Category: Magazine

AUGUST ISSUE OF FOCUS MAGAZINE

Welcome to the August issue of FOCUS Magazine! We have lots of happiness with zero social distancing at FOCUS this month!

We have two very talented featured artists this issue. First is Alsatian Kidd, a long time group member and owner of Green Acres scenic sim. He shares with us a few tricks of his artistic trade and a bit about the “Old Dog” himself. Also, we have Jamee Sandalwood-Thomson, — newly wed to our “Rant” writer, Matt (who, incidentally, is still honeymooning so he took the month off!). Jamee has her hands full with events this time of year, so we are proud to shine the bright FOCUS light on someone who does so much good for our community! Next, Patrick debuts a new article this month called “Ireland of Dreams.” He plans to choose a photo once per month, and give it a critical analysis. I totally volunteered him for this and I’m finally putting his doctorate to good use for us!

Lastly, we have a slew of very cool events coming up. We have Basilique on the 15th, White Mask on the 16th, our next photo contest AND [drumroll] Cesar and I have birthdays coming up! Every year for the past 4 years, I have asked friends to share with me a picture of something simple that they see on an average day that makes them happy. Every year we get more and more pics, and I set up a “happiness walk” to showcase everyone’s pics on easels. And BELIEVE me, it’s overwhelming to see all of the things that make our friends happy. And this year, we are adding Cesar to the party! His b-day is right around September 1st too!So, if you would like to participate, please send your happy pics to Angelathespian (me). And if your b-day is anywhere near 9/1… PLEASE let me know so we can celebrate YOU TOO! See you in September!

Psst…. if you wnat to read the Magazine with out logging in to SL…click the Magazine

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, May 2020

Letter from the Editor

Happy May, Everyone! This month, our long-time group friend, Mara Telling, joins us as our featured photographer. Her Artful photos are almost impossible to categorize. They range from realism to surrealism, comedy to tragedy, as she documents her journey through SL (Second-Life). I have here in FOCUS Magazine but even more of her photos will be in the main FOCUS Gallery for the month of May. Please stop by!

We are also featuring Linda Hedda this month as out membership focus. Linda has been our Flickr moderator for almost a year now. She plays such an important support role for the group and we are thrilled to be able to spotlight her talent.

Lastly, you may have noticed the great big stage at one end of the FOCUS sim. We are so pleased and proud to be sponsoring the White Mask charitable events! Fly, who plays the violin, dual streams with some of our favorite live Second-Life performers and has been successfully raising funds for important causes worldwide. Last month was dedicated to Feed a Smile, which is a charity out group knows well and raised another 100k Lindens!

If you have any great ideas, even mediocre ones about more charities or opportunities to do fun, positive things, please IM me and let me know!

Wishing everyone health and happiness!!

Angela

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, April 2020 Issue

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the April Issue!

This issue begins with a celebration of The White Mask and an interview with it’s founders, FlyQueen. The White Mask is a monthly charaity event that hosts live music in Second Life. Musicians donate their time to raise money for various charities.

Last month, The White Mask raised money for Australia to ease the burden, even just a little from the wildfires that decimated so many acres of land and harmed so many animals.

This month the benefactor will be Relay for Life.

There are a few things I love about this event. First of all, we are socializing and joining together for a good cause. So many RFL fundraisers have been canceled in RL (real life) due to social restrictions. But in SL (Second-Life), we can keep it going! These fundraisers not only raise money for the cause, but raise spirits and give strength to those going through hardship. Congregating against a common enemy that affects us all is healing for the soul.

I also love that there are many recipients throughout the year. One month will be a fundraiser for China, another will be for Feed a Smile.

Lastly, I love how people come together in the spirit of good will to make the world a little better. If nothing else, out energy combines and awareness of the needs of the world is magnified.

It’s a scientific fact that people who give to charities are happier and healthier people. In that way, giving benefit to giver and the receiver. I hope everyone joins us on Saturday April 11th and fallowing months as well.

This issue also celebrates a poignant art exhibit by Terrygold called “Carla, Walk In The Darkness.” It’s a cautionary tale of a woman who has hopes and dreams, but drug and alcohol abuse took them all away and left her in darkness. Out interview sheds more light on the exhibit.

I wish everyone good health during this international crisis we all facing. Good health and lots of hope.

Angela Thespian

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, March 2020 Issue

Letter from the Editor

Happy March, Everyone!

I think this is the first issue in three volumes of issues that I wasn’t at the nth hour wondering if I would be done by the deadline and sometimes missing the deadline! I completely credit a few new members of the team for this miracle, two in particular. First, Cesar Lighthouse. We met about two years ago, but it wasn’t until he began piloting the HUD. A HUD produced by FOCUS Magazine of hand-picking galleries with active exhibits in the given month; and saw the method to my madness (or the madness to my method) that he began sharing his ideas. I have no idea how he did it but here I am, sipping tea instead of tearing out my hair and growling at Patrick for no good reason. ;).

