A Hidden Gem:
Interview With HouseOfJewelZ owner Mia Mila by Lady Silver Darkfold I found a random ad for a product from HouseOfJewelz after making an unrelated Marketplace purchase. I followed the link to the MP store full of beautiful designs. Yet, nothing prepared me for the treasures I discovered upon my first visit to the inworld shop. I traversed every level and vendor board in awe of the depth of expression within each item. Instinctively, I believed there was an important narrative to these pieces. Fast forward to a few days ago when this writer took a chance that Mia Mila, the creative designer and owner of HouseOfJewelz, might share her story for the Sisters Of SL Magazine March issue in honor of International Women’s Day. Meeting Mia for the first time confirmed the feeling that lingered after viewing the designs in the shop; poignant, complex, confident, genuine and
passionate. We chose to conduct the interview in her shop among an audience of her designs. In her realm that includes two clubs, a chapel and other surprises she agreed to share her story and knowledge in hopes to reach anyone who may need it in either SL or RL. Lady Silver Darkfold: I admit to being a bit star struck right now! Each time I visit HouseOfJewelZ I find myself amazed at your beautiful creations and the audacity it took to imagine and transform ordinary jewelry into artistry. With all the different ways to express your creativity and market as a business in SL what inspired HouseOfJewelZ? Mia Mila: I wanted to offer some creations that are way different from most of the creator’s art pieces. We have such a NORMAL [sic] in Real life. It doesn’t make any sense to me to create such NORMAL in a game of
endless magic in SL. LS: What do YOU consider normal?
LS: Did you ever question your ability to own a successful SL business and how do you measure success in such a venture?
MM: Consider NORMAL to be real life. Living real life, having to follow all rules, that to me is NORMAL but if I dare to be different Ii will always go out of the NORMAL or it wont work.
MM: I never question anything as I know everything is already designed for all of us long before we start our journey. If you are willing to put hard work, time and faith into your business dreams success will follow.
LS: What is the hardest part of running a business in Second Life?
LS: Have you ever tried other types of businesses like owning a club, property rental, etc? Why or Why not?
MM: The hardest part of running a business in SL will always be the fact that most of the people in SL suspect that MiaMila will argue over a few lindens. You are my customer. I appreciate you and your business. If you like my creation I am very happy about it. If you do not like it, come on back and collect your lindens. THE END! NOBODY should feel entitled for any reason. Many of us do forget it is A GAME at the end of the day. For most of us this game has turned into a big part of our reality yet pixels will still be pixels when we turn off SL. LS: Your personal customer service is what impressed me about you. You always responded politely and any issue or question I had you answered and worked to help me. Many big popular creators have employees doing this. Why don’t you? MM: My grandmother did teach me one very important lifeline. If you want something done perfectly you have to do it yourself and that is the reason I would never put [sic] such on a 3rd person. It’s not fair. LS: What is the greatest reward you gain with running a SL business? MM: The creation of a smile and a landing point of new found hope.
MM: I started out to be one of the biggest shoe designers way back when and to answer your question in more detail. I do have my nose in many different things. LS: What were the outcomes? MM: Outcomes are always the same...you win some and you lose some. As long as you love to log into SL every day you are winning. LS: Mia, take me back to when you joined the Second Life community. We all have a story of why we joined. What is yours? MM: Yes, we all have our own story about why we moved into SL. My story is simple. I was searching for just another purpose, another reason wanting to reach out and create just another smile if I could only just reach one more person with my “purpose”. I completed my mission again and every day anew. Simple,huh? (not change lives but share something of my experience in how to survive from deep personal struggles and come back better and smarter). Keyboard warriors; good, bad and ugly yet I did not want to be one of them. Instead, create magic and there’s magic [sic] refuse to do evil. You can show there’s a person behind the keyboard.
LS: When I think in terms of “purpose” I think about something that we feel more like a personal ministry to help others or change lives. LS: I notice in your profile a pick entitled Malaki2 with quote “15 years in SL,it did its damage on my soul..but.. the addiction is real ..for these lindens.................what else is of importance ?? jusss sayin” and in Spanish “15 años en SL, me hizo daño en el alma ... pero ... la adicción es real ... para estos tilos ................. ¿qué más es importante?” Do you care to elaborate on the meaning or what was going through your mind at the time you wrote it? MM: That time was the start of my deep depression. I ALMOST gave up. I ALMOST had no reason left to create…create anything more then [sic] closed up my soul, my eyes but more so my heart. I went only for the most evil [sic] this money, these lindens. I was mad [sic] with the world. I was mad at myself. I was mad just hearing the word CANCER and only continued asking myself “WHY ME? WHY ME?”...(Important moment in time to recognize that you were not invincible) LS: It sounds like you needed to purge yourself of the anger and pain of the cancer diagnosis and your words of “WHY ME,WHY ME”? are profound. How did you find the answer? What or who helped you to accept it? MM: My father, the love of my life has been the “OTHER VOICE” I so desperately needed to hear but more so I need to listen.......he looked at me and asked me “Why not YOU?” It gave me all the answers I needed at that moment in time and made me realize I am NOT invincible
LS: It sounds like you needed to purge yourself of the anger and pain of the cancer diagnosis and your words of “WHY ME,WHY ME”? are profound. How did you find the answer? What or who helped you to accept it? MM: My father, the love of my life has been the “OTHER VOICE” I so desperately needed to hear but more so I need to listen....... he looked at me and asked me “Why not YOU?” It gave me all the answers I needed at that moment in time and made me realize I am NOT invincible. LS: My heart goes out to you in this difficult journey but at the same time I also feel your faith. LS: I requested this interview specifically for the SISL Mag’s March issue in celebration of International Women’s day.
