brian Werefox for his work on movement and staging, he admires Eripom Moonwall for her photos looking like a frozen moment of a scene of life or film, and Skippy Beresford for bringing to life all our childhood. He also appreciates the work of ARnNO Planer and Mr. Lambert to name a few. His real-life photography inspirations are Robert Spangle for his street fashion and realism, black and white, his rock’n roll side denotes a little in the fashion blogger sphere. Peter Hulance for foggy landscapes and splendid photos. xxStanxx admires Thomas Hammoudi for his urban street photos.
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Nicolas Vanier for his landscape and animal photos which are a must for those that love adventure. xxStanxx ‘s biggest issues facing him as a blogger are to make sure he produces his photos on time for deadlines, making sure he doesn’t do similar photos to avoid the impression of déjà vu, and to make sure he captures the items he is to blog in the best way possible. “I am a basic instinct photographer and blogging requires preparation. I’m always afraid of asking too much, catalog. I like giving the impression of being caught in the spot movement. I must always keep in mind that the product I blog should be viewed from its best angle. Nothing
worse than blog a pair of shoes that will be camouflaged in the grass,” explained xxStanxx.
organize but now he takes five shots and he is finished. xxStanxx feels the post and the angle of viewing guide him to that final shot. Often He doesn’t like to lock himself in a particular with fashion posts, he will wear clothes for fashion sense going from casual to an evening several days and visit different atmospheres suit without difficulty. Considering Second for inspiration. ”I could not just open the box, Life has the ability to immerse one in different wear the clothes and make my pictures. The worlds xxStanxx also blogs women’s fashions. garment must live with me,” said xxStanxx. When he starts working on a post he stylizes, accessorizes and harmonizes everything It took xxStanxx a little less than a month to with the background. Sometimes it can take get his first sponsor. He is honored to blog him several days of reflection and pictures for each of his sponsors, but when Gabriel he doesn’t like at all. Then sometimes a blog accepted him as a blogger he was truly post comes together in two hours time. When delighted. He thinks Gabriel represents a male he first started taking photos for a post he fashion designer who knows how to combine would take fifty photos to publish one or classic forms and modernity in his creations. two simply because he didn’t know how to He also loves to blog for skin creators because
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they present a challenge in portraying the skins in his photos. Every month he makes sure to re-read the rules of each of his sponsors so he remembers their respective deadlines for posts. If something he is to blog presents a big challenge to his sense of aesthetics and the quality of the rendering he tends to be a bit late and if this happens he tries to compensate by offering several more posts. As a male fashion blogger xxStanxx thinks there is a real evolution underway today giving men a real choice in fashion, hair, skins, heads, and accessories. He just wishes there were more events catered towards men. When xxStanxx was nominated for the Bloggies he was in shock because all of the nominated bloggers in his category of Male Fashion were all bloggers he admired. He didn’t think he would make it past the nomination stage; which in itself was a huge honor. Those that follow him and love his work are part of what he contributes to his success as a blogger. As for what the future holds for xxStanxx Vlogging seems to be attracting him more and more. “I have already posted some videos. I still lack control over the technical and artistic part. The video is undoubtedly the best way
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nowadays to show the product as it is, without cheating (I am not an ace of retouches in the video lol). The challenge in my case will be to transpose my photo style to video. When one is comfortable with the video, a field of possibility opens. It is advisable to offer tutorials, visits of sims, short films ... Some excellent already in this area,” said Stan. He also is extremely excited about being contacted recently by an exhibition gallery for his images. It will be a different experience for him than his blogging. xxStanxx’s advice for new bloggers is to have the patience to learn new techniques constantly, observe others for their visual style not only in Second Life but in real life as well. Don’t hunt for sponsors without wearing their product and producing photos of their items. Make sure the administrative job of listing all the products in the photo is done as well as to where to find the items. Flickr®, Facebook®, Plurk®, Twitter® social media is essential to having a successful blog and promoting purchases of the brands blogged for. Lastly, he says don’t get discouraged if declined from an event or from a sponsor application keep moving along and learning. Check out his blog, and follow him on Flickr.
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ask noey: the advice guru
send your questions to noey here, and it might be in our next issue. written by noey ivy london f
flower. photography by wicca merlin.
