TY RI LA LC
IA OR IT ED MAGAZINE
ECLIPSE
MARCH 2016
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Contents
24.
Free Spirit
82.
The Proust Spotlight
112.
Fashion For Life
64.
Dark Times...
94.
The Botanical
134.
Game Changes
Rebecka Ford takes the ECLIPSE trend squad for a spin on her camera lense!
Dynasty of Dragons sim gives participants a place to role play like Game of Thrones.
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ECLIPSE Magazine continues their monthly feature showcasing the talented Ephemeral Skye.
ECLIPSE Magazine continues to feature guest stylists and photographers, this time the very talented ASSHLLEY.
Celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary, Fashion For Life in support of Relay for Life takes the grid from March 6th to the 20th.
Cajsa Lilliehook investigates the profound impact Second Life can have on the real life of its residents.
Often times in the fashion industry, it is easy to become short-sighted and forget that fashion is not limited to that small community. Fashion is the art of expression, which is an integral part of our shared virtual world and the Second Life community as an aggregate; thus, our goal at ECLIPSE Magazine is to not only offer an aesthetically pleasing publication with a heavy fashion influence and rich in content but be accessible to all of SL.. because EVERYONE wants to look good.
42.
Cover Story Editorial Clarity Cover Photographer Lessthen Zero Writer: Cajsa Lilliehook
154.
Voices from the Grid
126.
Artist Highlight
172.
The Dark Boheme
190.
The Adventures of...
We take it to the streets and ask the grid to share their thoughts on their unfulfilled dreams.
The light shines on live singer, Lee Winegarden, from Whispering Sands Live Promotion.
Guest stylist and photographer Lokisilverson shows us his dark side.
Miele Tarantal takes ECLIPSE on a photographic journey where she discovers, the Yorkshire Moors. ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 7
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Letter From the Publisher Welcome to the March issue of ECLIPSE Magazine! It’s still hard for me to believe that we have already passed the one year milestone, but here we are. Like every issue, I am so grateful for the staff here at ECLIPSE Magazine- from Cajsa to Amazon to Zzzoie and to all our amazing writers, photographers, models and guest stylists. They truly are the ones that breathe life into every issue. I am also thrilled to have Ephemeral Skye, who also is featured on the Proust Spotlight, as my lead photographer. We first met for the January issue and since then, he has consistently proven to be one of the best and most reliable photographers. Often times, I’ll send him a message, “SOS SKYE I NEED HELP.” And without fail, he delivers. This issue is jam packed with goodies. Perhaps, I am most excited about Editorial Clarity on the cover. Back and back and back ago - as in five years ago - he was one of the first friends I made on this grid. His innovation, sense of entrepreneurship, and willingness to go after his dreams, I have always found inspiring, and it is my privilege to feature him in this issue. With that, I do hope you enjoy this issue. Happy Readings!
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Contributors
Taylor Wassep
Zzoie Zee
Creative Director
Creative Director
Writers Amity Sorbet Cajsa Lilliehook Sarah Jane Starship Photographers Amazon Silverweb Anderian Sugarplum Daffodil Crimson Ephemeral Skye Lessthen Zero Miele Tarantal Rebecka Ford Zzoie Zee Dethly
Miele TarantalCajsa Lilliehook Amazon Silverweb Fashion Editor
Fashion Editor
Copy Editor
Models Cubito Smit Ruby Ornamental Sienna Bellios Silly Avro Tadeu Gartner Guest Stylists & Photographers ASSHLLEY Lokisilverson
Ephemeral Skye Lead Photographer
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Want to advertise with ECLIPSE Magazine? Want to be featured in ECLIPSE Magazine? Do you have any suggestions for ECLIPSE Magazine? Contact Trouble Dethly in-world!
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Free Spirit Page 24 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photography by Rebecka Ford ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 25
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Cubito Smith JACKET: [Deadwool] - The Dandy Formal Jacket SHIRT: [Deadwool] - Hugo Shirt PANTS: Gizza - Brad Slim Fit Jean SHOES: [hoorenbeek] - Heritage Boots HAIR & HAT: *ARGRACE* - Straw Fedora BEARD: [IRON CLAW] - Mesh Full Heavy Beard Hipster GUITAR CASE: David Heather - Guitar Case ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 27
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Ruby Ornamental Dress: Chloe Dress Blue2 by [sYs] Design Shoes: Free Spirit Shoes by SoliDea FoliEs Headwrap: Beatrice headwrap – papyrus by MIAMAI Hairbase: Vintage Base – 2 Frappe by Vanity Hair Shades: Lince Eyes Glasses by [Z O O M] Bag: Debris bags in Brown by Zenith Accessories Ears: Sarika feather earrings with Aletta ear wings by ZAARA Hands : Banjara kada bracelets stacked by Zaara Tibetan Bracelets “All Togehter by Yak & Yeti Bangle Lyra Large by Maxi Gossamer Rings : dream ring set by ieQED Farewell My Concubine Ring by Zenith Necklace: Benedictine Riata by EMPYREAN FORGE Mata Hari Necklace and Monaco Nights Necklace by Maxi Gossamer
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Silly Avro hair: No Match - No Point jacket: Ricielli - Leather coat top: Artizana - Bandeau purse: C’est la vie - Harriet bag skirt: Junbug - Sitara Skirt - Vintage rings: Kibitz - Maya & Rosie ring sets lipstick: Deesses Boutique - Foudroyante tattoo: Letis Tattoo - Bohemian
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\ Sienna Bellios =Zenith=(Rose)Lana =Zenith=Vintage Tighten Gloves *LODE* Head Accessory - Dodoo [Entwined] Chic .:A&M:. My Favorit Necklace - Simple Maitreya Mesh Body -Glam Affair - Elit eyes makeup KOSH- LOST SOULS EYESHADOW -tombstoneKOSH- GALA EYESHADOW -SPACEShakeup!Cosmetics - Everyday Blush Glam Affair - CLEO - lipstick Page 32 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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Tadeu Gartner HAIR | .~Tableau Vivant~ Owen hair BEARD | *Valiant & Sacred* 2.0 Chin Patch V2 - Light HEABAND | =Zenith=Hippie Leather Headband ACCESSORY | *LODE* Head Accessory - Boohoo Feather SUNGLASSES | [Z O O M] Ozzy Sunglass NECKLACE | LaGyo_Impune necklace PONCHO | // SEUL GARCON \\ Vintage Poncho PANTS | .Shi : Pin-Striped Meggings [Homme] BRACELET | : Amorous : Antiquarian Midnight SANDALS | AZOURY - Sparte ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 35
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The Man with a Plan Page 42 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Written by Cajsa Lilliehook Photography by Lessthen Zero Photography by Ephemeral Skye ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 43
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His name, Editorial Clarity, suggests a man with a plan. He is no User76512, but someone whose avatar has a distinct identity and purpose from the first moment. That is because this is his second account. He enjoyed Second Life® on his original account from 2006 until 2008 until leaving for “real life adventures” as he put it, before continuing, “In September 2009 I came back to SL on Edi and never looked back. When I came back I already felt like I had a good knowledge of it, so it wasn’t difficult to settle back into things.” Coming back to SL® after his hiatus, he knew he was interested in the media side of it. Before a week had passed, he had applied to Home & Garden Magazine and was promoted to editor within a week. After one issue, the owner closed it down. He explored machinima and blogging, including producing daily videos and podcasts, meeting lots of talented and creative people. He worked at Best of SL (BOSL), had a radio show and hosted some shows for Metaverse TV. As he described it, “I didn’t have specific plans on exactly WHAT I wanted to do, I just knew It would be media related. It was my interest in Real Life and I came in thinking ‘If I can make a success of it here and people like what I do, why wouldn’t it work in Real Life?’ ” Clarity began doing some independent interior decorating and eventually founded his own magazine, Love To Decorate, a popular widely-respected home and garden magazine that has grown to include several staff. He is justly proud of his accomplishment and loves that it has grown to the point where much of the work is done by his staff. “I had no idea where I would end up back then but I feel as if i am in ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 47
a place now where I can sit back and just oversee it all, if that makes sense? I have a fantastic team at LTD which work with me daily and a lot of the responsibilities of day to day operations do not constantly fall on myself or Elvi, my business partner. That is a great feeling to just see it continue to grow.” Success in SL is always a combination of talent and hard work. Personality also plays a big role and Clarity shared his own self-assessment. He said is generally quiet, rarely leaving his house because he is working. He works hard. He also says he is very picky and can be a control freak. Those two characteristics are surely included in the job qualifications of every magazine publisher in the world. He added, “I feel Second Life is an easy place to misjudge
people and I’m guilty of doing tha of the day, you never really know know them yourself.”
In Episode 21 of The Drax Files w in his first and second lives, he s create spaces that I hope inspire p all his skills at writing and publi the spaces he designs did not in on the solid foundation of good Page 48 | ECLIPSE March 2016
at in the past myself. At the end w what a person is like until you
For him, the essence of good design is “designing something that pleases you, not others. I feel it is important that both decorators and furniture designers remain true to their own style, and not be influenced by the masses, if that makes sense? A person’s design must always stand out. If someone sees an image and knows exactly who did it before seeing a name credit, then that’s a good design.”
which features Editorial Clarity said, “I’m not a creator, but I people.” And they do, after all, ishing would come to nothing if nspire. All of his success is built When people are successful, they are always asked what their d design. process is. Alas, Clarity says he has none. “Back when I used to
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do a lot of client work. I always tried to make a process. I’d create inspiration boards, etc. and show them off, but I always ended up going in a different direction when I began the actual decorating.” For him, the great advantage of Second Life is that we can rez an item, move it around easily without hiring a crew of laborers to move the furniture around or renting trucks to haul them back and forth. It is the ease of being able to play around, seeing if something works and if it does not work, picking it back up into inventory. He continues, “What I generally find is that I’ll rez one item, I’ll love it and then I’ll decorate the entire room around that one piece. Once I get into the zone, it is usually a pretty quick process.” Incredibly, he confesses that his inventory is not sorted by room, creator, color or type, admitting that “unfortunately, I do not ever sort my inventory. I really should, because it is so cluttered, but my inventory is not organized one bit.” Asked what inventory items he would save if he were only allowed to keep five, he answered, ”My engagement ring which is now super old from a store I don’t even think exists anymore, a build that Scarlet Creative released and named after me, my light projector, my zooby labrador ‘’Stiller’’ and my Aria Luana Sofa...it is one of my favorite pieces of furniture.” In both his first life and in SL, he is guided by his design aesthetic and taste which he classifies as very grand and expensive. He notes that Second Life creates limitations depending on how the end product looks. For example, in his first life, he loves glass, but in SL, glass often looks ugly. “At the end of the day, I am one person, so my design aesthetic doesn’t really change, no matter which world I’m in.” He prefers to make everything look and feel as realistic as possible. He notes, “Second Life is an amazing platform, especially for design, Page 50 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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and when doing any decor work I have always aimed to make it as real as possible so it can inspire both Second Life residents and any in RL who may come across it. The same goes for anything in my magazine. As real as possible.” He eschews hard and fast rules. His advice is simple, “Design for yourself.” Of course, when working with clients, he solicits their suggestions and ideas, but he always designs the place as if he were going to live there. As he explains, “The result will be much better in the end. If you are going to decorate a space down to every last specific of the client, then they should probably just do it themselves.” He believes good clients need to allow the designer to make the decisions since, after all, they were hired because the clients liked their style. A common question asked most often by people who are not in Second Life is why so much of the home, interior, landscape and community design reflects our reality instead of some fantastical futurist society or ancient ruins or alien aesthetics. Of course, all of those are present in role-playing communities, but in general,
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the vast majority of Second Life is similar to real life, right down to the shopping malls. Clarity and his team at Love to Decorate have pondered this question before. For himself, he has never been interested in anything fantasy related in either first or Second Life. As to the role-play market, he says, “The roleplay market is huge in Second Life so I’m not quite sure why the fantasy element in furniture isn’t as widely produced. There are some great brands that I feel blend the two together very well in their world. One of them is 22769~Bauwerk. They often create some crazy looking pieces that you could easily find in a real life home. I think designers create the pieces we are familiar with because it is just that...familiar. We can all relate to a sofa, an arm chair, a tv stand….we cannot all relate to goblets and castles.” SL has had a profound effect on Clarity’s life. He joined at a time when he was unhappy in his real life. He found a new life in SL. He met his partner Rico with whom he formed a long-term SL relationship that expanded to Skype. They were together long ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 53
distance for years before moving to real life full-time including traveling to meet and get to know each other among first life friends and families. Long distance relationships can be difficult, but they held together. And now? “Second Life has given me a life. I’m very happy now, living in a new city, in a new country and me and Rico will be soon celebrating our two year wedding anniversary.”
for, because I met my husband here. So it was the endless possibilities that kept me here.”
Of course, since SL has wrought so much change in his first life, love, emigration, marriage and career, his perception of Second Life is that it very real, indeed. “Everyone has their own opinions about whether they consider Second Life to be real or not. Second Life is as real as it can be. Every person you He appreciates with open gratitude talk to is real, with real feelings and the expansive opportunities of emotions. The good effects that it Second Life, pointing out that SL has on your first life are real. A lot of was and is “an incredible land where the things we own are purchased we the residents have been given with Real world money converted free reign to build it however we into Lindens. So...I would say pretty want. To be given a place, where we real!” can create and build relationships with people all over the world is truly a gift and one I’ll forever be grateful
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Editorial Clarity’s Flickr. Love to Decorate Website Love to Decorate on Facebook Editorial Clarity on the Drax Files
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Dark Times are Coming... Page 64 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Written by Sara Jane Starship Photography by Zzoie Zee ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 65
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“The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement.� -- Chapter 1, Bran, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
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Have you ever seen yourself as a knight for a house like the House of Lannister? A handmaiden to the queen for a lady like Lady Catelyn? A king in your own land? If so, Dynasty of Dragons, a Game of Thrones themed role-playing sim, may be the place for all of your dreams to come true. With the popularity and fandom of the GoT world, Dynasty of Dragons has really made a name for itself in the role-play world on the Grid. Dynasty of Dragons was founded in April 2014 and started as a platform with a prefab on it with a group of merely 10 citizens. Since its early days, the community has rapidly grown into a huge and tight-knit family. “The idea behind Dynasty of Dragons, was to create a RP community,” Ophelia Rumble, the owner of Dynasty of Dragons said. “Too often I ran across RP sims that were very focused on progressing the stories of staff members, making the players act as supporting cast. For
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example, I will never be king or queen of the sim. I wanted a place that took away the cool kids table, and made the possibilities for players nearly limitless. We’ve done an amazing job of making our players feel less like guests, and more like family.” So far the community has more than 200 members with an average of 25 role players per night. Any level of RP experience is welcome and accepted on the sim, though most of what happens on the sim is “para-rp” according to Ophelia, which means it is done in paragraph style. “It’s a Game of Thrones sim, however what we want is good stories, so we consider ourselves to be more ‘inspired by’ GoT,” she explained. “I have always been an advocate that as long as it’s quality RP, the length of the posts makes no difference.” Like Game of Thrones, there are Houses
on the sim. “We do have the Westerosi houses,” Ophelia explained. “With the exception of Tully since they were recently wiped out in a sim wide story arc. We have Iron Born, and small folk as well, and a bandit faction out in our woods.”
and makes certain all the players are kept in the know, of what they would know from the word on the street.”
