FIRE IN THE SKY
Banshee_Kate Lights up our World

 by Rose_Blossom

 

Let’s see…Pen and paper?  Check!  Tape recorder? Camera? Check, Check!  List of questions?  Check!…. I think I’ve got everything!… I was doing the checklist in my head while waiting for Banshee_Kate to open the front door of her house.  She answered the door and I must admit, my voice caught in my throat….She looks so beautiful in person!  She was wearing one of my personal faves, her “Exotic Blue PJ Lounger Set,” (Top, Pant, Sandals). 

Banshee_Kate is no stranger to There, nor are very many avies strangers to her.  Her designs are practically household words, her skills are expert and renowned, and she holds positions in many clubs, among which are the recent outgoing MAB, several MAB subgroups, many designer groups, and, of course, a range of Gaelic, Celtic and, even Zen interests.  Kate is a member of There since June of 2003 (pioneer days!) and sets an awesome example of community involvement and pride and faith in her fellow avie. Kate is most recently proud to be among the talented bunch that have released a grand collection of the new, fun animated items, both for your house and for the yard.  You can find all of Kate’s designs for auction at this link.

We sat down in her cushiony velvet chairs in the living room, decorated in warm, rich hues, in front of her new (animated) marble fireplace, which was blazing away warmly.  After a bit of light conversation, to go along with our biscuits and coffee, we began our interview…

Rose_Blossom:  Banshee_Kate...that is such an unusual name.  I know that you are Irish, and I suspect you have a spirited Irish personality...but the dictionary says that a "banshee" is a spirit that warns of impending death!   HOW did you get named for that???

Banshee_Kate:  Banshee, (or as it’s pronounced in Gaelic, my friend from Dublin says, Bawn- shee,) means basically, “White Fairy” and is a pale, wailing ghost of a woman who appears before the death of a family member.

I’m a tiny woman, (about 100 lbs.), and pale- really more that pale Scottish type, than Irish and I can sing loud. I play fast and wild with the jigs and the reels, “Like a Banshee.” So that’s my nickname in the bands I play in!  (And Kate is my real name.)

Also it’s fun to say,  “Be nice to me or I will portend your death.”

Rose_Blossom:  You have been a Therian since June of 2003?...You've seen so much (and so many people) come and go!  Tell us a little description, if you can, of your first experience in There.  Did you have a mentor? 

Banshee_Kate:  I did! I don’t know if there were official mentors yet, at the time I came in, but I’m proud to say that I found Sue_G very quickly after entering Karuna Plaza, by looking for clubs and got her for a mentor. I found the Gaelic Society, went to the clubhouse and there she was. She is the one who lent me my first hoverboard and taught me to clear my chat bubbles! She has continued to support me and has always been helpful.

I was a fairly independent newbie otherwise and really enjoyed exploring back then most of all.

Rose_Blossom:  How soon after you came to There did you know you wanted to design?

Banshee_Kate: I found out about There through an article in Discover Magazine. I literally got all giddy when I read how we could shop and design clothing. I called my then fiancé, Randy, and pointed to the article saying “THERE. I have GOT to get THERE.” He helped me buy a graphics card, I’m not a geek.

I wanted to design right away!  I see that my first submission, the Celtic Tee, was approved 7-3-03, so that’s 6 days after coming in.

Rose_Blossom:  Do you have any formal training or experience either with fashion design or object development?

Banshee_Kate:   No formal training with object development. My experience with many different processes and mediums carries me to the next one that I try.

I have always been interested in fashion design, and have been designing costumes for theatre just about forever.  My mother taught theatre classes and directed the church choir, and we did shows all over the Chicago area with those groups. My mother is a great teacher, but a terrible seamstress!  She laid me out on a piece of fabric once and cut around me for a witch costume. The shoulders were too tight. I said to myself “Oh my gosh, somebody in this family needs to learn to sew!”  So I taught myself. Designing for There is  like working with a pattern for sewing. It’s a flat pattern that gets wrapped around a 3-D body later.

I was always in the Arts. I majored in Art wherever I went. Fine Art, Theatre, Dance, Music, drawing, silk screen, pottery, linoleum block prints, graphic design (before computers- all  by hand ya know,) jewelry design, (too much to list). I tried everything I could get my hands on. I am a crazy woman to make stuff. I don’t know what drives me to do it constantly, it’s just who I am. I’m a creator.

