Second Life's Viv Trafalgar: A Portrait

Location: Any Place Steampunk

When I told Viv that New World Notes had listed her among SL's up-and-coming creative minds, she was pleased. When I told her that I now know a "SLebrity" who hangs with the likes of Filthy Fluno, she essentially said "oh, pfffffffft, Iggy."

That describes Viv's personae well. As both "stuffy Viv" (her term) in human form or "unstuffy Viv" in the form of a sea-dwelling Dark Mer, she's not pretentious. I encountered her first in the Steampunk region of Armada Breakaway, where she was one builder of its original incarnation. That work impressed me enough to beg Viv to provide pro-bono support for Richmond's House of Usher project, and since then I've introduced her to Rezzable's CEO, for whom she does paid builds and consulting.

I'm fond of Viv's sense of humor, patience when I or my avatar get flustered doing some prim-work and start fuming, and her sense of how utterly alien and beautiful SL can be. Here is "unstuffy Viv" with a strange creature on HP Lovecraft Day 2008:



When I asked Viv for a curriculum vitae, she sent these facts, and they don't capture the sparkle of a brilliant mind at work or play.

Viv notes that she's the founder and co-host of the Aether Salon, which is celebrating its first year anniversary in October, and has featured brilliant steamland experts on topics ranging from weapons and corsets to 18th century submersibles, engines, and Victorian Exhibitions. In addition to contributing to this blog, Viv is:

• a hardworking writer in the Primgraph and Prim Perfect offices
  
• a print commentary maven (see Team Tut)
• a just-getting-her-feet-wet student of machinima.
• a builder and scripter. favorite recent builds include - Vernian Deep (with Ianthe Farshore); Curious Seamstress in Port Babbage (with Jasper Kiergarten); The Heliodrome in Wheatstone Waterways (with Jasper Kiergarten); and the Caledon Library Teleport HUD
• a creator of various victorian, steampunk, and western fashions: "I like the new wollstonecraft gown in particular, The safari outfits for men and women are a hoot; the clocktoppers are amusing" with a main Viv Trafalgar Outfitters store in Port Babbage, in between Brassworks - a shop of detailed devices she co-owns with Jasper Kiergarten, and Brass Needle - Storm Thunders' shop
• a teacher and student; a storyteller.

And always a good friend in both worlds.