Here to kick off this month’s Community Spotlight, is Interiors Director for SF Magazine Bill! In a brief introduction below, Bill gives readers a chance to learn a bit more about him and his work within the Simming Community. If you don’t already know who he is, you will now! Take it away Bill!
Hey everyone! My name is Bill, and my Sims 3 screen name is hmsdrco2001. Really rolls off the tongue, huh? I chose that name way back when I never envisioned being a part of the Sims community. I just wanted to play the game and be anonymous. But a number of creators began to pop up on my Launcher screen—builders like SimEve who inspired me to share my own creations with the community. That was over three years ago, and I’ve been increasingly active in the community ever since.
I grew up mostly in South Carolina but lived all over the place during my education and training. I currently work in New York City as a physician, but I live in the suburbs of New Jersey hoping to start a family here some day soon. I love art, photography, architecture, interior design, travel, and trying to keep fit.
I’ve been playing the Sims since the Sims 1. The Sims games have always captivated me because they are so open-ended and foster the creativity in us all. The Sims is a welcome change of pace and artistic outlet for me. My initial focus in the games was creating Sims and making them look as realistic and beautiful as possible. My senior art exhibit in college was actually a series of portraits focusing on beauty and how we idealize models in the media. Back then, I wanted to pursue a career in plastic surgery as a way to combine my interests in medicine and art. Thankfully, I chose radiology, instead—still a very visual field of medicine but much more suited to my personality.
I also found that I loved interior design and architecture through the Sims. At first gutting and renovating the homes provided in the game, I eventually began to build homes of my own. Of course, I have no training in interior design or architecture—so this was a huge learning experience for me as I attempted to create homes in a variety of styles, from modern homes to log cabins, Victorian mansions, and industrial warehouse conversions. I’ve learned so much from other Sims creators, many like Ruthless_KK and Allium who have created helpful building and design tutorials, and I have much left to learn. I also love to download other builders’ homes, like spartan1, for example, and pick them apart, trying to figure out how they created such magnificent pieces of art.
I currently serve as Interiors Director for SF Magazine which is a combined Sims fashion and home design magazine highlighting the works of creators all around the world. It’s been a wonderful experience for me to be able to discover and showcase these creations as well as work with an incredibly talented and fun team who inspire me each day.
The Sims has also meant so much to me on a deeply personal level. Growing up gay in the deep South, I never envisioned I could marry the man I truly loved. I joined the Navy around the same time that the Sims was released. I remember creating my own fantasy world where I could fall in love with another man and create a home together. I came to appreciate that my identity did not have to be confined to a game, and I began to acknowledge and strive for my true desires and dreams. Years later, after coming out of the closet, I was discharged from the Navy, but I was emboldened to create a new life where I could live openly and be honest about who I am. I am proud to say that I am now creating a home with my partner for life—still creating fantasy worlds in the Sims but also taking steps to make those fantasies a reality.
I truly love the Sims community and hope to continue to contribute to it in any way that I can for years to come. I’ve made some wonderful friends through the Sims, many I will treasure for a lifetime. If we haven’t met yet through the Sims community, please reach out to me via any of the contact links below. I am thankful for such an incredible game that fosters the creativity in millions of players worldwide while shaping that cultural landscape such that all might one day be treated equally and with dignity and respect.
Contact information:
http://billsimnyc.blogspot.comhttp://mypage.thesims3.com/
mypage/hmsdrco2001 http://forum.thesims3.com/
jforum/posts/list/328094.page http://www.youtube.com/user/
billsimnyc