Dear Noey, I can’t get over my ex. I broke up with her to be with someone else. I’m still with my new partner, but now I find myself constantly comparing them and my ex always wins. What should I do? Signed, Torn Tommy Dear Torn Tommy, You need to make up your mind on what you want... Because A. its not fair to yourself to be in limbo like that and B. its not fair to your new partner. It also could be that you need to take a look again at the reason why you two broke up in the first place. It may not be something that can be fixed. You may be holding onto something that really isn’t good for you to be in. Either way it sounds like you need some sort of closure. You are holding on to something that isn’t letting you move forward in the relationship you are in now. Chapters that are not dealt with in our lives always come back around. Take some days to yourself and put some thoughts into what you are going to do. Make a pro and cons list. Think about why it ended in the first place. Also think about why you really decided to get into this new relationship. Was it just to fill a void? Was it for the right reasons? All in all you need to sit down and make a decision for your happiness. If you are not happy with yourself, you wont be able to make another person happy. And that relationship will definitely crash and burn if you are still hung up on a old flame.
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Dear Noey, HELP! I’m spending thousands and thousands of Lindens each week. Basically, the amount I spend in a week is what I should spend in the whole month. This is starting to affect my RL because sometimes I even find myself struggling to pay some of my RL bills. How do I spend less? Signed, Spendy Susie Dear Spendy Susie, Recreational shopping is the shortest distance between two points: you and broke ~ Victoria Moran.. How do you spend less?? STOP BUYING!!! Take your payment information off, so that every time you are tempted to buy you have to manually put in it each time. Stop looking at shopping feeds!! Maybe even log into SL every other day. If you absolutely cant control yourself I would take a SL vacation. I know its hard because its so easy to just click a button over and over to buy, and it doesn’t seem like a lot at the time. But as you and I know, it ADDS up. So I’m giving you the advice that I have given myself. I tell myself NO! You can do it. Stop making excuses for yourself....at the end of the day....you dont really need it. It should be an expense after all your RL has been taken care of. Another good idea might be to purchase a prepaid card where you only put a certain amount on there every month and once its gone its gone! Fill it up after you budgeted everything, and maybe that will slow your spending down and you wont be as tempted to blow it all since you only have a certain amount to spend!
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Dear Noey, I have been with my partner for close to four years. I love him so much but he hasn’t updated his avatar since 2012. I’ve tried dropping hints, but he always says he’s happy with his unique look. It’s gotten to the point where I’m embarrassed to be seen around him. What are your suggestions to get him on board for a makeover? Signed, Shallow Sally Dear Shallow Sally, Have you tried maybe gifting him a makeover? Say something like... ”HEY...I totally saw some things that are SO you and would look so good! I really want you to try them and its on me!” Or you can maybe tell him “Hey how about tonight we make it a demo night!!!” Make it fun! Make it exciting! Tell him how you would love to see his avatar made over. I would break it down into segments, because men tend to have a short attention span...lol. Don’t do it all in one day. Break it up and then do something fun after. Whether its playing a game together, watching a movie etc. Just remember to have some patience so you or he dont get mad at each other. You give a little and he gives a little. If he totally is against it at all costs, then you need to accept that. After all you are with him for WHO he is and not what his character looks like...right? Don’t worry, I bet he will give in :p
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Voices from the g
Voices From the Grid is a monthly survey of opinions and ideas of Second LifeÂŽ residents on the salient issues of the day. For this issue, ECLIPSE Magazine invited residents to share how Second Life has changed them as a person.
