# What exactly do most people take into consideration when creating their fursonas?



## Rolo (Feb 8, 2013)

Just a curious question - I'm trying to really solidify my persona, but I don't know specifically what I want.
So I wanted to know how others created theirs; that is, what influenced you, why you chose certain elements, did it reflect purely off of your irl self, etc.

There are certain traits I really like, like heterochromia iridis, but I don't want my fursona to be some super stylized version of me, because _I _don't have that condition (just one example).
Maybe an idealized, but not too crazy either. I'm trying to think of things I have that I'd like idealized I suppose. I have white hairs mixed in with my normal black ones. "Silver" according to my friends. But would it be too much to perhaps have a _real_ blaze of silver in my fursona's mane and tail?

Just things like that.

Below is my current fursona "sketch" by the way..
By the wonderfully talented Sabertoothed Ermine.


Anyway, go!


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## Cchytale Murilega (Feb 8, 2013)

I am a domestic house cat with four arms. I've always been a cat person and I relate a lot to housecats. Four arms because I always need more arms to do things IRL and am often imagining a scenario if I had two extra arms to do the task.

Just go with what you feel is "you". If you were an animal, what would you be? Try to trace personal connections to that animal to yourself to find out if it would suit you as your fursona.


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## Judge Spear (Feb 8, 2013)

Whoa, that's really damn good. Head looks a bit large, but what do I know. I have yet to make a fursona...I really don't know diddly dick about the furry community to really answer this. I just know I didn't flatter myself. I didn't pick some robust, beloved, majestic animal. I didn't mix anything. And I CERTAINLY didn't make him perfect looking. He's not buff, charming, or really eye candy because that's not me in real life. 
That's really what I'm after. Nothing generic. And nothing untruthful...past you know...being an anthro hornet.


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## Rolo (Feb 8, 2013)

XoPachi said:


> Whoa, that's really damn good. Head looks a bit large, but what do I know. I have yet to make a fursona...I really don't know diddly dick about the furry community to really answer this. I just know I didn't flatter myself. I didn't pick some robust, beloved, majestic animal. I didn't mix anything. And I CERTAINLY didn't make him perfect looking. He's not buff, charming, or really eye candy because that's not me in real life.
> That's really what I'm after. Nothing generic. And nothing untruthful...past you know...being an anthro hornet.



I think the head is about right for an equine (I have a big head in real life anyway. x] )

I think I kinda wanted my fursona to be idealized because, in some ways, I make a goal out of him. If he's fit and skinny, then it motivates me to be more like that. Same with handsome and stuff.
But things I cannot change (I.E. my eyes, shape, etc) are things I might want to keep static.

Of course, I'm still trying to think about my fursona, so not everything is set in stone.


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## Butters Shikkon (Feb 8, 2013)

Rolo said:


> Just a curious question - I'm trying to really solidify my persona, but I don't know specifically what I want.
> So I wanted to know how others created theirs; that is, what influenced you, why you chose certain elements, did it reflect purely off of your irl self, etc.



Well, I really just went with the animal that I felt best fit my personality and would be fun to draw. He's just supposed to be me in cartoon bird form so I'll give him all my wierd body language and such. 

I know some people prefer to make a character up with just traces of their personality though. I suppose they just like to push the envelope more.


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## Vaelarsa (Feb 8, 2013)

I took into consideration two of my favorite animals (cats and bats), my real life body shape, and my favorite colors, and just threw them all together.

Thing about a fantasy creature is that it's meant to be fantasy, so have fun with it.
You want heterochromia and silver patches in your character's mane? Go for it. I certainly don't have silver-white irises or blue / black / white gradient hair in real life.

You seem to really be taking constraint into consideration, so I really don't think that doing a few little fun touches is going to hurt anything.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Feb 8, 2013)

Kit shares my skeletal height, weight, and overall build. Our eyes are also the same color. Presumably, his likes and dislikes would mirror my own.
I've always been in love with foxes, so fursona choice was a no-brainer.