“As well as my admins, I have moderators, Sesa, Ashya, Ethan (our king) and Andrika,” she continued. “All of them have proven The team at Dynasty of Dragons works over time to be wonderful at solving player hard daily to help the RPers have the best disputes. Answering questions and keeping experience possible and sort through the sim running smoothly.” player disputes. “There are three admins that work with me, and I call them my The build of the sim is gorgeous, with dragons,” Ophelia commented. “Cheech, a very medieval/fantasy feel to it the is my Green Dragon. He is in charge of minute you step foot on the land. It’s the ‘paperwork’. Meaning rentals, fielding come a long way from where it started player questions and directing them to and really has blossomed into an the right people, the day to day things. amazing landscape to role play Game of Gallows, is my Black Dragon. He is in Thrones-type stories in. charge of sim lore, and as I said, he did an amazing job creating this alternate “The sim has been built in stages,” Ophelia Westeros for us. Sunny, the gold dragon, is explained. “Our first stage we used preour events and rumors admin. She keeps fabs until the custom build was in place. I the social aspect of noble life humming knew I didn’t want it to be a slap dash job ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 71
creating lore, and I didn’t want a bunch of prefabs thrown together haphazardly. I invested in an amazing builder, and gave her no time limit so long as she paid attention to the details.” While the builder worked (for about three months),the lore admin came up with a reason that all the houses were taking refuge in the Eyrie of the Vale- The home of house Arryn. Once the build was finished, they had a sim-wide event that involved a battle and a ‘retaking’ of King’s Landing. Since the original build they have added a King’s Wood which has been made over a couple times. And they are constantly tweaking things. “The future of the sim is limitless,” Ophelia said. “The staff has quite a few ideas on the table that they are really working hard to achieve.” They are exploring how to add Assassin and Dothraki without upsetting the balance they have achieved. Ethan is working to build up a magic system. They are also looking for more people to join in the RP and to bring their creativity and inspiration to the table. “The challenge with GoT is that most people want to play nobles but we’d like different aspects of the lore to come alive even if it’s not 100% canon, we feel like we can get the heart of it into place,” Ophelia said. “In general, I want for us to continue to grow and flourish.” The sim also has a new website where players can read the backstory, the rules, and learn many other aspects from the community. More information can be found on here. Ophelia is eager for the future, and encourages more people to make their way to the sim to become a part of the fun. “I hope that RPers from all over the grid come to check us out, because I think we have something here, that no other rp sim has, let alone GoT rp sims,” she said.
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The Backstory from their web site: It is 297 AC. In 282 - 283 AC Robert’s Rebellion occurred as written in canon, however, at the end it dissolved into petty bickering with Baratheon and Lannister at one another’s throats. Lannister seized the crown, killing the Lord Paramount of the Baratheons. Six months ago, a time of peace ended with a sudden, horrifying and devastating attack launched against the capital by a combination of Tully and Tyrell forces. For 30 days, death and devastation reigned as our capitol was essentially laid to waste and turned to rubble. After 30 days, about 1/5 of the population had been killed, 100,000 people. Most were killed as a result of war machines and fire as Tyrell used siege weapons that rained balls of fire into the city. Lord Solomon Tyrell crowned himself King and has married Lydia Tully. King Tyrell named HighGarden the new capital of Westeros. Soon after, a rash of strange deaths among the nobility - Lord Paramounts and Bannerlords alike have disappeared or died under suspicious circumstances. The Ironborn began attacking the ships and ports of ‘traitors’ such as the Lannisters and reaving what they could.
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All of Great Houses and some of the emissaries of banner houses gathered in the Eyrie and formed an alliance to war on the false king. At times, tempers spiked and it looked like the alliance would come apart at the seams. But, after a year and countless losses on all side, the allies were victorious in battle and have taken the false king into custody. Now, a Lannister king sits on the throne. But the throne has devoured many a king in one way or another and no King can trust everyone around him. Current (Nearing the end of the year 297 AC) There is a strange feeling in the air, residents of King’s Landing can feel the change although it is very subtle. Something has come, a change and with it the death of a King. King Trystane passes away in his sleep, very few know what actually happened while the King slept. Those who do know are shaken and speak out that this King was the bravest our landing has ever been blessed with. It is said that while he slumbered his mind was trapped elsewhere, fighting a battle against a force of evil, one that sought to bring destruction upon the lands in the form of dragons. The final battle was
fought in our King’s subconscious for weeks, perhaps even months. What we do know, told by those who somehow witnessed it all, a merging of two realms and yet never once did these two realms cross for others. A fierce battle fought in Valyria and the death of perhaps the last Targaryen, but with his death glimpses of eggs hatching are seen. Dragon eggs. A change in the atmosphere is felt, the air around the realms seems to shimmer for a moment. With the hatching of a dragon egg, magic has been reborn. King Trystane is returned to his family in Casterly Rock and a funeral ceremony is given, honoring the Great King. A fierce lion willing to lay down his life in order to protect his people. After some time Lord Ethan Stark, Hand of the King, stepped up and took the throne. The realm needed a leader and he would be that leader for them. Whispers of discontent come from some families while others happily accept this change. Dark times are coming.
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From the creative mind of the talented Heavenly Villa, Shutter Field is a one shop stop for all things Home & Garden Decor. Offering a wide array of beach items, the highest caliber furniture, exceptional ornamentation for the garden, stunning mesh structures and prefabs and a variety of decor and accessories for that perfect final touch, Shutter Field is a store with a true focus on quality. Shop Shutter Field on the Marketplace. Shop Shutter Field in-world. Check their blog for all new releases!
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The Proust Spotlight is our monthly feature where we highlight one of the many creative residents of Second Life速. Utilizing the Proust Questionnaire, whose namesake comes from the late 19th century French writer, we will offer a glimpse into what makes them tick.