grid
Photograph provided by Freya Cromwell. Page 156 | ECLIPSE November 2017
F
freya cromwell
reya Cromwell joined Second Life almost 4 years ago and has found her home in blogging and vlogging. She is the owner of the blog Cromwell Castle which opened almost a year ago, a Flickr page with over 1.7k followers and runs a Youtube channel with over 500 subscribers (as well as helping with the Blogger & Vlogger Network Youtube Channel). At first she never imagined being a part of the fashion community, but with the encouragement of her fellow vloggers and friends, she jump started her path and is now enjoying sharing her view of fashion with the other Residents on the grid. Over the past 4 years, Second Life has changed many aspects of myself as a person. On the topic of positive change, I have become a more confident person. Prior to opening my account on Second Life, I was very shy and continuously doubted myself and my decisions. I didn’t have many friends in my real life and I was going through a very rough emotional patch with personal matters and relationships. Second Life brought about change by providing a community and environment that was so welcoming and full of people who befriended me. As this support system for me grew, I began to make more friends outside of Second Life and put myself out there with confidence all because I had this huge community of positive energy behind me to catch me if I were to fall. It has now made me the person I am in real life today and I couldn’t be more thankful to all of the friends who never let me down and always had my back through thick and thin. Second Life also opened my eyes to be more accepting of everyone for who they are. I have tried to never be judgemental in the past, and the population of Second Life is so diverse, it allowed me to see things and meet people that I never had a chance to before. This strengthened my passion for equality and acceptance among everyone and I will always cherish the experiences I have had in terms of diversity in Second Life, it has made me a better person overall by opening my heart to accepting people in all forms of who they are. I can’t lie and say Second Life hasn’t negatively impacted me though. For everything that has positive influences, there have to be some negative consequences. Second Life has taught me to always be on guard. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’ve found that it has had more negative effects on my personal character than positive. I am a firm believer that you shouldn’t let people in too easily, but Second Life has caused me to put up this almost impenetrable walls when starting relationships or friendships with other people. Trusting people has also become somewhat of a problem as everyone is not always who they seem behind a keyboard. Overall, Second Life has been more of a positive influence on my personal character than negative. All negative experiences can be turned around to create something positive in the end. I’ve had life-changing experiences that have taught me valuable lessons, I have made friends who have done nothing but boost my confidence and make me a stronger and more independent person and Second Life has opened my heart to loving everyone for who they are and who they want to be. I have zero regrets and zero doubts in the person that Second Life has shaped me to be and I truly hope that in the future I will meet more amazing people who will help shape myself into the person that I want to be in the years to come. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 157
Photograph provided by Brian Werefox. Page 158 | ECLIPSE November 2017
B
BRIAN WEREFOX
rian Werefox has been a resident of Second Life since 2010. He really began to explore in 2011. He started his own blog called “FindYours”a few years later, after being a member of a community French blog called “Plus belle la seconde vie.” When he logs on, he likes to rummage around on the marketplace or inworld, in order to find inspiring ideas to help him create his stories. Second Life is an endless universe to him that has no limit but imagination. He likes thinking you only have to be creative so you never get bored on Second Life. I don’t think Second Life has changed me as a person. I’d rather say that it brought a lot of good things in my life. It helped me develop ideas I would never have imagined in real life. I’ve always been a creative person. I used to draw, I used to write and I even saw myself interested in drama. But I never looked for any professional way to perform any of that and I finally never had the chance to make all these harebrained ideas I had when going to bed, something real. I went to college to study drama. It allowed me to discover a large and varied universe. Arts, in general I think, make you reveal yourself. Second Life is about this, after all. It shows you your true nature; your fear, your aspirations, your passions. It kind of sounds like better than a psychologist! (laughs) If I had to remember one essential thing while studying drama is that drama is life, but life is also a play. That’s how I see every daily little things of life. It can be in streets, in trains. Anything you see can be a source of inspiration and even creates scatterbrained stories sometimes (laughs). My all-time passion is cinema. I always wanted to produce or write films as a kid and I can’t help keeping this idea in mind even though it’s quite a long shot. Anyway, Second Life made me the procucer and scenarist of my own stories. Almost everything is possible in-world. Up for a zombie stories? Here you go. And that’s how I found myself writing some kind of a film, inspired by one of my favourite show The Walking Dead! (laughs) Second Life has this ability to make you travel and marvel. I love visiting when I have some time to spend. Now, If I had to mention three sources of inspiration for my stories, I would start with the magnificent city of Miss Eripom Moonwall “SSOC”. Then, it would go on with “The Outbreak”, which is probably one of the most beautiful sim based on the post-apocalyptic theme which clearly reminds me of the The Walking Dead. And finally the Hive - Resident Evil RP Sim by the talented Andy Harper. If I really had to answer the question “How has Second Life changed you as person?”, I would say that Second Life made me come out of my shell. It gave me a voice, a way to express myself through my stories. A lot of people see Second Life as a dating site (Well, everyone is free to see things the way they want) but to me, it’s way more than that. It’s a platform to infinite creation where everything is possible. It gathers people, ideas and it’s a way for anybody to feel better in life. Second Life has this thing to make you feel good and fulfilled. And that’s how I will aways see it as.
