c a s s i e
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Contents
28.
62.
Through the Lens
Autumn Rose, Taylor Wassep and Trouble Dethly get in the holiday spirit, as they showcase their favorite parts of festive season!
At Home With...
Haven’t finished decorate for the holidays? Prepare to be inspired by the work of Blair Lockhearst!
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84.
96.
114.
The Proust Spotlight
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Designer Showcase
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The Art Perspective
Teaming up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, we shine the spotlight on Falbala Fairey
Survivors of Suicide
Learn more about the incredible support group, Survivors of Sucide, and visit their Winter Fair.
Winter Activities
Join us as ECLIPSE Magazine prowls the grid for some of the best winter sims available to explore.
ECLIPSE Magazine places the designer spotlight on ALMA Makeup!
Oema reviews “Echoes, metaphysics of frequency” by Livio Korobase.
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.
42.
Cover Story Cassie Middles Cover Photographer Lessthen Zero
162.
Voices from the Grid
208.
Artist Highlight
216.
The Wayfarer
y!
Writer Cajsa Lilliehook
Each issue ECLIPSE Magazine asks residents a question, see what they have to say.
ECLIPSE Magazine sits down with talented live singer, Bubbles Song!
Join the Wayfarer on a journey exploring the sim, The Forest. ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 7
executive team
Trouble dethly
cajsa lilliehook
Taylor Wassep
carley benazzi
Publisher
Copy Editor
Creative Director
Lead Stylist
jessyca teardrop Assistant Editor
the c
writers
photographers
Briony Writer Cajsa Lilliehook Grayden Foxe Novaleigh Freng Oema Synful Aeon Taylor Wassep
Autumn Rose Blair Lockhearst Carley Benazzi June Fallon Lessthen Zero Taylor Wassep Tempest Rosca Wicca Merlin
stylists Anderson Davenport Autumn Rose Blair Lockhearst Taylor Wassep Wicca Merlin
guest stylist & photographer Autumn Rose, Taylor Wassep & Trouble Dethly
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 was going to try and write a very positive Publisher’s Note; however, I have the flu, and I would very much like to sleep until I’m better. This year has not been easy. I struggled in the beginning with mental health issues, and each day I got out of bed... well, that was considered an accomplishment. I gained close to thirty-five pounds, and I lost friends that had become almost constants in my life. I’m doing better now. Physically, I’ve lost the excess weight. Mentally, it is still a struggle, but my world is far brighter and better than it once was. I am hoping to continue on this upswing into 2019, and I am incredibly grateful for the friends I have made and for the friends that have stood by me. The truth is I know I’m not the easiest person to be friends with. I have this awful habit of disappearing and going silent; yet, these people continue to be my friend. I am so blessed for that. I am even luckier to have Denna/Autumn/Potato in my life. She has shown me that it’s not about keeping score and caring for someone does not always have to be an even playing field. She supports me on all my crazy ideas and isn’t afraid to point out my flaws. I love her, and I am so thankful for her. This issue of ECLIPSE Magazine, we feature Cassie Middles on the cover. Whether you know her from blogging, vlogging, the incredible game shows she does, she truly instills a sense of community that Second Life truly needs. We also feature holiday themed spreads to get in the festive spirit. There is also an article on Survivors of Suicide. I feel that the grid is a better place for it because it’s good to know you’re not alone. We have 11 features in this issue, and I do hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays, and Happy Readings!
letter from the publi
isher
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through the lens
styling & photography by Autumn rose, taylor wassep & troub
s
Each issue, ECLIPSE Magazine invites one of the many talented photographers from Second Life to collaborate. With this piece, they style, create and share a glimpse through their lens. Autumn Rose, Taylor Wassep and Trouble Dethly gather a few friends for some of their favorite holiday moments.
ble dethly.
Fond Page 30 | ECLIPSE December 2018
d Welcomes ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 31
Christmas Cooki
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ies
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Christ
tmas Trees
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Visiting Family
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Netflix & Chill...
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Photograph by Lessthen Zero.
More than Fun and Games with Ca
written by cajsa lilliehook. photography by cassie middles & Less
ssie Middles
sthen Zero.
Sometimes it seems like while the rest of us are running along in a twenty-fourhour world, Cassie Middles is racing by with thirty-six. How else do you explain everything she does. She blogs, she vlogs, she hosts multiple games shows and is a video contributor to New World Notes. Add her first-life Etsy bath-bomb business and her occasional performances and twentyfour hours are just not enough. Video blogging has been around for quite a while and several people have YouTube channels with many videos. Vlogging Second Life® really took off when the monthly subscription boxes became popular and everybody and their uncle were making unboxing videos. Cassie’s first video is a perfect example, unboxing Luxe Box, the one that touched off subscription box mania. She soon began vlogging other events like Collabor88, The Arcade, Uber, FaMESHed, and Fifty Linden Friday. She interspersed these videos with a few highlighting places to visit and a few more performance videos. Searching for something else to interest her subscribers, she added a feature called “Get Ready With Me” that recorded her dressing her avatar, preparing the set, and fiddling with Windlight for her blog photos. Cassie, however, does not think of herself as a vlogger. “With vlogging...I don’t really feel like that’s what I actually do. Unboxing videos, shopping tours, tutorials are not vlogs, in my opinion. I’d say maybe it’d just be being a youtuber,” she explained.
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Cassie’s tutorials are also very popular, perhaps because she is never didactic. She is on the other side of the planet from didactic. As she puts it, “I don’t feel I’m a professional whatsoever, so I don’t know if that’s the correct label. My tutorials are more just from my own experience and how I can try to help... My favorite for sure would be doing the edit with me tutorials where I give the viewer an image and we go step by step editing if together and show how I do it. It feels like an art class.” A year ago, she made the leap to live-streaming her “Get Ready With Me” programs and showed there was an audience for ninety minute videos. Further experiments included “Let’s Decorate Together” and a series of tutorials called the “Second Life Survival Guide.” A year ago, she launched “The SL Dating Game” including the hilarious second episode that revealed the perils of live broadcasting with a bachelor named Rugged with whom winning was losing. The women contestants all decided there would rather go on the ‘date’ with each other rather than him. More recently she has launched “Dress to Impress” and “Interior Design Wars.” Because the shows are livestreamed, there is plenty of bumps and even more giggles, but that is their charm. We don’t love perfection, but we do love watching people have fun doing things they love. That
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is what Cassie excels at and what makes her so successful. Cassie has always been obsessed with roleplay. As a teen, she played on the-n.com in Daria and Archie comics roleplays. She later moved on to Harry Potter roleplaying forums as well as playing Sims 3 for hours. She was looking for something more interactive and found Second Life though she admits it was Awkwardsville at first with regrettable incidents like getting banned from a RP sim for noob wandering and having some strange guy volunteer to “de-noob” her. Someone should tell those guys they can make a female alt if they are so desperate to look at girly bits. We are all lucky that Szavanna brought her to Commune Utopia where an entire community joined together not just to denoob Cassie, but to offer friendship and a home in Second Life. Cassie adds, “That place will always hold a special place in my heart.” Community is what she found at Commune Utopia and community is what keeps Cassie coming back to this day. “I’ve made friends that I could see being best friends of mine in real life as well. Some going on six years like Caronwynn Chau. Some three or four years like Zero, Eric, and Jess. I’m really fortunate, and that includes a lot of people on plurk too, that I enjoy interacting with.”
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The longer she was in SL®, the broader her understanding of what SL is and what it could be became. “I first joined and only knew the tiniest corner of Second Life. A cute hippie commune where everyone bumped pixels with everyone, cuddled, danced, and chatted. From there, it expanded to wanting a bit of money to dress like an actual hippie, getting that dancing job, ya know? That...honestly didn’t last. You can only roleplay rubbing up against a pixelated cylindrical neon dance partner for so long. I hosted as well, but again, it gets boring and feels like work.” That was the impetus for Cassie to change direction. She doesn’t like to do anything that feels like work. She danced and hosted until it felt like an obligation. She textured clothes to help a friend who made thing, but then stopped when her friend left SL. Since she already loved roleplay, she took to it immediately and fit in so well she was invited to become part of the staff. She enjoyed helping people find a place in the roleplay so they could fit in and not feel out of place. That is, though, her biggest regret. “I think If I’d not joined staff, I’d still be happily role-playing along. Or maybe not. Who knows?”
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She next took on the mantle of blogger. Her Tumblr blog, crmmudblood, began as a roleplay blog with the initials for her character, Cassie Rose Middles and then mudblood since she was muggleborn. “That lasted about... two days, and then I just got hooked on taking actual photos in general.” That came naturally as Cassie is a photo fiend in real life. “While I’ve had maybe...5 good photos total, it was still a lot of fun, and I did it for about 6 years. Age 16 to age 22. It took me ages to figure out I could change the focal settings in Second Life though until...a year ago? Haha. So still learning for sure.” As popular as her game shows are, Cassie insists they are not that big a deal. “With my game shows honestly, it all is just pulled out of nothing, haha. No meditation or anything. I might try to write a quick intro script but really, it never lasts. I stumble, stutter, or get distracted haha. I really do love being social though, believe it or not.” Cassie believes many of us have lost that social aspect of SL while we stand around on our platforms taking photos or making things. She continued, “I really wanted to find something that could help us be even a tiny bit more social. Raise inside jokes to more than just a select handful of people and bond a bit. I love making people happy, and so it makes me happy. I do get flustered though when things like Rugged happen..but it’s still also funny too.”
