imvu ogespanish interview
The following Q & A is from my Ogespanish interview with Linda, 22nd Jan 2022
Hi SAS,Please fully introduce yourself to these beautiful souls in the audience, telling us more about you.
Hello thank you Linda it is an honor and a pleasure to be sitting here with you. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to come tonight.
My name is Sas or Stephen, I'm 36 and from the UK. I've been creating for around 12 years on and off with breaks of months or years in between whilst I was concentrating on building a career and family. But I've always come back to IMVU because nothing comes close to the satisfaction I get from creating. I have 3 accounts SASTYLE, SASUIT & Poligon. My current goal is to make this my full time job and eventually to play a bigger role of mentoring within the IMVU community and digital space.
When and how did you discover IMVU? And What made you decide to stay?
I clicked on a banner advertisement for IMVU on Facebook back in 2008. I used to play the sims and IMVU was like the sims but with real people. You will remember Linda back in those days we had big heads and big feet but it was less about the look and more about RP and friendships. I discovered a role playing mafia group and worked my way up the ranks building friendships and a small online community. And so initially i stayed for the friendships i had found.
At what point did you decide to become a developer via IMVU and what made you take developing more seriously?
I had been on IMVU for about 6 months, i had experienced all the drama IMVU had to offer including being catfished lol. At that time I was running an online business selling games, DVDs and gadgets and so I had a basic understanding of html coding and photo editing software. When I discovered the creator programme on IMVU it was a natural progression to utilize my basic skills to bridge two of my main interests. At first I was designing wedding certificate stickers that couples could display on their homepages. After I had some familiarity with the programme I started creating clothing which I wanted to wear. I was fortunate to meet and become friends with an established creator called ddizzyb and she taught me a lot about the business side of things. And so when I realized I could do something I enjoyed and get paid for it I was all in.
How would you describe your design style?
Simple, elegant, timeless, formal, GQ are a few words that come to mind. I have a more classic aesthetic style and try to focus on the shapes and details before the colours and textures. Whatever my style is, comes from a kind of flow state which I can't really articulate but if you are creative in any domain you may understand what I mean.
When you create these amazing designs, where do you draw your inspiration from? Secondly, what was the inspiration behind one of my favourite collections of yours “Noir Collection”?
Inspiration comes in many forms, if you have a creative outlet then you are constantly banking ideas inspired by your surroundings. For example I've created a collection inspired by the color of a room in a movie. I've created a bunch of collections from requests. And so many more from the unconscious flow state I eluded to earlier. I stumbled across a dark Gothic electronic music genre called witch house which inspired the noir collection. I was sent a texture I think, and at the time I was playing around with the new features in Studio and the shiny onyx look worked really nicely. I love the shape I created with the female outfit especially.
What keeps you focused on your goal as a developer in the IMVU World? what sparked your interest in fashion?
I guess discipline and sacrifice keep me focused on my goals. But it's the creative process itself which draws me back when discipline fails. I couldn't tell you exactly why I wanted to be a creator. Sometimes we are just drawn to interests without knowing why. But the reason I continue to create is because it fulfills my creativity, it provides me with some meaning and enjoyment and helps to pay some bills too.
I wouldn't say I have an interest in fashion. By the Oxford dictionary definition, "fashion is a popular style of clothes, hair, etc. at a particular time or place" there's a reason the tag line of my brand is "style, fashions eternal spirit" for me the style is prioritized above what is currently trending. I look back through the decades and even 100 years ago in the 1920's there is a classic timeless style. When clothing flows with or accentuates the human forms best proportions that's where the magic is for me. I'm not a purist though I appreciate fashion and I will be influenced I just don't chase it.
What was the inspiration behind the launch of the brand “Poligon”
When I returned to IMVU in 2018 after a 2 year break I tried to learn blender but with full time work a new born son and the challenge of re-establishing my dead IMVU shop it was too much and so I gave up. For me creating 3d assets was the next step up from texture design. Predator and Prey are two great examples of this dynamic and so when I finally released my first mesh at the end of last year it was a massive milestone in my creative journey and I am thoroughly enjoying learning a new skill.
Another one of my favourite when it comes to your products is -"The Peaky Blinders Collection" What was the inspiration behind this creation ?
Peaky blinders is a TV show set in one of my favourite eras 1920s, about mafia esk empire building, which again ticks one of my favourite genres. And it's set in the region of my hometown Birmingham. Their suits are iconic at this point. I am somewhat known as one of the suit guys on IMVU and the fact it took me so long to create this collection is kind of disrespectful on my part lol.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
At the moment I am almost exclusively fascinated with learning 3d modeling, specifically on blender. Starting anything new is always hard and it requires a lot of consciousness, time and dedication. Luckily there are way more resources, videos and articles for blender than there were even 4 years ago. And IMVU is specifically creating tools and education to help creators. Shout out to katsbits for his endless free tutorials they have been invaluable.
What are the most valuable lessons you have learned as a fashion creator via IMVU?
