some assembly required

[ravensword]

This weekend's Pantheacon has me in a very thinky headspace (see my blog for more on that: http://myweightinwords.wordpress.com/) on a number of subjects.

One of which is my name.

In the Pagan community I am known by the name Amara.

In my professional endeavors, whether that be the day job or the photography or my non-erotic writing, I am known by my legal name, Natalie.

I am faced with the dilemna of merging worlds. I have a book idea I want to write, flesh out, make real. It is very Pagan. A part of me says I should write it under the name Amara. A part of me wants to start moving toward using my real name. I already have some traction there, some brand recognition. I already have a blog, I have a twitter and a facebook page (which I need to post to more frequently and build up followers for).

I'm not sure I'm ready to completely let go of Amara though. She has been a big part of who I am, of who I became. I'm just not sure she will continue to be part of who I am becoming...


....thinky things to think on....


And for the interactive part of today, a meme, stolen from badfalcon:

1. Tell me one thing you love about me.

2. Tell me two things you love about yourself. Make it good. No self-deprecation allowed!

3. Look through the comments ~ when you see someone you know, tell them three things you love about them.

4. Do this in your journal so I can tell you what I love about YOU - and if you've already done it, tell me so, so that I can go back and give you some love. (Optional, of course.)

Comments

[serenelystrange.livejournal.com]

1) I love your generosity and loyalty. And your ridiculously(in a good way) imaginative mind!

2) Meh.

3) Will do later when i'm not on the shitty app, lol.

4) Did so already :)

[badfalcon.livejournal.com]

hmm... that icon seems familiar LOL
I love how you embrace your geekdom and ENJOY it, and aren't afraid to enjoy it.

[lucdarling.livejournal.com]

I have my own thoughts on naming, combining the names you use in one situation with another (unexpectedly, or at least, unplanned for) and what it all means, how it works out. My situation's a bit different from yours, but I've concluded that it's not that you're letting go of the one name, but growing into the other? It's still a bit work-in-progress. I guess if it feels right to you, you must be something worthwhile/it's not a mistake. At least that's what I reassure myself.

1. Tell me one thing you love about me. Your pleasure at bringing joy to your friends. You seem so happy when you've been able to bring happiness to another.
2. Tell me two things you love about yourself. I like my attention to detail, my unassailable loyalty to those I consider friends.

[badfalcon.livejournal.com]

1) You in general. And Brain. And your passion and devotion. and everything
2) um...
3) will wait til my head's a little straighter
4) you stoled from me

[darling-lisa.livejournal.com]

1 - I love how genuinely you give yourself. To fandom, to friends, to complete strangers at times.

2 - I love my drunken babbles too *grin* And uh, I love my ability to enable people :D

____

Also? It's funny because I have never really thought of you as Natalie, you have always been Amara to me. Which, yeah part of it is how I first came to know you, but I don't have any problems identifying others I met online by their "real" names. It's just for me, your real name *is* Amara.

But whoever you are or become, I can't wait to see where we go next <3

[ravensword.livejournal.com]

I think that no matter whether I choose to move to using Natalie for everything (which is kind of the way I'm leaning) there will always be those who know me and call me and see me as Amara. You are certainly one of them. *g* It will always be a part of who I am.

But maybe lucdarling is right above when saying that it's like growing into a new/different name. It just feels *right*.

[fufaraw]

1. Tell me one thing you love about me.

Your boundless, fearless imagination, and your willingness to share it.

2. Tell me two things you love about yourself. Make it good. No self-deprecation allowed!

I have learned to accept compliments, if not gracefully, then at least with less clumsy embarrassment. And I appreciate small graces: a smile, a kind word, a small gift. They're most often given with the most love, and the least expectation of reciprocation.

3. Look through the comments ~ when you see someone you know, tell them three things you love about them.

4. Do this in your journal so I can tell you what I love about YOU - and if you've already done it, tell me so, so that I can go back and give you some love. (Optional, of course.)

Lady, it is done.