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## benignBiotic (Feb 8, 2013)

My slothsona Java is essentially my opposite just because I wanted portraying him to be an interesting experience. 

Your fursona is yours so do what you will with it. You can make him an idealized version of yourself, lots of furries do that. Or you can make him a character that will simply be your facei nthe community. As far as looks go my advice would be don't make a sparkle donkey. Pick a trait or two that make him stick out, but nothing too flashy. My sloth is pretty much normal, but he dresses nice and wears pink a lot. I don't know what you're thinking color-wise, but I would pick a color scheme that isn't garish or bright.

At the end of the day though doowutchalike. Also that sketch is amazing.


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## Rolo (Feb 8, 2013)

Vaelarsa said:


> I took into consideration two of my favorite animals (cats and bats), my real life body shape, and my favorite colors, and just threw them all together.
> 
> Thing about a fantasy creature is that it's meant to be fantasy, so have fun with it.
> You want heterochromia and silver patches in your character's mane? Go for it. I certainly don't have silver-white irises or blue / black / white gradient hair in real life.
> ...



I do like this reply. It does make sense to maybe take a few liberties with my fursona. I just kind of want it to be within the constraints of reason, haha.

I'll have to keep thinking.


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## Troj (Feb 9, 2013)

I spent a loooooong time mulling over my fursona, until one day, an acquaintance told me I felt like an aardvark, full stop, and it just clicked. 

Before, the other fursonas I'd been considering had always felt manufactured, calculated, and artificial. This lovely old gentleman, on the other hand, practically strode into my consciousness and rapped at the door. All someone had to do was call, and there he was .

To give a less artsy-fartsy-writerly answer, when considering the matter of fursonas, avatars, or alter-egos, I thought about:

a) The dominant aspects of myself I wanted to channel or express through the character,
b) The aspects of my animus and my shadow-self I might want to channel through the character,
c) Uniqueness and originality, because I am a dainty little snowflake,
d) The functionality of a future/possible costume or fursuit, and,
e) My willingness and ability to play or "voice" that character in a believable and effective manner.

Perhaps reading some Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, or maybe, Bruno Bettelheim might spark some inspiration, by getting you to think more about myths, symbols, and archetypes, and which ones resonate with you as a person.

And, in a pinch, you can do what I did: get an otherkin to diagnose you .

I hope this helps!


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## Fallowfox (Feb 9, 2013)

A donkey is a fantastic choice of species, which will already differentiate you from the crowd if this is what you desire. Trying to make your fursona too specific may make it seem obscure, afterall the average people we all are in real life usually don't appear super-unique, if they all tried to many of us would look like mish-mashes of all sorts and be no more ourselves for it.


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## Springdragon (Feb 10, 2013)

*Theme:*  is probably the most important aspect. Your fursona is like an avatar within the furry community. (As applied to a "sona" and not just a furry character.) Like non-furries, not every single person you meet is required to get to know you on a personal and individual level. Most people will emphasize certain traits through their demeanor and clothing. It's your "first impression", if you will. Do you want people to carefully respect you? Party/Drink with you? Hug/Play with you? Choose a look that will net the reaction you want. 

A fursona with odd traits is considered less reserved and more outgoing. Bold, dark, or traditionally masculine color schemes with special markings like scars or tribal, are typically more aggressive (even on a female sona).  Cute spots or heart shaped markings are typically more playful. In general, the sexier the fursona, the more dominance-aggressive the person. The more special the fursona, the louder the person. 

I would interpret a brown or grey donkey with a salt-and-pepper mane as an older gentleman who is comfortable with himself. Conservative and authoritative, but not dominance-aggressive.

I would interpret a donkey with a silver streak as someone with a philosophical, relaxed, attitude towards life; not authoritative or aggressive at all.

For contrast, I would interpret a donkey with a neon green streak as someone who is fun-loving and carefree, but doesn't rank "responsible" very high as a desirable trait. 