Proust Spotlight: Ephemeral Skye Page 82 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photography by Ephemeral Skye ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 83
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“Ephemeral” Skye Nefekalum (Azram Belwraith) is a dedicated photographer and blogger who is ever seeking to expand his horizons within the creative world. An artist in his daily life, he seeks to extend his artistic talents into a digital format in order to continue expressing his inner vision and sharing pieces of himself with the world around him. Skye holds an avid appreciation for all things creative and holds eclectic interests including the study of psychology, ancient history, theology, and literature. He values many elements and is ever fascinated with an exploration of passion and its expression within the human spirit. What is your ideal of perfect happiness? I believe happiness is a goal we all strive for in our lives and I am uncertain there is any particular ‘ideal’ that exists. In answer to this question, I would have to say my ideal of happiness is a family who loves each other, accepts each other, and grows with each other. I believe love, understanding, and trust are the very building blocks that create ideal happiness and I am blessed to have each of these in abundance within my life. I believe life would be boring if everything were perfect, so my ideal of happiness incorporates imperfection as a core element. It is the flaws within us all, just as our strengths, which create true beauty and if there is not a challenge to be faced, learned from, and overcome I do not believe I would ever be truly happy. What do you most value in your friends? It is difficult to pinpoint one element within my friends which I value more than another, but I value the versatility, support, understanding, and sheer unique element that exists within each person I consider a friend. Each houses a creative process that is beautiful to witness and each brings their own unique flavor of personality to the mix of my life. I value their presence and their understanding, their honesty and their personal truth. I value the camaraderie they bring with them and the sheer amount of joy experienced through conversation. In a world filled with deadlines and stress and 9-5’s and responsibility - friends are the very people you can relax with, blow off steam with, or (as is the case with my own close friends and I) stare off blankly and silently into space with at the end of a long day. Companionship is one of the most under-acknowledged and yet most important values that exist within us and I know without the steady support base of my friends, I would have gone far more mad than I have managed by now. I value their love, I value them as individuals and as part of an ever fascinating universe. I value their spirits, their loves and their dreams. What is your greatest regret? I cannot say that “regret” is a concept that rests often as my bedfellow in life. I believe that we each make mistakes in the lives we choose to lead. We all have those stories we can (years later) laugh about and shrug off as the naivety and exuberance of youth. We have those relationships that make us groan when we gaze upon them in hindsight, unions we likely secretly or openly bear the lingering scars of. We make decisions that turn out later to have been incorrect choices. We make sacrifices that we discover were not appreciated, or needless to have made. We each can look back through our lives and pinpoint several events that may conjure the phrase “If I could go back in time, I would...” However, I personally do not believe such things should inspire ‘regret’. Each decision we make, - whether it is correct or incorrect - each failed relationship or bad breakup, each good deed that has been punished or overlooked - these are the very stones that build up the core of our character. If ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 85
we removed any single negative experience in our life - while we may come out less damaged or without quite as many scars - we would not entirely be who we really are. I believe those are things to be celebrated for the learning experiences they are. I believe they are integral to our personal evolution and therefore are not things to be regretted. So, what is my greatest regret? I regret having not taken more chances in my youth, having not taken more risks. If I could go back, the one thing I would actively change in the name of regret is that I would experience more. I would shove even more adventure into an already adventurous life in order to see just what other experiences and knowledge I may have gained.
What is your motto?
“Live now. Tomorrow will take care
I believe that we often spend too ahead to the future and as such w of opportunity and experience al the stress of deadlines, appointm to achieve muddy the waters of o something valuable to be had. As goals (and keeping calendars) in day lives and move forward into important each day to stop, to br wonderful opportunity we have b about today is often more than e shoulder, and thus it is my firm be day overcoming the obstacles th let Tomorrow be handledtomorro of mine could easily be listed as “ your first, and your last.” Never pu that you could complete today. N the people you love know they a should be treated as such. We are
Who is your favorite hero of fic
There are likely many opinions co particular character of fiction wo I choose Dream from Neil Gaiman series. The character has such inc of layers to be traversed. Dream i represents emotions and situatio at some point within our lives, de literal and more commonly (and A character often seen casually a fulfills reveals to us the struggle t of dreaming our dreams, the evo exists within such elements. He is that offers a transparently convol a delicious element of darkness t itself within the human psyche in the author who gave him life in t inspiration within my work, and r Hero or anti-hero, a character to b is very certain: this character will represents the weight and presen and every nightmare ever survive
“I don’t know. I had to be somethin Neil Gaiman, The Sandman: Book Page 86 | ECLIPSE March 2016
e of itself.”
o much of our lives looking we often miss important gems long the way. I believe we allow ments, and goals we have yet our present and thus rob us of s such, I do believe in setting order to maintain our day-toour future. However, I feel it is reathe, and simply enjoy the been given for today. Worrying enough for any one person to elief that we should spend each hat present themselves, and ow. I suppose another motto “Live each day as though it is ut off something for tomorrow Never go a day without letting are loved. Each day is a gift and e never guaranteed the next.
ction?
oncerning whether this ould be considered a “hero” but n’s Sandman graphic novel credible depth and a multitude is fascinating because he ons all of us can identify with elivered sometimes within the beautifully) within the abstract. as “stagnant” due to the role he that exists within the very act olution and enlightenment that s a beautiful personification luted honesty and delivers to something that manifests n a variety of ways. Dream - and this series - serves as a great resonates powerfully for me. be pitied or loved, one thing always be my favorite as he nce of each dream ever evoked ed.
ng, didn’t I?” k of Dreams
What is your most treasured possession? My most treasured possession is a map of Tokyo, Japan dating from the 1950s. This rests as my most treasured possession because it was a gift from my father, who served in the Korean War and called Tokyo his home for ten years while on military assignment. The culture colored his life experience and when he gifted me this map when I was in my early 20s, I knew it was something I would cherish for the rest of my life. My father was my very first role model, and he is someone I highly respect. He is my hero and I have spent much of my adult life striving to be the type of individual he has always been. That map serves as a tactile and visual point of reference reminding me each time I see it of the struggles my father overcame, the adventure his life has been possessed of as well ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 87
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The Botanist Page 94 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photographer & Stylist ASSHLLEY ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 95
Hair: SHOCK By Tutys Outfit: NYSSA By DIRAM Eyeliner By Mai Bilavio Eye Jewell: Eugenia By Lagyo Page 96 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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Hair: Hollywood By Little Bones Earrings: Reign Du’port By Tracei Dress: Embroidered Jewel By Lowen ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 99
Hair: Artemis By Little Bones acket: Sana Chintz By Zaara Pants: Kelsi Highwaist By Mai Bilavio Page 100 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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Sunglasses By Paper Couture Chest Piece: The Harpy By Zibska JumpSuit: Goddess Lace By Valentina E ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 103
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Hair: Electra By Truth Outfit: Botanical By GATO ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 105
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HeadPiece: Peony Crown By LODE Hair: Olivia By MURRAY Jacket: Ola Shoulder Tuxedo Palm By Ryvolter Dress: Lela Flute Lace By Ryvolter ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 107
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Fashion For Life Page 112 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photography by Daffodil Crimson Written by Amity Sorbet ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 113
