Sheena Kamala
Sheena Kamala, owner of Kamala Animations, is an interesting woman. Originally attracted to SL out of curiosity when she read about...
Exclusive Interview with Sheena Kamala
Sheena Kamala, owner of Kamala Animations, is an interesting woman. Originally attracted to SL out of curiosity when she read about Anshe Chung becoming a millionaire through land sales in SL, she found, like the rest of us … it is just not that easy. Up until that point she had only used a PC as a word processor so there was a big learning curve, but, once she started speaking to people, she found work as a dancer, and then a hostess .. and she was hooked.
LJ: What do you like about SL? Would you recommend it to anyone and what would you tell them?
SK: SL can definitely become an all-consuming hobby, whether you are here just for fun, to make money, wish to make new friends, or find a partner for the real world, or just for SL fun and a SL relationship. If you are a creative person, SL offers so many avenues to learn new things, such as learning to communicate with people, building, making your own textures, sculpting, scripting, creating your real life fantasies in a virtual world and of course animating avatars and prims. In real life you may not get this opportunity, but what SL definitely offers is so much support, through friend s, through groups and through learning ways of being able to find out how to do things. If you have time on your hands or even if you are in a situation of being stuck indoors, as many people I have met are, like being wheelchair bound or other health issues, SL is an amazing way of making contact to the real world and to other people. It's also a good way to make a bit of pocket money if you have the skill and discipline, BUT above all, second life can be a lot of FUN.
LJ: Do you think you, personally, and your avi are similar people or are you really living a Second Life? What are your major differences if there are any?
SK: Hmm.. a good question. I am personally very much like the character I am in SL, although in SL I am more good natured. I care about what people think and I care about whether my customers are happy or not, so [I] always try to give that added extra when dealing with people, particularly with my custom animations. So yes.. pretty similar in character. Avatar-wise.. nothing like.. I am not Japanese, (although I am small), and I don't go around wearing flip-flops with socks all day long :-)
LJ : You have opened a very successful business in custom animations, I was curious and checked it out and your animations are amazing. So many people chose "occupations" in the fashion and music/entertainment world, is there a specific reason for why you chose to deal with animations?
SK: I should add first, that although my main business is custom animation, I also have a full sim shop of thousands of animations copy/transfer for builders, but the majority of vendors also have transfer only or copy only pose balls for personal use, so the business is twofold.
Getting back to the question of why I now do animating as a business.... I have tried just about everything, starting with dancing, hostessing, recruitment agent, advisor on club builds, then I learned to build and started teaching others how to as well, I learned how to make textures and how to sculpt, but then I discovered animation and was smitten.
I love to animate avatars, to make them 'live' and I enjoy seeing how happy other people are when they try out my animations. I cover just about all animation needed in SL ( apart from dances), animating toddler, child, adult, furries, or beast avatars going about their everyday business, from bathing or showering, to doing the household chores, weapons, sex, AO's, having fun or even having a trade.
I changed my avatar when I discovered how to animate, I love it and it's what makes me stay in SL, and animating is what I want to be known for.
LJ: Do you have a fountain of inspiration for these animations, or is it done just for profit?
SK: I never really thought I would make a profit from animation to be honest. I did it because I enjoyed it. I am naturally creative and enjoy putting my ideas into fruition. I am constantly thinking of new ways to animate avatars and my customers are amazing with the ideas they come up with. Trust me, I am never stuck for inspiration.
LJ: What are you goals for SL, have they changed since you entered SL?
SK: I never had a goal when I joined SL. I think through my curiosity and through my chattiness, I met the right people and learned what SL is all about. I think everyone has their own forte in SL, some choose building, some scripting, some having fun, some animating or some just doing what they would like to do in real life and probably can't. I have a goal now and that is to be good at what I do. Animation is constantly evolving and I try to evolve with it and do the best that I can to achieve what is required by people.
LJ: You are partnered in SL, is your relationship professional or romantic?
SK: *chuckle*.. I started to build for my partner in my last avi and had no intention of any relations forming, other than working together. But we clicked pretty fast and now we have been together in real life for over 3 years. I moved [cross] country to be with him and [to] have a good relationship. He tends not to get involved in SL much anymore, so I have built up the business and my customer relations and surprised myself with what I have managed to achieve in one and a half years.
LJ: At this moment, are you able to shut your computer off and say that you've done all you could in SL and don't wish to come back? If no, why not?
SK: No I can't! SL is a part of my existence now. I am trying to survive on what I make here. I am still without my own home and would love to get my own place. I have no other means of income. I am in a foreign country, with foreign laws and no support, so it is a constant battle to survive. My partner has an extremely sick mother which also weighs heavily on our daily lives. So in essence I would say that SL is a component of my real life, one works hand in hand with the other, so to switch off SL would be like switching off part or my real life. There are of course times I would just like to be myself in real life without the pressure of SL, because it can be very stressful sometimes and very, very busy, always. What some people don't realize is that I am not on line 24 hours a day, I do exist in real life and sometimes cannot be available for all their “urgent” animations or at least have them made within a click of the finger. I love SL, I love my work in SL, but sometimes I actually also love my real life. Schizophrenic? Yeah.. probably lol :-P
If you are interested in seeing some fantastic animations, make sure you check out Kamala Animations or contact her for custom work.