*Ease of Transfer:*
Switching fursonas, like switching nicknames, can be difficult if you're still with the same social group. If you leave some things deliberately ambiguous, it may be easier to change them later, when you feel more stable, or if you begin a new section of your life or switch social groups.

For myself, I keep the same colors and body type, but switch species or styles when I'm drawing the character as part of a different universe.

Also consider ease of fursuiting, if you ever want to do that, and ease of drawing. A character with color changing eyes or a tattoo that changes with his/her mood isn't going to be as consistent or recognizable.


*Personal Representation:*
Is sort of related to ease of transfer. I wanted my fursona to be easily relatable to my human self, to make the two easier to associate. I choose species native to the region from which I draw my heritage and which correspond to my size and body type, with colors that are analogous to my human appearance. Since I can't draw while in costume, it's important for people to recognize me by my artist handle, so I try to reinforce the connection.


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## Rolo (Feb 10, 2013)

Springdragon said:


> *Theme:*  is probably the  most important aspect. Your fursona is like an avatar within the furry  community. (As applied to a "sona" and not just a furry character.) Like  non-furries, not every single person you meet is required to get to  know you on a personal and individual level. Most people will emphasize  certain traits through their demeanor and clothing. It's your "first  impression", if you will. Do you want people to carefully respect you?  Party/Drink with you? Hug/Play with you? Choose a look that will net the  reaction you want.
> 
> A fursona with odd traits is considered less reserved and more outgoing.  Bold, dark, or traditionally masculine color schemes with special  markings like scars or tribal, are typically more aggressive (even on a  female sona).  Cute spots or heart shaped markings are typically more  playful. In general, the sexier the fursona, the more  dominance-aggressive the person. The more special the fursona, the  louder the person.
> 
> ...



Eloquent and very helpful. While it was one of the smaller points  you placed in your paragraph, I do appreciate the input on how you would  interpret a donkey's appearance based on their hair color. 
Makes it easier for me to confirm what I'm trying to portray.

I'll read over this a few more times and mull over it for a while.
Thank you for being so detailed. 

I  feel like I have a good idea of what my fursona will look like now, but  I still have time. I don't necessarily have to be ready to "solidify"  it until I commission it.


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## Troj (Feb 10, 2013)

*Rolo*, may I ask what his name is?


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## DarrylWolf (Feb 10, 2013)

I remembered when I created my fursona, the words ofmy high school teacher who caught me singing along to McFadden and Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" that I was not "the right kind of person" to enjoy that music- I knew what she meant when she said that. I can say with confidence, that my Furry alter ego is the "right kind of person" to enjoy the Philly soul.

I guess that would be one thing that would set my fursona apart from all the other wolves on FurAffinity is that there is no ambiguity about his ethnicity. He's definitely Afro-American.


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## Rolo (Feb 10, 2013)

Troj said:


> *Rolo*, may I ask what his name is?



Rolo is actually his name. 
I use Rolo frequently as a gamer name or nickname, although my real name is Matthew (so common :| )


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## Troj (Feb 10, 2013)

Oh, right on. He looks like a Rolo.

Well, and look on the bright side--the nice thing about having a common name is, it makes you harder to Google!


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## Rolo (Feb 10, 2013)

Troj said:


> Oh, right on. He looks like a Rolo.
> 
> Well, and look on the bright side--the nice thing about having a common name is, it makes you harder to Google!



The only thing I kind of had reservations about being Rolo was the fact that it shares a name with the candy bar. x]

And true, true. That's why I have no qualms about sharing my name online. :3


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## benignBiotic (Feb 11, 2013)

Troj said:


> Oh, right on. He looks like a Rolo.








 I don't see the resemblance


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## Rolo (Feb 11, 2013)

benignBiotic said:


> I don't see the resemblance



You can't see all the sweetness and happiness I bring to those around me?
:3

I actually have never even had a Rolo, so it might be bad for all I know. x]


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## Troj (Feb 11, 2013)

Ha, I forgot Rolo was a candy until ya'll brought it up. I've never had a Rolo, either.

