Toxxic Rhiannyr
Hello! Thank you for being a Premiere Sponsor for the Avi Choice Awards! – ♥
Q: When did you arrive in SL the first time and what brought you to Second Life?
A: I first rezzed in Second Life in August of 2009. A business associate of mine told me about it because we shared a mutual client who DJ’d in SL at the time. She was actually pretty upset with him because he had started canceling real-life performances since he was making more money DJing in Second Life. Naturally, that caught my attention. When she mentioned it was a platform where people could actually earn real money, I had to check it out for myself.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about how you’ve spent your Second Life? Hobbies, interests.. things you’ve learned along the way ?
A: I have a pretty extensive work history in Second Life and have tried just about every corner of the creator world. I originally started with a photography studio, then moved into clothing design with my store AlterEgo. After AE closed, I shifted my focus to offering commissioned graphic design services while also organizing annual hunts [Spookzilla] and running a few smaller stores on the side. [GlowBaby, Pretty Savage, Cannabliss & Vendetta]. I spend a lot of time working in Second Life, but when I step away from the platform, I enjoy going dancing, bowling, gambling, and hanging out with friends.
Q: Tell us about your business. When was it founded? How many organizers/founders? How many SLers do you staff, etc?
A: My main focus these days is my commissioned based business [TR]. I am a graphic designer with over 25 years experience in the field. In addition to graphic services I also do virtual brand consulting and design. I have been doing this work specifically in SL since 2016 and have recently in the last couple of years extended the services to metaverses such as VRChat, Roblox, IMVU & Sims4.
My work is heavily scattered around Second Life. You will find lots of people using my event booths, neon signs or custom graphic designs for their company branding. I have well over 5,000 clients in SL alone. I do work alone. I don’t have staff or anyone working with me at the moment. I do have a good friend circle that keeps me grounded and always has a pillow when it all becomes too much.
Q: Was there a special reason you chose to sponsor the Avi Choice Awards?
A: Yes! I was nominated this year for favorite Hunt Organizer! ♥ I read over the notecard and saw sponsorship opportunities and wanted to support!
Q: Do you have any specific charities you support in SL? If so, who and why?
A: Yes! I have joined events that support Relay for Life and the Red Cross. I also participated in LOVE TO UKRAINE and Second Pride, which raises funds for It Gets Better organization. If I see a kiosk for RFL or anything donating to animals, I will likely drop lindens in the box. My heart just goes out to people and I believe in karma. I like to pay it forward. I am also one of those people who will be in a fast food line and pay for the people’s order behind me. It makes me feel good knowing I helped out a stranger.
Q: Do you want to share a look at your life outside of SL with us? What do you or did you do for a living? Does your family support your SL aspirations?
A: I’m very fortunate to say that I’ve worked exclusively in Second Life for the past 16 years. Prior to entering SL, I spent about 10 years working as a freelance graphic designer. Before fully committing to design, my last traditional job was a warehouse quality control position, which I held when I was around 23 years old.
Q: Second Life is full of creative, talented, inspirational, kind and diverse people. Tell us about some of your biggest inspirations in SL? .. a memory or happening that stands out as inspirational, mind-blowing or heart-felt? Who has impressed you in your Second Life journey?
A: Great question. I’ve told this story many times, and I’m not exactly sure why it stuck with me the way it did, but it left a lasting impression that I still think about today. When I was a new resident in Second Life, I loved visiting Truth Hair, by Truth Hawks. At the time, he was incredibly popular and there would often be hundreds of people in the region at once. I would teleport there and just imagine what it must feel like to have that many people gathered around to buy your creations.
I remember the store being filled with racks and racks of hair, so many styles to choose from. It felt almost magical to me. I would stand there and think, maybe one day this could be me. I still joke that he’s my SL unicorn, because newbie-me was so impressed by both the quality and the sheer amount of work in that store.
I’ve actually never met him, even to this day, but I still have that same admiration and respect for his work nearly two decades later. That experience really stuck with me and gave me the motivation to keep pushing forward, like if he could do it, so could I. I think that is something beautiful about Second Life. Just being amongst so many creative people and enjoying what they share with the community. Very impactful.
Q: Anything else you’d like us to know about you, a special mentor, friends or your business?
A: Ah, there are so many people in Second Life I could thank. Rather than listing them all and boring you, I’ll just say this: I’m grateful for every single person I’ve crossed paths with here. Whether the experience was good or bad, each one has shaped me into the person I am today. I wouldn’t trade my Second Life journey for anything. Thank you all for supporting my creations, and I look forward to many, many more years to come.
And thank you for sending me this interview. It was really fun to fill out and made me reflect on things that don’t often get talked about.
Thank you so much for giving us a look at all you do in our Virtual World. Thank you for being so supportive to the Avi Choice Awards and its mission to applaud and support those who make our Second Life so perfectly special.