Personas

Tonight in class we touched upon the topic of having a virtual identity and how some feel the need to have multiple personas, introducing the concept of identity fragmentation. Most were uncertain what they wanted to post on their blogs, finding themselves automatically censoring potential material they had to offer because of the fear of being judged or for perhaps not following whatever few parameters this semester-long assignment has imposed on it. I came to the realization very quickly that I have not been this way inclined at all. Yes, upon my introductory post I may have suggested some apprehension on my part for having to start a blog, but the worry stemmed more from the fact that I would have to regularly update it rather than how others (and particularly my classmates) would choose to perceive me from the content I shared.

Think I'm a loony for being a fan of the latest generation of My Little Pony (Friendship is Magic)? Good for you. Think I'm awesome for being a Zelda enthusiast? Kudos! I see absolutely no reason to hide or ignore potential interests that may be disagreeable or unseemly to others in an autobiographical blog. Whatever is a significant event or has some form of impact in my day will very likely see itself being posted here, regardless of whether it appears relevant or not in the grand scheme of things. In this virtual form, you will see what composes 'Vanessa Hood' in the rawest elements - my interests, my opinion, my life. It's a new year - it's time to stop sitting idly by and grab the bull by the horns. Lead the charge!

In regards to today, I have been entirely preoccupied with a personal project. I have alluded to or mentioned it by name in previous posts, but I've never once actually explained what 'Red Rogues' is. In a brief summary, Red Rogues is a collaborative project between Skye Braham and Vanessa Hood; chronicling the adventures of a trio of sky pirates as they traverse the world, treasure hunting specifically for profit as they seek to establish an infamous reputation for themselves. They get into much trouble and mischief, looting for fun and landing in many a sticky situation. Red Rogues saw its inception in September 2009 and was originally designed to be a fan-fiction for the Sega Dreamcast title 'Skies of Arcadia'. It grew so fast and had so little to actually do with Skies of Arcadia that it became its own original work juggernaut. My passion has always been for writing, so Red Rogues marks my first major foray into the art of writing a fiction novel. Skye Braham (who is, to be said, my best friend) has always been a drawing enthusiast and has been constantly improving her craft by documenting our stories in the visual art form. It is truly something beautiful to be able to create and share a world with another person on equal grounds. Her artwork and dedication to the project is not only highly appreciated, but serves as an excellent motivator to keep writing and work hard to ensure that our collaborative creation will someday find its way to the bookstore shelves. It has always been my dream to write novels - so it is without saying that this project will be my primary focus for the entirety of 2012. Everything else is secondary, for better or worse.

The two images that you see above are my first ever attempts at creating 'Character Biography Templates' - each will have a visual of the character and some important (though not entirely inclusive) facts on the kind of people they are. You may have noticed from their names - Vanessa & Skye - that they are exactly the same as their creators. Despite sharing the same first name and a similar likeness in appearance, they are entirely different people otherwise. I don't know about Skye, but I certainly wouldn't be kosher with getting into fights and stealing from people for leisure sport! I am currently working on the character template for the third main character in Photoshop CS4. That is on my main list of priorities to be done tonight.

To show how truly spontaneous (and totally inspired) this blog can really be, tonight I will dine on overstuffed Chef Boyardee ravioli. For desert I will eat a brownie with vanilla ice cream. Truly the markings of a rebel, right there.

Have a great night, all! Don't be too stressed with how others might perceive you... in the end, the only opinion that really matters is your own. Take pride in who you are.


Edit: In my conquest of encouragement and happy babbling of Red Rogues, I completely forgot to mention the other main event that transpired today! Look what I (finally) received in the mail! New pony shirt!

Octavia Nouveau by anjila (Red Bubble)

It seems at this point that I am starting a collection of pony shirts. I will most likely not get any more beyond these two, because my next order of business (as I'm sure Skye will agree) will be in designing our own Red Rogues T-shirts. Nothing would be cooler than an artistic representation of myself on a shirt! This shirt of Octavia joins the one seen below in the "I Feel Awesome Wearing This" catalogue of my wardrobe.

Fluttershy and Butterflies by Northern Dash (Red Bubble)

The fun has been doubled! A second bidding of a pleasant night-time to you all. <3