I tend to think I'm very close to my fursona. I based Basil's physical attributes very close to mine. Height, weight, muscle tone, exc. The only difference between me and Basil right now are our hair colour and style, although I did have the "duckbutt" haircut and plan to get it again someday.

Hope this helps c:

"duckbutt" haircut; Now THATS a name for a hairstyle! XD

It's cool that you based your character off of you as you are!

I'd like to the that life would be the same as things could be if I was the blue doggy rather than I. Height, weight, and such are based off me with the only real difference besides a tail, etc is that I actually have longer hair than Shiny does in all but the arts I've gotten from  dhstein.

What about personality? Also based off you as you are?

The blue doggy is about as close to me as you get without actually finding me. We share all the same general traits.

My character has gradually been 'thickening' towards a realistic build, as I've actually learned to draw that. Per height, he's still thinner than me, though I think that's more of a lifestyle thing - I've never considered this dragon as having a life requiring work or winter, nor living vicariously through the computer, so he's usually out and about playing around the sun and stuff. Maybe if I ever win some millions somehow, I'd achieve that build. XD

your art style and species understandably lend them self to being slender. But why would you have to be rich to be skinny?


If we're ever in the same area we'll have to take a weekend off every now and then just to be outside. :P

I think that I'm fairly close to what I consider to be my fursona, as far as build goes anyway (no I'm not), but I think this is more of a matter of mentality over physicality. Despite what a person may look like in relation to their fursona, I think that looking like what they've always wanted to look like will instill a sense of confidence that the person has never before felt. This sheer amount of confidence and ego boost is what will move them towards their new lifestyles.

Some people are just waiting for a right time or right opportunity to do something. Perhaps that moment will never come until they are realized upon their new body. Perhaps the only thing keeping someone from their dream lifestyle is a sense of appearance. They feel that they can't do the job they want to do because they don't have the beauty to accompany that. This i just one of many speculations that may accompany a new appearance. Personally, I know that if my appearance changed for the better, and I don't mean a fursona, I'd definitely do more things. Why I don't do them now is indeed weird, but I guess to fully explain it would be a little difficult.

When you think about it, becoming your fursona is more or less a massive cosmetic change, but in truth, it probably affects the mind much more.

Ah- but then you're pitting the new body against life long habits. What would be easier: starting something new (like exercising) or stopping something old (bad eating habits, smoking, boozing, etc)?


"Why I don't do them now is indeed weird, but I guess to fully explain it would be a little difficult."
"This sheer amount of confidence and ego boost is what will move them towards their new lifestyles."

Thats the part I don't understand: the confidence and ego boot are results of getting the body we want, and for the most part people can acquire the bodies they want- IF they put forth the effort. Why not get what we want?

"When you think about it, becoming your fursona is more or less a massive cosmetic change, but in truth, it probably affects the mind much more. "

Indeed: I've been thinking it's more a case of mind over matter!

They can, muscle and fitness wise. But no matter how much training a person does, they won't grow jackal ears and /or fur about their body. Some are probably just waiting for that faithful day when hybridization becomes a practical reality. Indeed a long shot (very long. Like to the moon long), but I guess they figure that whatever they were trying for won't happen even if they get the body they were hoping for, so they're not even gonna bother.

I guess that for many, getting a fursona isn't just about getting a new body, but it's about a big reset. Everything wrong they're ever did, or all the stuff they had to go through but didn't want to, all the crap they had to endure, all of that would be erased once they got their new body, so they can start their life all over again the way they want to live it. From start to finish. And none of that stuff they had to go though as a pure human. Just a thought, but maybe it really is mind over matter, in more ways than one. A new body to rid of the old one, which was full of "defects", a fresh start on your life with a clean mind, a cleansed soul.

I'll confess: I'm NOTHING like my character physically, and mentally he's the same as me in all but one thing: confidence. I lack the self confidence he has.

My character is seasonally nomadic, very friendly, intelligent, a real ladies man. He is strong, powerful, highly capable of fighting, and an alpha.


Although my character is feral if he were an anthro he'd be lean and strong, but not overly large muscles (sorta like this http://store.blueprintsolution.com/.....hboard_abs.jpg )
I just weighed myself: I was 185 lbs (overweight), but now I'm 202 lbs which is weird because I've been moving more then usual and eating less! (My body shape looks like this http://honewatson.com/files/2008/05.....overweight.jpg but I'd swear I've lost some gut despite weight gain!)

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I'd like to be more like my character: more the way I want to be.

== I've tried to exercise, but I've come to realize I was drinking 160 fl oz of soda a day which was countering what weight I was losing. I've since cut that down to 36 fl oz or less.

Exercise: == I know I need to start exercising to cut the weight more then anything, but I live 30 minutes from the nearest gym and I've got no room to have one where I live. Not to mention time restraints to do it.

Eating: == I need to eat better but I've got little time to cook, not to mention the costs.

Nomad: == I tried to travel to several cons this year, but its financially restraining as I had to take three days off work to go.

Ladies: == I have no idea how to flirt without being sexist so I don't. And I don't recognize when I'm being flirted with.


Now, you see those up there, with the "=="'s? Yes, those are my excuses. I KNOW they're excuses, because if I wanted to do them, I'd find a way to do them.

Making the mental change to be willing to put forth the effort is the hard part. I can say I've got no time to do it, but I need to make time; It's a matter of choice, after all. I could BE the "Human version" of my character if I wanted to...

SCRATCH THAT.

I CAN be the "Human version" of my character.

Exercise? P90X and jogging, just gatta start off slow.
Eating: Make time to cook healthy food; there should be plenty of recipes that taste good, and I need veggies.
Nomad: Go fewer days to cons I can drive to in 4 hours. That way I would only have to take Friday off from work. Also should go to other towns and states for a weekend every now and then FNAR.
Ladies: I need to ask them out, rather then make excuses not to, and I need to stop thinking I'm not good enough when I KNOW there's a lot of worse men out there and I know I'd treat them kindly.

I might not be able to grow fur and a tail (or a pouch ;p ), but I can get a similar physique to what he's supposed to have. And maybe in doing so, will become a happier person. :)



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In case you're wondering, this all came about because I've seen so many peoples characters being skinny and healthy when the person them self is quite overweight. Several of these people say they want to lose weight but few seem to be trying.
Also, I know one whos character is obese but he's skinny as a rail, DESPITE trying to gain weight. He's confident in himself enough to tell any woman he dates he wants to become morbidly obese.

These two things got me thinking about how many people don't match their characters form, despite most peoples characters being simple anthros (which, lets be honest, are predominately just humans with fur/scales.)

Working out doesn't always work. Back in 2002-2005 I worked a hard working manufacturing job and was highly active. I rarely ate out and made sure to eat healthy. But my weight would fluctuate between 275 and 350 at a rate I was told was unhealthy. The entire time I never saw a change in body shape.


I modeled Knightwulf mostly after myself. His muscle structure is what mine was under my "padding". I've been working a mostly desk job since then (2+ years) and between that and school have had little time to work out.
Mentally Knightwulf is what I put myself out to be. Kind, courageous, chivalrous, and loyal. These all describe me, but they hide some of my stronger traits.

Wytwyld the Otter is pretty much exactly like me. Strongest traits being Those mentioned above as well as introverted untill I get to know all those around me well, and extremely erratic behavior. I have been told I have traits similar to ADD, but have no problem concentrating on a single task for up to 8 hours sometimes. He's highly active (time permitting), same height/weight: 6'2/ 300 +-15 lbs. and would classify as chubby.