Before I get back to reading Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life: A Practical Guide (2003), here's a little something she delves into: the power of names. Her real name, she observes, inspired her to do something different in life, and for that she's abundantly thankful. But, she also notes, anyone can rename themselves if they so choose, and for whatever reason. Maybe it's a symbolic religious choice, or a political one. Or maybe one feels inspired by something completely different. Maybe a person takes a shine to a moniker given by others, or decides to take up a stage name, or a pen name.
Now we're getting into all sorts of identity dimensions.
Tharp dives deeper into the idea, but that's without me reaching for the book and quoting anything else outright.
One type of name is the one name. Off the top of my head, there are such folks as Prince, or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince; Madonna; Twiggy; Sade; the great Voltaire; Adele; Selena.
Another type combines two names, like Lady Gaga and Iggy Pop, Joey Ramone, Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious.
Others take a middle name, or go with initials, keeping their gender or other variable mysterious, often to break down or outflank barriers of some kind.
What do you think? Have you toyed with your name over the years? Was there a trigger or inspiration? Do you emphasize, like or prefer part of your name? Or have you ever transformed your name entirely like Malcolm X or Muhammad Ali?
Today's Rune: Partnership.
3 comments:
It never occurred to me to rename myself in the day to day world, although perhaps the use of pseudonyms counts in that way somewhat.
Leech R Cash---That is the name Detroit's EM has given all current and former employees drawing a pension. Some Monikers are forced upon us.
Erik-my Mom thought she was cutting edge naming me Jodi in 1958. I had 3 Jodi's in my graduating class. I've neither loved or minded the name.
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