In the 70’s I found the SCA. (Society for Creative Anachronism). That’s medieval reenacting.  Woo Hoo! I finally had an outlet for all of the medieval calligraphy and illumination I was already doing! And not to mention the costuming opportunities and the music! I could do all the things I loved best there. Sing, dance, illuminate, sew, design, spin wool on my spinning wheel, and then do live demonstrations on top of the events we had. I was in heaven! I became a Laurel, that’s kind of like being on the DAB.  I am not active with that group now, I'm staying home more. Also, it's all built up. I like to go where there's new ground. Like There!

Rose_Blossom:  What was your first item that you sold?

Banshee_Kate:  The Celtic Tee. I still sell it for only 1500 t-bucks because I’m sentimental about it.

Rose_Blossom:  What is your favorite design?|

Banshee_Kate:  I think that would be my Celtic Goddess Macha top made with Stylemaker. It has woad (warrior)  tattoos of knotwork all over the arms. I have never sold that particular one at auction. But sold it privately to only a few women who love Celtic culture. I think there are only about 10 of those in world.

Rose_Blossom:  Did you ever design something, have it approved, released it into World, then thought "WHAT was I thinking???"

Banshee_Kate:  Oh yeah! I made Black Patent Pumps with White Lace Anklets back on 8-8-03. I tried to make high heels, but as we know that doesn’t work. Not only did the heels thing not work, but the white lace socks came out looking like shoes with huge spats. Completely unsellable!      I didn't know how to make textures clear back then.

Rose_Blossom:  How do you know what you're going to design next?  Do you get requests from fans, or other avies?  Or do you simply think of things you would like to see in-world?

Banshee_Kate: I decide from several sources.

I am a forum nut, as all the other forum nuts know! I learn from there what people might be looking for.

I ask in world, and I fly around on a pack just to look at what people are building out there. What do they like the most? What are they using? How are they using my items? What could they use here and there? Sometimes I take screenshots of people’s great pazes. The ingenuity out there is astounding to me.

The other source I decide from is my interest level. What excites me enough to want to build? Because of my long term interest in historical and Celtic things, those themes will inspire me the most. Well, that, and being a pyromaniac, lol, hence all of the fires I made lately.

Oh, and I do take requests from people. I created a little Buddha knickknack, which is my logo, because somebody wanted it so badly. I love making people happy.

Please note: I am kinda booked right now, any requests will have to be tackled after the Holidays! lol

Rose_Blossom:  Tell us a little bit about your creative process?  What happens as soon as an idea pops into your head?

Banshee_Kate:  Oh I wish it were one idea popping. But usually it’s 3. Then I try to narrow it down, or start a list.

I have a constant ongoing list. I begin to model and animate in my head right away, once I pick the one idea I’ll work on. The thoughts come very fast. I almost can’t keep up with my own head when this starts. I take ideas to an extreme, brainstorming almost manically, and manipulating the object  mentally, then I back up, and collect the realistic ideas together, and say, ok, I’ll do that.

I usually have a very clear picture of what I’m going to do before I walk (or run) to the computer to open Photoshop and Gmax. But I also allow the Universal Creative Force to have its Way. It may start as my conception, but if the creative process wants a change, I will make the change. The most wonderful things come out of allowing for this very concept and come from making  mistakes also! I consider “mistakes” to be a vital part of creating something.

Rose_Blossom: You recently released some great animated items in auctions! The falling Autumn leaves, the "roaring" fireplace and bonfire, your greeting cards...how long have you had animation in your items?

Banshee_Kate:  Since after one hour of reading Sonny’s Animated Builder’s Club web page found here:

http://sonofthere.com/

That was the middle of October. I was just ready to release a new fireplace I made in Gmax and as I read Sonny’s page, I thought, OMG I can put real fire in that fireplace?? I couldn’t get back to Gmax fast enough. Sonblock, our very own There_Developer did an utterly fantastic job with that site of his!

Rose_Blossom:  You are using GMax, is that right?  (If so), did you find it hard to learn that program?  What do you like best about using GMax?  (You may get technical with this question, if you need to.  I'm sure that the other designers who read this article will appreciate your input.

Banshee_Kate:  Yes, I use the free version of Gmax.

 I’ll preface by saying that your brain has to be hardwired a certain way to want to pursue designing and building consistently for There or anywhere. You have to love the creative process, love little tiny nitpicking, love your mistakes, and most of all- love the end result SO MUCH that you will go to Hades and back just to get your end result.

* Fade to Black- Scenario begins *

(What follows here is a mini version of Dante’s Divine Comedy: Google that if you want to!)

Gmax is very hard at first. No doubt.

I put it off for a long time because I read about the tearing of hair and the gnashing of teeth. It was all true.

