Sometimes, the answer to a particular problem is to go for what feels like the most wrong answer possible.

With the fursona struggle I had, one thing I noticed was that I was picking creatures that I liked, but when it comes to stuff I like, I have no strong feelings for certain things in particular. I jumped around with everything because they were all equally cool options, but none of them really gave me a reason to work with them. Also novelty; some of the stuff was a super unique idea, but that was it. Novelty alone does not make for an interesting character for people to care about, not even for the creator.

But what about the things I loathe? Ideas and concepts that I think are so terrible, that I often wonder why they exist? Perhaps something that if you got the opportunity to change it, you would do everything you could to rework it to how you see fit?

Which is how I got to this point. I really don't like dogs and wolves, especially wolves. The whole macho "alphas" and "lone wolf" nonsense really gets on my nerves. The fact that we're spending money on saving an animal that really serves no niche in nature anymore is annoying. All in all, my spite towards wolves is massive.

But that's what really creates the best opportunity for me as a creator. If you hate this thing so much, why not fix it? What if you could make a wolf character that still was "badass" and "noble" like people expected, but could remove all the dickish notions and things you hate about them? There already exists a characterization that can manage to be cool and capable, but is also flamboyant and fun... And in a place where everyone expects you to be a certain way, wouldn't a non-asswipey wolf be easier to pull off and have more interesting things to explore?

What brought all this on was when I did the Ninetales Pokesona earlier. Where as I said the gardevoir form was more novelty and relied too much on pure subversion (as well being a somewhat messy design), the Ninetales was simpler and more effective at actually making a unique character, while still subverting expectations (how many male ninetales, and by extension, kitsune, do you really see everyday?). The same could be said for every creature I've tried to make my fursona be since I lost attachment to horse so long ago (and really, even those horse could be seen as a kind of failure in the making). Sure, things like big scaly things, bats, and antelopes are all really cool, but if you can't really have them bring anything to the table other than they're unique, how can you flesh them out latter to be characters?

Because at the end of the day, my fursona isn't just an avatar (because I've made plenty of those across many games and things), he is a character who has struggles and issues like any other character. Making him an oddball creature with no real issues just makes him someone who I can't really root for. Making him a more ordinary creature who has to deal with wanting to be themselves while everyone expects them to act a certain way is a but rote, but it's interesting.

Also... Try drawing those antelope like horns all the time, it's not easy. Drawing a canine head is pretty simple...