Then, there is Chant Lyric, one of the most fun women I think I’ve ever met. If you haven’t befriended her, I highly recommend it. She produces two of the articles in this issue. While it was great fun to learn more about her interviewees through her questions, I feel as though I’ve learned nearly as much about her in her articles. She’s intelligent, professional, creative, kind, sexy and just a touch nutty. The best qualities anyone could have in my book! I’m so happy to call these two people friends can cannot thank them enough for seeing the outrageous potential of this magazine and wanting to be part of it. This issue is again jam packed with interviews with amazing people written by amazing people.

I hope you all have a happy March! Enjoy the issue!

Angela Thespian

 

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, February 2020 Issue

Letter from the Editor

Hi, all, and welcome to the February issue.
This month, FOCUS Magazine celebrates love in a few important forms. First is love of oneself and love for one other, and February brings us a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that. I’m speaking of One Billion Rising, an event that happens every year on February 14, meant to strengthen our resolve to end violence against women — and hopefully violence in general. So many of our group’s photo artists have expressed their support for One Billion Rising, so I have chosen some of their touching work to share.

Then, of course, comes romantic love. After all,
Valentine’s Day is also on the 14th too! For this, I’ve
interviewed Paeoti Snaps — not just because she and Shaw Juran have been in a loving relationship forever — but because her photos boldly express love in a sweet vulnerable way. You may need to see her photos to understand what I mean. Whether it’s her stunning landscapes or her romantic couples shots, her sweet, somewhat shy, quirky, and downright naughty personality is bravely offered for all of us to see. And of course, we all know Shaw Juran who has been the FOCUS Comics Columnist for a little over a year now. “Shawsage” (Paeoti’s hilarious nickname for him) is a terrific photog too.

Lastly, we’re celebrating “agape” or friendship love. In our group (Too Sexy for this Group), we are so blessed to be friends with hundreds of the best people — and artists — on the grid. One of these people is JimmyT49 Dukes. Not only is he an extraordinary performer, he has an openness and kind spirit that’s rare in any life. His contribution to SL through his art is truly immeasurable, and his die-hard fans (like me!) know that well. If you haven’t heard him sing, turn to the last page of his article in this issue, written by Chant Lyric, and click play.

I hope you all have a happy February! Enjoy the issue!

Angela Thespian

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, January 2020 Issue

Letter from the Editor

Happy New Year! I’m so happy to present you all with the first issue of the new year!

I was chatting with Patrick about New Year’s resolutions. He said he doesn’t believe in them because, most of the time, we don’t stick to them and if we really want something – why not just do it now? But I really like making new year’s resolutions. It’s like an adult Christmas list of all the things I want to do and succeed with. My resolutions usually have to do with health and money. Sometimes promising myself that this will be the year I go on that cruise through the Mediterranean or get out of debt. But the resolutions – to me – are less important than the feeling I have when making them. I feel a sense of freedom in possibilities. Holding onto hope and dreaming dreams are what make life happier for me, especially as I get older and there are less possibilities. For instance, I will never be a 22-year-old billionaire. That opportunity has passed me by.

But I can still have hope for being a 29-year-old billionaire! But for now, the universe has put FOCUS Magazine in my path and each issue is a new possibility.

This month, we are featuring Etamae Goldsmith. She is most definitely a multifaceted gem! She is a silly and funny, but then she is intelligent and socially concerned, then she takes bold photos with extreme images and colors, and then she grins about her kink like a naughty schoolgirl who avoided getting caught. Most of us in the SL art community know her (or at least know of her) and she adds her unique light to many lives.

Then we have an interview with Jaz (jessamine2108), another friend from our SL art community, born in India. Etamae interviewed her and encouraged her to express her social concerns about the treatment of women in her country through her creative expression in photo art. Her photos are on display now, and she will have a gallery opening later in the month. Her message and personal knowledge about the unfair and often brutal treatment of women is important for everyone to hear.

Then we have an interview by the ever-quirky Matt Thomson with his dear friend, Eva Burroughs. Eva explains a bit about how she ended up here in SL, taking photos, and living her SL dream with her partner, Mynx.

As usual, this magazine is packed with even more treasures. We have art, friends, shopping, thought-provoking topics, comedy and – most of all – I hope you find inspiration as we begin a new year in our journey together! Until next month, my friends!

Angela Thespian

FOCUS Magazine – From the Editor, December 2019 Issue

Letter from the Editor

This is our second holiday season together! As usual the year went by too quickly. And what a year we’ve had! Our little magazine has grown exponentially, with thousands of readers every single month. Our gallery had a one-of-a-kind facelift and split into three, adding the FAIR Gallery and the Exploratorium of Art. We’ve featured amazing artists, thrown some memorable events, made many new friends, bought a few lunches for hundreds of needy kids in Africa, inspired and supported one another, and met our main goal to spread the ideals of positivity, inspiration and community. We’ve also had a few struggles in our group, but we remain a strong and positive support to one another by sharing our creative light.

This holiday issue is a celebration of the old and the new. Our membership feature, Dana Or, is one of our long-time Flickr Mods. She has supported our group tirelessly, and now we get to take some time to support her back! And we are thrilled to feature Lam Erin. He has long been an artistic inspiration, and now he’s our friend. Thank you all for a great year and cheers to an incredible 2020!

Happy Holidays!

Angela Thespian