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Fashion for Life (FFL), the grid’s longest-running fashion fair is an event especially created to benefit Relay for Life (RFL) in Second Life, which supports the American Cancer Society. In fact, 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of FFL and will have the show-stopping theme of “That’s Entertainment!” It is a trip back in time to celebrate the continued legacy of the original Clothing Fair. The number of years the event has run speaks to the great success it has achieved. Nevar Lobo and Amethyst Starosin, two past committee members, have come back to run this anniversary edition of FFL. Nevar says that the mission of FFL is to create “hope and community.” It is an event that brings together not only the entire fashion community but the wider community of Second Life. FFL began as the Clothing Fair in 2006, organized by Nevar Lobo and Pips Fetid. This year is has grown to include more than 75 designers and will spread across nine sims. Nevar explained that in its first year, Clothing fair had 34 designers. Now that it has evolved into Fashion for Life, the charity event is a mainstay within the community. To date, FFL has raised millions of lindens to support research for a cancer cure. Several of the original designers who participated in the 2006 Clothing Fair have returned this year to give their support to the cause. Also of note is that one of the talented sim designers, Amethyst Starosin, was also an organizer of the Clothing Fair in 2007 and 2008. The builders of the nine sims - two for entertainment and the remaining seven for shopping - were given a great deal of flexibility when it came to what they were allowed to create, as long as it was tied to entertainment like books, movies, television and musicals. The other important requirement set out for the builders was to create an environment causing as little lag as possible, per the American Cancer Society Estate Manager’s guidelines. In the end, the seven shopping sims have the following themes: The Beatles - “All You Need is Love” by Geryn Sloane Moulin Rouge by Null Aries “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” from the Chronicles of Narnia by Darkstone Aeon Vikings by Jara Lowell Tribute to David Bowie by Grace Loudon Bladerunner by KT Syakumi Pin Ups from the 1950s and 60s by Thathy Slade ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 117
Amethyst Starostin and Quinlan Placebo created the entertainment sims. All of these sim designs are definitely not to be missed. It is worth exploring each one. The theme of “That’s Entertainment!” was one Amethyst said she had wanted to do for a while, and this year with RFL’s overall theme being “Once Upon a Cure,” she felt it was finally the perfect time because “both talk about telling our stories in some form, either about loss or triumph over the disease,” she said. The main goal of Fashion for Life is to be enjoyable for visitors, but also as a source of information about cancer and the ways people can support the fight. While Amethyst stated the importance of supporting a good cause, she also said she wants visitors “to do some serious shopping” and perhaps spend “an enjoyable afternoon exploring.” The event organizers and the committee staff have all been touched in some way by cancer - whether as survivors themselves, having lost someone to the disease or by taking care of other survivors. Nevar has been a part of this event because cancer has touched his life. “Cancer has has an effect on my family. But, it is not just my Real Life family that has been affected, my Second Life family has been deeply affected,” he said. As Amethyst aptly stated, “this event in the purest sense is a fundraising and educational event for Relay for Life and a true labor of love for everyone involved.” Through Fashion for Life, every visitor can make a difference because your purchases there will lead to donations for cancer research and the chance to save lives. All donations made at FFL will be given to Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. Fashion for Life begins on March 6th and will run until March 20th when it closes at 6PM SLT. The event will kickoff with a performance by Fabulous Keeba Tamas at 1PM SLT. During the 14 days of the event, visitors can enjoy performances by music scene newcomers Savannah Rain, AleyCat and Dave Rex, the INCREDIBLY talented Gibson, Hedy Patrucci, Evely Lane and Paul Nowles. Elysium Cabaret Dance troupe and The Shining Starlets will present live dance shows. For the entirety of the event, several stations will be live streaming music on a 24 hour basis: ON AIR Talent of T1 Radio, GPR and Full Throttle Radio. There is truly something for everyone at Fashion for Life. In Page 118 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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addition to music and store shopping, there are other special activities taking place during the event. A highlight is the chance to bid on exclusive and one-of-a-kind auction items in special kiosks with proceeds going directly to Relay for Life. To see the fashion up-close and personal, .PENUMBRA. is lending their support by organzing multiple fashion shows starring Page 120 | ECLIPSE March 2016
world-class models, with production help from from Amazing Impressions Modeling (AIM), Boulevard (The Best of SL) and SCALA. To round out the events there will also be a photo contest for those who enjoy taking pictures in-world and a treasure hunt. The team behind Fashion for Life would like you to visit for shopping or entertainment.
Their hope is that you will find your visit a fulfilling opportunity to support a worthy cause. “Because of this, I do what I can to focus on a day when cancer is not a household word and there are more survivors than those we lose,� Nevar said.
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Lee Winegarden is one of the many talented live singers from the Whispering Sands Live Promotions group. Previously from another program, Pal Talk, a friend from White Tiger Island suggested he come to Second Life and has been with Whispering Sands for a year, taking the country live music scene by storm. When he’s not busy performing, you can find him fishing or playing with dogs, “I’m an avid dog lover.” What about another secret talent? “I love to cook, and I am very good, if I do say so myself.” Unfortunately ladies, he is very much taken, “Lori Winegarden is my worst... best woman on the planet.” When asked if there was anything else readers should know about him, he humbly tells us that he would be nothing without, “all the help from the great people at WSL: Jorr, Winter, Lori of course, and all the hosts and people that work behind the seen...the clubs where I play, the fans and all my group members.” His top 5 favorite songs to sing are: - Fire Away by Chris Stapleton - Kathleen by Josh Ritter - On the Bridge (Original Song) - Wild Nights by Van Morrison (John Cougar version) - Night Moves and Turn the Page by Bob Seger Listen to him here and check out his schedule here.
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Game Changes Page 134 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photography by Ephemeral Skye Written by Cajsa Lilliehook ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 135
Second Life® is the strangest game there ever was. After all, Call of Duty® does not get you pregnant and World of Warcraft® does not motivate you to move to another continent. But Second Life is full of stories of lives completely changed by entering this virtual world and finding friends, lovers, and partners. There are stories of people finding commercial success, discovering new careers and making life-changing decisions thanks to the experiences they have in Second Life. “Your World. Your Imagination.” That is Linden Lab’s™ tagline for our wonderful, chaotic, self-made world. For some people, Second Life has not just become a second world, it has also been the fulcrum of change in their lives. New York magazine recently published an excerpt from a self-help book by Amy Cuddy, Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. Cuddy explains how our virtual reality selves can influence our reallife selves. Using data from several different studies, she notes how people who were assigned avatars with the power to fly were more likely to help pick up some spilled pencils than people assigned an avatar that flies in a helicopter. People who are assigned an avatar that runs on a treadmill increase their own physical activity. These are minor changes, but there is a cumulative effect and people’s experiences in SL® can have profound effects on their lives outside their virtual world. In this article, we will examine four lives changed by Second Life. For one man, his virtual journey took him from insecurity to confidence, faith to agnosticism and from conformity to rebellion. For another, SL brought love and motherhood. Another woman found the strength and support in SL to survive personal devastation and rebuild her life. For another person, SL was the gateway to finding her true self and mustering the courage to express her truth in her first life. Page 136 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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Robert, not his real name, is the mythic tall, dark and handsome man. He has a thatch of thick, dark hair, deep set eyes and prominent cheekbonesin Second Life. His first life is private with good reason. In real life, despite his age, he is a preacher’s kid. In fact, he’s a preacher’s kid squared, cubed, exponentiated by generations of pastoral patriarchs and a cluster of sisters who married preachers. The word hidebound was invented for Robert’s situation, caught in a world of tradition, social and familial pressure. Married, with children and a large, loving family, he may have seemed to have it all. but he was not happy when he first logged into SL nine years ago. Rosemarie Indigo looks like a wide-eyed ingenue. She is petite with flowing brown hair, often crowned with wildflowers and usually dresses for casual comfort. When she first came to Second Life, in 2007, she was married, unemployed, chubbier than she wanted to be, and was depressed and lonely. She felt isolated after moving with her husband to a place where she did not know anyone. Vanity Mirror registered with SL back in 2008, but was unable to log in because her computer could not