*Rolo*, what was the inspiration for Rolo? You mentioned he's fit and handsome, and that this provides you with a goal or inspiration for your own life--but beyond that, how'd you happen to choose a donkey, and how'd you choose his look? It's interesting that he has humanlike arms and hands. Is he part-human, part-mule, or what? 

Does he have a backstory yet?


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## benignBiotic (Feb 11, 2013)

Man you two need Rolos in your lives :-I yummmm. 

Anyway yes how did you decide 'donkey'?


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## Rolo (Feb 11, 2013)

Troj said:


> Ha, I forgot Rolo was a candy until ya'll brought it up. I've never had a Rolo, either.
> 
> *Rolo*, what was the inspiration for Rolo? You mentioned he's fit and handsome, and that this provides you with a goal or inspiration for your own life--but beyond that, how'd you happen to choose a donkey, and how'd you choose his look? It's interesting that he has humanlike arms and hands. Is he part-human, part-mule, or what?
> 
> Does he have a backstory yet?



I think he's less of a character per se, and more of, well, just me. _I _am the inspiration if you will, haha, just a more idealized version.

Donkeys are much more intelligent than horses (although why that is, I'm not sure), so I like to pretend there's some brains somewhere in my head. x]
Plus I just love how donkeys look and are! There's my absolute favorite animals and I can't really be happier than I am when I'm with donkeys.
I personally think they're very handsome animals and I'm sad that many people ridicule them for how they look. :<

I think of Rolo as a typical anthropomorph. Part-human I suppose, but not part mule, just donkey.
As for look, well, I'm still trying to solidify that. x] Although I do love the sketch, as he is very handsome. I daresay I have a crush on myself, bahaha.

Do most fursonas have backstories?
Like I said before, I tend to think of him as myself, so a backstory might make him feel more detached.


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## tharesan.alae (Feb 11, 2013)

I've wondered this myself.  I don't really have a solid answer.  I just do a mix of what I like and what I am.  I've got wavy long hair, and I like that, so I keep it in my fursona.  I have black hair, but I like white fur, so I chose to be a white wolf (and I chose wolf because I like wolves).  I like my fashion choice, so I keep that as well.  I don't like that I'm unfit, so I make myself more fit.

It's also important to remember that we are not static characters.  We are dynamic human beings, so we can change over time, and it's perfectly normal to do so.  So your fursona can change if you feel like it doesn't reflect you anymore.


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## Troj (Feb 11, 2013)

Rolo said:


> Donkeys are much more intelligent than horses (although why that is, I'm not sure), so I like to pretend there's some brains somewhere in my head. x]



This is why I like goats! I feel like there's a brain and a personality in there, relative to a lot of other herd animals.

The admirable thing about donkeys and mules is that if you overload them, they'll just refuse to go. Horses, on the other hand, will sometimes injure themselves trying to haul or carry something that's just too heavy for them. Donkeys know their limits!

Mules are also sturdy and sure-footed, which is why they make good pack animals when you're traversing a difficult landscape.



> There's my absolute favorite animals and I can't really be happier than I am when I'm with donkeys.



Cool .

Do you keep or live near any donkeys?

You might find this movie interesting. The donkey's voiced by BB King.

He is indeed a handsome guy! 



> Do most fursonas have backstories?



Some do! As I've looked around here, I've seen that some people put a lot of effort and thought into their fursonas' biographies.

Your mileage may differ, of course, and if your fursona's supposed to be YOU, yes, it might be weird to give him a radically different bio .



			
				thaersen.alae said:
			
		

> I don't like that I'm unfit, so I make myself more fit.



Aha, another one!

Oddly, I think my fursona is actually _less_ attractive than me. He's old and portly, whereas I'm young and petite. Whassup with that?


