The story behind my new PFP
For years I've used the same username almost everywhere online, but never the same profile picture. It was almost like every account had its own separate identity.
Last November, @naturallyteal offered to create a custom PFP for me. He told me, "The sky's the limit," and also reassured me that if I didn't love the result, he wouldn't be offended because a profile picture is such a personal thing.
So I sent him a rather questionable sketch, photos of my fountain pen, a color swatch (with the exact color code!) of my favorite shade of green, and the simple idea of a gold fountain pen with galaxies flowing from it like ink.
And, yes, my very specific favorite color
He somehow took those scattered ideas and turned them into something that feels unmistakably me. The gold nib is modeled after my own pen, the green is exactly right, and the whole design captures the way writing has opened up the universe for me.
Thank you, @naturallyteal, for creating something so thoughtful and beautiful. I'm delighted to have an image that truly feels like me. In these days of AI-generated images, having a piece created by both an artist and a friend, with so much care and attention to detail, feels even more meaningful.
And here is the final result...