support the viewer. When she upgraded eighteen months later, she already has her account. She was seeking diversion during her free time, a fun way to pass the time. Unfortunately for her, she was stuck between a wall and a tree. While she is now a sultry brunette with striking eyes and the powerful presence of those “big-shouldered dames” of classical Hollywood, she spent an inordinate amount of time as a noob. Erehwon Yoshikawa is a sassy gamine with dark hair and a talent for spinning music. She joined after reading one of James Wagner Au’s posts at New World Notes about how people were using SL to do free-form role-playing games. After some wandering, an old college friend who was also in SL invited her an Irish pub and introduced her to his circle of friends. As she recalls it, “It was at the pub I where I started making friends in SL, and realized that music and DJ’ing, not role playing games, was what I loved about SL.” Page 138 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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All four came into Second Life for different reasons. They all four found friendship. Some found love. Some found answers. Some found questions. The old saying was “Life is what you make of it.” The new saying is “Second Life is what you make of it.” They made good lives in SL. Robert became active in the role-play community and found himself deeply involved in a few long-term intimate relationships in Second Life that exposed him to sexual play far afield from his experience. He discovered the intricate and expansive world of kink. Kink- the subterranean world of fetishes, bondage and all the outré pleasures of sexual liberation and abandon. He discovered kink and satisfaction like he had never experienced in his life. But there was more, his exposure to a wider bandwidth of worldviews, his framework for understanding the world. With sexual liberation also came a form of spiritual liberation as wellan agnosticism that freed him intellectually. Second Life also transformed his self image. “It gave me confidence that people could like me for who I am, not just the fantasy I could create. Attraction is not just your age, your youth, your appearance. People can be attractive for their minds.” As he sees it, the world is full of people, so many people, attracted to so many different qualities, that if you are open to experience, as he puts it, “There is someone out there who find you attractive, who will have that kink.” Rosemarie found her niche in a medieval fantasy role play community and had a lot of fun. She also found a good job in her first life which helped her self confidence, but it was the people she met in SL who made her feel her happy again. But then in 2009, her life fell apart. Her husband was promoted and moved seven hours away, had a breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The year ended with a divorce that left her financially ruined and heartbroken. She recalls, “The whole year was a complete nightmare. I’d wake up in the morning, realised it was still happening, cried in the shower for a good 15 minutes, then put on my fake smile and went to work, when most people didn’t even suspect anything was wrong with my life.” But in the evening, she would return home to her studio, log into SL and her fae self would join her best friends, an elf, a dragon, a drow and a dryad in a drum circle in a woodland clearing. Halfdancing, half-flying to Celtic music, she found respite. “For a few hours, I would forget all the problems, I would be really, truly happy. ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 141
Vanity continued short forays into SL where she tried to unstick herself from her tree trap and navigate, but she would get frustrated and log off. But then, as she tells the story, “I met this guy that was worse off than I was because at least I’d learned to dress myself and he was running, not walking, around stark naked and ken-dolled up.” She called him a weirdo because he was running in circles around her. He IM’ed and they chatted sharing their meager noobish knowledge. They began speaking nightly and after a few weeks, he declared his love. Unnerved, she began avoiding him, logging off when he logged on, but eventually, he caught her online and assured her that his mental health was just fine. The resumed their friendship and after several months were good friends. Their birthday are two weeks apart, so he invited her to California for a visit. She had a great time, “I was in awe, seeing real palm trees for the first time in my whole life and the amazing weather that Orange County had to offer. I saw all the beaches” She enjoyed it so much that three days before her two-week vacation was about to end, he asked her to stay. “During this trip, this time in real actual life face to face time with him...I wanted to stay. Somehow I’d realized I loved this person that I met from afar, and I stayed.”
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For Erehwon, as she describes, it, “The important thing I learned was just how at ease I was as Erehwon. I didn’t experience that with my social interactions outside of SL. Six years into SL, I was happy being Erehwon. But the problem was that Erehwon wasn’t a way for me to experience the non-SL world where I was uncomfortable and on edge.” She also felt uncomfortable managing two identities, two beings with friends and acquaintances who with the exception of her real world partner and her closest SL friends, were distinct, separate and not “publicly mapped.” That began to change thanks to a close friend and her girlfriend. “As we drove along Highway 84 back up from the Coast back into Silicon Valley, [they suggested that] I needed to consider that the reason that I found it easier to be with people as Erehwon was that I was a woman, and not someone who wished they were one, and that transitioning was a thing I could do.” She started hormone replacement in the spring of 2014, and started being being her truest self in public in the fall. Out of work at the beginning of 2015, she changed her name and gender, merging her psychological, physical and official identities into the singular for the first time. It brought her that ease she wanted. “Navigating the world, embodied as myself, is a joy.” Second Life is not a panacea that cures all ills. Whatever choices and changes that Second Life may inspire, they play out in our first lives. When we fall in love in Second Life, we have to pack up our first live furniture and haul it across the country or across the ocean. It is not always easy to realize in first life the resolutions we form in our second. ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 143
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For Robert, the virtual man he is must remain in the ether. The consequences of being his true self in the real world are too devastating for him to consider. He explains, “If I did the things I needed to do for happiness in real life, my marriage and my family, including my mother, my sisters, my entire family, my extended family would basically disown me. That’s not good for my kids. That’s not great for me.” While he knows that it is possible for him to forge a new life and find happiness, he does not want his happiness at the expense of his children. “I feel like of all of the evils. This is the lesser.” But do not mistake Robert for a tragic figure. Yes, he does feel trapped, trapped by his own decisions, but those decisions were part of making him who he is, part of his journey. “I don’t deny the experience that brought me to where I am. Trapped is the right word and Second Life ends up being an escape for me.” Robert knows that he could free himself and find happiness. He knows, thanks to SL, that people will like him, admire him and find him attractive for his intellect and his personality. He knows now that he is not trapped because there are no options, but trapped because he makes a choice, he is satisfied with his life in ways he was not before. He finds joy in his children and happiness in SL and satisfaction in navigating a way between two worlds. For Rosemarie, the fact that her friends came from all around the world meant that she could always find someone available to listen. As she explains, “Thanks to time zones, if I woke up at 3am sobbing and panicking, there was a friend in Chicago whose evening was only just starting and who made time for me.” These friends were the people who gave her the courage to leave her husband and seek a divorce. “My husband was drowning and I know, with absolute certainty, that if I hadn’t had my Second Life and the people in it, he would have dragged me down with him.” Instead, she was able to free herself and get her life back together. She is certain that SL saved her life. “I still have most of these amazing friends on speed dial, attended three of their weddings in RL, and can’t possibly imagine my life without their friendship. And without my Second Life, they wouldn’t be part of the First today.” ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 145
Vanity has the most tangible souvenir of her time in Second Life. After moving in with her SL-found love, she was soon pregnant. Sadly, she miscarried. “I was far away from my family and devastated. After a couple of months, a lot of tears and many calls back home to my sister and mother I pulled it back together, got a job at a local hotel and delved back into life,” she recounts. She was soon pregnant again, but had decided to end her relationship. She moved to Oklahoma to be near her sister, where he son was born. He is, of course, beautiful and perfection. How many children do you think are Second Life benefits? For Vanity, it is all good. “Let’s just say my son was a blessing born of a sheer coincidence... Who would have known that two years later I’d have changed my whole life for one person I met one night on Second Life. And though things didn’t work out between us, the good times were very good and I got the greatest gift from that relationship...my beautiful child.”
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For Erehwon, her was her alter. “Se navigating the wo been doing.”