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With the game shows, there are a group of judges who are given criteria to use in judging that include theme, creativity, fit and clip, and overall appeal. The judges total their scores on a google drive sheet that automatically combines their overall scores. There’s no secret deliberations, but each judge scores based on their own opinions. Cassie’s goal is to make it as impartial as possible. With their growing popularity, more and more stores are providing prizes for the winners, something that thrills Cassie. However, she wants the fun of it all to remain the motivating force. “I do think the games stay light hearted though since I don’t normally proclaim the winnings..and since all of the contestants win SOMETHING. In the last round, even last place got about 5k worth of gifts, giftcards, and linden. I’m hoping it continues to stay positive. If it ever does become dark competitivewise, I’d most likely stop doing that show and move on to the next thing.” Cassie always has the next thing as she is brimming with ideas she would like to do including an SL Family Feud or a Judge Cassie show. She is determined, though, her next project will be a talk show.
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Photograph by Lessthen Zero. ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 53
Beneath the giggles and lighthearted competitions lies a very serious goal, increasing the social interaction that first bound her to Second Life. She is, whether she knows it or not, a community organizer, bringing people together in order to foster a sense of communal solidarity. She could be more explicit in carrying out that purpose with her talk show. For example, she would like to promote the gentle art of kindness. She recently released a video on social courtesy and respect and hopes it will also become a series. The first focused on interactions between designers and customers. “I’m hoping if at least the few people watch my videos see these, they’ll help spread kindness in Second Life.” She believes anonymity and pseudonymity removes social constraints that promote kindness. “We already all have our little safety shield up with social situations just by being online. People take this to their advantage and forget manners, are cruel, or have no sense of consequence since it’s “just the internet.” or “just a game.” adding on another anonymous option helps fuel this thought process, causing real thoughts most are too polite to say, to come out. It’s disheartening and quite sad and I hope to see things change for the positive one day.” Second Life has this strange intimacy. If you buy something that disappoints in your first life, you take it back to the store and talk to a clerk who often is not employed by the designer or the factory that manufactured it. There are these levels of distribution between designer and the customer that do not exist in SL. In Second Life, if you don’t like a product, a playlist, the scenery, or the buildings, you are one inspection and instant message from voicing your opinion directly. That may not always be a good thing. Cassie notes that this intimacy can also lead to unhealthy connections to our avatars. “Second Life is very intimate...There’s no tangible, physical connection, making everyone rely simply on emotions and a mental connection. And with it more focused on that, I feel like people start to get a bit too attached to their avatars and validation.” Page 54 | ECLIPSE December 2018
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Cassie notes that she is “one of those people where one criticism will bring me down after so many kind words.” However, that is true of everyone as Roy F. Baumeister and Elizabeth Bratslavsky demonstrated in “Bad Is Stronger than Good.” an often-cited study for The Review of General Psychology. People will remember losing $50 much more than winning $50. Criticism is remembered, praise is forgotten. From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense to remember negative experiences so we don’t repeat them. We don’t touch a hot iron twice. Now, if only we could keep that from affecting our self-esteem. Cassie is transparent about her personal struggles. “I struggle with several mental health issues. PTSD, anxiety, manic depression, bipolar disorder, along with fibro. Honestly, I feel like I’m not alone when it does come to Second Life. Going to it as a place to escape, to be someone else to hide from social anxiety or the negativity of real life.” However, if your refuge is infected with negativity, it gets hard. She explains, “Perhaps it’s a mixture of how overwhelmingly emotional we become online, paired with the anxiety we all may face daily even when offline and makes it harder to handle. I’ve personally been trying to only focus on the positive, to log off if I ever feel stressed, and enjoy slife and life equally in general.” When Cassie launches her talk show, don’t look for the kind of themes and drama that made Jerry Springer a household name. “I’m not a huge advocate for drama.” She is more likely going to do one on one or conversations with just a few people. She’s
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less excited about panel discussions which she thinks often lead to disagreement and argument. She would want to have really strict rules because she doesn’t want a YouTube version of Virtual Secrets. Cassie took a moment to challenge the conventional wisdom about Virtual Secrets, “It’s funny, I actually love the owners of it [Virtual Secrets]. Kess is one of my favorite people. Even if she doesn’t want you to know it, she’s extremely generous and kind and goes out of her way to check in on people or console them.” This makes her take it all with a grain of salt, recognizing they are merely sharing what other people create. “Think of it as the gossip rags at the front of the checkout lane at a grocery store.” She adds she would be happy to do a panel discussion with people from Virtual Secrets and those who object to it to get both thoughts. Her dream panel would be one with a Linden and a resident about how to make SL even better. To Cassie, Second Life’s main purpose is creativity, inspiring it and enabling it. “This whole virtual world was a sandbox that started as nothing and now has grown exponentially into something great. While there are a few dark corners we don’t visit, there’s also some beautiful landscapes, scenes, designs, and people in general in Second Life , making it so much better than anything I’ve ever imagined.” She thinks the “Your world. Your imagination,” tagline is a good fit, though she adds the “your world” part would be more authentic if “if ‘your world’ didn’t cost several thousand a week to live on, haha. There ARE plenty of free places to camp, so I shouldn’t really complain haha.”
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For Cassie, Second Life originally enhanced her life. It made it easier for her to hang out with people in SL while her boyfriend was going to school at all sorts of odd hours. However, she believes she relied on it for social interaction more than she should “I neglected my boyfriend, we grew bitter and resentful for a little while. But, we also grew over that hump and with good balance, conversation, and honesty, we made it something that is fun but not a lifestyle. I do my vlogs and visit for a bit, and then log off and we spend time together or watch a show or go out. In an odd way come full circle, it helped unite us fully as a team.”
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Her boyfriend is also in Second Life. They are polyamorous and have dated others. “We’ve dated people together, and we’ve also both dated in Second Life and would talk to each other about it. He’d hang with me in my Second Life dancing or hippie days, or we’d talk over dinner about people we were interested in. It also helped solidify us recently, in a sense that we know we’re in this for the long run.” For Cassie, she’s learned from experience that it is best to keep her Second Life in moderation. “Don’t ever neglect your real life. Give yourself a time slot of being online
and not. Focus your priorities on RL and let SL be where you go to relax for a few. If we let SL be where we go for most of our day, where do we go to get away when both places are chaotic?” Cassie has one thing she hopes to convey. “Treat others how you wish to be treated. I read a post from Kattington today that shared : “be who you needed when you were younger.” If we could all apply this and pass it on, we’d be a wonderful world.”
Check out Cassie’s Youtube Channel, Flickr, Tumblr and Etsy. Connect with Cassie on Plurk, Instagram, Twitter, SocialVR, Facebook, Facebook Page, Dress to Impress on Facebook. Peruse her in-world profile.
Second Life can be a wonderful world and Cassie is doing her best to make it so.
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at home with...
STYLING BY blair lockhearst. photography by blair lo
Alternating each issue between the talents of Blair Lockhearst and June Fallon, ECLIPSE Magazine explores the long underappreciated and overlooked world of home and garden design. The flourishing diversity and abundance of choice since the mesh revolution has led to a bold new world of world creation. For this month’s feature, immerse yourself in the holiday season as Blair inspires and delights with her festive spread.
ockhearst.
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Metal tree. MudHoney - Noelle Metal Tree Metal tree. MudHoney Mercury Glass Tree Metal tree. Fancy Decor - Jordan Christmas Trees Small trees. Vespertine - Tabletop Trees Trees. MudHoney - Mercury Glass Trees
Trinket box - Vespertine - Bird Trinket Box Tin houses - Vespetine - Zinc House Lanterns Tin houses - Tres Blah - Tin Houses Lantern. Cheeky Pea - Faith Cloche Lantern Lantern. Apple Fall - Storm Lamp
Ornaments. Dust Bunny - Winter Bulbs Cloche. Tres Blah - Silver Cloche Small tree. Apple Fall - Tabletop Tree Pinecones. Apple Fall - Pinecones & Hazelnuts Trees. Apple Fall - Heritage Christmas Tree
Chair. Apple Fall - Milan Lounge Coffee table. Apple Fall - Antique Coffee Table Antler deco. Dahlia - Antler Table Arrangement Lantern. Trompe Loeil - Winter Lantern Wooden letters. Ariskea - Noel Letters Pinecones. Apple Fall - Pinecones & Hazelnuts Presents. Trompe Loeil - Rustic Wrapped Presents Lantern. DYNASTY - Ornamental Lantern - Red Poinsettia. What Next - December Potted Poinsettia
Ornament bucket. Pixel Mode - Remington Luminary Rug. Apple Fall - Althea Rug Presents. Dust Bunny - Present Pile Fireplace. Apple Fall - Georgian Gothic Fireplace Stockings. What Next - Christmas Stockings Stocking holder. What Next - Reindeer Stocking Holder Milkcan. Trompe Loeil - Yasmine Noel Milk Can
Star & frame deco. ARIA - Nicola Decorative Star And Frame Wooden reindeer deco. Trompe Loeil - Reindeer Wall Hanging Deco trees. Hive - Assorted Trees Candlesticks. Nutmeg - Wooden Candlestick Ornaments. Kalopsia - Carol’s Christmas Ornaments
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Table. Apple Fall - Christmas Dining Table Chairs. Nutmeg - Vintage French Chair Red Plate setting. Blue Sky - Porcelain Place Setting Deer decor. Apple Fall Woodland Deer - Ceramic Cloche. Dust Bunny - Lighted Jar Cake. Apple Fall - Gingerbread Cake Candles. Apple Fall - Plaster Candles
Buffet table. Apple Fall - Robin Buffet Table Cake. Apple Fall - Blackberry Bundt Cake Candycane. Dust Bunny - Candy Cane Mug Chandelier. Hextraordinary - Winter Chandelier Wreath. Bygone - Wreath Pepper & Pomegranate Fireplace. Apple Fall - Stature Fireplace Merry letters - Dahlia - Merry Kitsch Wall Art
Stocking holders. MudHoney - Larson Stocking Holder Stockings. The Loft & ARIA - Leona Christmas Stockings Ornaments. Fancy Decor - Ornaments
Fireplace. Trompe Loeil - White Wood Hearth Garland. Apple Fall - Pine Cone Garland Logs. Apple Fall - Birch Logs w/ Belt Santa. Apple Fall - Happy Santa Figure Twinkling birch. Apple Fall - Twinkling Birch Firewood. Dust Bunny - Firewood Basket
Toy horse. Dust Bunny . Toy Horse Bells. Trompe Loeil - Floor Bells Presents. MudHoney - Paper Presents Lantern. Trompe Loeil - Outdoor Metal Lantern Presents. Dust Bunny - Present Pile Swag. Bygone - Swag Pepper & Pomegranate
Garland. Bygone - Garland Pepper & Pomegranate Drape Christmas tree. Botanical - Douglas Fir Christmas Tree Ornaments. Apple Fall & ChicChica
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survivors of suicide
WRITTEN BY novaleigh freng. pHOTOGRAPHY by temp
e
pest rosca.
