You may recognize this boy in a turban. Or you may not.
Unless you’re my father (who took the picture) or someone I’ve introduced it to as being my two-year old self, you’d be hard pressed to be sure that it’s me. But I’m told it’s the truth.
You may however associate it with me, because I do tend to use it as my little avatar just about everywhere. But, until you read this, you probably weren’t totally sure that those were my baby blues peeking out from between the folds.
I’ve been thinking a fair bit about personal branding over the last while, and some of the questions that have stuck with me are about this little turbaned boy. Why have I chosen this image to represent me? What am I trying to convey? What do people perceive when they see it? What does this add to my personal representation, as it zips about the digital world?
In the case of this little image, I’ve never thought much about these questions. It’s me. It’s cute. It’s playful. A little mysterious maybe… I think that was all that crossed my mind when I first used it. But avatars, like many other signatures, have a way of multiplying themselves. I’d used it once, and the next time something called for an avatar, there it was again…
I suppose I accept that whether I like the connotations or not, an avatar is a logo that represents me. Having a design background, the concept of a logo is a more loaded one for me than that of an avatar. And I do resent this connection, because I don’t really want a logo for myself. It seems like a pretty silly conceit, and overly corporate as a concept. But if I accept that an avatar is a logo, then I’m basically forced to have one through online interactions. If that’s the case, maybe I’ve gotta step it up a bit.
My concern about the turbaned image lies in the ease with which it could be misconstrued. So, what if I were to reinvent my avatar? How could a square centimeter of screen best represent me?
This is where I start thinking about personal branding again. There really are some wonderful logos out there, that manage to perfectly catch the flavour of their brand. This is something for me to think more about. I’d actually really like your suggestions.
Should my avatar remain the little turban image?
Should it be more literally connected to me?
Should it be more evocatively connected to me?
Other thoughts?
What choices have you made and why?
More thoughts about personal branding to come soon!
6 Responses to Avatar: The Boy in the Turban
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I’m not sure that a square centimeter could ever represent you. But having a photo of yourself, even a two year-old version of yourself strikes me as the most authentic way to approach this.
[…] act of doing it illustrates elements of my thoughts and concerns about the act of doing it. In a previous post I started to reflect on personal branding, and particularly focused on that little square […]
I’ve been thinking a lot about my avatar recently. After reading your post, I have even more to think about!
Like you, I have the same avatar for everything. I am using an image of Jedi Master, Shaak Ti. I LOVE this image; such clear, sharp lines and wonderful contrast between the bold blue of the background, the brown of the robe and the radiance of the lightsaber. I started with this avatar before I knew about creative commons and before I was aware of the copyright issues. But now that I know, I’ve got to let her go.
I’ve been trying for months to find another image but Shaak Ti is so perfect. I just can’t seem to find anything to replace her. And now that I’ve read your post, I realize why. I never really thought about what message I wanted to convey through my avatar. I liked the colors, is all. But Shaak Ti is one cool chic. She marches to her own beat. Independent, likes her own space, keeps her own counsel. Known for her diplomacy but wields a mean lightsaber when she has to. More than just strong colours, she’s someone I look up to.
And now, having read your post, I see it’s going to be a tricky thing to find an image that conveys the right message. Particularly when I have no idea what that message is…. hmmmmm! As for you, my friend, I love the boy in the turban. It’s original, unique, a little mysterious, strongly connected to where you came from which has helped to make you who you are today. It captures the spirit of you. I vote the boy in the turban stays : )
Love it! I agree with you. I wondered about your avatar once upon a time too, if I recall. I like your justification for holding onto the boy in the turban… After all the musing around this post and others, I’ve pretty well decided the same thing. It was me and well… it’s me! Thanks for the comment Tash!
Tash! You did it! You changed your avatar! Does it feel good, or like a slippery betrayal of your former self?
hmmm -not betrayal so much as a watering down of me…