The furry community is home to a colorful collection of fursonas (a portmanteau of the words “furry” and “persona”), ranging from familiar furry friends, such as foxes, to cold-blooded creatures like dragons–or perhaps even a mix of the two. With a community buzzing with creativity, developing your own fursona may seem intimidating. Fear not, for finding a fursona can be an easy feat! Read more for some guidance on how to find your fursona.
Fursona Basics
A fursona’s intent can vary across members of the furry community. For some furries, a fursona can be a more direct representation of themselves and have a very personal connection to it. This could mean giving a fursona one’s own personality traits, likes and dislikes, beliefs, or even their sense of style. For others, a fursona can also just be a completely different character that is unlike themselves at all and may serve as an alter ego
Though these are two ways of going about creating a fursona, it isn’t a black and white split. There are many levels to fursona self-identification, as covered by the furry encyclopedia, WikiFur. Many fursonas are a mix of being for personal use and being an alter ego–as a unique character that you create, let your creativity roam free!
How to Find Your Fursona
With a fursona representing you or some part of you, finding an animal or other creature that aligns with your vision is vital to creating your perfect fursona–but how can you get started on finding that perfect animal?
One way to start is to think about animals that you think are visually appealing. This isn’t because your fursona has to look cool–a fursona is meant for you!–but because this will get you to start digging a little deeper and thinking more about why this animal appeals to you. Do you like dogs for their loyalty, or cats for their independence? These are just some ways of thinking to help create a fursona that can represent you, or represent the kind of character you are creating.
An idea to start thinking about different animals is to watch documentaries about animals that you like, or even animals you don’t know about–you could very well find a creature worthy of being your fursona. According to a survey of furries’ chosen animals, 14.5% of those who took the survey have a hybrid fursona. The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing an animal or animals!
While thinking about the traits or personality of an animal can help you decide on an animal, this isn’t a hard rule! Remember that your fursona is unique to you–if a certain creature stands out to you, go with it–authenticity and creativity are key.
Bringing Your Fursona to Life
Now that you have an idea about your fursona, it’s time to bring it to life! You can do this by drawing it yourself, or to commission an artist to carry out your artistic vision.
Fursona commissions are the most popular kind of service that furry artists offer, and there is a whole world of willing artists waiting to bring your fursona to life.
Conclusion
Finding your own fursona can be a fun exercise in thinking creatively. Whether a fursona is a more personal representation of yourself or serves as an alter ego, there are a variety of ways to go about finding the perfect animal (or animals) to represent you. When you’ve found your furry counterpart, you can then commission an artist to bring it to life!