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## Rolo (Feb 11, 2013)

Troj said:


> This is why I like goats! I feel like there's a brain and a personality in there, relative to a lot of other herd animals.
> 
> The admirable thing about donkeys and mules is that if you overload them, they'll just refuse to go. Horses, on the other hand, will sometimes injure themselves trying to haul or carry something that's just too heavy for them. Donkeys know their limits!
> 
> Mules are also sturdy and sure-footed, which is why they make good pack animals when you're traversing a difficult landscape.



Sometimes I feel like donkeys are hardly a herd animal at all. They all seem so... individual. x]
Also, affection is often a sign of intelligence, and donkeys are much more affectionate and less aloof than horses. 



Troj said:


> Cool .
> 
> Do you keep or live near any donkeys?
> 
> ...



I live in the heart of Texas, so donkeys are around, although I do live in San Angelo (a city of 100,000), so they're still a good 30-40 minute drive before any real country starts showing up.
I wish I'd be closer, but this isn't so bad either.

x] I've never seen that movie, although it looks... interesting, haha. I never really imagined a donkey singing.



Troj said:


> Some do! As I've looked around here, I've seen that some people put a lot of effort and thought into their fursonas' biographies.
> 
> Your mileage may differ, of course, and if your fursona's supposed to be YOU, yes, it might be weird to give him a radically different bio .



Yea, I think I'll stick with him just being me and having my backstory. x] I want him to be less of a character and more of just myself.
Does your fursona have a backstory?





Troj said:


> Aha, another one!
> 
> Oddly, I think my fursona is actually _less_ attractive than me. He's old and portly, whereas I'm young and petite. Whassup with that?



x] What made you choose that as your fursona?
I'm guessing that the one in your avatar picture is him?


Also, "they're my absolute favorite", not "there's my absolute favorite."
X_x typos.


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## Troj (Feb 11, 2013)

DEEEEEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!

San Angelo? Good lordy, son, you in the middle o' nowheres! 

Horses just have their own psychology. Temple Grandin has written a number of fascinating books about animals, including _Animals in Translation_, where she describes the mindet and psychology of various species, including horses. Because they're prey animals, they see the world quite differently from us in ways I found genuinely shocking.

Oh, and the Fearless Four is a weird movie, but quite endearing because of its weirdness, and because of its tendency to totally ignore common tropes. It's a German film (but there is an English dub), with an American blues/jazz soundtrack. It's the soundtrack that sold me .

Does my fursona have a backstory? He does, but the timeline's a little fuzzy thus far. I'm going to have to go back and do some research on the Boer Wars, the World Wars (especially WWII), and the history of Jews on the African continent in order to do his story justice . 

Oh, and long story short, an otherkin friend diagnosed me as an aardvark, and the character just came together after that, until I finally had a desire to sketch him and flesh him out. Before that, I had been mulling over different options--lemur, rat, Scottish terrier--and interestingly, aardvark wasn't one of them. Life's funny that way.

On the whole, I probably do _look_ more like a Scottie, at the end of the day.


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## Rolo (Feb 11, 2013)

Troj said:


> DEEEEEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!
> 
> San Angelo? Good lordy, son, you in the middle o' nowheres!
> 
> ...



Hahaha, yes indeed. I use "ya'll" a lot more often and act more Texan in real life. x]
Although I am actually Mexican/Puerto Rican (But I look like neither!). Donkey ends up working in a stereotypical sort of way since I'm Hispanic. x]

It's not too much in the middle of nowhere. I mean, we have our own airport and everything! 

I've never done any research on how horses would see the world, but I always imagined they analyzed it in terms of "threat" and "not a threat."
Hence why they're so skittish sometimes, and why they require so much training to be desensitized.
I'm not sure if donkeys act the same way though. Often I feel like donkeys are actually a lot less worried about possible predators. 
I mean, they use guard donkeys for a reason. x]

Ah, the Fearless Four! I've heard of that. That's what the clip you sent me was from? I might have to look up the movie now just to watch it. 