Check out his blog and Flickr. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 159
Photograph provided by Tate Ghost. Page 160 | ECLIPSE November 2017
T
tate ghost
ate Ghost came to Second Life in 2009. Reading about a world where you can be anything you want, do anything you can imagine, create the space you desire. Sounded too good to be true! Since then, she has spent most of her time creating spaces for others to enjoy, from community sims to photography sims. Her latest landscaping project can be seen at de*cid*u*ous which is owned with her partner Trip. Creating this space has been a real labour of love and will continue to be so for a long time, Trip’s art is very personal, and the sim represents a life. She started Photoshop this year and this is giving her a renewed appreciation for all creative and fun aspects of Second Life. As a result, becoming an accidental blogger (not blagger). Where to start. In short, yes, but then no and finishing up on sort of‌maybe. I would have to ask people who have known me throughout! In the early days, Second Life was so confusing (I nearly gave up playing). Then I started to learn the interface, realising there was a lot more to it than some strange people doing a random sort of line dancing. I was very lucky that I met some great people who helped me get started and I was hooked. We went; gambling, dancing, played games, listened to live music, visited art installations, went to the ballet. I became an actor, a dancer, an entertainer, an architect, the list goes on. All this was pre sculpted prims and mesh. Second Life was pretty amazing for all its limitations. I think probably one way it changed me in the early days, was I became less social outside of Second Life. I still see this a lot, new people have an energy when they first discover something worthwhile to them in Second Life, they spend (probably) far too much time in world and I fell into that trap. It can be consuming. I remember feeling like I had this whole new world, new friends, strange hobbies to explore that could not be achieved in the outside world with gravity and financial constraints, I had more shoes, more clothes, more of everything! Or so it seemed for a short time. I think I have grown with Second Life. Now it is something I appreciate. Finding your place in Second Life can be hard. I moved about various communities, enjoyed different sims and met some amazing people along the way. I love how it brings cultural boundaries down for me and so many. You learn very quickly in Second Life that there is an undercurrent of people who thrive on drama, but for me, being myself and trusting in people till they give me a reason not to has stood me in good stead. Today I strive to always be my authentic self. I do not want to hide behind a beautifully made avatar and a svelte mesh body. People can accept me for me or not. I am picky, I do not friend easily, but I want the friendships I create to mean something, to be active, supportive and engaging. I am not a collector of stats, faves, likes, friends. That reminds me of the early days in Second Life where you could rate other avatars, like trip advisor haha! Can you imagine if that was still about? 2017 has been my best year in world for sure, I have so many things that make my life richer from being part of Second Life now. I have a wonderful partner, a beautiful sim for all to enjoy, creative and fun-loving friends who are endlessly supportive. It can only continue to be something that will grow with me as I learn new things and rediscover more and more of my creative side. Check out her Flickr, the de*cid*u*ous sim in-world and Flickr group. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 161
Photograph provided by Justin Janic. Page 162 | ECLIPSE November 2017
J
ustin Janic has been a Second Life resident for more than eight years and is on his second life in Second Life. The first time around he played a six-year-old boy. This time, exploring and photography have been more important to him. You can find the adult Justin on Flickr exploring all over the world.
justin janic
The first time in my early days of being in SL. My avatar is over 8 years old, so I am kinda a retiree *laughs* I played a 6 years old boy in a private family RP. My best friend Julchen McKeenan, was my SL mom. I had great fun, because I really was able to live it up. I was did tease the big people, I did play jokes on adults and I was able to negotiate my pocket money. It was a wonderful time, but like so many things in life it ended way too fast. Jealousy, envy and lies broke down my perfect world. I did try to mediate, but there was too much damage done already. I logged on less and less and in the end I was alone. The whole thing did really wipe me out and the only things I felt were sadness and emptiness. Second Life was not anymore the colorful dream for me that it used to be and I made my decisions to break up with all my contacts. My real life did change too. More work and another baby in my real family. I went back to RL more and more and it really felt amazing. The canting world of SL can go hang for me. The second time was the exact opposite. Last year I came across a report about Second Life, where they talked about innovations. The report was not a very new one but it did catch my attention again. The were talking about mesh and all the possibilities that come with that. I did log in again after a very long time. My avatar did not look very attractive any more, so I first looked for a new appearance. Skin, hair and my first mesh clothing. I was very happy about how easy that all was and was looking further around inworld to see more about all the new things. I was back and it felt great. There was so many to discover and so many changes. First I just logged on here and there but it became more and more. The fascination was back. I was looking for my own way and did avoid clubs and hang-outs. I loved going to wonderful built sims and places where not many people were around. I was looking for peace and silence to relax from my everyday RL stress. A few month ago I dared to go to a club. The DJ was streaming rock and metal music, exactly my cup of tea and I parked my avatar on one of those dance pads. On that evening I was meeting my friend Julchen again. She hardly could believe that I was back and asked me so many questions. After a long time it was a really good evening and it felt awesome. Julchen invited me to her land and offered her help. I nearly forgot how nice and kind she was. No matter what, Julchen always is there for her friends. She helped me as well with my latest stylings and looks. I got some L$ again and went for a shopping tour. Mesh body, mesh head and skin and all kind of new things. From Janus the noob I transformed to Justin the up to date mesh wearing *laughs* But that was not the only thing Julchen helped me with. She as well made me discover taking photos/pictures in SL. She showed me tips and tricks to find the right settings for my viewer. I let SL inspire me - the places, the people and the most important I felt I did arrive again in SL. Today I found my place in SL and I am very happy about it. My conclusion is that friendship is important and you never should take it as granted. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 163
Photograph provided by Dane Heroux. Page 164 | ECLIPSE November 2017
DANE HEROUX
D
ane Heroux [danethegreat] has been in and out of Second Life for nearly five years now, known mostly for bombing jokes, but recently he has begun new endeavours in photography and bento pose-making under the brand name DHX Studio.