There is a certain amount of help you will need from other people. That’s what mentors are for, or classes, like Mr_Vercetti gives, and in the Builder forum, we help each other all the time. (What a great developer community we have! What generous, sharing people- members and staff!) There are tutorials also. But there is no substitute for hours of time spent with Gmax clicking buttons like crazy to see what they all do. You learn so much that way, well, I did!

When first learning Gmax, try to do something in it everyday if possible. There is so much to take in, that you can forget too much if you leave it for a week.

After about a month, you start to be able to breathe normally again.  You can finally produce a submitable item without help! It is good. You are at this stage for a while longer, then omg, you start to “get” a whole bunch of stuff, faster and faster, until you are able to make just about anything that you want to!

Then you get a God or Goddess complex.

* Cue Angelic Hosts- Enter Paradise *

I CAN MAKE ANYTHING!

I CAN RULE THE WORLD!!

MWAAAA HAA HAA HAA!!!

……You open your Previewer. You see the open seams in your model when you load it up, and you realize your just a human being who can do artsy crap. Well, pretty good artsy crap!  Good enough for peeps to want to buy it! You realize how much you still have to learn. You get all humble and stuff and you find yourself saying “Thank You!” a lot when you get compliments for what you built. And on the front pages of the auctions, you see what your buds are building and you get even more humble….. 

Lights back up * 

Next question?

Rose_Blossom:  Kate!  Just one word....Birkenmocks!  What an ingenious conception!  How ever did you think of them???

Banshee_Kate:  Just one cable station- QVC! I was watching the Birkenstocks they had on one night and had another one of my “I can do THAT.” moments. Lol

I would have made a lot more of them but they are so expensive right now to create.

I get a lot of inspiration from that channel. I know, it’s silly, but I’m home a lot, so I take advantage of the scrolling goods they parade. I don’t buy, I just keep an eye on what other people want to buy.

Right after I built my first fireplace, I saw their whole show on freestanding fireplaces!  I see lines of things that I know Therians would love to have. Hand painted historically inspired  furniture, for example. Peeps would love that! I was planning on doing more historical furniture and things, but got sidetracked with animation. Catalogs in the mail are also good for ideas.

A big source of inspiration is always Celtic mythology and culture, and historical themes. My second Gmax creation was that glass of Goodness I did for pubs in There. Guinness is my fav drink next to coffee. I can’t hold much liquor, I can barely drink one whole pint by myself, so I wait till I get home from the pub to have mine!

I did a whole two lines of Celtic décor. One is Celtic Pub décor for houses, and is for sale on auctions. The other, Celtic Twilight, is not on auctions because it’s not finished yet. It has black walls with silver triskels and a purple starry sky ceiling, and knot work around the doors and windows. I can’t get enough knot work, myself.

I have too many Celtic inspired pieces to mention here, Celtic crosses, weapons display, Green Men Wall, Celtic Tapestries, Celtic Goddess outfits and more. I was thrilled when I found out so many people in There want and love Celtic designs!

Celtic, is a buddy of mine. You know him! He is one person who helped me with ideas early on. Of course don’t tell him that the Celtic stuff I made is not all made for him, he thinks it is because it all has his name on it! Lol

Rose_Blossom:  Kate, you are on the outgoing MAB right now...just ending your term.  How do you feel the term went?  What piece of advice would you offer to a member of the incoming board, if you were asked to mentor one of them?

Banshee_Kate:  The term, from my perspective started with one type of “mindset”, and then, because of Black Friday, caused a complete change in the mentality we had before and rerouted our purposes and methods, then slowly evened out to the stability and sense of security that we know now. A three stage term.

I had just gotten over the period of adjustment in learning to relate with There staff, when BF happened. This MAB answered the shock of Black Friday by having a meeting right away, including Charter MAB and realizing that we ALL wanted to stay and help, even if it meant staying to help everybody to die. That looked likely at the time. There was no way any of us in the MAB- the only lifeline of the members to remaining There staff, would jump ship in fright. Beta mugs, previously untouched, were drained dry. “What can we do to help??” was the cry of the day.  I was touched and deeply impressed with the loyalty and love displayed at these meetings, and by all of the members and staff alike!

My advice? I think the new MAB will find this out or knows already-

Know that the relationship that develops between people working on a special project such as this one becomes such a source of joy, because of those relationships that develop.

This does not come instantly, but over the time spent. This goes for all members and the staff who work together on events, club projects, and Sub Groups. 

There are future MAB members on Sub Groups right now, developing bonds of friendship that will last a long time, that will aid in getting important work done later. This is the best thing!

Rose_Blossom:   I generally don't talk about RL things, Kate, but its no secret that you do quite a bit "out there."  I'm sure that everyone would like to hear a little bit about your vocal recordings (please provide a link, if you like), and what is in your singing future! 