Depression and anxiety are often thought of as invisible illnesses. While those who are affected struggle daily with the effects of these diseases, there has long been a stigma attached to both. There are people who believe that these issues can be beaten simply by smiling more or being more social. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Getting help often involves a medical professional and lifestyle changes that are either out of reach for some people or attached to a sort of shame perpetrated by family, peer pressure, misinformation, and fear. While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not show a direct correlation between the holidays and a rise in suicide rates, it is this time of year— when many of us are preparing for long days of travel, family gatherings, and togetherness— when we must also take a moment to appreciate the need for self-care. The Second Life community loses dozens of residents to suicide each year and while we often can’t do as much as we would like for our struggling friends, many Second Life residents have stepped up in recent years to raise awareness about depression, suicide, and what we can do to help.
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Though we can always wish for more resources available on grid, one invaluable resource has been around for a decade now. They call themselves the Survivors of Suicide (SoS). The Survivors of Suicide group in Second Life is celebrating its tenth year this December, and in honor of that, members are hosting the Survivors of Suicide Christmas Fair. The fair runs inworld from December 1 — January 1, and boasts several of your favorite Second Life merchants, live DJs and performers, games, raffles, live auctions, and more. Proceeds from the fair this year will go to fund future Survivors of Suicide events around the grid, and if you haven’t stopped by to see what it’s all about, well… you haven’t missed your chance, yet! Raffle drawings and the official closing party will take place on December 30th this year. The man behind the metaphorical curtain at the Survivors of Suicide Christmas Fair this year is Second Life resident Sebastien Bouevier. The SoS Christmas Fair is Sebastien’s first event, but the cause is one that is close to his heart.
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“This started out as a celebration of a milestone,” said Sebastien in an interview with ECLIPSE. “But we’re also using this opportunity to raise the funds to make sure that we can stay open, as well as to show the SL community at large that we do exist, and that help is out there for anyone in need.” The Survivors of Suicide group in Second Life is comprised of mentors and other members who form a network of support for one another and for anyone else who needs it. They offer one-on-one chats and support meetings at their in-world location to those who find that they are struggling and need the extra support. The group does its best to offer support to residents struggling with various mental health issues. It is because of this that the Christmas Fair hosted by Survivors of Suicide in Second Life this year is so much more than a normal shopping event. Sebastien says that one of the best parts about hosting the event this year has been the generosity and support from the participating
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vendors, performers, and sponsors who have donated so much more than their time to the cause. “But more importantly,” said Sebastien, “we have reached out to more people in SL that otherwise wouldn’t have known about us. This is especially important at this time of year when many people feel isolated and lonely.” If shopping isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of other fun activities to enjoy at the Survivors of Suicide’s Christmas Fair this year. Even if you don’t stop by to enjoy some tunes spun by your favorite DJ or to swoon at the voice of your favorite live performer in Second Life, the fair still has something for you. There are games, face painting, craft stations, Santa’s grotto—enough activity to keep you busy for a while if you decide to stop by. And the best thing about it all? If you find that you are struggling through this holiday season, the Survivors of Suicide group is here in Second Life, not only with this event full of things to keep your mind busy and your heart light, but also with a very important message.
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“You are not alone. Resist the temptation to isolate yourself, and find someone that you can talk to. If you don’t feel that you can talk to your friends and family about it, reach out to someone else. Join our group chat, or look for our mentors,” said Sebastien. And, perhaps most importantly: “Be kind to yourself.” While this advice may seem easier said than done, take it to heart, especially this holiday season. If you are struggling or see a friend struggling, reach out. Talk, or be a willing ear to listen. Offer smiles and encouragement. Fight against that isolation, and let your loved ones know—in real life and in Second Life—that they have support. That they have someone that they can count on. That they have somewhere that they can go if they need it. And for Second Life residents who aren’t quite ready for a step like that? Stop on by the SoS Christmas Fair this year. Reach out to Sebastien (Sebastien Bouevier in-world). Check out the Survivors of Suicide’s in-world location. They are there, and they want you to know that they are willing to help. For residents looking for more information about the Survivors of Suicide’s Christmas Fair, suicide prevention, or how you can get help if you need it, please see the following: SoS Christmas Fair Landmark SoS Second Life Website National Suicide Prevention Hotline (US 24 Hours): 1-800-273-8255 International Association for Suicide Prevention Website International Crisis Hotline Information Website
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festive winter activi
written by taylor wassep. Photography provided by tayl
ities
lor wassep.
As the snow falls and the air chills, the bu is brought to the forefront of our minds. W in joyous activities done solely during the to the brim, like Santa’s sack of toys, with within the winter zeitgeist. Whether you’r snow, here are some place you need to ch Page 98 | ECLIPSE December 2018
ustling nature of this particular season We are filled with the need to partake e Christmas season. This article is filled h sims to visit to totally immerse yourself re bored or just want to frolic in the heck out. ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 99
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The first sim on this list is the North Pole Sleigh Ride Adventure. A homey winter sim with its main activity a 10-minute sleigh ride around the entire sim. With picturesque forests, showcasing such noticeable elements of the festive season as gingerbread houses and friendly woodland creature lining the Sleigh Ride’s pathway. The journey ends at the center of Santa’s North Pole, where you and your loved ones can enjoy some time exploring the workshop where Santa makes all his toys for the good little boys and girls around the world.
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Another place you might want to check out if sleigh rides are not your cup of cocoa would be the Mistletoe Lodge and Ski Resort. A winter retreat full of fastpaced actives for those seeking a slightly more active situation. The tram will take you on a trip around a frozen lake. Stop at the top of a mountain where the Mistletoe Lodge is located. Cozy cabins and roaring fires make this must-stop place on your checklist.
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For a more modern twist on some winter activities, the Winter Ice Christmas Fest 2018 could be right up your alley. You are teleported smack-dab in the center of what could be described as an elvish village. It is quite similar to the North Pole, but done with a more modern interpretation with store fronts honed to the holiday aficionado in all of us. Beyond this small shopping district, charming log Cabins lie across a frozen river; so ice skating and other similar activities sets them apart for many other winter-themed sims.
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The Lindens have brought their touch of the holidays to the grid with The Portal Park, a multi-portal HUB with multiple subsets catering to different holidays and themes. Once you walk through the Winter Wonderland portal, you are instantly brought to a fantasy village. The detail and quality of the building are nothing to sniff at. As you walk around, you will find the more fast-paced activities designed for thrillseekers. One pathway takes you to the most epic snowball arena in Second Life™. Similar to that of a paintball course, the snowball arena comes with a rifle or pistol weapon to shoot your opponents with. The vast expanse of this snowball arena will cause some confusion with a maze-like course. Knowing your way around this course will be your key to victory. Watch out for a special surprise in the middle of the course. The other pathway leads to a snowmobile course coated in bright colors similar to some kind of X-Game course. This snowmobile course wraps around a winter park with a giant snowman and ferris wheel.
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Santa Town is a quant sim that brings the magic of Christmas and the winter season to those who make their way there. The crucial pieces are met with perfect succession; a snowball course that you and your friends can spend hours chasing each other. Add a shopping district mixed with Christmas cheer to make a really whimsical setting with a beautiful aurora overhead. As you make your way around Santa Town, you will find yourself on the dance floor in front of Santa’s Workshop. Around the Workshop, and even through it; a short train ride takes you through the inner workings of the Workshop, giving you a glimpse at all the goings-on where Santa and the elves work.
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Lastly, Santa’s Village appeared in the sleepy down of Cedar Creek Township. Adjacent to a bay, Santa’s Village has something fun for the whole family. A small pond has frozen over, allowing for children and parents to enjoy some ice fishing with the elves. If that sounds too much for your family to do, check out the petting area. Santa’s reindeer are corralled with reindeer feed right there for your little one to meet Santa’s furry friends. Once the reindeer are well-fed, make sure to check out Santa’s Workshop where you will have the chance to meet and talk to the Big Guy yourself. Just make sure to check out the schedule of days and times Santa will be able to spend time with the good little boys and girls. Remember, this is his busy season.
