“Subconsciously it represents Hades and Persephone, but I was really going for Scotland meets Harry Potter enchanted forest.”
Persephone Smythe, the creator of Poughkeepsie, talks about what inspired her when creating her nature space, in this month’s Creator Spotlight – brought to you by The Nature Collective.
Q: How long have you been in Second Life?
A: Almost 11 years (wow time flies!)
Q: What brought you to Second Life?
A: I read about it online, ended up having a surgery during the summer that limited what I could, so I tried it out. Been here ever since.
Q: What inspired you to create Poughkeepsie?
A: I’d always had my own little spot in second life, and after being on my own for a bit, I thought, “Why do I need all of this space for just me now?” Then I decided to create a getaway that’s both my home and a place for others to come, relax, and take photos. Subconsciously it represents Hades and Persephone, but I was really going for Scotland meets Harry Potter enchanted forest. But it works!
Q: What’s your creative process like: Do you have everything all planned out or do you have a general idea and improvise along the way?
A: I have an idea, just like for the gothic house, I knew it had to be gothic. Then from there it’s kinda laying stuff out in the middle of the room or on a platform and figuring out where it fits best. So it’s a wee bit of a mixture. Sometimes it’s just a process of, I really want that item in my sim so I’m finding a spot no matter what.
Q: How long does it take you to create each version of your sim?
A: I think this took about a week to do, but I had help from a designer. If I do it by myself as I’ve done in the past, it can take a few weeks or a few days (depends on how deep into it I get and if I can pull an all-nighter or not) but honestly, it’s never ending as I’m finding things to either upgrade how they look or new things I want to add or things I want to change.
Q: What are some of your favorite places to visit in SL?
A: Luane’s world is a beautiful place to visit. Walsh Country is another. One of the more interesting places I went to recently was Jurassic Park. They even have a Willy Wonka scene you can go through. But in all honesty, sometimes it’s just fun to explore and find new places.
Q: What do you do in your spare time outside of SL?
A: Outside of sl I like to garden, fish, do some interior design stuff, write (I have one book out!), work on my Jeep and go do Jeep stuff, and of course play video games.
Q: What are some of your favorite nature-related places you’ve visited in real life?
A: Savannah Georgia is absolutely beautiful. The scenery, the trees, the history, my absolutely favorite place to go. Visiting Lake Erie is good as well, plus I usually get to go fishing when I go up there. I’ve been doing more traveling with a jeep group I joined, so it’s fun to visit new places and experience new parts around me to see.
Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?
A: Isle of Skye in Scotland. Oceans, Puffins, peaceful serene life, and the people are amazing.
Now onto the fun stuff!
Q: Coffee or tea?
A: Both, I live off of both.
Q: Pancakes or waffles?
A: WAFFLES!
Q: Books or TV?
A: Oh that’s a tough one, I mean, you can’t be graced with Jensen Ackle’s beauty if you read a book, but books tell so much more of the story…soo umm uhh…ooo books..but keep the tv for the hot guys XD
Q: If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
A: Otter. They’re so freakin’ adorable, they’re playful, and the noises they make are just so darn cute. Plus you get to swim and slide and be goofy and not judged for it.
For additional information regarding Poughkeepsie, please visit the following:
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/poughkeepsiesl/
Visit Poughkeepsie in Second Life: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Royal%20Oaks/69/123/22
Creator spotlights are published monthly. We hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit more about your favorite nature creators and some behind-the-scenes information about your favorite nature places in Second Life!