Banshee_Kate:  Thanks for asking Rose! 

I play out at The Kerry Piper Pub every Wednesday night, in a suburb of Chicago, with a ceili band. I play backup piano for my fiddle and accordion player friends. Real Irish people come and hang out there, and sometimes they just get up and dance to the jigs or reels we play. I have them all used to seeing me in a corset now. (I wear it over a tee.) It took about 6 months before I stopped getting teased about it. The Midwest is a very mundane place to live, and it’s hard to be different here. But hey! I fit into the décor!

The CD is in the rough cut analysis stage. My husband Randy and I tore it apart the other night, then I did that again with my music partner Tony, (he’s from Dublin Ireland,) he is the backup composer for most of the music. We decided which cuts are good to go, which need backup adjustment, and which need vocals re-recorded.

Tony is composing all of the midi backup, but there are live musicians on the CD too, some guitar and fiddle playing friends, I am playing piano, bodhran (pronounced bow-rahn- Irish drum),  and maybe some other things. But I am doing all of the lead vocals, I might have a backup singer on the CD, I like a guy’s voice doing harmony.

I don’t want to put sample cuts up yet, but when I do they will be on my website:

http://zencelts.com/AZenCeltsThing/there.htm

Or, people can join my club, A Zen Celts Thing, and get updates, but they will also hear about whatever I made that came out, once or twice a week.

http://webapps.prod.there.com/clubs/clubs?id=333249686andop=home

It’s a bit hard technically, for me to do shows right now in world because things have changed since I gave those first shows, but I’m working on new solutions.

Rose_Blossom:   Do you have any other interests in There besides designing?  Sports?  Racing?  Cards?  What does Banshee_Kate like to do in here spare (???) time?

Banshee_Kate:   I love riding my dragon in Tyr.

Also, working with Dreamweaver, Trent, amxscott and allstar3339 and the Dream Team. Oh yeah! Let me tell ya Dreamweaver’s a scream.  I adore her along with others who know her. She’s like a Queen over at the clubhouse, she gets us to do things, and it’s just the cutest, funniest phenomenon! I mean really, we don’t have to do what she says, but we all do! One night out of the blue she just says, “Ok, everybody get on a Baccio!”  So we scrambled to team up, and I tell ya, we went riding all over the Caldera desert. A whole big herd of us, bouncing all over the place, looking like some kind of wannabe bad boy hawg riders ala Rebel Without a Cause from Sesame Street,  riding like banshees and drivers crashing and riders stuck with no driver and going back for them, and laughing so hard we thought we’d burst or something!

I also like working with Taelos and Goldielocks on the Wonderland Mall, and with June_uruTMP on the NH Sub Group. What good friends I’ve made here!

And I’m not big on the buggies at all, but when I visit LossAngeles at his Buggy Pals Froz, I have to admit that I love being his passenger on the way to the top deck!

Rose_Blossom:   What advice would you give to a young Therian just starting out, who maybe was thinking about designing?

Banshee_Kate:   Definitely give it a try!

It’s a very fun thing to make a tee. It’s educational and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Almost anyone can do it. It gives you a handle on the in world development process that is such a big part of our world. It’s good to have tried it out so you can relate to other people on the subject. 

However, designing on a consistent basis is for some personality types and not for others. Everyone gets to decide for themselves how much they can take of it! Ha ha ha!

Rose_Blossom:   What are your hopes and dreams for There and its future.

Banshee_Kate:   I’m going to copy and paste what I posted in the forum recently. Speaking as a person who is home a lot, and can’t work full time, I feel this way:

“I have high hopes for this place… to be a future haven to the handicapped, a place of learning, gathering and bonding for many, many people. Separation on the globe between family members is not such a painful thing when they can meet from wherever they are on Earth and talk and play and be with each other. No, this is no game to me. And I have quit using the term "real life". This is real to me. There's the outside world and in world.”

Rose_Blossom:   How would you complete this sentence:  I like There because...

Banshee_Kate:   ….it is the portal to another dimension that I have always hoped to find. I always knew it was There.

(ok, that last line wasn’t intended to be a pun but it ended up that way!)

I just wanted to thank you Rose_Blossom, and Geea and The Voice. It is an honor to be chosen to be interviewed by such a fine periodical. What a great team you have!

Thank you so much Banshee_Kate, for all the time you took to answer my questions.  And thank you for sharing your lovely home and many of your creations with me and with our readers.  I think the world (both IN and OUT) can learn from you.  Like the blazing bonfire you brought to our world, your flame will never burn out!