Things ratherastory worries about in her spare time

[ratherastory]

So a few people use only one icon in spite of all the icon space that comes even with a free account, and while I am an icon junkie, I've begun to wonder if they're not onto something. After all, they all have an icon that is recognizably them, and that's it. In my case, it would mean that I wouldn't spend those few extra seconds wondering which icon to pick (first world problems, I has them), especially since I'm letting my paid account lapse in light of LJ's latest fuckery antics.

The thing is, my default icon is this:



I do love it, but I don't know if that's the one I should keep to represent me, or if I should go hunt down some poor, unsuspecting icon maker and see if I can't cajole them into making one with my own name on it.

I don't know, am I the only one with strong feelings about icons? Flist? Anyone? Bueller?

(I thought about making a poll while I still could, but I honestly don't know what I'd put in a poll about icons)

Comments

[bellatemple]

Once upon a time (by which I mean from when I got this account through about two years ago or so), I used to change up my default icon ALL THE TIME, in part BECAUSE I know that after awhile people start associating you with your default icon. I don't know why, but back then that bothered me.

I also used to be the sort of person who rearranged her room every few weeks and couldn't sleep unless she faced a different direction in bed.

My thing is more that I like using the icon to express something particular about my post/comment. It ads a dimension to it all, like the icon and the written word are part of a larger whole. I kinda dig that.

And how the heck does one pick an icon that will represent them for, like, as ever as fandom ever gets? I mean, I'm not sure I want to always be thought of as a hamster with a badminton birdie, or the flying lower half of a scantily clad woman or the Ankorwat temple or Mia Maestro reflected in a mirror (those being former default icons of mine). On DW, I have everything under an image of Peter Cook dressed as a nun, just 'cause I don't use the journal primarily and . . . it's Peter Cook dressed as a nun. But what does Peter Cook dressed as a nun say about me? What do people assume when they see a hamster with a birdie? What if I want to be Bill Murray in a red cap, or a VW bus, or an underpants ninja sometimes?

Which is to say that I, personally, like to use different icons. And like to see others change things up, too. But it's not like I'll get righteously angry when someone doesn't.

That'd just be silly.

[bellatemple]

And there's nothing wrong with that, I'm just the sort of person who then tries to apply meaning to my choice of default icon, and then second guess myself a lot.

[bellatemple]

. . . So I totally just made that connection.

I do the same thing with my username sometimes. (Which would be why in my run as a writer of fanfiction, I've used five different names.) "What does bellatemple say about me? What assumptions might my audience be making based on my name? DON'T JUDGE ME! DON'T JUDGE ME!"

Welcome to my personal weird neuroses.