has created MiaMila as a [sic] so usual avatar. Over many years MiaMila has become everything Carmen could not reach in her real life. Yes. I am proud of MiaMila. Mission completed! LS: HouseOfJewelZ by name indicates that you design and sell jewelry but I find it hard to describe your work as mere jewelry. Does that surprise you? Why or Why not? MM: It does not surprise me as it was designed like that by me. I refuse to be given a TITLE of anything. I will live my life ALL GOOD (unless it was a mistake). I ONLY live life as I FEEL it. I live by the rules of Respect, Love, Honesty and Loyalty [sic]... before I DEMAND such for myself. I will earn [sic] such from you first. NO OTHER RULES will be put upon me ever. To answer your question I do NOT create only jewelry. If you SEE any other creations OR HIDDEN JEWELZ you [sic] sure have walked through my stores with your eyes and soul wide open. I smile at you with a wink. Name a woman, not a family member or friend, whose life or contribution to past or current society made a lasting impression on you and why? MM: Maya Angelou- I will always follow her kindness, the peace of her soul and strength of being ---A WOMAN. “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise!” Maya Angelou LS: What about in SL? In your years in Second Life has there ever been a woman who left a lasting impression on you? If so, how? MM: Yes,Yasiren my sister in sl and rl and myself [sic]........Carmen (real life name)
LS: I notice besides the bling and gemstone creations you have sculptures. You sell a sculpture entitled “Depression” share why and how you conceptualized it? MM: One year ago as this strong and healthy person I was diagnosed [sic] stage 4 cancer. I never had any knowledge about Depression, just the word “cancer” has looped my entire being into this deep and dark hole I never knew existed. When you wake up in the middle of the night by evil nightmares, when you sit in a chair for hours feeling no purpose of anything but crying, it’s then when you know something got a hold on your soul and you are about to lose control. At one point I had to surrender to a “Higher Power” [sic] that when I woke up one night,
sat in this chair, like every day but this time I started to create it [sic] was that night my “Depression” statue. It was created by me in memory and honor of the word and feeling Depression. It was that moment I knew I would be a survivor all over again. I was not about to just lay down and die. It was then when I started to FIGHT…The Fight for my Life.
LS: What about a biopic? If a biopic were filmed about your life who would you want to portray the part of you and why?
LS: I'm looking at your "Depression" sculpture. I know (now) it represents you but why is there an empty frame above from head to middle of the chest then the rest filled in?
LS: When we met you shared a passionate position on masks or face coverings. Please describe your philosophy to our readers?
MM: Empty frame/pieces...my head was empty because no mind [sic] pieces were able to develop. As you notice also half of my heart was “gone into wires” but I had to realize there is another half of a strong heart beating. I knew I wasn't all wires/empty pieces after all. LS: How long did it take you to complete (from start to finish) that sculpture? MM: It was a total of 27 hours. I did not eat [sic] only a little water but since I was afraid of the usual nightmares I did not allow myself to go to sleep. When I was done with this sculpture I went back to sleep. It was then when I knew it was DONE. LS: If a documentary was filmed about your life what are the main points or lessons the audience would take from it? MM: I am a survivor. I want the world to know, YOU CAN and YOU WILL survive no matter what was taken from you as long as they could not find the power to take your ability to LOVE they really haven’t taken anything from you. With this love inside of you, you soon will discover everything is possible.
MM: My Mother, she was the strongest woman I had the honor to meet on this planet. She gave me life. Even though she did everything wrong as a mother I am alive because of her.
MM: My Mask’s,the Walls of my soul...if you care to find out what’s behind that mask I care to remove my Mask one day. LS: Do you have any favorite original (or by others) quotes you tend to use often when imparting words of wisdom to others? MM: “It takes one to SEE ONE” [sic]...........” You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice” Bob Marley LS: Before we conclude our interview, do you have any advice or tales of caution for new or existing creators with ambitions to open and operate a successful SL business? MM: Advice: Never listen to what YOU HEAR, Never see with your eyes Only, trust your own instincts but most of all, dare to be different. SL Is a magical place to be, to create magical and different art of all styles and kinds. Don’t be afraid, refuse to be the same or alike like most visitors of SL. LS: Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? MM: If you notice Mia Mila standing quietly on the sidelines do NOT think of me being a stranger but think of me being
a strange friend. Always remember the louder you speak the less they will hear you. Mia posted the answers to my interview questions in local chat yet spoke her responses as well. Her words, the cadence of her voice, the honesty and passionate recitation of facing her mortality eight months ago with the Stage IV Cancer diagnosis jolted and gripped me. I struggled to remain professional and objective as she disclosed glimpses of a traumatic life. As our interview concluded I exhaled deeply a catharsis of jumbled sensations. A dissonance of happiness, sadness, satisfaction, frustration, trepidation, elation with a prevailing sense of tranquility. The feeling lingered as I viewed the shop filled with the creations Mia formed with her mind, sculpted with her talent and breathed life into with her heart. I chose Mia Mila as the subject for my International Women’s Day article because her designs spoke to my spirit yet her personal journey exemplifies much more. She does not seek sympathy for her past or current struggles; instead, she endeavors to inspire and empower. Before I could express gratitude for her time she gifted me with a favorite poem with a message she compared to her personal journey. I listened and found it equally relatable. Determined to include the poem with this article I searched to find its author. Perhaps the words will encourage others. Visit HouseOfJewelZ in world at http:// maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Malaki/155/132/3782 Photos by: Уasiren Daines Arnica ℳίla (yasiren)