A New Meta Horizon for Diverse Creators and Community Builders
Today, at Connect 2021 where Facebook recently changed it’s name to Meta and shared what’s now, what’s coming and what the future of social will look like as they evolve and look to the horizon.
Well, needless to say, I had a keen eye and ear for what was coming for Horizon Worlds — a social metaverse where you can create, play, build and earn. Horizon Home, Concerts in holographic form, Virtual merch, NFTs, Messenger in VR that looks like Henry Danger’s Whiz Watch and much more.
What I was most excited about was being able to watch friends and fellow creators I’ve been building with, some since March 2020, spotlighted on the biggest social platform in the world talk about building diverse communities. I grabbed some of my favorite quotes from each question below as a recap to not only celebrate these hard working creators and community builders but to spread the knowledge of their work that could help others.
Watch on Facebook Reality Labs Facebook Page:
Moderator:
Lisa Kotecki: Community Experiences Manager in Horizon and an OG in social VR, Lisa Kotecki sat down in with creators and community builders in Horizon Worlds. Lisa asked thought-provoking questions and stayed curious on their experiences throughout the Building Diverse Communities in the Metaverse— which Lisa has been doing since 2015!
Fun fact! She invited me, Paige Dansinger, and a few other VR enthusiasts to FB Headquarters during OC5, social proof she connects and builds community.
The Panelists:
Ashley Briley
Ashley Briley is a CPA by day and creator by night, with VR being her latest medium. For Ashley, creating in VR opens up possibilities not seen in other media, such as the creation of an inclusive and sharing community. She shares her experiences discovering worlds on her YouTube channel VRinReview.
Carlos Silva
Carlos Silva is an IT Project Manager for a global manufacturing company. He has learned from his initial experience with VR that searching for new friends and places to explore can be difficult. To counter this, Carlos has been designing a welcoming and fun experience for others through the Horizon World Tours Community Event since May 2021.
Paige Dansinger
Paige Dansinger is a VR Game Developer, recognized by Facebook as one of the Top Global Community Leaders. She founded the Better World Museum and the Horizon Art Museum and co-founded Women in Horizon. Currently, she’s a Pre-Alpha Community Creator in Horizon Worlds and was in the first cohort of the Horizon Worlds Accelerator Program to create a MiniGame.
Oh, and one more thing about Paige.
I was first introduced to Paige by Iva Leon, Founder of ARVR Women almost four years ago. I met these two INCREDIBLE women in Virtual Reality before meeting them in person. Paige always had the dream of making a better world and amplifying diverse voices, it was her passion then and still is today. And I just want to say it’s been an amazing journey watching her continue to fulfill that dream — one platform at a time, through A LOT of hard work. Huge congrats Paige.
Building Diverse Communities Interview
From some of the most passionate community and world builders here are some of my favorite snippets from the talk…they definitely did it in true Horizon avatar form!
Did you set out to be a Community Leader?
Yes! When Horizon was first introduced I believe it was created I felt it was specifically for me to build more resilient communities.- Paige D
I didn’t. My first thought was to find new worlds and how to meet people. — Carlos S.
For me, in an unconscious part of my mind I think I did. — Ashley B.
How did you choose Horizon to be your place to build communities?
Discovering worlds, connecting with people, and world building…you feel the magic of the community. — Ashley B.
The idea that 15 primitive shapes, gizmos and simple block scripting could potentially be the building blocks of creating more intentional worlds, more harmony, and more peace. — Paige D
The worlds and the world building…if it doesn’t exist you could create it. Carlos S.
Any advice for someone wanting to dive in using creation tools
Start simple, add complexity as you go. — Ashley B.
Make friends with failure. Fail forward…There’s nothing holding you back, not even gravity in Horizon. — Paige D
Horizon tools are really easy to work with and get started with. — Carlos S
How collaboration impacts how you go about starting to create?
If you take away just ☝️ one collaborator from a world it loses that magic that makes it special. — Carlos S.
My creation style has evolved with each friendship 🤜🤛🏾I’ve made in Horizon. — Ashley B.
I believe co-creating and skill sharing creates a stronger connection. — Paige D.
In a lot of ways Creators and Community Builders are very interchangeable. What are community Building Lessons for aspiring community builders?
Share group selfies with your friends every chance you can get. — Paige D
Find others to collaborate with on your worlds and do the same for them. — Carlos S.
You won’t always get it right, don’t give up. — Ashley Briley
When is the first time you felt that magic in Horizon?
When women were communicating, connecting and building together. — Paige D.
For me it was “Abduction Deduction” by Wafflecopters — someone shared with me…you’re not just interacting with buttons, sliders and little tasks but you can use this entire world to really explore and find the clues in order to solve a puzzle. That was the birthplace of Horizon World Tours.
What keeps you coming back to Horizon? — Lisa K
What’s next! For me to learn, to discover or who I haven’t met yet. — Ashley B.
The people. — Carlos S.
Getting stuck is a part of every creative process. Any advice for people feeling stuck in their process?
It’s best to take a step. Go on a world hop. Go help a friend with their project Changing your environment can help you change your perspective. — Ashley B.
Play a mini-game or make a friend and help them out. — Paige D.
If you get stuck go explore, play a game, hang out in the Plaza. — Carlos S
Final Thoughts:
💟Horizon Creator Community and Women in Horizon Facebook Groups are great resources. — Ashley B.
💟You have the opportunity to create the future you really want…world building is community building. — Paige D.
💟If you’re in Horizon check out the events tab and we welcome you to join us. — Carlos S
Want to learn more about these creators?
Sign up for Horizon Worlds and check out the incredible worlds and communities they have created.
- Ashley: Her story
- Carlos: World Tours
- Paige: Better World Museum
Catch the whole video, here:
Source: Bios of the panel taken from FacebookConnect.com.