Seems to be quite an old fellow. x]
I'd be interested to see a full-body sketch if you had one. 

I was actually just looking at your introduction thread, and I feel like aardvark is quite appropriate now. You seem to be a scholarly type, and your fursona looks to be that way too (albeit much older). x]

Did you actually like aardvarks prior to having one as your fursona?


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## Troj (Feb 11, 2013)

When I was at Fur Con, I was all like, _"Donde esta la Raza?_" Ran into _one_ Puerto Rican guy. Is it me, or are Latinos just not very common in the fandom? (And I was really surprised by the number of black folks, especially black men. Geek culture: it's not just for pasty white boys anymore!)

I picked up ya'll from my physical therapist. I find it softens folks up, because it conveys genuine warmth and hospitality. When I was younger, some people told my voice could be kind of harsh, clipped and Aspergery at times, so I've tried to soften myself around the edges a bit .

That, and English otherwise doesn't have a second person plural form. (I mean, unless "youse guys" counts.) Ya'll fills that vaccum.

You're right that horses think pretty much in terms of "Threat" and "Not threat." What's fascinating is how _specific _they are in their thinking. For example, if abused by a person with a black hat, the horse may learn to be afraid of people in black hats, but be fine with people in white hats, or pink hats. 

Horses and cows are also very attuned to movement, especially any movement that is random or erratic, which is why they can be frightened by things like fluttering flags, or swinging ropes. 

Donkeys--nope, not skittish! Typically very confident.

Ah, dude, I'm hella scholarly .

Oh, and before, I thought 'varks were cute and charming, but they were more at the back of my consciousness. 

I uploaded a slightly larger pic as my profile pic. Does that give a good look?


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## Annex. (Feb 11, 2013)

then, i had so much difficulty with coming up with a fursona when i first got into the fandom. started with my ocelot  fursona, who happened while i was drawing an ocelot for my mate. as i worked on her more and more, she developed a personality in my mind, qualities and a name, but i didn't take her seriously as a representation of myself, but still a part of me. then i tried to plan one out, do research, put things together, research names and meanings and symbols and EVERYTHING! i had a few pages in a small sketchbook filled with notes but in the end, i was so eager to put myself out into the community so i just settled on my main dog fursona Dima. he had a few unique aspects to him visually, gave him about the same colour fur as my hair, and sprinkled 2 of my more favourite ideas from the large list on him (stretched ears and 2 tails). He became my main fursona and who i just started to go by when meeting other furs irl. but then about a year later, things changed in my life and being in the fandom and focusing on myself, i gained enough insight prepare myself for an obsession that lead to my artist's fursona and who you register me as: Annex. this 3rd fursona the 2 others are still active aspects and parts of my life) started one day when i was waiting for the bus. some guy had a band shirt with a winged bear on it. after i spotted that shirt, i couldn't get the image out of my mind and started drawing bears obsessively (being an art student, this was good and bad) and as that kept happening, i looked into bears as symbols and what this means about me. as i kept drawing, i kept adding things that felt right and the only thing that remained was a name. i go by Annex because it contrasts the gendered names of my other 2 fursonas and many parts of it are "annexed" on  so take from my story what you will, but i still go by Dima in my social furry circles, and he and Ophelia are still there and pop into my life. i personally didn't want to change fursonas completely cuz even though i'm not completely the same person, they are still a part of me and they can change along with me, i just add more. but you ever find me on FA, i may seem kinda bipolar cuz its one person voicing 2 separate thoughts. i think its kinda fun. i don't thing you should have any fear preceding and trying stuff, you have a pretty good thing going already. but try stuff in your mind, keep those aspects for a while and see how they feel. if they don't fit, then start again (this happened a lot with my horns, couldn't settle on a style).
anyway, my response looks like it's been a tad droning, i'll leave you with that and a wish for good luck on solidifying your fursona