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the proust spotli
photography by falba
The Proust Spotlight is our monthly feature where we highlight one of the many creative residents of Second LifeÂŽ. 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 Falbala Fairey. She joined SL nearly eleven years ago. During the peak of the modeling era, she was one of the most renowned models to walk the runway and has appeared in countless print ads, as well. While that industry has waned in recent years, she has found the best way to showcase her fashion and sense of style through her blog and photography, even creating her own pose store.
ght
ala fairey.
What is your most marked characteristic? I would say in SL that my elf ears are my most marked characteristic. And not just because I like them, but also because of the background story of why I started to use them in the first place. I wear them now I believe more then 5 or even 6 years out of the believing that the fashion scene was way to focused on human avatars and human models only. Back then the most had the image in their head that SL modeling has to let people feel they are really famous like a RL celebrity. SL fame was their RL fame and many behaved like this also. And that wasn’t always in the good way. Every other race who obviously exist in SL got left out and even bullied when they tried to step in the big fashion world of SL. So I started during my own career to wear the biggest ears I found to set a signal that every race in SL deserves to become what they dream of. I can’t say if it got better because of me wearing my ears for so many years but I believe it was a part of the process to raise awarness for non human races. Because if you look around today elf models are seen everywhere. On vendors, contests, fashion shows and nobody judges them anymore to be who they are. There are still many other races but the first step forward is done. What do you consider your greatest achievement? In SL I would say the awesome and long lasting friendships I have found and still exist since many many years.
of a long lasting behavioral therapy and hard work every day on myself to get better, even if it was just a tiny bit. Specifically to accept if something pushed me backwards and to start walking forward again step by step. What do you most value in your friends? That they accept and love me how I am. I know I can be difficult by times. Specially if I have a mentally down based on a bigger amount of stress then I can deal with. But all of them are so uplifting and protective that I would never let anyone of them been hurt by someone and fight like a lioness to protect them as they do with me. I think now in the last 10, nearly 11 years I am in SL, I found some of the most trustworthy and heartwarming human beings who exist. At least for me. First and foremost of course the ones I consider being a part of my SL family. So I have to really thank each one of them that they are a part of my life and keep us strongly together like we do since so many years now. How would you like to die? Uhm, I was thinking about this already a lot of times to be honest. Specially when I dealed with the dark period of my lifetime back in 2012. Where death seamed to be the best option to happen.
Wha virt Hon
I thi But if I could have chosen a way how I only wanted to die back then or even today, then to b something what doesn’t hurt to much. I well In RL I would say to find myself again and to think dieing doesn’t come without at least in th deal with my personal mental disorders in a a bit of a pain. If it is physically or mentally are h way that I can work in a normal job, finding like the thoughts of letting the loved ones wan love and friends who believe in me. Also alone and leaving this world without them. wor to live a life where I can deal with conflicts For me the worst what could happen is expl without shutting myself out of the world having a bad stroke or an accident who let’s doe I live in and to move on and fight against me being disabled like in a coma and my othe negative circumstances without the feeling loved ones would be forced to take care grea of giving up, feeling depressed or hurting of me on a daily basis. Then I really hope I to b myself in any kind of a way. What didn’t signed something so they can shut down all out happen by itself of course. But with the help machines and let me die for the good. Page 116 | ECLIPSE December 2018
at do you consider the most overrated tue? nesty.
ink we all know the one who wants to have y honest people around themself and claim be the most honest person on the planet as l. And you get the wake up call right away he face if they get mad at you when you honest to them and not just tell what they nt to hear. So I think the meaning of the rd honesty should be overthought again and lained what it actually means. As honesty esn’t mean to be rude. But to be open to the er individual to say of course if something is at without being seen as a kiss ass but also be allowed to say things who maybe can turn as a negative for the person they talk to.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? That is a very good question and it let me think about myself for a bit. And I believe the words or phrases I use the most are “frikkin”, “probably”, “I have nothing to wear” and “that pose sucks”. Maybe nothing to spectacular but that came in my mind when I was thinking about it. Poses of course out of the many years of checking poses for shows on myself and also colleges but also out of the experiences of being a judge in contests and pageants. But mostly because of my newest and so far biggest journey in creating poses by myself now. Connect with Falbala on her Flickr and Blog.
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DESIGNER SHOWCA
photography by wic
ASE
cca merlin.
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ALMA Butterfly Makeup & Heat Lipstick
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ALMA Chess Makeup
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ALMA Crow Makeup & Heat Lips
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ALMA GEAR Makeup
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ALMA Kandy Makeup & Heat Lips
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ALMA Kuniko Makeup
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ALMA Symphonie Makeup
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ALMA Tribal Wings Makeup & Symphonie Lips
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the art perspect written by oema. photograph
Oema curates the ECLIPSE Magazine art column. Each piece, she discovers, reviews and highlights the work of some of the most creative and talented artists on the grid. She offers a fresh perspective in the vibrant and vast world of the arts. For this month’s feature, Oema showcases the art exhibition “Echoes, metaphysics of frequency” by Livio Korobase.
tive y by oema.
Livio Korobase is the Italian artist author of the installation “Echoes, metaphysics of frequency� which is hosted at the LEA24 region. It is, therefore, part of The Linden Endowment of the Arts, which is the core of the artistic activities in Second LifeŽ, a project born from the collaboration between Linden Lab and the artistic community. The installation Korobase presents at LEA24 deals with an interesting and seldom-explored theme from an artistic point of view, namely the sound frequency and its effects on the mind. As soon as you reach the landing point, the sounds that emanate from the environment are the first to reach the attention of the visitor. The light settings that Korobase has chosen are, in my opinion, perfect for highlighting the sounds and not distracting the visitor with other details. White as the prevailing color is restful and the mind is well disposed to accept the sounds that gently come to its attention, together with the hissing of a strong wind. Moreover, the shadows highlight the three-dimensional forms created by the artist, which I see as the symbolic representation of the frequencies as if they were the geometry of the sound. Sound, therefore, is the real protagonist of this installation.
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What are frequencies and why are they so important? These are electrical frequencies present in every living or inanimate element of the Earth and can be measured in hertz according to the number of oscillations per second of a current flow. According to some studies, it seems that there are frequencies that produce incredible benefits for the bodies and minds of people based on the number of hertz. The reason that is at the heart of these studies is that the human being is a perfect machine capable of sending impulses to the brain not only through touch, heat, and smell but also through a more sensitive auditory system than we know. To give an example to clarify these studies, we could say that the human being is like a musical instrument: to work well it must be tuned. When body-mind harmony is affected for example by a disease, it means that our organism is like an untuned musical instrument, so it works badly. To restore harmony, it is necessary to tune it, through the frequencies that, according to hertz’s number, can help in the various problems of health and psychophysical harmony.
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The beneficial frequencies, which would have the function of regenerating the body and restoring body-mind harmony, are not the only ones that exist. Everything has its own frequency, even the disease. In this sense the beneficial frequencies would contrast those of the disease, canceling it. The subjunctive mood is a must because there is no scientific evidence of the truthfulness of the therapeutic power of the frequencies nor documented cases of healing through them. Korobase, in his installation, celebrates the frequencies that reach the ear of the visitor as echoes, precisely. The installation covers the entire LEA24 region and takes at least an hour to visit and appreciate in all its aspects. The objects that Korobase uses to set up the environment have a precise harmonic function with the sound echoes that are, as mentioned, the real protagonists of the scene. Moreover, the objects are interactive, so the observer can use them, take them, wear them and, in some cases, they are a teleport to other artistic destinations that are set up in the sky. At the landing point, the visitor finds a teleport for a destination set up in a different way from the proposed context and, for this reason, ia called “bonus track” entitled “The Machine”, as in music CDs.It is an environment that recalls games like Minecraft and where the sounds (frequencies) are different, in tune with that type of setting. In fact, if each geometry has its own sound frequency, it is inevitable that changing the proposed environment, also change the sounds that accompany them. I recommend the exploration of this original installation by Korobase, which deals with a theme still unexplored from an artistic point of view. Visit “Echoes, metaphysics of frequency.”
