Project Endless Possibilities (26): Klark Harvy

(I’m happy to introduce you to another participant in Project Endless Possibilities. Please welcome Klark Harvy. Klark has chosen to answer in essay style. You can read more about the project, see the questions as well as find the previous entries – and read about how you participate – here.)

The creation of my avatar as it now stands has evolved. Initially it was not based on myself but a much younger youth, a look that i figured was a cute one. As it has evolved it has aged some too and is now a very close resemblance to myself in RL, maybe its about the finding of myself and coming full circle of acceptance. I am very happy with my avatar image, but will continue to buy better more realistic skins and possible modify the shape to how i feel i am in RL.

I don’t make any significant changes to my avatar very often, although on a few occasions i have been emotionally “down” and made some attempts to recreate myself.. only to find a few hours later i am like 3k poorer and i revert back to my original avatar shape and skin

I have chosen my avatar to look like this because it does resemble me in RL, and it does get a lot of attention, i guess i like that kudos, and it makes my SL more real for me.

I think my signature look is just as i am.. like i said i tend to often revert back after attempting to make adjustments, so i guess this is me and i’m comfortable with it.

It is very important to me how my avatar looks. I believe it makes a difference to how you are treated in SL. Unfortunately people label you according to how you dress and how unique and attractive you appear in your second life. I think my look has greatly contributed to my success in SL both professionally and personally.

The basics that are always me are; my hair, eyes and skin and shape. They only change when im doing shows that maybe require short hair or a beefed up body.

How other avatars look tells me a lot about them in reality. It allows me to see their creative level and also how self confident they are in RL, and what they feel is important to attract the opposite sex to them. I have never avoided talking to avatars by the way they look, i help new people a lot in SL and buy them things to enable them to feel more happy with their avatar.

When i first joined SL, i spent a lot of time on creating a unique looking avatar. I wanted to be respected for my creative skills and it was my first outlet to portray this. Now i guess its easier for me but just as important, so no, my thoughts on my appearance hasn’t changed much.

SL has influenced my RL greatly. At a time when my self esteem was real low and in times of despairing illness, SL has enabled me to gain self preservation and also healing.

My avatar is a facet of me. It is not completely me, but a very big part of who I am in RL too. I guess its a very close visual representation of me but expresses emotion much more freely than my RL persona.

In conclusion..
In SL i can feel that all of me is being expressed. What fails or is weak in RL i can bolster in SL. I can confront my fears here in a safe way, which enables me to grow and personally develop in RL.
My Avatar is more than a tool, it is a virtual representation which completes my whole personality. And in totality, my life is RL and SL.

The whole is more than the sum of the parts.

(Photos by Klark Harvy.)

Project Endless Possibilities (25): Jinnywitha Cleanslate

(So we have reached participant no 25 in the project. Please welcome Ginny. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

• Does your avatar look like or represent your real life self?

Yes.  I wanted to be me in SL – so I spent about 4 hours on my first day trying to get myself to look like myself, by staring in the mirror and tweaking away at the sliders.  It was weird how I perceived myself to look, then when I looked in the mirror to compare, I was actually quite different to what I had created, and had a much rounder SL face.  I soon corrected that by using the mirror.  If I could have added the extra wobbly bits that I have around my midriff in RL – I would have done.  Thats how much I just wanted to be me in here.  lol.

• Do you make significant changes to your avatar often?

No – I am me in here.  I have a horse and dog and dolphin avatar too but I hardly use them.  The horse  – a Water Horse Avatar, I use as a touring vehicle for newbies, as I found it easier to have them sit on the horse rather than just follow – that way we can stay together and don’t waste time gettign seperated.  And as both people can control the AV – it was a good way to get about, as they can explore and still ask question with me present.  As soon as the tour is over – I go back to being me.

• Why have you chosen to have your avatar look like he/she/it does?

I have a lot of gaps in my RL, that SL fills.  I couldn’t be anyone else but me, and so it was important to me to put in the initial effort to create a virtual me.

• Do you have a signature look?

I look like me.  I don’t have a particular style.  I have more fashion sense in SL – largely because in RL I can’t get clothes like that.  But in RL I wouldn’t walk about in short tops that show a section of my belly area, because society objects to stretchmarks and wobbly bits, and also I feel cold a lot of the time in RL.  lol.