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## Rolo (Feb 11, 2013)

Troj said:


> When I was at Fur Con, I was all like, _"Donde esta la Raza?_" Ran into _one_ Puerto Rican guy. Is it me, or are Latinos just not very common in the fandom? (And I was really surprised by the number of black folks, especially black men. Geek culture: it's not just for pasty white boys anymore!)
> 
> I picked up ya'll from my physical therapist. I find it softens folks up, because it conveys genuine warmth and hospitality. When I was younger, some people told my voice could be kind of harsh, clipped and Aspergery at times, so I've tried to soften myself around the edges a bit .
> 
> ...



I don't think they're particularly rare, but I agree, there doesn't seem to be very many. x] I am an anomaly as far as I know, although I don't happen to know very many furries...
I've been a furry for maybe 4 years now, but I've never been too integrated into the furry group.

Well, you know that everyone is friendly in Texas. 
Haha, but I agree, it is (usually) a term that softens people up, but obviously it still depends on how you use it. 
x] Aspergery... Hahahahaha. I understand exactly how that sounds, oddly enough. My friend has Asperger's, and his tone of voice is less than amicable most of the time.

I never doubted that horses were intelligent enough for such things. I do love horses quite a lot too. 
It's just a shame that they are run more by their instincts and less by their brains (which is why I like donkeys even more).

I wouldn't say I'm super confident, but I think the only thing that frightens me or makes me skittish is loud popping noises like balloons or guns. x]
Although I can become accustomed to them if I'm around them enough.

I noticed! You seemed to study quite a bit of things. 
And aren't dissertations abhorrently long? I saw that you were writing one. :S

And ah! Does seem like a portly old gentleman. x]
Would you say he kind of represents the wise old mind in your young body?


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## Troj (Feb 11, 2013)

Everyone's friendly in Texas, unless they find out you vote Democrat. :V

(Austin excepted.)



> It's just a shame that they are run more by their instincts and less by their brains



Hey, I tend to say the same about people!



> I think the only thing that frightens me or makes me skittish is loud popping noises like balloons or guns.



I'm incredibly sensitive to that stuff. I wear earplugs to practically every public event, and most loud noises run right through my forehead like a razor blade. 

My dissertation is currently abhorrently long (currently 50 pages), yep, and technically, it's just in its proposal phase, so it'll get looooonger when I add any data that gets collected. Most of a dissertation is actually the bibliography, though. 



> Would you say he kind of represents the wise old mind in your young body?



Hey, yeah, let's go with that .

He also gives me an excuse to go to bed at 9:30, tell the kids to turn down that hippity-hop racket, and complain about my bad hip. Can one be crotchety AND a man-child at the same time? Does that work?

Hey *Annex*--interesting that you went through multiple fursonae before landing on your current one, if I understood. (Protip: punctuation and paragraphs are your friends. Wall o' text is hard to read!)



			
				Annex said:
			
		

> but you ever find me on FA, i may seem kinda bipolar cuz its one person voicing 2 separate thoughts. i think its kinda fun.



Well, there is actually a school of therapy called Internal Family Systems, which posits that each person possesses a core Self, surrounded by multiple Parts who take on different "roles" in the "Self System." I believe Gestalt therapy has a similar concept.

So, when you consider human beings through that lens, it'd make perfect sense that they'd want or feel compelled to create multiple fursonae.

Hell, right now, I have a tentative idea for a character (is it fair to call it a fursona, too?) who is the complete opposite of Dr. Van Aarden, and who represents my more anarchic, playful, potentially malevolent side.

Each of us contains many facets, after all.

HEY *ROLO--*it occurs to me that we may be starting to derail the thread with random  non-fursona and non-critter-related tangents. Think we should take the non-fursona chat to PM? Feel free to shoot me a message if you fancy the idea, and we can continue upwards and onwards from there.