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Voices from the g
Voices From the Grid is a monthly survey of opinions and ideas of Second Life® residents on the salient issues of the day. For this issue, ECLIPSE Magazine asked residents, “What benefits does art provide society? Does art hurt society in any way?”
grid
Photograph provided by Rina Edenflower. Page 164 | ECLIPSE December 2018
rina edenflower
R
ina Edenflower joined Second Life almost 10 years ago, but it wasn’t until 5 years ago she started publicly blogging and doing photography. But even before that she always loved taking pictures. Being a part of the blogging and photographing society has given her the best years in her Second Life, and she feels grateful and honored to have met so many amazing and talented people during that time. For me, art is a way to express yourself through pictures, music and writing. I think that art benefits Second Life society in many ways. First, art is inspiring. The artists of Second Life have inspired and will inspire people all over the grid to explore their own artistic side and their skills just as I was inspired by the photographers in Second Life not many years ago. Second, it provides the people of Second Life a way to express themselves and their feelings in a way that may not be possible in RL. The possibilities in Second Life are pretty much endless, and the tools you’re provided on the grid are more accessible than in RL, something the Second Life society has been a part of developing. Art is also something you can enjoy, and it has given the Second Life society a chance to share and enjoy it with each other through theaters, clubs, poetry readings, musicals, open stages, art galleries, magazines, and various contests. Overall, art provides a deeper meaning to the Second Life society, at least that is my opinion. For me, art provides, it doesn’t hurt. If you don’t like what you see or hear, you can find something else to look at or listen to. The Second Life society can be very judging, but it’s no different than in RL. It’s not the art that is hurtful to the society, it’s a society filled with different opinions and likes, and that is just a part of life. Art can be very competitive, and it can in rare cases affect the society, but I think that in overall, art can’t hurt a whole society, it can provoke but it’s not harmful Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Barracruz. Page 166 | ECLIPSE December 2018
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Barracuz
arracuz [Manuel Tyran] entered the world of Second Life on March 24,2008. When he first joined SL, he was not very curious about this new world, but it grew on him over time. During his first year, he met a wonderful woman named Biancca Cuttita. Within two years, they met in real life and got married. That was when he took up photography. He never was able to express himself fully and many people perceived him as a reserved man. His wife wanted to dabble in SL porn so he taught himself photograph and over time shifted from porn to sensual erotica. Barracuz looks for the beauty in everything and captures it in his photography. He spends his days with his wife and SL family and taking photos. He is also a live Mix DJ You can find him at Club Asylum and Club Space popping in for random parties. I do not think art hurts society. Art is a way to express your emotions and feelings. Art is a universal language that everyone can relate to in some form or fashion. Art bypasses color, race, size...everyone is on the same field because everyone can interpret art how they see fit. With art of any sort there will be criticism; people may agree or disagree with it but that is life. Without art a lot of the world’s greatest monuments and structures would not exist. Some of these have been a beacon of hope for some religions and peoples in the world, some are a sign of survival and pain or a remembrance that they do not want to forget. I feel like the question is like asking if breathing hurt society in any way.. If art was ever removed the world would not be the same and it would be like removing oxygen from the planet. Art can also help you think more critically in your real life and make you a more decisive person as art follows a step from pen to paper and from thoughts to lyrics it helps stimulate the brain whether you’re young or old anyone can express themselves in some form of art. Check out his Flickr, Club Asylum, Club Space and DJ Group.
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Photograph provided by Mina Blaze-Summerfield.
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mina blaze-summerfield
M
ina Blaze-Summerfield (Aimina Kytori) grew up in an urban environment until the age of 10. She was then taken from her biological parents and was placed in the foster care system. She was then adopted into the Blaze family. At the age of 16, her adoptive parents gave Mina back to her biological parents. By that time, her father had became a triad leader and Mina quickly adapted to her new life as a triad leader’s daughter. She learned how to control and manipulate the underground works and learned how to hide what she needs to hide from her husband and 4 children. As far as her family knows, she is a photographer for her own personal Flickr. I once read an article and a particular quote personally touched my heart. The quote, which came from Thomas Merton, was, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” At the time, I was new to the art world and because of that quote, I wanted to head dive right into the world of art. From then until now, what I take away from art is that it provides people or our society with a creative outlet. What we see, feel, or think in our minds and soul, we can share it with the world through the many displays that art create. Have you ever stopped and wondered why we feel the way we feel when we view someone else’s art? It is because the artist wants us to feel the way they want us to feel. We live in a society where things are constantly on the go and so, we need that piece of something in our lives to be able to feel empathy for others and to bring us back to the planet Earth. We should remember that there are beautiful things in this world that represent each person’s inner creativity, turmoil, happiness, sadness, and everything that makes us human. There are no definite definitions of what art is, but it is a word that sums up how we can express what we want to express and how we can display what we want to display to people, to the public. The main question, that people often wonder, is if art is actually a positive or negative outlet for people. Personally, it can be both to me, because people can use art to spread negativity and people can use art to spread positivity. At the end of the day, it is up to people to take and appreciate what they can, and form their own conclusions when they do come across a work of art. As an artist myself, I want people to be part of my life, my world, and to see the individuality that I try to bring to society. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Lam Erin. Page 170 | ECLIPSE December 2018
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lam erin
am Erin has been a photographer and artist in SL since 2010. He is specialising in landscapes and artistic depictions of scenes and avatars for artistic or commercial purposes. His art and photography works are known for two elements: a. “Realism”: his digital art is often given a realistic retouch which makes it look like real life art. b. “Painterly effect”: some of his works on landscapes often receive a painterly touch making the images look like paintings. The work is of highest quality and it can be seen on two separate Flickr streams.
I believe that art can affect society in many different ways both positive and negative. It is a very powerful tool. For example photography, the type of art I am specializing in has been frequently used by the media, social groups and artists as a powerful tool to raise people’s awareness of important issues, such as the fight against poverty, for end of wars, for support of disabled and disadvantaged people, and for gender equality. The results can be spectacular shifting people’s and society’s views potentially in more powerful ways than laws or government policies do. This happens because photography has a unique way, both overt and covert, of depicting human emotions which can in turn elicit emotional responses from individuals and the broader society. And emotional responses usually force people to act. For example, a photo of a wounded individual, a victim of war, can provoke the sympathy of the public, which can be then used to support campaigns for the end of the war. However, the power of an image is not only used for good purposes. Forces with dark purposes such as those intending to stir up social unrest also use the image as a medium. Racism, xenophobia, religious extremism also use art and pictures as basic tools in their efforts to disturb social peace. I tend to believe that art, overall, is a power for good, given that most people use it as a way to soothe their soul, to support them in difficult times, to keep them company when they feel lonely, to make them aware of important social issues. However, we should not forget that rotten apples also exist within the community of artists so each art-loving person should at least check before fully embracing art to ensure that no hidden dark messages exist behind it. Check out his Lifestyle Flickr and Landscape Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Ashley Carter. Page 172 | ECLIPSE December 2018
ashley carter
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shley Carter has been taking photographs in Second Life almost since her inception back in 2011. In that time, she has explored the grid, met many delightful friends and has for the most part been able to stay out of trouble. Although the future can be uncertain, her love for photography will always remain the same. Oh boy, where do I begin with this one? As a Second Life photographer, it’d be so easy for me to say “art provides many wonderful benefits for society” and “anyone who doesn’t appreciate it just doesn’t understand its true meaning”, but just to play devil’s advocate here for a second: Is art an essential part of our evolution? Would the human race have died out eons ago if some neanderthal hadn’t picked up a rock to do his best Banksy impression? To that I say no, I don’t *think* so. We are the only species who even bothers with art (although does anyone really know what dogs get up to when their owners aren’t home?), the rest of life seem to be faring quite well without it. So if it’s not essential, what exactly does art provide us with? I personally think art lets us view the world through an expanded lens. Hey, don’t look at me like that, I am completely sober! *hic* Humans are inherently social creatures, and one of the most beautiful things about art is that it’s completely universal. There are no language barriers to be found, and we’re able to share all our feelings and ideas through pure creativity. Two people from widely different backgrounds can look at a piece of art and appreciate it in the same kind of way. Art has its own unique way of bringing people closer together. Now everyone, please join hands as we sing Kum ba yah. As for whether art hurts society in any way, considering art in and of itself is a man-made activity, the real question becomes “Is society damaging itself?” I don’t think it’s fair to blame art for any negative impact it has on society, because it’s all conceptualized from the human psyche. I do think society is changing at a faster rate than art can keep up with. What used to be acceptable a decade ago is now frowned upon today. I do think we should be careful about some of the things we say and do, especially when you factor in the craze of social media. However, I don’t think it should be to a point where we’re limiting what we express in the service of art. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Julianne Hellershanks. Page 174 | ECLIPSE December 2018
julianne hellershanks
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ulianne Hellershanks’ pixels showed up for on Second Life in 2008, when everything was purely made with prims. Since then, she has done a little bit of everything, she has been a role-player, a dancer, a host, wedding planner or almost, has adventured herself with some creations that looked like failed lab experiments and as many other people, she always took pictures from the grid, which lead her to the blogging world and that has been so far her most rewarding experience in SL. Art is such a small word that has an enormous power. I believe that art in its every form does benefit the society in many ways. Through art we are able to express our emotions, feelings, ideas, view of the world, we can share on details everything our mind is able to create. But art comes from individuals, therefore, what is art, what is beautiful for me, may not mean the same for you. Once I was invited to a modern art exhibition, and I remember that it a sort of metal abstract art. The artist made these sculptures made of distorted iron that once were part of machines, so basically, the artist just bent the iron using tools. Did I find it beautiful, no. But it was art. So a week after the exhibition was over, I was reading the newspaper and there was a very long text from an art critic basically slamming the artist work, saying it was an offence to call art pieces of distorted iron. So a simple thing got someone hurt because of his standards on what art is or should be. Everyone has different ideas on what is art and what is not art. As a whole, art won’t hurt the society but will hurt individuals and it is normal because we’re all different from each other. If you make any kind of art and want to show it to the world, just keep in mind that your art might be the most wonderful thing someone has ever seen, listened or read but others might consider it as ugly, offensive and so on. That’s the world we live in and even if someone doesn’t like it’s okay, we’re all entitled to different opinions. Check out her Flickr and Blog.
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Photograph provided by Tresore Prada.
