Which symbol/emblem/image do you think could best represent you?

[Lara]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm reading this book on self-esteem, and there is an exercise about finding an image that represents some or all of your best qualities. The author wants you to think about difficult situations you went through and find which personal qualities helped you to meet the challenge, as well as which new qualities you developed from the situation. Then asks you to find an object/s or shape/s that would represent this or these qualities (a heart could represent kindness, or an arrow courage...)

I'm thinking of some kind of drawing that would contain a climber on a mountain carrying a quiver full of arrows... but I am curious about what other people here in NF would choose. It would be nice to know which qualities do you feel are your best and how would you represent them. Have you ever thought about making your own emblem?

[Raincloak]

Making an emblem for myself?  Nah.  I'm not great at graphic design, and the world is full of terrific symbols I can just adopt if I want.  As far as personal totems go, I collect physical objects I like, and characters/stories that have meaning to me.  Rather than abstracting "courage" as an arrow, for instance, when I need courage I think about my favorite courageous heroes (real and fictional) and get inspired that way.

 

but, you gotta do what works for you.  If you wanna make an emblem for yourself, feel free.   I'm just sayin, it's not crucial for everybody.  If you need inspiration for symbols you can use, maybe go check out some New Age resources, they're full of symbolic animals and plants and rocks and spirits and things.  There's a birthstone for everything, a spirit animal, a Tarot archetype, a tree species...

[Luds]

my avatar for company internal chat tools.;-)

Basically took something existing that contains meaning I feel related to and played with it a bit. (well... very little).

Good starting point is google image search if you already have an idea what your strengths are, then go wild with GIMP (free photoshop alternative)

 

Reason for me taking the pic: I'm pretty much an old school Salaryman and have outdated notions of loyalty and decency. (.. but I'm working on that..  )

[Lara]

On 19/4/2017 at 9:45 AM, Raincloak said:

Rather than abstracting "courage" as an arrow, for instance, when I need courage I think about my favorite courageous heroes (real and fictional)

Hi Raincloak. Thanks for answering. Maybe I am in the opposite place you are. I feel difficult to identify myself with other people. Of course I admire some people for what they do or are, but I find it difficult to relate myself to them when I'm in need of courage or in a tough situation. Let's say I prefer to look at my own self and try to find what resource I could use, rather than reach outside. That's why I thought that summing it up in an image could be useful.

 

On 19/4/2017 at 1:40 PM, Luds said:

Basically took something existing that contains meaning I feel related to and played with it a bit.

Your emblem looks nice! To me it talks about peace and fortitude, maybe nothing to do with what you wanted to say?  Thank you for the advice (and I didn't know GIMP existed...)

[Luds]

na, you're spot on. that's one aspect of it alright

 

If you continue to use GIMP you might be interested in plug-in's. some nice tools/toys among them --> http://registry.gimp.org/glossary/a

 

 

[Frost of the Gloaming]

My spirit animal is a skunk, which is not a joke and has nothing to do with their/my smell. But rather they have a self confidence about them, they believe in pacifism (do no harm), protective. They are like the monks of the animal world

 

 

 

 

[Plazmotic]

I’ve dabbled in graphic design and the idea of designing an emblem for myself is definitely intriguing! It would have to be something that incorporates both patience and kindness, maybe a heart on a long, winding trail.

[Lara]

3 hours ago, Luds said:

na, you're spot on. that's one aspect of it alright

 

If you continue to use GIMP you might be interested in plug-in's. some nice tools/toys among them --> http://registry.gimp.org/glossary/a

 

 

Oh, wow, thank you for the plug-ins list.

Glad to see I understood at least part of your image  

[Lara]

2 hours ago, Frost of the Gloaming said:

My spirit animal is a skunk, which is not a joke and has nothing to do with their/my smell. But rather they have a self confidence about them, they believe in pacifism (do no harm), protective. They are like the monks of the animal world

 

 

 

 

I know anything about skunks (aside from the smelly part and the old saying to be drunk as a skunk), so I'm rather surprised at what you say. I always imagined them as a rather aggressive animals, don't know why. Obviously wrong, it seems

 

1 hour ago, Plazmotic said:

I’ve dabbled in graphic design and the idea of designing an emblem for myself is definitely intriguing! It would have to be something that incorporates both patience and kindness, maybe a heart on a long, winding trail.

That is a very beautiful image!

[Raincloak]

Skunks are in the same family as weasels, ferrets, stoats and minks.  They eat bugs, rodents and fruit, and generally mind their own business, although if they run across a free chicken they might kill it.  They're fairly laid back for a carnivore, and can be kept as pets.

[Rostov]

 

I've acquired a symbol/metaphorical spirit animal somewhat unexpectedly - a swan.

 

I have a slight stammer (the technical term is covert or interiorised stammer, which is a fancy way of saying that it's mild and that I can pass for fluent with a combination of effort and luck to the extent that a lot of people who know me very well have no idea, especially before I started being much more open about it). Anyway, one metaphor used to describe it is the swan - apparently effortlessly gliding across the water the surface, frantically kicking under the water.

 

Anyway, last year I was fortunate enough to win a citizenship award at work, and the same swam metaphor was used about me. Always appearing serene and controlled on the surface, but probably kicking really hard under the water. I was really touched to get one of these awards for a variety of reasons that I won't go into here, but I was very struck by the coincidence of the swan metaphor reoccurring.

 

[Lara]

On 3/5/2017 at 10:40 AM, Rostov said:

apparently effortlessly gliding across the water the surface, frantically kicking under the water

Aren't we all doing this regarding our lives? At least, I see lots of people that seem to have everything in control, and sometimes it is difficult to remember that they are struggling the same as I do. 

It is a very beautiful metaphore, thank you for sharing.

[Raincloak]

Most waterfowl swim like that.  It might be noted that swans and geese (but not ducks) are extremely territorial/protective and will attack anything, including a human, that intrudes on their space.  There's plenty of videos showing them chasing small children and dogs.

[aishah hope]

For me it's the crocus because it's one of the first flowers to emerge in spring after surviving a long winter, and it grows in difficult places. It endures so much hardship but is a symbol of the joy of spring and new growth. I've always connected a lot to that. 

[Red1263]

I've always like using my family name as a symbol of representation. My last name is "Castillo" which is 'Castle' in spanish, and I often think of the Rook in Chess, a castle in of itself, and what it represents and does, it can be a symbol of power as well as of refuge, it can also be a sign of wisdom or status, the limits are endless!