Now the question of how I have been changed by Second Life, is both easy and complex. How have I not been changed? The biggest change that Second Life brought to me would be the love of my life, started in a virtual strip club of all things and now her charm got me to move across the country to be with her, worth it by any stretch. But that is not the only way I have been changed, over the years SL has really brought out my creative side, a side I did not really think I had prior. I always admired artists, but every time I tried my hand at any kind of creative endeavour in the “real” world it always ended badly! However with the help of my very creative wife, I have discovered that I had some lingering talents. I started with getting into SL photography while not the best by a long shot I think over the last year of work my skill has improved a lot. While doing that I began to customize my poses, and realized why wasn’t I just making them from scratch and selling them? So I really added myself to the SL economy not just as a consumer but also as a producer. Second Life was always a way for me to meet and chat with people, enjoy music, dance. And that took me to at one point owning my own club, which by the way failed miserably. But you learn and grow from that. I learned that real life business ideas don’t always translate into Second Life, that the people don’t treat work the same. SL started as just a way for me to waste time, maybe socialize a bit, but over time Second Life has really brought a lot to my life, it got me happiness, found some skills I didn’t think I had, learned how a virtual world works, and provided me with entertainment and a hobby that really brightens my days. Check out his Flickr and Marketplace.
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Photograph provided by Ygrey Freya Cromwell. Auer. Page 166 | ECLIPSE November 2017
YGREY AUER
Y
grey Auer joined SL when it began but she was quickly distracted by RL. She restarted her SL life in 2007. In 2008 she created a blog about her life in SL that she closed a year later. Her current blog, Viaje hacia Ítaca, Travel to Ithaca, started in 2010. In the beginning it was a travel-life blog, but quickly, fashion became the main subject. Inspired by Ithaca, the beautiful Kavafis poem, fashion consciousness is just a tool of her self-expression. Second Life has helped me to develop my creativity. At first SL gave me a chance to become whatever I wanted to be. That’s why I always considered virtual fashion as a way to tell a story. For me fashion is a tool to create a narrative, the paintbrush of the artist. Second Life is a place where I can push forward the borders of my imagination, explore myself at the same time I explore the places. In RL I’m a very communicative person and I use to work with a lot of people. In SL I’m always alone and even if I occasionally speak to a designer or a friend, for me SL is not a place where I enjoy to be in company. It’s my secret garden and my private space. Second Life gave me a place to be alone, and to enjoy this feeling. SL helped me to make more appropriate and effective choices. When I decided to blog fashion, for me it was crystal clear that I’d only blogged items that I loved. Before blogging for some brands I was already a loyal customer. Blogging has given me the opportunity to meet very talented people who I admired. Blogging their items has been an honor and a pleasure. When I felt a designer didn’t respect me as a blogger, I learned to say no and goodbye without hard feelings. SL taught me this lesson too. Check out her Flickr and blog.