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## -={Dracimonde}=- (Feb 11, 2013)

Well i don't exactly know what fursona represents me most, i just picked the black dragon because they're powerful, majestic, wise, beautiful, and simply amazing. The only animal i really like more than dragons are foxes, but foxes are so commonly used by furries, and I just wanted to kind of make myself stand out a bit (if only a bit). I've been using the name Dracimonde for a long time on the games i play online with my friends, and I've been hoping some of them might come here and recognize me. Plus, Dracimonde sounds more like a dragon than a fox.


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## Kota Bearclaw (Feb 18, 2013)

My fursona originally came from a contest on what would make a cool hybrid and a wolf bear what I made and after that  I sorta thought on how a bolf would represent me in many ways


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## Grimnir (Feb 21, 2013)

I used this site, http://animalinyou.com/index.php to find out my inner animal, the badger. From there, I chose the wolverine because they are commonly found in Scandinavian areas (I have a lot of Norse blood in me, as well as a deep fascination with their culture and mythology) and are generally just badarse.

They are ferocious animals that will fight anything, and even, despite their size, have been known to drive off much larger predators from their kills and even bring down deers on their own.

Also note, they have a lot in common with badgers, so I didn't just go, "screw the test, I'll go for wolverine which have nothing in common with my inner animal."

The site also supplies an "animal matchmaker" which would be helpful in finding out of you'd be compatible with someone else (friend or otherwise) if they've done the test as well.


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## Troj (Feb 21, 2013)

Wolverines are awesome!

Wolverines and badgers are both mustelids (members of the weasel family) so you didn't migrate too far!

That test was fun. It said I was a bat. I like bats.


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## Aubreys_Anthro_Ego (Mar 5, 2013)

[EDIT: This thread did NOT start 2 years ago. O__O what was I even looking at that made me think that?]


Someone might pick a certain animal to be their fursona because of what that animal means to them. Even though animal symbolism is arbitrary and changes a bit from person to person and a lot from culture to culture, it will always be an oddly strong part of people's nature(associating concepts with animals, I mean), so that's(/the associated concepts are) one thing someone takes into consideration when designing their fursona. But here's something I noticed nobody mentioned.

Other features besides the species, the wings, or limbs. Are you a skeptical or mature person? Do you want your fursona to be too? You might want to give your fur small eyes, then. Are you childish or innocent in nature? Big eyes. Is your fursona laidback and relaxed? A slack posture with the shoulders sloping down will give that attitude off, while a more bone-straight back might give off a formal air. What color your fursona is can also a big personality indicator, especially if it's an unnatural-looking color or a dye job. As far as cheeks and foreheads go, depending on the humanoid level, you might want to keep these traits close to how yours look. It might sound silly but small things like this can make all the difference. It can be what really makes you see yourself when you look at your fursona.

Also, might want to shy away from borrowing from imagery that you know has a lot of important meaning to a culture. Making Ganesha your fursona is as disrespectful and as plain dickish as it gets. 

As far as other character design aspects go, I think it's pretty obvious that having a little avatar is pretty therapeutic. Sometimes people feel good when they draw a fursona or a persona in general that looks the way they want to look, that is from a place or in a world they fantasize being from, or looks a little closer to how the artist feels they look on the inside or whatever. And some people feel empowered when they make art of themselves just the way they are. This part is all about whatever you want. Though I guess there's room to be practical in all this mushy feely crap, such as if the fursona is from medieval times or a postapocalyptic world or something, they might carry around things that... well... makes sense for them to carry around. These tools, weapons, or armor really add to the design. But it can also detract. A pattern, like tools with matching shapes or textures, can really bring it together. But too much juxtaposition or even just too much accessories in general will clutter it up and make the fursona a pain to draw.

Speaking of a pain to draw, a lot of furries draw their fursonas A LOT. If you're going to be drawing and redrawing something, you want to make it something that's actually fun to draw.

Alright, taking psychology student glasses off now. I swear I get too serious at night.


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