Now Erehwon go concerts and giv thirty years tell h together my iden inworld and I talk have as our avata her weekly DJ ev full now that she Life, I have a Real there is no longe woman.
r avatar was not an altar ego. If anything, her biological body econd Life wasn’t a costume I put on, it was way for me to practice orld without carrying the bulk of a masculine costume as I had
Second Life is the strangest game there ever was. It is a game that gives us so much. It gives us friends who can sustain us in hard times and oes out in the world, seeing friends, out in public, going to celebrate our good times. It ving technical talks. Friends who have known her twenty to gives us people to love and her they have never seen her so happy. “I’m also gladly stitching who love us. It gives us courage ntity outside of SL with my identity as Erehwon. My close friends to change our circumstances. k about what’s going on with our whole lives, not just the ones we It gives us the escape that ars.” And now, she sometimes has to excuse herself to cancel allows us to remain in difficult vent because she has a first life conflict, because her first life is circumstances. It gives us e can be easy in her skin. As she describes it, “Because of Second liberty to explore our deepest Life. Though I find the dichotomy problematic.” Perhaps because desires. It gives us freedom to er a dichotomy, but instead a whole and singular and unified do what we will. And what we will, well that is up to us.
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Voices From the Grid is a monthly survey of opinions and ideas of Second Life速 residents on the salient issues of the day. For many people, Second Life is a place to pursue dreams that may be near impossible in our first lives. But we also have dreams in Second Life. What is your unfulfilled dream? How do you think Second Life could help you achieve it?
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Written by Cajsa Lilliehook ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 155
Maite Sarrasine Maite Sarrasine is a fashion/home & garden blogger who thinks her avatar is like a Barbie. She’d like to be a kawaii girl but she’s too moody for this. Well, I’m already a journalist in my first life (and that’s my unfulfilled dream!) and I love to work with image treatment. Second Life helps me a lot with this because I have a blog and I can practice editing my own photos... even the model is not a human I can practice a little using photoshop and this way I can learn more and more. Into the game I have no complaints. My avatar is like my Barbie and after 3 years blogging I reached awesome sponsors and events and I can show to my followers what I really like with good quality... I want the best for them! Having a blog is not only about getting items for free. We need to like what we do and honor our sponsors. They work hard to make unique and good quality items and they trust us to show it for other residents so we need to do it the best way we can, so I’m always trying to improve. After all this time I get a lot of sponsorships that I always dreamed but of course there are still some that I wish a lot! But I know that everything has its time ... and I am very patient! The important thing is that I love what I do and I am happy to play with my pixel Barbie and show to other dolls some cool ways to dress and decorate their homes. It is very difficult to deal with so many deadlines but it’s always fun! If you like this fashion and photography world... I totally recommend it! Check her blog: T2U, The2Unstoppable Blog
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Britny Rae Kazogumi
My unfulfilled dream would have to be fully pursuing my artwork in real life. Britny Rae Kazogumi is a 28 Sure I take photos and sketch in real year old female photographer life but Second Life gives me a near and blogger at Rekt Royalty. unlimited pallet of things to choose Shopping addict and music from to help me express myself. I don’t maniac are titles some might have castles nearby, I can’t fly and I give her. She spends time in don’t have the ability to change my Second Life doing the things that looks instantly in real life. As to how make her happy. Second Life could help me achieve that I believe it already is. Second Life gives
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m ar to ar fir ph ac No se m lo
me access to beautiful locations that re ever changing as well as the ability o change my looks and the decor round me. Want a photo at night with reflies in winter? Go for it. Want a hoto with someone you love that lives cross the country or even the world? ot a problem. I can listen to a song, ee an image in my head of how the music makes me feel and run with it. I ove having an outlet like that for real
life thoughts an emotions. My art made in second life translates into real life. I spend free time learning new things in Photoshop and pushing the limits of what I can do with an image. These are skills I plan on building upon and I’m hoping to take classes in real life working towards a career in digital arts or photography. Check out her Flickr. Photograph by Britny Rae Kazogumi
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Grady Echegaray Grady Echegaray first rezzed at Ahern on January 15, 2006 and is still very glad she was able to experience Second Life when it was still relatively small. She built an art gallery for exhibitions she curated. She became for several years a very active member of several third party SL forums the most stimulating of which was the original Second Citizen forum. She is also and continues to be an original member/ resident of The Wastelands, the first Post Apocalyptic community in Second Life. Beginning in 2008 she became a fashion blogger first with Mourna Biziou on https://strangepixels.wordpress.com/ and then on her own blog. Both blogs are dormant now but she continues to document her Second Life activities through her flickr photos. When I began in Second Life in January 2006 I can’t say I had any particular dream to fulfill going in. However after my first few weeks learning and discovering and making friends I came to the conclusion that I would really love to work for Linden Lab and be a Linden. As the months and finally the years went by and I learned more about Linden Lab and the way Second Life worked I came to the conclusion that this dream was not likely to be fulfilled. This did not bother me overmuch by then because I had in fact found that Second Life did fulfill quite a number of other needs (if not dreams) in that I developed a very rich virtual social life, and found through the medium of SL photography a very satisfying outlet for my creative energies. I have been in Second Life for over ten years now and still find it wholly absorbing, entertaining and educational.
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Evelyn Hartshon Evelyn Hartshon is a Home & Garden blogger from a little corner of Wales. She’s co-founder and owner of Blogging Second Life and organiser of The Unknown Hunts, among others. In Real Life she’s a stay at home mum and soon to be wife. As of 2.30PM SLT today, one of my unfulfilled dreams has been filled. I received a notecard from a creator, having previously applied to blog for them and being rejected, and in the notecard told that they’ve been following my work on Flickr and can see that I’ve improved and whether or not I’m still interested in blogging for them. Being recognised like that is such a huge confidence boost, especially for me because I’ve only recently started blogging predominately home & garden items. Now I know I must be doing something right! I had one other dream, and that was to organise a wellknown and popular hunt and I’d like to think that at least one of The Unknown Hunts was popular, so maybe that dream has been fulfilled without me realising it. 2016 will be the final year of The Unknown Hunts, however the Body Art II Hunt has had a lot of interest so far so maybe I’ll make that an annual hunt… you never know, it might become one of the most popular hunts in Second Life! There’s another dream waiting to be fulfilled. Watch this space!
Photograph by Evelyn Hartshon
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Kayleigh Dakun Kayleigh Dakun joined Second Life almost 6 years ago on August 6 2010. She enjoys photography, digital art, photo editing, exploring and shopping. She also has a small marketplace store called KD. One of my passions in both real life and Second Life has always been photography and I also love digital art and photo editing. I bought a professional camera, a graphics tablet, all of the software and all of the other stuff I’d need to do it in real life and then unfortunately ever since then I’ve moved house a lot, changed jobs a few times and found myself in a position where I just didn’t have the time to be able to pursue my dream of photography in the real world. This is when I first started to do proper, higher quality photos on Second Life. Second Life is something that has been able to help me greatly in carrying on my photography dream, I can still take and edit pictures and have fun with photography exactly as I’d planned to do in the real world, except for now I am sticking to just pursuing this dream on Second Life which is not what I had initially planned on doing, in fact I hadn’t even really considered it but I am glad it happened as I now have new dreams which have stemmed from this and I dream that one day I can be a well-known photographer on Second Life and all I need to do is keep practicing and promoting myself. For me, Second Life is an amazing place where people can accomplish their dreams that they may not be able to pursue in real life for various reasons, they may even discover new things they are interested in which can lead to new dreams like it did for me, and I strongly believe anybody can achieve something if they want it bad enough, even in Second Life.