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Photograph by Wicca Merlin. Page 168 | ECLIPSE November 2017
sheree honeyflower
S
heree Honeyflower [LifeOfSheree Resident] first rezzed on December 18, 2013. Explorer, naturist, sailor, pilot, cafe owner and nature enthusiast, Sheree logged in for the first time after watching videos of SL on Youtube. She started exploring by random sim hopping and predestined touring by tp and sailing. Sheree blogs on destinations she explores she feels would appeal to others as well as covering some events including Second Pride’s annual event. Sheree awoke to find herself on a beach. She didn’t know where she was but there were other people around her looking dazed as they stood, some wandering along the shoreline. Like survivors of a shipwreck waking up to find themselves deserted on some strange beach, each one of them explored the shoreline. Sheree waddled off along the beach, not sure what lay ahead of her as the environment foreign to her started to awake her sense. Along the pathway, over the bridges and then people. Lots of people standing around as if she found herself in the afterlife. Then with a offer, Sheree found herself standing in London. There was no way London was the afterlife. This was the beginning of Sheree’s life all full pixel glamour. Shy is one way of defining Sheree when she entered the pixel void. So would naive. She didn’t know what to expect in this new world. It didn’t appear to be as she expected. This second life didn’t look anything like it did in the advertising but with help of friends she met along the way, Sheree put her walkabout shoes on and explored the grid from region to region, often one randomly selected destination after another. Then came employment. Sheree soon found herself working as a Help Angel for Danika where she met many people. Each day encouraging Sheree to relax and branch out to another level of fun. Eighteen months passed and it was time to move. Sheree knew that it was time to go back to exploring with her collection of toys to explore. And then she found her second pride.
From the shy, naive young pixel, Sheree became more confident in expressing herself in her first life through her second life activities with Second Pride’s annual event in 2017 being the pinnacle of her deep inner being. It was expected for she thought that she had already reached this point in her life but no, watching the community of Second Life’s LGBTQI’s spirit at Lesfest and then Second Pride Annual Event, a release of emotion brought tears to her eyes and a higher level of knowing that she can be who she is. Sheree now travels once more, once again returning to exploring with greater self confidence. Her first big step in returning with all toes in the water as she cruises with three friends as they discover parts of Second Life she never knew of, finding some places have gone and rediscovering. With friends across Second Life communities she is involved with, Sheree shares parts of her Second Life, helps to share the Second Life of others as she writes articles which all help to further develop her self confidence. Sheree’s second life have been amazing. It’s brought her so much Pride. Check out her Flickr, blog and Cafe Sheree. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 169
Photograph by Wicca Merlin. Page 170 | ECLIPSE November 2017
ELLEN (ladyellent)
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llen (LadyEllenT) has been in world for a little over a year, and in that short time she has found endless possibilities for creative expression and personal connections. Early on, she discovered two passions which had always eluded her in the physical world – photography and travel. In June of this year she became an official blogger and has become immersed in the blogging community thru Facebook, flickr and in world groups, finding herself connected with a lot of talented people who support and inspire her every day. She admits to having an insatiable appetite for shopping and a borderline obsessive focus on organizing her inventory, not to mention entertaining her need for humor by replying to ‘random creepers’ who message her during her sim-hopping adventures. When asked about her relationship status in Second Life, Ellen replied “I tend to verbally mace creepers as sort of a hobby.” I could never say involvement in such an immersive, multi-faceted, nearly limitless virtual world such as Second Life hasn’t changed me as a person. It’s my belief that who I am is shaped by many things, not least of which is my experiences. Although my core values haven’t been affected, it would seem elements of my personality have been given a shove in a healthy direction in recent months. The one which stands out the most to me is my comfort level with women. Developing those vital connections was never my strong suit. Most of my closest friendships over the years have been with men but as I grow older, I’m learning they’re more suited to the role of partners than shopping buddies and shoulders to cry on. This is not to say they aren’t good at those things, just that it shouldn’t be their primary function in my life. In Second Life I’ve found that I easily connect with women and value their friendships, which I’ve noticed has made me a bit more comfortable doing so in my offline world. As a result, I feel like this has begun to enrich my real life in ways I really needed, especially considering the fact I have sisters. Another way Second Life has changed me as a person is in my willingness to accept challenges. The source for this change came from the most unlikely place – blogging. Since being hired by several stores, I’ve found it surprisingly easy to meet the challenge of being creative on someone else’s terms, meaning their deadlines and their subjects. Not only that, but I’ve even sought projects I knew would test my abilities simply to see if I could. This is not like me at all. So far in my life, I’ve always preferred to keep things safe but recently I’ve found myself willingly agreeing to participate in side projects at work and in my social life which could set me up for failure but for some reason, I have a need to see what will happen. The result has been a glimpse into what could possibly be some hidden skills which would be really interesting to explore and thanks to my experiences in Second Life, I now have a measure of willingness to do so. Check out her blog, and follow her on Flickr and Twitter. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 171
Photograph provided by Virtualgurrl. Page 172 | ECLIPSE November 2017
VIRTUALGURRL
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irtualgurrl is a resident of Second Life. You can usually find her at the beach, exploring, shopping or hanging out with friends. Her main hobby is taking photographs of herself wearing the latest fashions, or visiting some amazing new SIM, which she adds to her Flickr.
Second Life has defiantly changed me as a person in a lot of positive ways.
Second Life has given me confidence in myself, and the ability to explore my creativity. I have always been a creative soul, but I could never have imagined the extent to which it is possible within Second Life. The most amazing thing is, there is always someone willing to help you. Second Life is full of incredibly Creative People. Second Life is my way to relax after a hard day.
I love to have my own little piece of land, somewhere to call home. The great thing is, I can build my own home, fill it with my own creations, and make my own clothes. if I choose to. That, of course, does not stop me shopping for the latest fashions or cool new home, or garden items :) Finally, relationships, I have learned a lot about myself and relationships, and been blessed with the most amazing friends who have taught me so much. I am certainly more understanding of people, and cultures I would never have encountered in the real word. I try to be kind, tolerant, and aware of the other person’s feelings, and a way of life. I adore my friends and I am very loyal and protective towards them. This is also true of my Flickr friends and family, where there is a huge SL presence. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Scarlet Stardust. Page 174 | ECLIPSE November 2017
scarlet stardust
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carlet Stardust joined SL in 2006. She has taken on many different projects during her time in SL but found that blogging was what interested her most. Scarlet is coming up on her one year anniversary as a blogger and in that short time she has been featured in another magazine, placed as a runner up in the FaMESHed photo contest, placed second in the Rebel Hope photo contest and placed third in the InSaNe photo contest. Scarlet is also the blogger manager for the talented BellaRose Designs. That is a loaded question for sure! I have seen so many things in SL and experienced the good and the bad. I can say that when I first joined SL I was a very depressed and lost person. In my first two years in game I met some amazing people that changed how I thought and I grew and it started changing who I was in RL. I had more confidence and learned I was worth something. I started a new career in RL and started to become successful. With my RL evolving I moved to a bigger city and decided to take a break from SL. When I was bored one day, I decided to log in and see what had changed. Mesh was a foreign object to me! I picked up on mesh fairly quickly and developed my own style. To meet more people I took on a hosting job at AEG. I loved hosting! I met so many awesome people. I was dating in RL and hating every minute of it and decided to dabble in the SL dating pool because I liked that if I didn’t really feel the person I was talking to it was easy to just log out! Then I met Button. He changed everything! I am saying this as he sits next to me. We had instant chemistry and have not left each other’s side since that day. We are now in contract on my very first house, and I am happier now than I have ever been. I am not saying that SL can be a great life changer as it has been for me to everyone. Sometimes SL can bring more sadness, more problems, and might not be for everyone. For me I owe my happiness and my success to SL. I don’t know where I would be now if I hadn’t joined. Check out her Flickr and blog.
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Photograph provided by Melissandra Blade. Page 176 | ECLIPSE November 2017
melissandra BLAdE
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elissandra Blade was born in Second life in August 2012 in a lucky and sunny month.She was shy at first but she wanted to discover what new things this world had to offer. She worked to improve her appearance more and more. Meanwhile, Ssandra had wonderful experiences exploring the landscape and enjoying music in Second life. She also loves to go shopping and attending live concerts where she loves to feel be moved by many vibrant voices. She made many friends. The virtual world comes alive for her for those during the hours she logs into Second life. Now Ssandra Blade has a blog with some second life activities, mostly directored toward fashion. She likes to style interesting outfits and photograph them in ways that show them off well, sharing what she feels about them and what she likes. She quite honestly admits she would enjoy a bit of SLebrity. As a person Second Life changed me in a consistent part. It is such an interesting platform to explore possibilities. Exploring virtual places and socializing with people from all over the world, I can improve my skill with the English language and I can express my thoughts and feelings in a large form and variety. Since I have a blog I can reveal a lot of beautiful ideas and things and I hope people appreciate my dedicated work with this. Of course I cannot forgot pointing out love, I was in loved for a while in Second Life and this great feeling gave me wings and I felt much better during that period. I am a;so was enthusiastic about the beautiful landscapes and music that I found out each time in this interesting virtual world. I think it is an awesome way to discover yourself and to live good experiences in this way...if you like to explore and live a short part of your real life..in Second Life communities and irs precious lands!
