Your Associated Content Avatar: The Tale of a Journey

Choosing an avatar for your Associated Content writing is a bit tricky. Do you want to show your face? What about your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend who might track you down? Or your parole officer? Can't ever be too careful. There's looneys lurking everywhere, apparently. And when you publish something, you really put yourself out there. People will be able to match you to your writing if you publish a photo of yourself. Is it safer to go with a flower, or a picture of a coffee mug? How about a photo of your favorite pet?

There's a psychological process that seems to accompany one's choice of an avatar. It begins with venturing timidly into putting one's writing, one's baby, out there. It's swimming, but it's a venture into the kiddie pool, not jumping off the diving board into the deep end. It's the seasoned, self-assured, skilled writers who finally post their photo. "This is my writing. I created it. It's who I am, and I'm proud of it."

For over a year now, I have observed the metamorphosis of Donald Pennington's avatar. When I first met the excellent Mr. Pennington, his avatar was a fascinating .gif of a man banging his head against the keyboard of a computer. It was an amusing, yet somewhat distressing, symbol for a man struggling to gain control - over his writing; over his life; over his image of himself. I cheered when I saw his new avatar - a photo of him !!! I knew a corner had been turned. A major battle had been won. This was further revealed in his buoyant, witty articles on such topics as brewing cowboy coffee and growing bonsai. And seasoned, wise articles on difficult topics like getting through a divorce without destroying one's children. If you would like to read more about his journey, I have referenced below his article on how he finally made the decision to move from "Paco" the Head-Banger to his present avatar.

Lately I've been entertaining the idea of posting a photo of me. But not all of me, not just yet. I'm thinking maybe just a cropped photo of my eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul, right? Or maybe I'll take a full photo of my face and Andy Warhol-ize it. Really contrast it out and sub in some wild colors. Andy would be proud of me. (Or pissed that I ripped him off.) I see a counterpart in where I am with my writing. One minute I'm thinking I've turned a pretty clever phrase; the next minute I'm thinking it needs major finessing. Hey, I'll get there. One of these days you'll see a really out-there photo of me. With my hair blowing in the wind, on the beach. With the seagulls crapping on me for good luck!

But not just yet ...

Sources:

Personal experience

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1859911/why_paco_had_to_diehis_eulogy_from.html?cat=35