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tresore prada
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resore Prada [Tresore Resident] has always loved art, as she is an artist in RL too. Since in SL she has explored photography and dance as a way to create and express herself. They both allow her to join her love for nature ,color, form, music and movement. She dances with Muse Dance Company, founded and directed by Anu Papp. Art is essential for any society as it is the expression of its soul. Without art there is no life or movement in any human group. A society without art would be a dead one as there would not be any flow of ideas, neither change nor progress. Any social or cultural change has always been born, originated, or supported by art movements. Art expresses where the consciousness dreams and reveals the visions of a social group through symbols, images, and music. It is essential for human development. Humans use art to express and create not only their own visions, but to inspire and bring others further — inspiring them to explore, dare and imagine. I don’t see how could art hurt a society: even when its message is dark, painful, or uncomfortable, it always stimulates and dares us to think. Art’s function is also one of challenging and pushing us out of our comfort zone. Check out her Flickr and Muse Dance Company.
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Photograph provided by Nickie Rose Brenton. Page 178 | ECLIPSE December 2018
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ickie Rose Brenton [Dannicka Resident] has been in Second Life for almost 8 years and in that time has worn many hats. She discovered the camera function early on and became obsessed with learning photography and Photoshop. As time went on, she decided to try her hand at blogging, she loved styling new looks, skins, hairs, clothes, etc. It wasn’t easy going and for the first several months she only blogged things that she could afford out of pocket. Eventually she was picked up by a few groups to blog officially for. Blogging is the one thing in Second Life that makes her feel special. No matter how many bloggers there are everyone is unique and special, adding their own flare to an outfit or makeup. She is now the blog manager for Image Essentials, Muggleborn, and Spicy Bodyshop. She loves helping bloggers new and old to bring out their full potential. She started Danni’s Dream in October of 2014 and has never looked back. To me the arts are one of the most important aspects in society. Whether painting, photography, music, or writing, art brings us the joy of escaping into another world. We can explore our fantasies and dreams, we can paint our darkest demons and write our happiest joys. For me blogging is my expression, it is the one place that I can put forth my feelings both in photography and writing. I can be whoever I want to be when I am setting up a photography scene. I can be the vamp or the saint. I am sure everyone sees the arts differently but as a person who grew up surrounded by music, by musical productions, learning early on to play instruments, developing a taste for self-expression, I do not personally see how any type of artistic expression could be detrimental to a society. I think, we as human beings, need a way to express what we are feeling and thinking in a “fictional” manner. I have watched the decline of arts programs in the United States over the span of my life, being replaced by sports and academics, giving children no way to express how they truly feel. Music classes are being replaced with physical activity, art classes with math and so on. Children do not grow up with an appreciation for creativity and it’s being driven down to the bottom of the barrel by those that do not want freethinkers in society. I believe firmly, that allowing people to express themselves however they choose whether it is an artistic expression or the color of their hair is paramount to a happy and healthy society. I do not want to live in a world of drones and clones. I want a world where people are free to express themselves in a respectful manner. If I did have to choose one things that is a detriment to society it would be the hate and the expression of that hate. I do not condone racism or hate of any kind and personally do not feel this is artful expression, but people should be allowed to be who they are, learn who they are, freely. Check out her Blog and Flickr. ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 179
Photograph provided by Kellytopaz Firehawk.
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kellytopaz firehawk
K
ellytopaz Firehawk has been in SL since November 2010. She has been an explorer, avid shopper, Amaretto Horses breeder and seller for a few years, and now has settled nicely into home and garden blogging. Blogging is something she enjoys doing and has a passion for. She spends her time decorating her sim according to the seasons and new releases, and loves to have her friends visit. Her home is her safe place to relax and do what she loves. Art benefits society in many ways. Because art is such an individual experience, it allows for people to show what they value, how they see and interpret things, and how they feel. Many people are unable to express themselves with written or spoken language, art gives them a means to express themselves on a global level. Art is impactful, especially emotionally-driven art. Art unifies people, cultures, and races. It can find common ground where language or geography cannot. It breeds tolerance and compassion. It breaks down barriers and provides understanding. It educates and shows appreciation. For all these reasons, art benefits society. I don’t believe that art itself (visual or performing) hurts society, however, whether or not the artist’s intentions were to evoke hurt is a different issue. The hurt comes from reactions of the viewers which can lead to hurt feelings. Interpretation is key. I do believe art to have more benefits in society than not. It awakens the senses, supports emotional intelligence, improves holistic health, builds community, and tells a story. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph by Tempest Rosca.
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audrireinlanier resident
A
udriReinLanier Resident, or Audri, is a re-make of her original avie that was born into Second Life in May, 2008. In her ten-plus years in this amazing world, she has learned all she can and made a few prodigious friends. She has enjoyed blogging, djing, decor, movies, games, and helping others.
Art to me is definitely a asset to our world. Any world. And art can also be a deadly two-edged sword to some. I believe creativity and art is a core desire for human beings. Something as simple as taking a photo to mark a memory to creating a masterpiece from your own blood, sweat, and tears. Without creativity and art we become mindless, lost, and many times despondent. Art can control our emotions with just a glance. Anything from deep passionate lust to a syndrome of anger. So if certain factions are out to hurt or destroy they can use art to provoke negative emotions and play up the violence in the same way an artist can use it to cause two people to fall in love and keep those fires burning for eternity. I can not remember a day in my life that I went without being creative in some form. And when I found SecondLife, I found so many more avenues to pursue creativity. And ten years in I still find new ones almost daily. So in short, Q: What benefits does art provide society? A: More than any one person can fathom. Q: Does art hurt society in any way? A: Also, more than any one person can fathom. My personal motto is: Creativity will always trump destruction! Check out her Blog and Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Samantha Mirror. Page 184 | ECLIPSE December 2018
samantha mirror
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amanthe Mirror has been in Second Life for a wonderful eight years. She joined in 2010 and has been a joy to be here. When she isn’t on Second Life Samanthe is the mother of a two-year-old who keeps her very busy and she has little time to spend on Second Life. So, when she is online in world, she is taking photos or hanging out with her friends and Family. She loves to take photos and hang out with her wonderful friends and family. She is not perfect and not the best at what she does but it’s what she loves to do in her spare time when trying to escape the life of real life. She is honored to be able to do this and hopes everyone loves her art as much as she does and her family and friends. Blessed holidays! I think art does benefit society in many ways because there is tons of art out there. It provides lots of comfort to the person making the photo and taking the time. When I look at art, I am drawn into it. I feel like I am there and that makes me smile and the warmth of some art is stunning and draws you in. When people are sick, and they get art either it’s hand drawn or done by camera it’s a wonderful thoughtful and benefits because it is making that person smile and laugh and enjoy again. Art is truly amazing and benefits wonderful places and joys to kids around the world and adults who are too sick to be anywhere else. Art in hospitals and waiting rooms comforts others in their times of need and sends wonderful messages to anyone looking at them. So, I think it benefits society plenty. In its own way Art is a comfort to anyone. So next time you look at art don’t judge by what it looks like look deep down and feel it. Remember it’s for everyone NOT JUST you! Now to answer does it hurt society. Yes, it does and no it does not. So, I agree to both parts of the question how it hurts is if people reject the art because it sends the wrong message... Or people in general want to be complete jerk heads and just say I hate it. Art is not perfect it takes love and hard work for you to love your own work. If you hate it then that hurts yourself and others around, you. So, in general to answer the question is I think that to make it hurt society is if you hate your own work People are quick to judge hate and reject whatever you do no matter what it is. Art does not hurt society in any way but also it does. If that makes sense? Because PEOPLE are the ones that makes it hurt not the Art itself. Art is one of those things that it does not matter what you do you will always have anyone judge you for what you do. It can depress you that others say, “Oh I hated that, but the coloring was wonderful if you just do it that way.” Yes, it’s great advice but at the same time it is hurting your feelings because you took the time out of your busy day to snap the photo or draw it and others don’t like what you did. But in the art word it’s never perfect it’s always hurting someone and people are too quick to judge you for what you do. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Lizabeth Demonia. Page 186 | ECLIPSE December 2018
LIZABETH DEMONIA
L
izabeth Demonia, known as Liz, found her way into Second Life in 2007. Her two passions in life are music and photography. Within weeks of being in Second Life she found the music scene in full force and worked as a DJ and owned a club, Memories. The last several years she has moved to her other passion, photography. Being constantly amazed by the talented photographers in Second Life gives her motivation to always be trying to learn more and to improve her work. You can see her work on Flickr. She also runs a Flickr group with her partner called Share Your Second Life Memories. There’s several forms of art from music to photography to paintings. I believe they all benefit society. Today for this question I’m going to focus mainly on the art of photography. People need to use their imagination, use their brain, they need to feel emotions, they need to feel connected, they need a way to relieve stress and you get all these with photography. With a photo the photographer has focused on a certain thought or place or emotion and has tried to capture that in his photo. When you see a photo you use your imagination to see what the photographer saw and to feel the emotions he was feeling. Sometimes you will even see things and feel things he did not but the point is the photo made you think and feel. There is no greater compliment to me then for someone to say they could feel the love in a photo or that photo made them smile or laugh or that a photo made them stop and think. That tells me I did my job as a photographer. If I as a amateur photography can capture thoughts and feelings then anyone can. I would like to challenge everyone who thinks they can’t do art to just give it a try. You will be amazed as what it can do for you just as the creator. Then OMG, WOW, when that first person lets you know what your work did for them, you will be hooked just as I am. Does art hurt society in any way? I have never thought of art in this matter. I just can’t fathom in anyway that art could hurt society. This makes me think of a saying I heard about art a while back. So to quote Pablo Picusso “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” How can anything that washes our soul be a harm? Check out her Flickr and Flickr Group.
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Photograph provided by Nayra Collas.