• Is it important to you how your avatar looks?

Yes!  Very!

• Do you have some basics that you always wear (certain color of hair, eyes or …)?

My hair colour and eye colour, skin, all stay the same.  I usually also always wear this heart necklace.  I go through phases in RL of wearing necklaces when I go out – and most of them are hearts. :o)

• What does it mean to you how other avatars look? Do you avoid talking to some avatars because of their appearance?

I think it’s only natural to pass judgement on how people look.  However, that judgement does not always have to be negative. Saying that – those SL jeans that girls wear that are on their hips and the zipper or flies are open…. they make me think of someone who might be easy.  I just personally find those jeans very cheap and trashy looking, along with overly low hipsters that show the bum cleavage and buttock curve.  I must say, that I find it funny how in RL young boys will walk about with jeans hung annoyingly low on their hips, with the crotch at mid thigh level – you know – the kind that make you want to get behind and haul them up to the proper hip level, yet in SL – you can’t find jeans like that…. thank God!  Lol

• How has your perspective on your avatar and your thoughts about your appearance changed since you first joined Second Life?

They haven’t – always been me.  Boring huh!  lol.

• Has Second Life influenced your Real Life in any way?

Very much so.  I have seen the 2 sides of SL – the good and the bad – and on balance – overall it has been a very positive thing for me – however I have seen it destroy many people.   I have chronic OCD and Multiple Allergy Syndrome, and that with an ill elderly, co-dependent mother, that I also have to care for in RL, means I have very little freedom in RL.  SL gives me freedom.  It taught me how to control my OCD via an SL support group – and I now mentor people with OCD in this specialist group, inworld.   It gave me something to do, when I was bedridden for 2 years awaiting surgery.  It gave me self confidence.  It gave me the chance to see bits of the RL world, that I might never have seen, albeit representations of them.  It gave me new friends, and support in some very terrrible times in my life in ways that I found my RL friends didn’t.  And because of my mother’s restrictions and controlling tendencies in RL I was denied a very valuable RL experience, but with SL – I could bypass her, and so it gave me the chance to actually have my first ever ‘boyfriend’ and ‘relationship’ in a way that she couldn’t stop.  I’ve had 2 long relationships both lasting over 2 years in SL.  Neither worked out – but that whole chapter made me grow up a lot in RL.  SL is my escape from the general chaos of my RL.  Some people turn to drink and drugs – I turn to SL to de-stress and get away from it all.  I still ensure that I have my feet firmly in RL though, and try not to let it control my life.  But I do truely love SL!  heheheh

• How do you view your avatar? Is it just a tool to be able to navigate SL, is it an aspect of your persona, a virtual representation of you or maybe your best friend?

My AV is a virtual representation of me.  In RL my nickname is Jinny and I am known as someone who is always nice and good (not a do-gooder as such, just someone who won’t deliberately start trouble or gets in trouble) – and in SL my name is Jinny (or Jinnywitha Cleanslate = Jinny with a clean slate).  I would be heartbroken if I found my AV been deleted by accident one day, and I could never get her back.  I think my therapy bills would go through the roof if that ever happened!  LOL – I’d probably need grief counselling too.  LOL.   My AV is such a strong part of me that when my health was in critical condition, and I was making my own memorial booklet for my RL funeral if I didn’t survive – I had a picture of my SL self and my SL name, and D.O.B. on the back cover – and my RL self and name etc, on the front.  I even have an SL Last Will And Testament, to distribute any Lindens and transferables amongst people.  All my RL and SL friends have said that SL has been a positive thing for me, and I felt it important to acknowlege that, in the event of my passing.

(Photos by Jinnywitha Cleanslate.)

Project Endless Possibilities (24): Niamh (Atalanta Navarathna)

(Due to RL circumstances, there have been a small gap in the project entries but hopefully we’re back now. Today’s entry features a spunky cute little fae – meet Niamh, the 24th participant in the project. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

• Does your avatar look like or represent your real life self?

First, my character’s name is Niamh. I RP (role play) with her in Terabithia, a medieval RP sim. RPing and shopping are the two main (exclusive) things I do in SL.

