Most of you know who Gracie Kendal is. But some of my friends are just learning. Gracie Kendal is my avatar in the 3D online virtual world of Second Life. She started out as a character I created to represent me, then she became a manifestation of me, a friend, cheerleader, a conscious, my persona, my alter ego, an art partner and ultimately my art. For my Masters Thesis, I became Gracie and she became me. I created a whole project based on Gracie. She has inspired and influenced me and has helped me become the woman I am today. Over the years (6 years) I have used Gracie to find myself. To overcome an eating disorder, learn self esteem, become less self conscious, less shy and she has helped me find my own beauty.
Gracie Kendal started out as my ideal self. She was tall, thin, blond. She wore her clothes well and didn’t hesitate to try new things. As I found a balance in who I am vs. who Gracie is to me, she has still continued to be inspire. One day not too long ago, I found the strength to change Gracie. I always said, she couldn’t look like me. I couldn’t make her shorter or overweight. Gracie was Gracie. As I have always seen Gracie as beautiful, my inner beauty, I wasn’t ready to see her as me. I WAS ready to see her as my art though which is part of where my beauty comes from. So I changed her a little…
She has still inspired me. Recently a friend asked about Gracie as a mannequin. I told her that Gracie is only a 3D computer generated figure, but the next day I had the aha moment and thought, hell yea!! I am finding ways to bring Gracie to the physical world, what better way to create Gracie as a mannequin. In fact, I am going to create an army of Gracie’s. Ok maybe not an army but at least 8-10. Gracie 2.0, Gracie 3.o and so forth.
Meet Gracie Kendal 2.0 (top) and Gracie Kendal 3.0 (bottom) -works still in progress…
