What If?

What if you could create anything you wanted, shape your environment at whim, be your dream self ...even fly? Oh wait...you can! It's called Second Life. The limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves and our own creativity. Why would we do that? lol Second Life is full of possibilities. All we need to do is open ourselves to those possibilities and explore! We don't need to limit ourselves to our Real Life existence. Take the brakes off of your imagination and soar. Real Life has it's place. Second Life is not meant to replace Real Life. It isn't an imitation of Real Life. Second Life stands alone on it's own merit as a separate dimension, rich in dreams and beauty.

When I first got into world in May of 2006, I was amazed at the color and texture around me. Sure, I walked into walls for a while in my default skin and hair, and wore boxes on my head at the shoe store. Newbie concerns aside, I fell in love with the freedom of imagination! My first in world experience was on the island of Serenite owned by Keith Extraordinaire. His partner Sereine Bard showed me around. I felt like I'd landed over the rainbow! (smiles) I was asked (dragged in was more like it) to try Second Life by my RL friend Robin Sojourner (Wood). She had been trying to get me into world for about two years! I would look at the web site and say..."na...what do I need with a virtual world. I'm not into computer games." and I'd shelve the idea. Then came the day I didn't. Wow. This was no computer game. How could I have known? The first thing I did was redecorate Robin's cabin. I almost ruined her existing furniture! (laughing) I started building almost immediately. I couldn't wait to create things. I bought a nice piece of land in Nitida and my friend Keith Extraordinaire gave me a cottage to "live in". I was in heaven. *smiles* My friend and then neighbor, Twome Rutledge helped me to shop and she explained the nuances of SL. My friend Morse Dillon explained the basics of building. I found *busy mode*and used it a lot! My first couch was the ugliest thing imaginable. I loved it. I made it. It was mine. I kept building. My friend Sereine said, "You should sell this stuff!" I rented a booth in an "outdoor market". By July of 2006 I had enough inventory to open up a store. I opened Elements in Design in August 2006, in Daikoku. What a crazy store! Not very organized...even I misplaced things there! I met some wonderful people that came to shop. Many of my friends started out as customers. I loved sitting and talking to shoppers over tea. I decided I didn't want a "new release group". I wanted a family. I started Elements Family in September 2006. The family grew, the store grew and by November 2006 I was island shopping. My friend, Julia Hathor said "this may sound crazy, but why don't you link your island to mine?" I thought, hhhmmm...that's not crazy at all! I accepted her kind offer and I opened Elements in Design, Greenmantle on December 20, 2006. I have never regretted a thing! I love Elements. It's been a labor of love and a constant source of fun from the start. Next to come along was Dreamscapes Gallery, since I needed a place to house my sculpture and photography. Creating art in Second Life has renewed my art in Real Life. I finally decided that my jewelry needed to come over into Second Life as well. I have been designing jewelry in Real Life for years. Tiny prims made me blind, my camera bounced all over the place and I cursed at the Lindens under my breath,(sorry LL) but I eventually opened Elemental Muse Jewelry in June of 2006.

Here I am over a year later, planning a celebration for the anniversary of opening of Elements. What a trip! I can't believe that this world absorbed me so completely. Yet...I found bits of myself that I didn't know existed. I opened to this experience and this experience opened me. I found friends that speak to my soul. I found creativity without boundaries. Nothing for me will ever be the same.

-Gwen

Imagination Exploration

Second Life is an opportunity to explore the uncharted lands of our imaginations. If we just stick to the roads we know and never venture off the green, we will never know what is possible. That more than anything else would be a crime. Artists speak through imagination.



There is no right or wrong in the expression of what we find within our imaginations. We choose the vehicle of communication, be it performance, writing, film, sculpture, photography or design using prims. All are forms of communication through art. Art is less about forcing others to see a path and more about presenting possibilities. Art affects us. It has an impact on how we feel when we experience it. That experience can be pleasant or disturbing depending on the art and how we relate to it.



The most important things we can put into our work are passion and honesty. When I build, I don't think to myself "Will this sell?" I just build it for the sheer fun of doing so. I love the feeling of seeing something I imagined or dreamed become a *reality*. It's a rush! Then, sharing it becomes the next rush. *smiles*



There are a lot of wonderful designers in Second Life. I enjoy seeing and purchasing their work. As much as I respect and admire them though, I don't want to be them. I would much rather create things my own way. There can be no fulfillment or satisfaction in duplication of another artist's work or style. It's empty...the work is empty. It's not fun. We create from within. Among the designers I love, first and foremost would be my friend Julia Hathor. Her creativity sings in everything she creates. Her builds are as magical as she is.



So...let's walk the side paths of our imaginations and see what we discover about our art and about ourselves. Drop a prim and see what happens...teleport to a texture shop and get inspired!We never know where those paths will lead unless we walk them. ;)

-Gwen

Thank you, Elements Family!

Many Second Life content creators and designers have "new release groups" to keep customers updated on new designs. I'm lucky...I have a family! You have helped me build Elements from the start! You've even chased away griefers, redesigned my floors (lol Selena) and helped out in the main store when I was away! We've danced in our pajamas (even Julia ;) at our PJ parties and danced in our spiffy stuff under the stars, at the openings of the new Elements in Design Island and Dreamscapes Gallery. This is not just a new release group. This is a family in every sense of the word, so this first post of my new Blog is for you! Thank you for stopping in to say hi, even if you aren't shopping. Thank you for bugging me to relax and play. Thank you for always encouraging me with your kind words and most importantly...thank you for your friendship.*smiles* The Family Wall at the main store says it all. You guys rock!

Hugs with Love:))
Gwen