Today we are shining a spotlight on Truth Hawks, the mastermind behind the iconic Truth Hair in Second Life. Trailblazing since 2007, Truth has been crafting some of the most coveted virtual hairstyles and has now impressively extended his genius across diverse metaverse platforms and on the big screen!

Photo by Hayden Rowley

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
I created my account early 2007. At the time I was working for myself in graphic and web design and had just started dabbling in 3D. I heard about SL on the news and it sounded interesting so I thought I'd check it out. 16.5 years later and I'm still here! 

2009 Truth Mainstore custom build by Barnesworth Anubis

You are one of the most renowned hair creators in Second Life, how and when did you get into content creation?
I started creating from the get-go. I remember thinking it was really amazing that you could make anything, set it for sale and cash out Ls for real money so easily. I first made some graphic t-shirts and tattoos and rented a little spot in a shopping district. I started creating hair not long after and that is what really grew my store.

Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content?
SL was the main catalyst for my interest in 3D. A few years into SL I moved my family from Australia to Vancouver and LA to study at film school. Since then I've worked with top studios around the world and on movies and games such as Black Panther and League of Legends. I use a wide range of software, I'm pretty tool agnostic and will use whatever works.

Sculpted Mount Bashenga from Marvel’s Black Panther - Wakanda Forever

You have recently started collaborating with other creators in Second Life, tell us more about that collaboration. 
I came up with the idea of Truth Collective because my releases in SL had been less frequent since dividing my time between SL/RL work. People would often ask when a new hairstyle is coming out so I thought why not invite some talented creators to make hair with my textures. Truth customers can enjoy more releases and the creators could benefit from my large update groups. It's been great working with Wasabi & Faga and having the ability to help each other with hair making, something I haven't had a lot of in the past as I've mainly worked alone.

You have also ventured out into the NFT world, tell us more about what you are doing on other metaverse platforms.
I started creating NFTs in 2020 and sold out a few of my own collections. I went on to work with RTFKT and collaborated with AMC, LVMH, and other fashion brands. My company has organically moved to more of a metaverse focus and we're currently activating 2 major fashion brands on another platform. I feel that the interest and opportunities in metaverse that SL experienced earlier on has seen a big revival in the last couple of years and it's exciting to see where it might go from here.

Modeled & Textured RTFKT x Jeff Staple Meta-Pigeon

How has Second Life impacted your life?
It's hard to imagine the direction my life would have taken if I didn't find SL. It guided me on a career path that I might not have taken as seriously otherwise and I'll be forever grateful for all the support SL residents have shown me for so many years.

Photo by Hayden Rowley

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
My company is VRTL WRLD 
SL Flickr
SL Twitter   
Linktree

Kryptoz x AMC NFT

Thank you, Truth, for pioneering with passion and gracing us with virtual hair that's nothing short of stunning!

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