Today we are shining a spotlight on BadUnicorn, also known as Bhad Craven. This creative innovator brings fun and interactive content to the Second Life grid!

Artwork of BadUnicorn’s Second Life avatar by artist Nylon Pinkney

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
In 2012, as a young art student, I was captivated by a funny YouTube video that showed a large group of avatars talking and having fun in Second Life. Intrigued, I showed it to some friends, and we gave it a try, roaming around causing mischief and talking with players from different backgrounds and countries.

When I discovered that Second Life was pre-installed on the work computers at college, I took the opportunity to log in alone and was struck by the immersive experience and sense of community within the virtual world. Since then, I have been a dedicated player of Second Life, actively creating and contributing content to the platform.

You’ve been making immersive content in Second Life for many years, how did you get into content creation and what are some of your favorite items that you have created?
Upon my arrival in Second Life, the community was buzzing with excitement over the transition from prims to mesh. I had a background in 3D art and design, knowing the basics of mesh and texture creation. I saw this as an opportunity to improve my skills and used Second Life as a platform for self-teaching and experimentation.

Some of my favorite creations are:
- My product unboxer/unpacker. I love branding and packaging design, and I had a blast turning a boring cardboard box into something fun and practical. I also incorporated it into my new logo.
- Penalty Game, a 2-player football/soccer shootout game. I really enjoy making animated and interactive products.
- Chonky Corn, a thick huggable plushie. I love creating cute and silly characters, especially since Animesh arrived. It has opened up so many creative possibilities!

Your content is very fun, creative, and interactive - how do you come up with your ideas, and do you do all of the animations, scripting, and creating yourself?
Thanks! I'm not really sure where my ideas come from. I visit a lot of art exhibitions and galleries, so I think that could play a big role in my inspiration.

I run the store by myself, and I also create all the meshes and textures. The animations and scripts I use are usually custom orders, but I'm lucky because Second Life has a lot of talented animators and scripters who help bring my creations to life.

Cravone City recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary in Second Life, can you tell us more about your involvement with this region and what can Residents expect when visiting there?
I have co-owned Cravone for many years with my friend Capone Macamorgh, way before it became Cravone City. Initially, it was just a place to house our Mainstore buildings. However, In 2021 we wanted to do something a little different for the community. That's when we found Paradox Ivory, the talented sim designer behind 'The Apartments & Tokyo Street'. We shared our ideas with her and she brought them to life, creating a stunning and functional space that exceeded our expectations.

Cravone is made up of popular brands such as Animosity, Bad Unicorn, Baka, Hevo, and Scotch. Overall the sim offers an immersive experience with various beautifully crafted urban locations. The sim is made up of custom-made meshes and prefabs, creating a unique space we are all proud to call home. Words cannot do justice to the level of detail and craftsmanship that has gone into creating Cravone. To truly appreciate its beauty, you must see it inworld. We are constantly updating the space.

You’ve also expanded your content creation to OpenSea, can you tell us how and why you decided to venture out to the NFT world?
As a 3D artist in Second Life, I ventured into the NFT world to showcase my work and reach a wider audience. I am deeply intrigued by the concept of NFTs and believe that verifying ownership of digital creations is crucial to the future of art. In my opinion, Second Life was the origin of NFTs, as it allows the creation no-copy permission items that can be kept, displayed, or resold.

I started my journey by creating collectibles called "Boops" and listing them on OpenSea, an NFT marketplace. This was a great experiment to gain an understanding of the NFT process. I have plans to create new collections of one-of-a-kind pieces and take my art to the next level. Exciting things are in store, so stay tuned!

Tell us about some of the other Residents and Creators in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire.
Over the years, I've met some pretty amazing people, but two that stand out to me are Mikel Monk and Capone Macmoragh.

Mikel is a jack-of-all-trades, owning The Men's Department, Anthem Event, and the store Bueno. He inspires me with his hustle and determination, not to mention his thriving art career on the side. He's a true inspiration.

Capone, who owns Scotch and co-owns Cravone, was a mentor to me when I was starting out. He gave me tips and tricks when creating meshes for the platform. He even teaches classes on mesh and texture creation, that's something I'd love to do someday too. 

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
All my links can be found on my linktree: linktree.com/badunicorn

Watch this creative video submitted by BadUnicorn
Video production by Kelie Ladys 

Thank you Bhad for all the innovative content you bring to the grid!

Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup