Second Life is getting some good press lately: Second Life is Dead. Reuters Pulls Journalist Out of Second Life. Second Life Rampant with Prostitution and Gambling. Corporations Leaving Second Life. Harvard Business School Model Fails in Second Life. What-Ever!Gives me time to get my game on. Saturday May 2nd, I got some game on. I put on an art show. Yup, in Second Life. I have a virtual gallery called "patterntology". Put up some framed work. Biz partner Kyle Beltran put his piano in the gallery and treated folks to a 2hr set. My avatar "Quota Soon" (my inworld name) fielded questions from the crowd and joined in the shin-dig.
Did I make money? Hells yeah. I wasn't really intending to though. You can buy one of my virtual works of art for about $1.25. I made about $10. Not shabby. BUT, I also sealed a deal for one of those pieces to be printed and installed in one of my lightbox constructions and shipped off to a happy customer. In real life. Previously, I've sold two paintings in real life through exposure in Second Life.
Now, I'm not much of a pro at marketing in Second Life but my friends Kyle Beltran and Callipygian Christensen (Second Life photographer) are. They pretty much made it happen. I'm thinking, more or less to prove something to me. Callipygian was able to use her connections and got me in "New World News" by the official CNN reporter in Second Life. Most people showing up at the opening were showing up to see Kyle who already has a decent following but some did come to see the art. One was a gallery owner who would like to show my work in his gallery soon.
Named "of Deities and Demons," the show was comprised of six dark characters I had been working on. Exploring my dark side. We all have a collection in our psyche. Think Tarot Cards. I'm inspired to develop more characters though not necessarily dark.
All in all, it made feel like an artist again. I haven't really been trying too hard either. How much easier can it get? No gallery fees, no printing costs, no snacks and drinks to buy, yet there is an audience from all over the world. I just sat in front of my computer for 2hrs. The world is overlooking the possibilities of virtual reality. I have a feeling though, not for very long.