In terms of shape, she doesn’t really look like me. Not only is she way prettier and younger, she is also 4 feet tall and has wings (she’s a fae!). In terms of her face, she actually looks a bit like a client I once had who I had been particularly fond of, although it was not on purpose. I’m a counselor IRL, and I created the shape while this young woman was a client. I didn’t even realize I had made her face so much like my client’s at the time.

In terms of the avi as a whole, no, she dresses nothing like me. Or rather, I dress nothing like her; again, she is a fae. But in terms of personality, and spirit, she is definitely one facet of my personality that I have chosen to emphasize in my avi. I have a couple friends IRL who have compared me to a bird or a fairy. One calls me “Puck.”

• Do you make significant changes to your avatar often?

Her overall look is always the same – big hair, lots of jewelry (on my profile, I state , ” Mission: How much stuff can Niamh attach to her body?”), flowery tattoos, wings.

• Why have you chosen to have your avatar look like he/she/it does?

That is a very good question. I guess for many of the reasons described above. My last account played an elf (long story re: why I largely abandoned that account). I think it is largely about having a history of playing D&D, and having the opportunity to give shape to a D&D type character. Cute, fun, and funky are sort of the adjectives I think are leading principals. And she makes me smile. On my profile, I state ” My Advice: Have an Avi that you love! so that every time you look at him or her, you smile happily! In a world where so much goes wrong – having an avi that you adore – it’s awesome!”

I guess it’s also about being someone I literally could never be IRL – a fairy! I mean, how cool is that!!! And I don’t have to worry about dressing appropriately for my job, or what my friends or family, or even strangers think. It’s quite empowering, actually. And, everybody loves a cute short little fae.

• Do you have a signature look?

Absolutely. She always wears her flowery tattoos, her Fae rings (demonstrating her rank), and her +1 AC leg-band (a Spellfire RP thing). She also has a particular set of jewelry that rarely changes, although I have tons of jewelry in my inventory, and continue to buy new jewelry. She wears: two necklaces, a set of fabulous earrings, the rings already mentioned, and a lip ring. Also a face tattoo that changes colors depending on her outfit. Ditto with eyelashes. One of the two necklaces has a color-change HUD. Her hair is always some type of big hair thing, and color also matches outfit.

• Is it important to you how your avatar looks?

Most certainly. It’s important to me that when I see her, she makes me smile. Her look definitely reflects her personality. Particularly in an RP environment, the way one looks contributes to how characters interact. Niamh looks like a total sweet cutie pie. And – she would be happy to kill you just for fun.

I log into SL just to look at her sometimes (I mean, not literally, at least not consciously, but I do think that seeing her is a comfort and is just sort of nice).

• Do you have some basics that you always wear (certain color of hair, eyes or …)?

Colorful flower tattoo, Spellfire meter, AC +1 leg band, Fae Puca Butterfly Ring (a fae rank thing), Wing Control HUD, Spell Fire HUD, Tir Nan Og Fae Translator (lets me speak in Fae in local chat – only someone else wearing it can understand) and the accompanying gesture, Fae Royal Guard Butterfly ring (another fae rank ring), my Quick Pose HUD, Ascky’s RP speaker and the accompanying gestures, a specific set of eyes, a specific shape, a specific AO.

The things that change are hair, skin, clothes, and jewelry (less often, but these others, above, never change).

• What does it mean to you how other avatars look? Do you avoid talking to some avatars because of their appearance?

Ooh! Good question. Since I interact mostly in an RP setting, there’s the obvious factor that I will interact with another character based on their race, i.e. an orc, elf, fae, human, etc. In addition to that, some avi’s appear way more intimidating than others. And that can actually affect how I interact OOCly (OOC=Out Of Character) also, which is really sort of silly. I’m getting better at that though, i.e. about separating the avatar from the person behind it.

• How has your perspective on your avatar and your thoughts about your appearance changed since you first joined Second Life?

Niamh started out wearing waaay skimpy clothes. But she gradually started to cover herself up a bit more. I think that once I had followed that fantasy of having a barely covered gorgeous body, I was like, “ok …… what else?” Also …. well, the other fae I found myself hanging out with (did I really just type that? Giggles. Yep, I hang out with fae in SL) tended to be more clothed, and that influenced me. Not so much from a peer pressure perspective, but from a “subculture” perspective. That probably makes no sense. Anyway.

• Has Second Life influenced your Real Life in any way?

Hard question. I believe everything affects everything. However, to be more specific – yes, there are times I just need to do a “happy dance,” one of Niamh’s characteristic animations (usually if I’ve been drinking :P). She’s just …… so much fun. And she’s bold and confident (in general) and extraverted (I’m more introverted IRL).

• How do you view your avatar? Is it just a tool to be able to navigate SL, is it an aspect of your persona, a virtual representation of you or maybe your best friend?

What I’ve already described should make the answer to that question clear, for the most part. To summarize, my avatar is a facet of myself that doesn’t really have a place to be expressed IRL, or at least my current RL existence.

(Photos by Niamh (Atalanta Navarathna.)

Project Endless Possibilities (23): Haruhi Pfeffer

(Today, Haruhi Pfeffer graces the blog. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

• Does your avatar look like or represent your real life self?

My avatar is not an extact copy of me, but I did base her appearance on how I look.

• Do you make significant changes to your avatar often?

I have only changed my shape a few times. When I first started using SL I was significantly smaller, but after constantly being confused for a child avatar, I bit the bullet and made myself a bit taller.

• Why have you chosen to have your avatar look like he/she/it does?

I didn’t want to be a generic avatar. When I created Haruhi the only avatars that were small tended to be child avatars. I am short in real life and I am not at all thin. I wanted a curvy shape. I wanted to be different and still be true to who I really am.

• Do you have a signature look?

I tend to dress the way I would in real life, minus allowing Haruhi to wear dresses. I never wear them personally.

• Is it important to you how your avatar looks?

I don’t think that my avatar needs to be the most beautiful, but I like being unique and I think it is important to have Haruhi as a representation of myself.

• Do you have some basics that you always wear (certain color of hair, eyes or …)?

I am really stuck on Curio skins right now. I have several different types of the same general skintone.

The only things I always have on are my tomato and my collar.

• What does it mean to you how other avatars look? Do you avoid talking to some avatars because of their appearance?

I think everyone is guilty of judging some people based on their avatar’s looks. I love seeing unique shapes and looks, though. I try to be open minded and accepting of all kinds.

• How has your perspective on your avatar and your thoughts about your appearance changed since you first joined Second Life?

I really never expected to gain anything from my avatar, but I have grown to be more accepting on my own apperance because of her. I think that when people compliment her I feel a bit of pride in myself.

• Has Second Life influenced your Real Life in any way?

Second Life itself hasn’t influenced my life, but the people that I have made real connections with have. I formed some really great relationships in game and I regard those people as highly as anyone that I see face to face on a daily basis.

• How do you view your avatar? Is it just a tool to be able to navigate SL, is it an aspect of your persona, a virtual representation of you or maybe your best friend?

I see Haruhi as a part of me. She is a representation of myself. Even if I turn her into another creature or a hybrid or whatever else, she is still a piece of me.

(Photos by Haruhi Pfeffer.)

Project Endless Possibilities (22): Eupalinos Ugajin

(Eupalinos Ugajin is not your typical SL resident. He has many avatars – more than 50, he told me – and he combines them so the number is even higher. And these are not your typical avatars either. Therefore, Eupalinos’ entry in this project is different from most. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

In Second Life :

A wall has no texture, at least not one you could explore with your fingers.

Some bread coming out of an oven is just a just an information.

The wind evolves in tiny cubes.

etc…

So what is this thing about this space ?

Is it the smile that comes to you when you discover that gravity is just an option ?

Could it be this short distance between an idea and a prim ?

The irony of a simulated danger ?

Your inventions/your avatar’s appearance can easily be the meeting point between two persons who will never “see” each other.

Could it be a more direct connection between our brains ?

Forget “weather conversations” and play with legos (prims) or stop the Sun where you want in the sky (windlights).

Is it the (false) hope to exert less pressure on this Planet by only invading a world made of pixels ?