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nayra collas
N
ayra Collas is a photographer and blogger who focuses on creating blog photos with an artist’s eye. Her love of photography is both a first and Second Life passion. She is friendly and full of curiosity. In July 2007, she joined Second Life to practice her English, something that makes her laugh now. A few years later, her love for photography led her to begin her great adventure in blogging “Rumbo Second Life.” Since then she has had several assignments photographing vendor pictures for some stores. I think the benefits of art on our society are numerous but I will be brief, art has a very positive influence on our society. it is a window to look out on and not ignore the consequences of our negative acts, a tool to move the conscience to action, and it reflects economic and social realities understood within our time and space. All this helps to build a better world. Art is a form of expression and as such exerts a liberating and destressing effect for those who practice it and/or enjoy it. It is the channel through which we can reveal our inner self. It helps to generate the development of the creative expression that every person brings with them and stimulates the growth of social and moral values. It is essential to be aware that less culture means more ignorance, Ignorance is the mother of exclusion, of racism, of all disasters. Art sensitizes and artists, being sentient beings, create a better society. I cannot think of a way that the arts are harmful to society. In some cases art has been commodified and subordinated to the interests of the large corporations that use it to indoctrinate the masses, directing them in the most convenient direction to maximize their benefits. but that’s not the fault of art. Art is so transcendent that it makes it easier for the luminous being that we all carry inside to wake up. Check out her Blog and Flickr.
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Photograph by Tempest Rosca. Page 190 | ECLIPSE December 2018
tinalynn ashbourne
T
inaLynn Ashbourne was born on Oct 25, 2007 after watching an episode of Criminal Minds: New York. Her names comes from her real life childhood nickname, Tina from the Pound Puppies, and her middle name. TinaLynn has been many things in Second Life from an SLS cheerleader to the blogger she is now. She really enjoys blogging. She finds it is a great way to be creative. While she believes she is not the best blogger or photographer, she is proud of her growth over time and her commitment to continue to improve. I think that arts have many benefits for society. Art can be anything from books to painting to songs. When we listen to music we relax. Reading books can take us to other places and expand our minds and imaginations. When people paint they get out their frustrations and make amazing works that people all over can enjoy. Art can bring us together and help us understand difficult topics. It is a way to help children overcome traumatic events in their lives. Through photographic art we have see the moon and other far away places. Through cinematic art we can see animals in their natural habitat living their lives. Art has shown us how ancient people lived, worked, and enjoyed life. I do not think that art has hurt our society in any way. I think it opens us up to other people’s opinions. It it is a way for us to see how people are feeling. Some art invokes very strong reactions while some art does not. Art is very important in this world. It is how we get our views and thoughts across. Everything from songs to photography are forms of art and we use them to express our opinions of everyday topics and life. Check out her Blog and Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Carol Newall. Page 192 | ECLIPSE December 2018
carol newall
C
arol Newall joined Second Life in 2006. In 2013, a good friend suggested her to create a blog and she did so. But real life needed attention so she took a brief hiatus for a couple of months. When she returned, she decided to blog again. Since then, she tries every day to improve her work, asking help from her friends, watching tutorials...anything that can help her do a better job she searches for. Now, Carol and her sweetheart husband and best friend Brendo Schneuta share a blog and they have a lot of fun doing this! Art can provide many benefits to society. But one of them, and that’s the one that I want to talk about is: People can be healed through art. Many articles show us that some diseases have been treated with therapy based on art works. People suffering from depression sometimes use arts as some kind of escape. Because through art, we can express ourselves. We can find the type of art that encourages us to be creative and this way, we can, maybe, have a relief from stress, problems, sadness. That’s why we can find the work of great artists in museums and art galleries, because our society knows how valuable art is. When I think about this, I can’t imagine a way that art can hurt society.
On the contrary, I believe art can be a plus in our lives and it would be very good to accept different types of arts with open arms! I see myself as an artist. I consider what I do as art. I set scenery, I take pictures, I edit pictures and posts. We bloggers invest creativity, energy, time, and money to deliver a great final product to our followers. And in SL, we can find many forms of art work. Bloggers, creators, decorators, scripters and so on... So many different kind of ‘work’, but still, art. So, it’s important that we embrace our in-world artists and accept them as the artists they really are. Each one in his/her different type or area, but respecting and helping each other. I believe doing this we can have a lot more fun, help others and even make more and more friends. Check out her Blog and Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Madison.
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M
madison
adison [princess hienrichs] joined the wonderful world that is Second Life way back in 2004 and found it to be a strange place with many tentacles and pink & blue balls. Exit stage RL until.. she stumbled across her login once more in 2014 and was amazed at how far things had evolved. She was particularly impressed with how many complex musical, fashion, and artistic scenes had sprung up everywhere and how creators and artists were making a mark in this world. Madison has certainly had her fair share of evolution over the last four years but one thing remains her passion in SL — photography. She and her partner feel blessed to have an amazing sim ‘Welcome to Somewhere’ which is mostly post-apocalyptic, with a few twists and turns and always in a state of flux.. it’s a great inspiration for them and you will often see it featured in a great deal of their work. They have a flickr group and find it always exciting to see artists and photographers who visit their sim and share their creations. It is something they both enjoy immensely. They say the world is a stage, I have to agree, takes a bow. Welcome to this little stage of mine : )) Art as I see it is a form of media and as such influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across many barriers, language and time as just a few powerful examples. Art nurtures the human longing for self-expression and achievement. Without art, if there had been no paintings, music or writings how would we know what took place back in ancient Egypt for example? The art from the time is considered to be the very reflection of its society, core beliefs, and political system, This makes it a valuable historical testimony to what was happening at the time of its creation. In many cases art is all that remains of entire civilizations where historical records are lost. For me art whether painting music or photography is invaluable and my life would certainly be less beautiful and boring without its influence! Can art be harmful? I think anything can be harmful if used with ill intent. What I can see more often is art being used as a vehicle for social change. We see examples of powerful politically motivating images throughout the decades.. Tank man in Tienanmen Square making a stand against communism comes to mind.. the Starving Child and Vulture bringing attention to the evils of apartheid. Art gives voices to those without voices. I feel the benefits outweigh the negatives in this question. Check out her Sim, Flickr and Flickr Group.
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Photograph provided by Erica. Page 196 | ECLIPSE December 2018
E
ERICA
rica [erica451] joined SL having no idea what it was in November of 2015. She started off hosting and managing clubs before she discovered her true calling in photography with a little mentoring from some good photographer friends. Erica decided to take a step back from club work and do her photography full time as it was not “work” for her but something she enjoyed and didn’t feel pressured to do. She spends most of her time shopping, taking photos, blogging and making poses for her new pose store OMGfx Poses. I believe art benefits society because it lets humans express their feelings and emotions. Art is the one common bond between man and woman alike. It is the one remaining forum or media in which opinion need not intrude on another’s point of view; it inspires individuals for the common good. Art can bring attention to a cause that should be defended, and it can inspire individually or as a common good. Art can bring about change. Most importantly, art can define love.
I think art itself is not the cause of hurt. It may offend, provoke, and even disgust. But it is only the interpretation of art that hurts.The byproduct can not necessarily be pinned on the product in and of itself. It is in its rawest form, and expression of oneself that provokes and evokes thought and emotion. Those emotions and thoughts can be hurtful, even caustic. But art in its truest form, is painless. Check out her Blog, Flickr and Marketplace.
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Photograph by Tempest Rosca. Page 198 | ECLIPSE December 2018
hinata shady
H
inata Shady [AdrianeSilvaa Resident] joined Second Life in 2014. She is twenty-four and loves anime, photos, music, and more. She began blogging on December 10, 2015, making this her third anniversary month. She expresses her feelings in most of her photos, trying to capture slice-of-life moments and hopes readers enjoy her blog. When it comes to art, people usually think of painters and famous artists, but art seems to me as a vital necessity for everyone, not a necessity of the body, but something that transcends matter and moves into the spiritual plane. Art is something we cannot avoid because it is all starts with ourselves. A thing need not be beautiful or useful to be considered art, it simply must reach our senses and provide us with any kind of reaction. Art’s benefits are numerous, among them a channel for expression of feelings and emotions promoting stress relief and increased psychosocial well-being. Art does not hurt us, but it adds in the diversity of expression, in the eyes of other people around the world. Check out her Blog and Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Varosh Santanamiguel. Page 200 | ECLIPSE December 2018
Varosh Santanamiguel
V
arosh Santanamiguel [santanamiguel] saw an online story about Second Life and joined in January 2013. His motivation behind joining SL was roleplay and he started his adventures on a medieval fantasy sim. Varosh has found many friends and helpful accomplices along the way. With their help, he has written many stories. In 2016, with two friends, he opened his first roleplay sim. This was the beginning of his love for sim designing and decorating. Varosh was part of the team that owned the sim called ‘The Dawn’. He was the builder and landscaper there, but sadly the sim closed its doors in March 2018. In the same month, he started uploading his Second Life photography to FlickR and began to write a blog. He is very grateful for the opportunity to work with other creators and friends, as they are the ones to support him in his creative endeavors. The benefits of art are hard to quantify. Art can allow you to think differently and open your mind. It is an expression of mood, of fantasy and an insight as to what is going on in the depths of the artist’s soul. It is an outlet to allow wounds to heal when you are struggling. The variety of different media allow you to express those feelings in a multitude of ways; photos, sound, videos, there are so many options. Art can be a complex language but it is universally understood. It does not matter where you are from or your background, Art gives you a platform to express yourself and communicate with others. It can make you laugh or cry or experience emotions you were not aware you had. Art can be impulsive, creating a piece on the spare of a moment can result in some of your best work, but it can also take years of dedication. For me, it is always amazing how many forms art can take. There are so many angles and perspectives that are created based upon the artist’s life, experiences and likes. As an artist, you can set a direction, but the path the art takes is based upon the viewer. Art is not there to hurt others, but there may be an underlying truth that is painful to see. It is only humans that hurt each other. The people that misuse art and media to hurt others are injured beings behind their work, but the art itself is not to blame. Check out his Blog, Flickr, Facebook, Sim, Art Studio and Art Studio (Adult).