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Photograph provided by Jarla Capalini. Page 178 | ECLIPSE November 2017
jarla capalini
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arla Capalini joined Second life May 11, 2007. Since her first login she was interested in the artistic possibilities of Second Life and while exploring the virtual world she began taking pictures. Experimenting different techniques of post processing, she has moved from photography to virtual painting, making several expositions during the years. She is a dance performer, member of the Luxe Girls Burlesque Troupe, who dance monthly at Elysion Cabaret. From January 2017, she also run a fashion blog, “Even Jarla gets the blues”, which is focused of course on photos. Yes, I can say that Second Life has changed me as a person, if not in character, it has certainly changed many aspects of my life. When I joined Second Life I was in a particular time of my life, not very happy, and I needed to keep my mind busy with something out of the everyday life. Soon I discovered the many possibilities that a platform like this had to offer and I got involved in many different activities: role-playing, photography, art, dance. In this journey I became acquainted with several people: some of them came and went, and some have become my friends in real life. The most important thing though, is that thanks to SL, in January 2008, I have met he who became my partner in real life. This encounter has caused a huge change in my life, because, to live our life together, after three years of a long distance relationship, I had to move from my town and change jobs, which turned out to be one of my best decisions ever. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I’m very grateful to Second Life that brought me happiness, filling my life with joy, satisfaction and love. Check out her Flickr and blog.
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Photograph provided by Wicca Merlin. Page 180 | ECLIPSE November 2017
tinliz winterstorm
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inLiz Winterstorm has been a resident in Second Life since January 2012. With no experience in any virtual worlds it was a steep learning curve, but after time she decided she needed a hobby of some sort to give her Second Life a purpose. What started out as just wanting to have a reason to enjoy SL fashion to the fullest has now become a full time activity. Her blog, What a Beautiful Mess! was started on October 1, 2014 and has now reached nearly 750 posts, which chronologically shows the advances she’s made in her photography skills since the beginning. With the support of her 21 featured designers and all her supporters she looks ahead to lots of more fashion fun! I love a question the makes me delve deep into myself and search for the answer, and this one has done that. First off, when I was introduced to Second Life it was completely by accident, but it caught my eye and I wanted to see what it was all about, so bad!! So, here it is almost six years later and I can now reflect and see what’s changed. I think this is something not everyone can relate to, but I tend to look for ways to learn in all situations. I think there have been quite a few changes in me due to my SL experiences but the one that most jumps out at me is I’m more open to be who I really am. I’ve always felt that I had to mask the real me, because we know society says being an introvert isn’t normal and it’s something that should be overcome. If a person shows too much sensitivity then they’re perceived as weak, so the highly sensitive person then numbs themselves in an attempt to appear tough. And don’t even get me started on the expectations put on people by a society that sees physical beauty as the most important thing a person possesses. I’ve had low self esteem all of my life and have lived a lot of it stuffing the real me deep down inside so no one really saw the weird person I thought I was. Since Second Life, I’ve been able to open up and have a voice, to not be ashamed by who I am. I’ve actually met and become friends with very like minded people and I’ve discovered that I’m not weird, or alone. A lot of people may say that it’s easy to be a certain way when hiding behind an avatar...and it is a valid point, but I have carried this into my real life as well. I’m not afraid to show the real me and I now believe that no one has a right to judge me for who I am. I think this change in me, regardless of how it came about, is such an important one! Heck, I’ve spent many years in therapy trying to get to this point...and all it took was feeling the freedom in Second Life. When I started blogging SL fashion it was mainly to have something to do in-world, little did I know that the blog would end up being my platform to find my voice, I never knew I had so many opinions. :D Check out her Flickr and blog. ECLIPSE November 2017 | Page 181
THE wayfarer...
written by xandrah sciavo. photography by xandr
“The Wayfarer” is a monthly feature by Xandrah Sciavo showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. An Autumn walk was never better than the one you’ll find at Sol Existence, where The Wayfarer has landed in November. This quaint seaside village features lovely scenery, including but not limited to delightful little cottages and gardens, a magical chess board and hot air balloon, and beaches perfect for an afternoon getaway with someone special. Whether you seek food for your artistically photographic soul or simply a quiet escape to a place ripe with charm, you may find what you are looking for at Sol Existence.
rah sciavo.
Visit Sol Existence in-world.
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Est. 2015 | Issue 31