When I say I play Second Life some people reply : but it is not “REAL!”
I answer it is as real as anything created by Mankind. (If I had to use the word “Real” I would just go and sit in front of a tree or anything that was created by Nature).

Is Second Life some sort of “Invention of Morel” you could play with ?

In Second Life I am a two years old child climbing a staircase and laughing at all the energies used. Here to explore its possibilities and limits =  “…la dure réalité de la fiction…” (Raymond Devos)

(Photos by Eupalinos Ugajin.)

Project Endless Possibilities (21): Nosnibor Zerundi

(Today, I’d like you to meet Nosnibor Zerundi, Nos. Nos has been sweet enough to provide me with her styling notes so not only do you get her answers, you also get two exclusives from the closet of Nos. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

• Shirt #1: Boyfriend Shirt [Grey] by Swaffette Firefly. Bought at SF Design.
• Shirt #2: Polka Dots Mini Dress [Lime] by Mala oh. Bought at .:Acid & Mala Creations:. (Using the top half of the dress as a tank top).
• Gloves: Toxic by Tweety Denimore. Bought at T&A Designs. (Part of the Toxic outfit).
• Bracelet: Nightmare Bangle by Juju Neximus. Bought at *Bad Juju*.
• Watch: Hunted Cuff by Phia Vaughan. Bought at Twisted & Spoiled. (Part of the Hunted outfit).
• Pants: Juice [Black] by Beanster Potato. Bought at Ducknipple.
• Stockings: Kimiko [Torn] by Tera Gerz. Bought at Dirty Lynx.
• Shoes: PornStar Xtra Hi-Tops MultiColor v2 by Coke Dreadlow. Bought at Urban Bomb Unit. (You can change pretty much everything about them: color of the canvas, laces, eyelets, stitching. Each option lets you change it to a dozen or more different colors.)
• Cleavage Enhancer: Pale [Big] by MiaSnow Myriam. Bought at MiaSnow.
• Lipstick: Shimmer Tsavorite [Medium] by Cane Sutter. Bought at Skinthesis.
• Eyes: Moonlight in your eyes [Sage] by Photos Nikolaidis. Bought at A:S:S.
• Hair: Early [Red 08] by Elikatira Tiramisu. Bought at [elikatira].
• Skin: Creeper by Zombina Gunawan. Bought at Belle Morte.
• Shape: Part of an avatar based on Harley Quinn, the Batman character. I’ve altered a bit & I couldn’t find who made it or where I bought it.

• SL Name: Nosnibor Zerundi
• Joined SL: January 24, 2010.
• Age: 28.
• Time Zone: SLT +0
• Location: Seattle, Washington, USA.

• Does my Avatar look like/represent my rl self?

No. Nos looks nothing like the real life me given that Nos is a woman & in the real world the person behind Nos is a man. I don’t really make a big secret that I’m a guy using a female avatar. If people ask me if I’m a guy in rl I’ll tell them. In fact if one was to go look at my groups I’m part of one that it called “I’m a Guy, Ok?!” This fact does not sit well with some people where others don’t really care. Some wonder if I’m gay or transgendered. My answer to them is no. There was a very easy answer why I choose to use a “be” a woman in Second life: I’m a Dude who likes to look at Chicks so if I was going to be spending my time following some person around a virtual world I’d like to be looking at a lady. 🙂 Plus, as I got into using SL I found that most of the male centric items weren’t all that well made and/or interesting whereas a female in SL has multiple great options of items for sale. As for how Nos acts: yes. I don’t change how I act in SL.If you were to meet me in real life you’d get the same person you get in Second Life just in a different package.

• Do I make significant changes to my avatar often?

Yes. It depends on my mood. I’ve been know to stick with certain items for weeks, months on end. Where as other times one day I’ll have one look & the next day I’ll have a different look. Somtimes between hours I’ll have a different looks. The thing I change the most often is my clothes. I have alot of clothes & it’s the easest thing to change. The next thing I change a lot is my hair. Be it blond, brunette, black, blue: I’ve gone through a number of different hair colors & styles over the year or so I’ve been on Second Life.

• Why have I chosen to have my avatar look like it does?