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Photograph by Tempest Rosca.
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K
kiyomi serenity
iyomi Serenity has been in Second Life for more than nine years. She joined after watching a documentary featuring virtual worlds that provide introverts like her a platform to practice socialization skills and relieve their anxiety in being among large crowds. Learning the intricacies of life in a pseudonymous world where people may take on personalities and values that differ from their real life was made more difficult by her naivety. Wiser, with a bruised heart, she turned to explore and focus only in the many roleplay sims around the grid instead, dipping her feet into fulfilling her childhood dream of being an actress by taking on different roles in various different scenarios. She took short breaks here and there, partly due to her demanding real life profession. The evolution of mesh piqued her interest again and she came back for a makeover, this time, resisting her timid tendencies she experimented with the darker roleplays. A year ago that she met the love of her life in SL and now she focuses all her time to being with him. They met for a wonderful vacation in RL and now, are working on building a future together. For Kiyomi, at this point, it is absolutely clear to her now of the destiny SL has in store for her. And after some learning pains as well as heartaches, fate does save the best for last. These days, Kiyomi mostly spent her time exploring SL together with her loving partner. In her “me” time, she seeks out new locations to use as backdrop in her newfound SL passion – storytelling through photography. She considers herself to be just an amateur artist/photographer, and is more interested in evoking emotions through her work rather than aiming to produce professional looking images. Each of her picture is always accompanied by a Youtube link of songs or instrumental piece What set us apart from other species of animals on earth and made us uniquely human is perhaps our ability to create arts in various forms. From those first moments when we broke through the barrier of evolution, we started to develop awareness of our unique existence as our ancestors transitioned from Homo Neanderthalensis to Homo Sapiens. The known earliest drawing made were dated to be around 73,000 years old. It consists of nine red lines imprinted on a stone flake found in a South African cave. It’s difficult now for us to begin to fathom the thoughts that gone through the artist’s mind as he smears those lines on the hard surface. Was he trying to leave a mark to future generations as though attempting to immortalize his fragile existence? One thing is for certain, art is universally viewed as an expression of humanity. Art is a mean of escape for us to immerse in the beauty of the past, of the present, or to create imaginary worlds to help us forget, even just for a moment, the stresses of our daily lives. Pieces of art that managed to survive hundreds or even thousands of years past give us a glimpse into history, so that we can not only see it, but we can hopefully feel it. Arts speak to us from the beyond, of time long gone, yet leave the freedom to us to interpret and form opinions for ourselves rather than trying to dictate our thoughts. ECLIPSE December 2018 | Page 203
Art is history that comes in various forms, from the profane to the virtuous, from the demure to the obscene. Art at times can be controversial with artists being accused of heresy, often because they chose to produce pieces that remind society of figures or periods in history that were deemed to be evil or so vile, many chose to not have anything to do with them – the Hitler that was responsible for millions of deaths of innocent Jews in the name of religious cleansing, for example. That begs the question then: is there such thing as bad arts? As the author E.A. Bucchianeri was quoted to say: “Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation”; the statement precisely reflects how a same piece of art is valued by a certain percent of population yet greatly offended another. Take, for example, the often controversial works of the German artist Anselm Kiefer. Born in 1945, toward the end of World War II, Anselm is a German painter and sculptor, whose work focused around the theme of German darkest period in history and the horror it brought not only to the survivors of the Holocaust but to the rest of the world who lived through the knowledge of it. His argument in defense of his work is that history can’t be erased even if we ignore what happened or act as though it never existed, whether through written work or through creating pieces of arts that serve as testimonies of the event for generations to come. We must not run away from something that deemed so barbaric, but we must face it head on to answer the questions of why and how. Why did it happen? How was it allowed to happen? And what can we as the human race do to prevent it from ever happening again. Some would see Anselm’s work as necessary to show the unimaginable extend of the inhuman side of humanity and to serve as visual lessons for those whose only learn of the bloody period through history books. But it is not only history that being reflected in artworks. Current social issues also have artists Page 204 | ECLIPSE December 2018
produce pieces of art that force society to face them heads on, as if to scream out : “What are we going to do about it? How have we not learned anything by now?” as if to jolt our society out of the mentality of “It’s someone else’s problem.” Take the piece “Law of the journey (2017)” by the contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, for example. This particular work depicts 258 inflatable figures in various sizes packed densely into an inflatable raft floating fragilely and in despair. It forces us to face the current chaos of migrations of people fleeing their countries around the globes for various reasons. Yet in their quests for a better life, sometimes as simple as just to seek an existence that every decent human deserves, they are being treated as criminals or invaders by their fellow man, whom just happened to be blessed with better fates. And so the cries of the despairing are often ignored. Artists like Ai Weiwei amplifiy the causes of the unfortunate and force the rest of us to face the question: “How could we?” Art is the food for our souls, the conscience of our humanity, and the teacher of our history. Without the ability to create and appreciate art, the human race may not have been able to take that giant leap to advance above all other species on earth. Without it, we might still continue to wander in an existence that merely consist of hunting for food and communicating in rudimentary sign languages, never developing the ability to learn, evolve, and advance. Check out her Flickr.
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artist highlight
The “Artist Highlight” is a monthly feature showcasing one of the many talented live singers in Second Life®. For this issue, ECLIPSE Magazine shines a bright spotlight on the extraordinarily talented Bubbles Song.
Bubbles Song is one of the many talented live singers that perform throughout the grid. Initially, her love of music had her DJing where she grew quite the following. On occasion, she would play her own songs at sets that people began to encourage her start singing in Second Life. “One person was so adamant about it, that he “sponsored me” by setting me up with the equipment I needed to get singing in SL. And one of the clubs I DJ’d at was kind enough to let me sing there as a lot of places won’t hire singers who are just starting out. From there, they let me stay until my confidence grew, and I started to get “known” within the music scene and subsequently, get hired by other clubs. The rest, as they say, is history.” Admittedly, she can be clumsy with words sometimes and has found there is always a song that conveys perfectly what she is thinking or feelings. Thus, music has become a way of expression for her, where she allows it to speak for her when she can’t. “I am a very deep, emotional person (A typical Pisces lol) and so I feel things very deeply, love, pain, happiness, anguish etc... everything. And so I can really “feel” music, even if it’s not a song that I am using to express myself, I can “feel” what the song is about and the emotions behind it from the writer / singer. And, having been through so much in my life, I can also relate to a LOT of music. So, I suppose, my own feelings are my inspiration. There are SO many singers and artists out there I could say I aspire to be like but I really couldn’t pinpoint one. I have always adored people like Bette Midler and Judy Garland etc. but my love of music is SO eclectic, I take inspiration from everywhere lol.” Her song lists numbers over 800 songs, so her sound varies. “[…] I don’t think I could properly describe my sound cos it absolutely depends on what I’m singing. lol. I do love singing power ballads tho, and I also love singing some real oldies, like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, and I do get quite a “Vintage” sound to my voice when I do those. I also get told a LOT that I sound like Stevie Nicks, Karen Carpenter and Chrissy Hyndes (From The Pretenders), especially when I sing their own Page 210 | ECLIPSE December 2018
songs. Which are all massive compliments!” Since music is a way of expression for her, Bubbles has quite a few meaningful songs. When asked for any particular, she is quick to point out “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables and “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” by Alan Jackson as ones that really touch her. There is one song “Benny Hill” by Ernie the Milkman that reminds her of her Dad, which was played at his funeral. For those looking to began singing in the SL music scenes, her advice is simply to persevere. She explains this further, “It’s not easy when starting out, especially with SO many Live Singers on the grid right now ! But don’t give up! Even once you’re established, there can be times when you don’t get as many people attending your shows as you’d like, and it can be hard to keep faith and carry on - It’s very disheartening singing to an empty venue, and even after all these years, I still get that but you need to keep going ! Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions ! Don’t be scared to contact other artists in second life and ask them for advice, or to let you know if your sound is okay etc. Most of us are very helpful.” When asked to share something ECLIPSE Magazine readers might find interesting, Bubbles points to a video of her that has recently gone viral on Facebook. Within three days, the video of her singing “Hallelujah” had over 1.5 million views which then climbed to 2.1 million and being shared over 57 thousand times. Newspaper and magazine articles were written about her with some people even trying to get her on The Ellen Show and to audition for shows like Amera’s Got Talent and The Voice. If you’re interested in booking, Bubbles contact her in-world directly! Check out her on Schedule and website. Listen to her on Youtube. Follow her on SL Facebook, SL Facebook Music Page and RL Facebook Music Page.
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THE wayfarer...
photography by taylo
“The Wayfarer” is a monthly feature by Taylor Wassep showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. For this issue, the Wayfarer stumbled upon a festive, wintery land. Be sure to bundle up, as you explore the snowy paths, before stumbling upon the train or even the ski lift to warm yourself by the heat of a crackling fire. Immerse yourself in The Forest this holiday season with your loved ones for an adventure you surely won’t forget.
or wassep.
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