This may not answer your question exactly Linda but it gets to the heart of it I think. You really have to take a step back and seriously ask yourself what you want from this. And the answer is going to vary for everyone. For me creating is a portal to being absolutely present and in the moment. You can't do a good job when your mind is wandering, you have to be utterly focused. And when that happens you get into this flow state where time no longer exists. Worries can't penetrate your mind and you are in bliss. The moment I realised this consciously, I knew I had to do everything I could to get to this state as often as possible. And so I made a bunch of sacrifices, I stopped playing games, and sitting around watching an endless list of crappy movies. I get up at 2-3am almost everyday so I have time to create. My goal is to do this full time and so the most valuable lesson was revealed to me when I asked what I wanted.
What Would You Consider the Most Important Components of Your Style? And Do You Feel You Have A Signature Style?
IMVU doesn't allow high poly meshes and so you cant add all the details with just the mesh. So technically speaking I try to add little details and shadows that help to bring life to a mesh so that it is compensated by the texture map. Really all texture artists do this to some degree. But the more you do it the better you get the more deliberate you get until (Pro tip) you are literally using a 1000% avatar scaler and moving one pixel at a time. People really appreciate details, there are a ton of players who love to dress up and take pictures so the better the clothes look the better they look. I tend to fair on the side of formal wear for couples although not always. This is probably the most defining memorable thing about my shop.
Do you think style and fashion play a larger role in today’s world?
The short answer is yes and it always will, its part of a status game we have been playing since the dawn of time and is fundamental to human interaction. The good thing about this for digital creators is that all this is moving into the digital space more and more.
Since you started developing, what has been your most exciting project to work on, and what are some of your latest & upcoming projects for 2022?
My next project is always my most exciting project. I can spend 30-100 hours on a project but once it's done and it's out and the advertising is done, I'm on to the next idea and by the way I've already forgotten the name of that last set and I have to open up Instagram and check my feed to find out lol. It's not that I don't care, these are my babies and I Pour my love and creativity into them. But then it's time to move forward, to learn something new to explore the endless possibilities of your imagination and I love the entire process!
What advice would you give to aspiring developers trying to find their niche via the IMVU community?
I'm going to throw a few clichés at you right now! I've been to almost all of your shows Linda and what I'm always listening for is the common thread between all the amazing guests you have featured. There are a few key principles that have helped everyone it seems and I've found this from my own experience too.
Create whatever it is you are personally interested in. You are going to be so much better if you are passionate about whatever your creating. Not to get too woo woo but there is some kind of mysterious creative energy i don't understand that draws people when you do this correctly.
Don't get caught up in what other people are doing concentrate on improving yourself. I've wasted so much time and energy worrying and writing out DMCA reports for all the theft on imvu. MissC broke me out of this spell when read her advice for creators highlight on IG.
You are going to have creative slumps and that's OK. Don't try to force it because you will get frustrated and the work will suffer. Instead what I do is go into education mode. I will watch some YouTube videos about new techniques on photoshop or blender etc. This often gets the creative juices flowing again. And if your not feeling it at all clean something. Cleaning the house is like a reboot button for me. And if your really down in the valley then it's time to watch the movie or play games or hang with friends and recharge those batteries.
If you could change anything about the IMVU world what would it be?
I have a bunch of complaints but those aside. I wish we could walk around and there were actually physics like SL. That would be so cool. Imagine how fun it would be to see Linda drooling over gafs gravity assisted rippling muscle bound avi! To be honest I think we would all love to see that!
What do you do for fun when you are not creating?
I play with my boys, one is 4 years and one is 7 months. I watch the occasional movie with my wife and we play too sometimes. I listen to podcasts and watch YouTube tutorials. Learning is fun.
Have you ever tried any other Virtual Website aside from IMVU?
Yes I have a pant-less avi stuck in a room with a bunch of cats somewhere in SL. I am definitely returning to SL though I really want to create on there, Ramzy tells me good things about it. I just need to dedicate some time.
Are you superstitious or do you have any rules you live by?
Not especially superstitious, but I see the numbers, people call them angel numbers. I made up a story in my head that my future self or my higher self (take your pick) sends me a reminder but can only communicate it with an instinct to look at the clock when it's displaying significant numbers. Eg 11.11 14.14 22.22 etc
It doesn't matter if its true or not the story is the important part because it triggers the reminder and wakes me up, am I doing what I should be?, am I on the right path?, am I taking positive action? Am I spending enough time with my family? Am I wasting time?
It's a reminder to take a moment and look at the bigger picture and that is very useful in this day and age where everything is trying to capture our attention.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I actually want to take this opportunity to say a few things about you Linda.
Linda has created something special with this show and I really appreciate all the work that goes into creating these events so we can come together for a while and learn about each other. She has reignited a whole community of like minded souls. Every time I come to one of her shows I feel like I did back in the old days of IMVU. She has created a space that is fun and positive and classy and somehow without drama or ego! Linda messages me more then anyone just to check in and I know for a fact she does this for so many people. Linda is smart, funny, caring and kind but she can be fierce too and she will stand up for her beliefs. She is a lioness and a queen and there is no better friend you can find on IMVU! So can we just take a moment to give thanks to her. You are amazing Linda and you mean the world to us!
To visit Linda’s website click here