My philosophy behind my look is: does it look good? I like to piece together different looks from the various items I have in my inventory. If I buy an outfit I rarely wear the complete outfit, most of the time I’ll wear parts of it with other things. I like to mix & match items & styles: casual, steampunk, victorian, retro, rockabilly, grunge, post apocalyptical to name a few.

• Do I have a signature look?

No.

• Do I have some signature item?

Yes. There are just items that I keep coming back to. I don’t wear them all the time but I’ve worn them enough that they have become signature items.

• Is it important to me how I my avatar looks?

Yes. I want my avatar to look good. All the parts might not have come from the same place but I think they should look they could have.

• Do I have some basics that I always wear?

I have a few “signature items” that most of the time I’m wearing at least one or more of those. One of them is a shape I’ve used for much of my time here in Second Life. Every thing else is built off of that.

• What does it mean to me how others avatars look? Do I avoid talking to some avatars becuase of the way they look?

I don’t tend to talk to many people in Second Life. I’ll talk to them if they talk to me first. 🙂 I’ve seen a few people that I think really cool but I’ve been a bit afraid to start to talk to them. Mostly because I just do know what I’d say. I’ve seen a few different avatars that I just don’t like how they look but I’d find it a bit rude if some random person told me that they didn’t like my looks so I don’t say anything.

• How has my perspective on my avatar & my thoughts about my appearance changed since I first joined SL?

I’ve become more selective on how I dress my avatar. I’ve come to know what works & what doesn’t work for her. I also noticed that I will sometimes refer to myself as Nos when I know we are 2 seperate people: 1 real & 1 fictional.

• Has SL influenced my RL in any ways?

Not that I can think of. I found that Second Life is a great way to waste a few hours. I’ll sometimes get so involved in what I was doing in Second Life that I’ll loose all track of time.

• How do I view my Avatar? Just a tool to navigate SL, an aspect of my persona, virtual reperesentation of myself, a best friend?

I’d say an aspect of my persona. I don’t act all that differently in Second Life then I do in real life. I aslo partly think of my Avatar as a doll, one I can dress up & play pretend with. I think most people feel that way because when you get right down to it Second Life is just one big game of pretend.

• Shirt: Button Up Vintage Floral by Swan Ling. Bought at
• Bra: Denna [Cherry] by Antonia Marat. Bought at Artilleri.
• Necklace: Drink Me. Creator unknown. Bought at Nomine as part of a limited edition “Alice in Wonderland” theme avatar set.
• Gloves: Toxic by Tweety Denimore. Bought at T&A Designs. (Part of the Toxic outfit).
• Bracelet: Nightmare Bangle by Juju Neximus. Bought at *Bad Juju*.
• Watch: Hunted Cuff by Phia Vaughan. Bought at Twisted & Spoiled. (Part of the Hunted outfit).
• Pants: Jeans Dream [Artist 1] by MiaSnow Myriam. Bought at MiaSnow. (The Jeans come as part of a fatback).
• Shoes: Slips [Simple Yellow]. Creator unknown. Bought at Shitz n Giggles.
• Tattoo: Bombshell by Cielo Seminario. Bought at .:.BTRS.:.
• Cleavage Enhancer: Pale [Big] by MiaSnow Myriam. Bought at MiaSnow.
• Lipstick: Shimmer Tsavorite [Medium] by Cane Sutter. Bought at Skinthesis.
• Eyes: Moonlight in your eyes [Sage] by Photos Nikolaidis. Bought at A:S:S.
• Hair: Kenny [Natural Blonde, Buff] by Bryce Tully. (I think the hair was made for a male avatar but I think it looks good on my female avatar).
• Skin: Creeper by Zombina Gunawan. Bought at Belle Morte.
• Shape: Part of an avatar based on Harley Quinn, the Batman character. I’ve altered a bit & I couldn’t find who made it or where I bought it.

(Photo by Nosnibor Zerundi.)

Project Endless Possibilities (20): Shaman Kharg

(Below, you’ll find the essay style answers from Shaman Kharg, a satyr. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

Greetings, My name is Shaman Kharg, and I am 1213 days old.
My avatar is a satyr. I have not been a human av since my second or third day in SL, but I do have human av/outfits for certain purposes.

I suppose my av looks like me, to a certain extent – I had long hair when younger, and facial hair most of my adult life.

