Do you remember how you first found Second Life? Were you curious, bored, dragged in by a friend, or did you just randomly fall into the rabbit hole?
I was a kid when I joined randomly about 17 years ago and loved it. I ended up leaving for years and only came back a few years ago.
What was your first impression when you logged in? Were you amazed, confused, overwhelmed, or already opening your wallet for lindens?
At first the trolling confused me, but I came to enjoy it when it was at its peak and it grew on me.
Was there a moment in SL where you thought, "Okay, this place is actually special"?
Realizing that almost everything in SL is made by people. It's a creator driven economy, where anyone can build and sell pretty much anything they imagine; that made it special to me.
What is something about your early SL days that still makes you laugh?
Flexi hairs. I never understood why they were so wobbly when I first joined.
If you could go back and give your brand new Second Life self one piece of advice, what would it be?
There are people who log in just to waste time or ruin yours and then there are genuine people looking for good friendships. Focus on the good ones.
What is one "only in Second Life" moment you have had that you could never explain properly to someone outside SL?
How complex SL is and how fast it moves. Trying to describe that pace to someone who has never logged in is almost impossible.
When did you first start thinking, "I want to make something for this world too"?
It was just an idea. I threw my head patter and bumper on MP, shrugged it off and didn't think anything of it until people actually started buying them.
What was the first thing you ever tried to create in Second Life?
My first creation was my head patter.
How did you come up with the name Serenade?
It's my Second Life last name. I'd rather people know me than my store.
What was the first product that made you feel proud as a creator?
My messenger. It was the first product where I stepped back and thought, I built something people enjoy.
What is something people do not see behind the scenes when they look at a finished Serenade release?
All the days I've put into breaking a product over and over so I can build it better. A lot of that comes down to the caffeine it takes to push through and finish in a few days and the moments I'm ripping my hair out over one stubborn problem. I take a sledgehammer to every product until it's good enough to call it [Serenade]
What has been the biggest lesson you have learned as a creator so far?
I've learned that everyone loves a good sale. Greed and ego are everywhere, so a little kindness goes a long way.
Can you walk us through how a Serenade idea usually becomes a finished release?
I brainstorm internally, research a lot, then test to see if it's possible. From there I work on the scripts and textures, then start putting it together. Once it's all pieced together, I refine it and try my best to break it until I can't anymore. Along the way I ask friends for their opinions and sometimes I let them try to break it too before I release.
What usually comes first for you: the idea, the look, the script, or one random thought at 3 AM?
My memory is a bit strange. I can picture the finished product before I even start, so it usually begins with a 3 AM thought and I work my way up until it's done. Many products didn't make it because of limitations, but some did. Some ideas come to me while I'm working on earlier products so they tend to come one after the other.
Do you usually make things you personally want to use, or do you think more about what other people might enjoy?
Both. I end up using almost all of my products at some point because I think they're cute, and I try to make them good enough so others can enjoy them too.
Which Serenade item feels the most personal to you?
My head patter. It's not in my in-world store yet since it's being upgraded. It's the most personal because I cried for a month and a half straight learning LSL and destroying my brain. I've rage quit LSL at one point, then picked it back up a month later to keep going. It holds the most value to me.
Which item surprised you the most with how people reacted to it?
My messenger. I don't know how people found it. I threw it on MP and moved on to the next product, but people really enjoy the customization and anonymity of it.
What is the most fun part of making something interactive?
Seeing someone use it for the first time. Watching them figure it out makes all the testing and breaking worth it.
If someone could only try one Serenade item first, which one would you choose for them?
Either my social battery or my messenger. Both give people something to play with rather than something they buy and forget in their inventory.
How many unfinished ideas are currently sitting in your folders judging you?
About 8. They're judging the limitations. Some of them are fully planned out in my head and just sitting there until I find a way to make them possible.
Have you ever made something and then thought, "Wait… this is actually way more useful than I expected"?
My partner system. It uses persistent data to eliminate notecards entirely, with a massive amounts of storage potential.
What is the funniest bug, accident, or "why is it doing that?" moment you've had while creating?
My green screen. It kept flipping around and half the time I couldn't tell which side was which because it's all green.
What has being part of events and weekend sales meant for Serenade?
Alt Weekend is my very first event, and it really opened my eyes to how business is done on SL.
If someone is discovering Serenade through Alt Weekend Sale for the first time, what would you want them to know about you?
That I'm just as normal as anyone else and I value everyone's support. I care about accessibility far more than higher profit.
Is there anything you're currently working on that you're excited about, or anything you can tease a little?
A possible way to expand on my Atlas software that lets HUDs use 1 texture at 2k quality across over 20+ pages with 1 face, zero buttons and 1 script for creators.
What would you say to someone who wants to start creating in Second Life but feels nervous?
Being nervous is just the first step toward success and it's fine to be. Failing is the process. Dust off the nervousness in time and match forward.
Where can people follow you and keep up with Serenade?
Last question: if Serenade could leave every Alt Weekend Sale shopper with one feeling, what would you want that feeling to be?
I'd want them to feel like they got way more than they paid for and that someone cared about making it for them.
Thank you so much to Serenade for taking the time to chat with us.
I’ve known her since before Alt Weekend Sale, and she has always been so supportive, kind, and creative. We truly appreciate her, her work, and everything she brings to the community.
Make sure to check out Serenade and show her some love!