I guess Tosha Tyran needs no introduction, being one of the founders of Craft. So I’ll let her tell me about herself.
Hi Tosha, can you tell us a little about yourself and how you discovered virtual worlds?
My name is Tosha Tyran. I am German, grew up in Barcelona, Spain, but spent a large part of my life in northern Germany and have been living in Spain again for about ten years. That’s relatively important because the different languages, people, landscapes, smells and sounds around me have a big influence on me. In real life, I’m a social scientist – though I’m on disability pension. That’s also important, because it makes me freer in some ways, but also not exactly wealthy.
What was your first experience in a virtual world?
At some point, I stumbled across an article about Second Life in the German press. The intent was probably to scare people away from visiting this “scandalous” virtual world. Today I’d say: mission failed! I immediately sat down at my PC and signed up. That must have been around 2005. And at first I found it amusing, trivial, a little boring. Until – yes, until I discovered that I could build there! And I met Lumière Noir, who helped me get started with my clumsy first attempts and awakened a true passion in me!
How did you first hear about Craft World?
I actually met Licu Rau in SL, and at some point he invited me to migrate over to Craft. I had already been to Opensim now and then, including in Cyberlandia, an Italian grid.
What especially attracted you to Craft World?
Imagine a brand-new grid – empty! And four avatars who can build anything they want – with joy, whimsy, imagination, discussions and laughter… It was wonderful! When more avatars slowly joined, there was this beautiful atmosphere of friendliness, helpfulness, closeness – and of course, fun!
Did you try other grids before deciding on Craft World? If so, what made you switch?
I’ve tried other grids from time to time – alongside Craft. But I kept being drawn back to Craft. Magnetically. Or call it “magically,” if you like.
What have you created or worked on in Craft so far?
• The Guggenheim Museum on Caravan
• Hopi Pueblo
• Timbuktu (in collaboration with Siberia Ilfreddopurifica)
• Taj Mahal
• Noah’s Ark
• Far far away– a refugee story
• The “floating” Craft Store
• The little Greek village on the region “Honebu”
• Ivory City
For the school regions:
• Stravanada (Shop-and-Play for schoolchildren)
• Purgatorio and Inferno from Dante’s Divine Comedy – for students of Edu3d
• Villa Poggio a Caiano (project Eduverso Toscana)
Which projects are you particularly proud of and why?
That’s a bit of a tough question… I love all my “children”… And like in real life, they’re all different and each one has special value for me:
The Guggenheim, with its crazy shapes, was a real challenge; through building the Hopi Pueblo I learned a huge amount about the history of Native Americans in general and the Hopi in particular; with the Taj Mahal – despite the beauty of the structure – I kept wondering who might have built such a magnificent tomb for the workers. Or for their wives…I love Timbuktu because I find it mysterious. Both in real life and virtually. It was also the last large project I built together with Siberia Ilfreddopurifica. The memory is dear to me.
My heart project is probably Far far away, actually a kind of search game that (hopefully) gives players a small sense of the fear, horror, and loneliness of a life as a refugee.
The most fun region is Stravanada! Building it felt like playing. The excitement of the children who came there was simply heartwarming!
But my great love, of course, belongs to Ivory City, that beautiful white city which Lumière Noir and I began together – but which I had to finish alone after Lumière passed away. I’m grateful I was able to learn so much from him and that I got to be the “guardian” of all his lessons. Thank you, Lumi!
Do you collaborate with other residents or do you prefer working alone?
Both. There are people I love to collaborate with. But I also enjoy the more contemplative nature of working alone.
Do you have any ongoing or upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?
After my last major PC crash, the project I was working on at the time was completely destroyed. I had already poured countless days and nights into it. So for now, I’m a bit deflated. But I’m sure I’ll recover soon and either continue the project or come up with something new.
How would you describe the Craft World community? Have you made meaningful connections or friendships here?
In Craft, I’ve met many avatars/people from around the world. Many with whom I’ve had discussions, laughter, or dancing, from whom I’ve learned a great deal – and yes, some I now count as friends.
Are there community events or places you regularly attend or enjoy?
Well, due to various RL circumstances, I’ve cut back on my online time a bit in recent months. That will change… What I have continued doing is the weekly Inworld Review (Sunday at 9:00 p.m. CET / 12:00 p.m. SLT) with Mal Burns (†) and James Atlloud. And from our beautiful new studio, kindly hosted by Licu who gave us some land for it.
What advice would you give someone visiting Craft for the first time?
To anyone visiting Craft for the first time, I’d recommend finding someone to act as a kind of tutor – someone who can show them around a bit, maybe offer shopping tips or take them along to events.
If you could change or improve one aspect of the grid, what would it be?
I think the Welcome Area could use a little sprucing up, and it’s urgent that we organize experienced Craft avatars who can offer help to new users – and who can also be easily found by newcomers.
Where can people see your work in the virtual world or get in touch with you?
My works can generally be found under the name of the build. Where that’s not the case, the region name is mentioned in the description. I’m reachable inworld via IM, and anyone is welcome to contact me by email: Tosh.Tyran@gmail.com
Thanks Tosha, I have always appreciated your projects and I have to thank you also on behalf of all the tutors of Edu3d. I hope that in the future we will also be able to do something together.