I do not make significant changes to this av any longer, as I feel it is complete – I have found myself. I am really not sure if I have chosen this form consciously, or it was an evolution of my own fantasies, brought forth in a world where I can be anything, and truly be seen by others as I wish to be perceived ~ a freedom rarely experienced in RL to this extent ~ but I have lived the life of one in RL, putting a high value on wine, women and song for many years, along with the excesses and darker sides represented by these creatures.

My signature look, through many incarnations, has always been the horns, be they the traditional style (faun) deer or moose antlers, a sci-fi set as a noob, (the satyr not really          here yet) or the black ram’s horns which are the staple now. Most of these forms, present one included, have also had a goatee – in the center of the lower lip, (as I wear in RL for the past 25 years), and of course, my goat legs.

The appearance of my av is important to me. I have seen many poorly executed av’s, whether they are the result of inferior design by the creators of the outfits/av’s, or just a seeming indifference/inexperience by the people behind the av themselves. Although this is a matter of personal style, and in some cases is by design, this is just my personal opinion. I wish to be unique, and look as closely as possible to my ideal of how a satyr should look.

As time went by, I realized I could express my inner feelings through the look of my AV, and slowly began moving from a more basic body/skin, with human legs, to different stylized satyrs – one a cartoonish outfit, another with parts of a minotaur – the legs now goat or bull like – and more animal type skins, and began collecting horns and antlers of a wide variety.  Each of these in succession moving closer to a more woodland creature than a furry. I am an avid nature lover, tree hugger, healer and practicing shaman in RL. A respect for mother nature, and all of her plants and animals began to express itself here, a place with almost none of the usual ridicule many have in RL for healers and sensitives. I had found a community of others like myself, whose only concerns were the spiritual growth of all  beings and the easing of pain. I had found an easy acceptance of things I had kept hidden from society, as if I was a witch in old Salem. I had come here looking for a game, and instead found friendship, community, a seeming lack of discrimination, companionship, art, music, and the knowledge that I was not so alone in the world, not an anomaly or an oddity.

I was home.

(Photos by Shaman Kharg.)

Project Endless Possibilities (19): Cattleya Bouras & Timour Carami

(Today’s post presents the satyr Cattleya Bouras and also the alt, the mer Timour Carami. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here. And now – let’s meet Cattleya and Timour:)

• Does your avatar look like or represent your real life self?

No, not at all

• Do you make significant changes to your avatar often?

No, not often… only small changes to make it overall better.

• Why have you chosen to have your avatar look like he does?

Cattleya: Because the character matches my RL character, and satyr is a fun creature.

Timour: Because the merman is appearing with beautiful moves in SL and is a fun character to create and play

Cattleya Bouras

• Do you have a signature look?

No.

• Is it important to you how your avatar looks?

Yes, very important…

• Do you have some basics that you always wear (certain color of hair, eyes or …)?

Both: Yes, chesthair, 3 day beard.

• What does it mean to you how other avatars look? Do you avoid talking to some avatars because of their appearance?

When avatars are not looking good they don’t invite to talk to…….

Timour Carami

• How has your perspective on your avatar and your thoughts about your appearance changed since you first joined Second Life?

Yes… its a challenge to look better and better.

• Has Second Life influenced your Real Life in any way?

Hmm yes, less time for RL.

• How do you view your avatar? Is it just a tool to be able to navigate SL, is it an aspect of your persona, a virtual representation of you or maybe your best friend?

My avatar(s) are a virtual representation of me  indeed.

Timour Carami

(Photos by Cattleya Bouras/Timour Carami.)

Renewal of the identity crisis

Well, I’ve been having the same shape and skin for a while now (*cough cough* about a month, I think *cough cough*) and I still love it. But I’m beginning to feel that I need to add something, to make it more unique. Just not sure what. See the thing is, while reading the entries in Project Endless Possibilities, I’ve noticed that several seem to have either known from the get-go what they wanted to be and look like – while others have had their identity slowly fall into place. I’m definitely in the second group – but I desperately want to be in the first group. I’m not sure why because it’s kind of fun watching it develop. But still – I’m searching for uniqueness.

