"My creativity teaches me who I am, every day," says fine artist Robbi Firestone.

As she explores that creativity, one of the artist's tools in her palette is virtual reality.

A gifted painter and multimedia creator, Robbi is also a performance artist and an award-winning international speaker. And besides teaching (in her Santa Fe studio and in the metaverse), she creates art in virtual reality, in real time, in front of live audiences!

Here is a quick demonstration of her metaverse art, from her YouTube channel.

In the physical world, Robbi creates powerful and intense landscapes and portraits, as well as thought-provoking mixed-media work. Her recent painting series, "SkyDance" , captures both the beauty and intensity of the skies, while her mixed-media projects range from a deeply personal exploration to a clever satire on modern times.

Her metaverse work represents the next steps in an ongoing journey of growing, teaching and evolution.

"...When I think of all these magnificent and infinite possibilities that we have with virtual reality, I feel very interested in exploring the fine arts within it," Robbi says.

Her live painting experiences, using digital tools in VR, allow her to interact with participants from all over the world, demonstrating her techniques as well as wowing audiences who see ideas coming to life onstage.

And as she explores, her goal is to use her art to benefit the world.

"I love teaching. I love having people wanting to grow themselves," says Robbi, who has traveled all over the world performing in virtual reality, and has taught numerous classes, virtually and in-person.

While Robbi accepts studio visits by appointment, she is also currently in discussion with planners about scheduling her next VR performances--and may very well be hosting some creative retreats in the near future! (And she invites you to reach out to her through her website, if you'd like to know more.)

Robbi talked about her creative journey, offered some insights into the knowledge that has allowed her to work full-time as a fine artist and shared the story of her introduction to the metaverse as an artist's venue.

"What else?" asks designer and design educator Dr. Cassini Nazir.

He's explaining the foundations of curiosity--and the ways it can boost creativity.

Cassini, as he prefers to be called, is a designer, in several different areas: designing curricula, interfaces, and even conversations.

And in creating any and all of the above, he relies on one crucial ingredient: curiosity.

Where can that curiosity take him--and his students--and how can the questions they ask, spark new ideas?

As an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas, Cassini teaches interaction design and user experience courses. Previously, he has served as Southern Texas University’s Designer in Residence, for their Master of Arts in Design and Innovation.

He was also Founding Director of University of Texas’ new ATEC Usability Lab. As well as Director of Research and Design at Dallas-based ArtSciLab.

And whether he's designing or teaching others what he's discovered, he consistently explores the world around him--and encourages his students to follow his example.

In this interview from December 2024, Cassini talked about his background, offered some of the ways creatives can use curiosity as a tool to generate new ideas, and even shared two of his favorite games which he and his students use, to generate new ideas.

"To be honest with you, I think that every day is an opportunity to learn something new," comments futurist and award-winning XR community leader Paige Dansinger.

That curiosity, along with a sense of joy in discovering new creative technologies, allows her to empower others.

A gifted artist, Paige has created more than 300 immersive worlds. She is the founder of Horizon Art Museum, and of Women in Horizon, in Meta Horizon Worlds.

Among the multiple honors she's garnered for her work in the metaverse is her recognition by Meta as one of the Top 115 Global Community Leaders.

In addition, she is the creator and Founding Director of Better World Museum, which is accessible in different versions on three virtual platforms: Meta Horizon, Roblox and Rec Room.

Participants in her XR worlds are encouraged to grow, and to explore their own creativity, by painting, building and adding their voices to items they've created. And if this sounds like a lot of fun, in the process--it absolutely is.

And world building is only one of the ways she inspires fellow creatives in XR.

Paige shares her expertise by teaching world building, as she continues on her personal learning journey.

"One 30-minute building session with me will give you the roadblocks to feel that you have a foundation," she says.

Ultimately, her virtual work is about humanity, as we use XR to grow together.

Paige talked about her background, shared the story of creating the Better World Museum and the ways she uses virtual art to empower others, and offered a look at some of her favorite creative resources.