Photograph by Kayleigh Dakun Page 164 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph by Heidi Volare
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Heidi Volare Heidi Volare has been a Second Life fashion blogger since 2007. She blogs regularly at https://heidivolare.wordpress.com/ . As a blogger, she loves to mix and match items and says that it’s all about the hunt. She will also tell you that her avatar represents the embodiment of the fun, carefree, crazy, creative spirit of her typist. In this virtual world, she is free to be herself and express who she is without social prejudices of the real world interfering. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. My issue is that I am a Second Life hoarder. I only began my fashion blog years ago to keep a visual check of what was in my virtual closet. After almost ten years in Second Life shopping like crazed person, I have amassed an incredible stash of items. I can’t even admit the number to you, however I will tell you that not one single bit of it is organized. My unfulfilled Second Life dream is to somehow easily categorize and organize my inventory. Not necessarily go back and reverse the damage I have done. What’s done is done. However, going forward, my ultimate dream would be an easy, visual way to pick and choose items from your inventory. I realize there’s items out there now that kind of help with this. But what I’m looking for is the equivalent of opening a closet door and easily seeing and choosing from what you have. Unfortunately, I have a sinking feeling that this type of tech is not going to be available any time soon, but a girl can dream!
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Photograph by Ephemeral Skye Page 168 | ECLIPSE March 2016
DEMONIKA D E M O N I K A (Anjelina Goldlust) is here to have fun as a total shopaholic. She is a professional artist and usually spends her time enjoying the wonders of SL and working on her blog I Hate Mondays or her tattoo store, House of Pain. My dreams in SL are to explore ,create and do the things I love which are Photography and tattoo design. I also love to share those things with others in I Hate Mondays, my blog. I spend my time enjoying the wonders of SL, blogging or being busy with my tattoo store which i actually love a lot. I love to see people being satisfied with my work either for tattoo or my pictures. I enjoy discovering new sims in SL and usually take pictures there or just relax listening to some nice music.I also like to visit some music events and clubs, fashion shows and combat sims. Check out her Marketplace. Check out her Blog.
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Marcy Tomsen Marcy Tomsen loves meeting people from all walks of life. Her early time in SL was spent in casual exploring. Things got really interesting for her when she became interested in fashion and decorating. She is the proud owner of her own home that she loves to decorate and landscape, something following modern trends and sometimes going retro. Her SL reflects what she admires in real life. She loves taking pictures in both worlds and approaches it with passion.
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I never had dreams within Second Life. I started playing in 2006, and always did what I wanted in the metaverse. Already played a lot, had several friends, many left of my virtual life and entered part of my real life. I see SL as a game in which I get to make my photos, not professionals, with the creations of loved ones. With every image i try to improve and learn new things on the side. I love expressing myself through my images. I do as a hobby, and that’s how I see SL as a game that I go to distract me, talk to my few friends and family. Perhaps the only thing I want is for people to be more truthful, sincere and honest with others.
Photograph by Marcy Tomsen
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The Dark Boheme Page 172 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Photographer and Stylist Lokisilverson ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 173
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::GB:: FUR Stole (Black) [MANDALA]Hannya Necklace [MANDALA] Lotus chain Bracelet [MANDALA]TAPER_EARS C L A Vv. Cuffed Bracelet Black *chronokit* Long Sarouel Pants .Shi : Caplet Tank Full Tableau Vivant - Knot [faux dreads] - .HoD. - End Of The Night Facial Piercings - .HoD. - Cathaoirmore Eye Smudge - .HoD. - LUST Mesh Nipple Piercings Clemmm - Stifled Lips - CHARCOAL Clemmm - Sleepless day 13 ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 175
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Tableau Vivant - Echo Skin - Horror Line Tableau Vivant - Cristal Hair Tableau Vivant - Wiccan Ringset [R3] Esme Belted Skirt [MANDALA]TAKARA Bangles Zibska - Ibis Headdress in Noir Zibska - Blanchefleur Coronet Zibska - Fabi Necklace ISON - nova tribe necklace - .HoD. - Ri Fhaolchu MESH Facial Piercing - .HoD. - LUST Mesh Nipple Piercings - .HoD. - Breandan MESH Hip Dermals Clemmm - Stifled Lips .Keystone. Kestra - Silverine Circlet Aisling - Circlet Delh ::DEALER:: Mask Paint ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 177
[Deadwool] Marlon T-shirt AMERIE - Mesh Harf Pants Insanya - D3mon1aZ Boots C L A Vv. Ribs Watch Necklace C L A Vv. Cuffed Bracelet Black Bolson - Ocelot Tattoo [MANDALA] Stretched Ears - .HoD. - Neon Punk Gauge - .HoD. - Ri Fhaolchu MESH Facial Piercing [Deadwool] Full beard Action Inkubator Hair - Kyle Page 178 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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::K:: Spring Trench Coat SEUL GARCON \\ Mohair Wrap Scarf ::GB::Warrior Fur store ::GB::Chain denim SISU\\ Field Visor - .HoD. - Ri Fhaolchu MESH Facial Piercing - .HoD. - Neon Punk Gauge - .HoD. - Scorpio’s Simplicity Prt. 2 *Bolson Tattoo - Mr. Burton Clemmm - Stifled Lips ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 181
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.Shi : Weave Leather Vest .Shi : Rolled up Pants ::GB::Wool coat Black fur .Shi : Centurion Sandal C L A Vv. Cuffed Bracelet Black Aeros Hair Raul [Deadwool] Full beard Clem’s Tender Eyes Orange Clem’s - Death’s door /// Soot [MANDALA] Stretched Ears - .HoD. - Neon Punk Gauge - .HoD. - Liquid Poison - .HoD. - Liquid Poison v2 Prt. 2 Clemmm - Stifled Lips Kunst - Cigarette CURELESS [+] Komainu Guardians Tattoo Tableau Vivant - Wicca Ringset ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 183
[Deadwool] Ernst sweater VRSION - KONVERT JACKET AZOURY - Chee Gloves Zibska - Kazuo Trousers ~Tableau Vivant~ Defiler hair - .HoD. - Ri Fhaolchu MESH Facial Piercing - .HoD. - Neon Punk Gauge Zibska - Sigi Headpiece Clem’s - Death’s door /// Soot Clemmm - Tired Glitter Lips Clemmm - I’m Tired Eyes Page 184 | ECLIPSE March 2016
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::GB::Lace-up shirt (TMP) ::GB::Roll up denim pants ::GB:: Feather stole / Black RARE [MANDALA]YOLO-Jewelry-set [Deadwool] Trauermarsch Boots .Shi : Ruff it up Hair - .HoD. - Scorpio’s Simplicity - .HoD. - Sillage Clemmm - Scratched Blush Clemmm - Tired Glitter Lips Clemmm - I’m Tired Eyes Clem’s - Death’s door /// Soot [][]Trap[][] Baby Gelf ears Zibska - Xia Deux Uomo Orbits ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 187
“The Adventures of...” is a monthly feature by Miele Tarantal showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. PinkRayne has lovingly recreated this famous RL landscape for the denizens of Second Life to enjoy. Hop on a bike at the rez point, or just wander aimlessly on foot - one will find many delightful scenes to immerse oneself in or capture. Photographers can join the Rayne Couture group for rez rights, but this is not necessary to create stunning images. The Yorkshire Moors will satisfy those looking for a romantic, gorgeous, and very realistic sim to roam. One can almost feel brisk, fresh sea breezes and smell heather and salt. Click here to visit.
The Adventures of... Exploring The Yorkshire Moors Page 190 | ECLIPSE March 2016
Written by Miele Tarantal Photography by Miele Tarantal ECLIPSE March 2016 | Page 191