I’ve tried bunny ears … not the playboy version but black lop bunny ears and while they were nice, it still didn’t feel quite like me. I’ve also tried various furry avatars but the thing is, I like clothes and shoes and I shop a lot so I don’t really want to have to change everything I buy to be able to wear it. So what then? I’ve considered antlers and tattoos but I have friends doing these so … Besides, is it really me?

Forest of Light – Fantasy Faire

So yesterday I decided to finally start checking out Fantasy Faire. I’ve been wanting to for ages but been busy with Pose Fair – turns out that was a mistake, since Fantasy Faire ends first… So I went yesterday and started. Made it to the second shop then I started talking with a Fae and ended up tagging along her to Terabithia where I got to wear my beautiful newly bought wings and play a fae all evening long and a bit into the night.

I had a lot of fun – at first, there was a lot to remember and learn and keep track of but as the time went by, I started to get more into character and more into the story going on, both the smaller spontaneous ones but also the bigger story arch. (So thanks so much for helping me out, Niamh! You’re a sweetheart!)

But what I’m wondering now is, where does being a fae fit into being me? Last night I was toying with the idea of being a fae, hiding out in the human world – but in the light of day … I don’t know. I still like having only one avi and using that for whatever I want to do in SL. Maybe I’m just RPing a fae – I’ve done a bit of RP in RL, so it would definitely be in character …

Been pondering what to do all day – also while wandering around again at Fantasy Faire. Wow – Forest of Light is an amazingly beautiful sim!

Forest of Light – Fantasy Faire

Am I making things too complicated? Probably – but I’m afraid that’s pretty much in character …

One of the stores at Forest of Light – Fantasy Faire

Project Endless Possibilities (18): Gobstopper Xomotron

(This entry – the 18th in the series – brings you a bit of a different looking avatar. Meet Gobstopper Xomotron. You can read more about the project as well as find the previous entries here.)

• Does your avatar look like or represent your real life self?

No, he is a modified version of Viewer 2’s cardboard robot. I dress fairly ridiculously in real life, so I suppose he is a bit like that (ridiculous)

• Do you make significant changes to your avatar often?

As a second life worker (rather than “player”), I would like to but don’t have much time for it. Lots of plans, but all of which stay in the non-human arena.

• Why have you chosen to have your avatar look like he/she/it does?

I really really didn’t want to look like a bored, 20 year old goth model, with extremely salon-y hair. Since realistically Second Life isnt going to be populated by mall dwellers in middle america (since they wouldn’t generally choose to depict themselves as they are), I prefer more eclectic appearances..

• Do you have a signature look?

My relative prim incompetence and UV texture mapping (in) ability dictates that I’ll be sticking to some fairly lo-res shapes

• Is it important to you how your avatar looks?

Yes – and also understanding some aspects of rendering avatars (as compared to other objects in SL) is important for my work here, so spending some freetime modifiying outfits etc pays dividends for my work as well.

• Do you have some basics that you always wear (certain color of hair, eyes or …)?

Yes – I like being a bit impactful, sized in a disparate way and must have some glow.

• What does it mean to you how other avatars look? Do you avoid talking to some avatars because of their appearance?

I think some avatars avoid talking to me because I break the human metaphor a bit, but for everyone of those I think I probably get an IM from someone who likes the glow-y robot look. As far as anyone else’s appearance – I can’t say it matters, though I’d probably skip a conversation with a guy in a Hitler costume. 

• How has your perspective on your avatar and your thoughts about your appearance changed since you first joined Second Life?

After a bit I realized it (second life) was a nice opportunity to reach a bit further in appearance without much consequence; i.e. bling out in a hollywood way, or walk around with a steampunk top hat – most importantly a place, online, that was immersive (at least a bit) and had real people, but no levelling up. So I guess i’d say that appearance in SL is a lot like appearance in RL, just amped up, because SL is 95% visual.

• Has Second Life influenced your Real Life in any way?

The music certainly has leaked back in, and I find myself a bit more aware of global culture.

• How do you view your avatar? Is it just a tool to be able to navigate SL, is it an aspect of your persona, a virtual representation of you or maybe your best friend?

A vehicle primarily – and I think some persona leaks in through the seams.

(Photo by Gobstopper Xomotron.)