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Your Fursona and How You're Not Special
12 years ago
In the words of some internet idiot;
Now I've been reading up a lot recently about how the outside world, and even those from within the fandom/culture see the 'furry' world. I could go on and on about my findings, how some of my views are different but largely I can see where those other writers are coming from, but I think I'd rather pick on one thing so far that writers on both sides seem to agree upon; Fusonas have to be 'unique', or at least furries think they do, or they're boring.
I disagree, strongly.
Take my own 'sona, for example; silver wolf, not much to him. No really special markings, no supernatural powers, nothing to make him super special in any really unique way... and y'know what? That's all I need. That's all my friends have needed, too; when I roleplay, my 'sona is just a tool I use to build things around. He's a character I like to think of when I'm bored, to create stories around, or just to imagine him fighting. Sometimes he looses; he's not perfect, he's not especially strong, but he's exactly what I want.
I don't agree that every furry has to feel special or unique in this fandom/culture, since the large being that is Furry tends to be very welcoming and nurturing to those of it's own. On the large, anyway - there's always resistance, and assholes of any ilk.
Sure, some (if not most) furries who make a fursona like to make it big and flashy, and in the process make it just as big and flashy as everybody ELSE trying to make it big and flashy, and - in the words of [Adjective][Species], "Being normal is what really makes you stand out."
These days nobody takes a second glance at somebody with wings, or who has a rail-road spike through their faces, because hey - it's your 'sona, it's what you want it to be. Sometimes people will say "Hey, that's a really clever design!", and often enough people will remember your character if it has subtle, but interesting quirks - and I think this is where we can draw a parallel to humans.
If you meet somebody and they're just quirky enough to be interesting, you'll remember that person; and in the furry fandom, being 'not normal' IS the new 'normal'. I suppose it depends and varies depending upon where you go, who you meet, and what kinds of people you follow...
...But I just wanted to say that if you're one of the increasingly few of us with what others would call 'bland', 'mundane' or 'unimaginative' characters, that's okay. I understand that not all of us need some big fancy hoo-haa every time we enter a room, we just want a way to interact with each other's fantasy worlds, characters and settings.
Really it's a matter of being happy with what you have. Not settling for less, not wanting more and just not having the imagination for it, just being happy with some small part of normality, even in our fantasy. c:
I disagree, strongly.
Take my own 'sona, for example; silver wolf, not much to him. No really special markings, no supernatural powers, nothing to make him super special in any really unique way... and y'know what? That's all I need. That's all my friends have needed, too; when I roleplay, my 'sona is just a tool I use to build things around. He's a character I like to think of when I'm bored, to create stories around, or just to imagine him fighting. Sometimes he looses; he's not perfect, he's not especially strong, but he's exactly what I want.
I don't agree that every furry has to feel special or unique in this fandom/culture, since the large being that is Furry tends to be very welcoming and nurturing to those of it's own. On the large, anyway - there's always resistance, and assholes of any ilk.
Sure, some (if not most) furries who make a fursona like to make it big and flashy, and in the process make it just as big and flashy as everybody ELSE trying to make it big and flashy, and - in the words of [Adjective][Species], "Being normal is what really makes you stand out."
These days nobody takes a second glance at somebody with wings, or who has a rail-road spike through their faces, because hey - it's your 'sona, it's what you want it to be. Sometimes people will say "Hey, that's a really clever design!", and often enough people will remember your character if it has subtle, but interesting quirks - and I think this is where we can draw a parallel to humans.
If you meet somebody and they're just quirky enough to be interesting, you'll remember that person; and in the furry fandom, being 'not normal' IS the new 'normal'. I suppose it depends and varies depending upon where you go, who you meet, and what kinds of people you follow...
...But I just wanted to say that if you're one of the increasingly few of us with what others would call 'bland', 'mundane' or 'unimaginative' characters, that's okay. I understand that not all of us need some big fancy hoo-haa every time we enter a room, we just want a way to interact with each other's fantasy worlds, characters and settings.
Really it's a matter of being happy with what you have. Not settling for less, not wanting more and just not having the imagination for it, just being happy with some small part of normality, even in our fantasy. c:
My thoughts on this are pretty deep, and I dont want to spam this space with all of them. But really: I can't help but feel like characters going out of their way to be overly special are compensating for an inability to portray the normal interestingly.
Perhaps one reason for such extreme fursonas is that it acts as a type of escapism, a means of leaving the normal world behind not to interact with others, not to fit in with a Fandom, but to find a way to be happy with themselves for a change.
Those who experience great feelings of worthlessness in real life I believe have a higher likelihood of taking comfort in the extreme.