Fursona Trouble

[ArjunCFR]

So I've had a problem with keeping my fursona the way he is. I'm never satisfied with him. I change his species or design all the time and I can't stop it. This is the reason why I change my profile picture in a couple social media apps I have literally every other day. I am constantly in search for a free base on Furaffinity. Even after I find a new one, I search for another because I'm never satisfied with what I call "my fursona." I guess I never like it enough. I've had this problem for a couple years (I've also had the problem of changing my profile picture constantly since the day I joined social media back in early 2017). I really hate never being satisfied and have no idea how to get rid of the problem. Sometimes I want to just use no profile picture at all because there isn't one that I like enough to represent me at the time. Yes, I've been given a few tips and tried out many of them before. Let me tell you what advice not to give that already failed and other things that you may want to know.

-I do not want more than one fursona. I want one character to represent me.
-I do not want a character that can shapeshift. This will not help my bad habit of changing my profile picture all the time.
-I cannot draw well and rarely practice so I cannot create my own art easily.
-I cannot go willy nilly buying art I like or commissioning people because I cannot purchase art with real money.

If you have ANY idea or advice besides what I've already said, please feel completely free to give it and I will gratefully read it and respond on how it may or may not help me. I'm quite desperate to get this long lasting problem out of my mind...

 

[Pomorek]

At the risk of being Captain Obvious: have you tried finding out thorough information about various diverse animals? There may be less popular or even quite obscure species that fits just right. It certainly didn't happen overnight for me to find that the striped hyena fits me so well. It took some reading and thinking. But I did want something that sticks, and here I am, still rocking the stripes after nearly 15 years now.

Is there any pattern or common point in your changes?

What if you try to imagine what your "spirit animal" or "animal totem" would be?

Also, if you can't draw well, have you looked into 3D? I suck at freehand drawing but with this I can make art regardless. It took a ton of learning and a lot of time to be sure, but it worked, my gallery is a proof.

 

[Stray Cat Terry]

-I do not want more than one fursona. I want one character to represent me.
-I do not want a character that can shapeshift. This will not help my bad habit of changing my profile picture all the time.
-I cannot draw well and rarely practice so I cannot create my own art easily.
-I cannot go willy nilly buying art I like or commissioning people because I cannot purchase art with real money.

Aight I have my perspective on these factors!

-I do not want more than one fursona. I want one character to represent me.

How about you give him multiple outfits available?
Pro:
Your sona stays as a single being, and garments, just like real life, allows you to shift between styles every time to your heart's content!
Con:
If you don't wanna have clothes on your sona, this won't likely work.

I'll continue on below.

-I do not want a character that can shapeshift. This will not help my bad habit of changing my profile picture all the time.

Telling ya, I actually used to have shifting sona, both on appearance and personality.

It's due to my identity disorder stuff I've been struggling at that times(I don't mean you are! No offense, just context), but good thing is that I actually, contraversially, got aided from such concept to merge my mind as well as my sona to a single being!

If you won't mind, may I suggest you to not really strain yourself too much on having to set a single fixed sona? Let time and thoughts do the job for you, you'll manage to sum up what's truly yours as you weave in and out all the way through the journey of border-free ideas! And this suggestion may also apply to the first factor above.

-I cannot draw well and rarely practice so I cannot create my own art easily.
-I cannot go willy nilly buying art I like or commissioning people because I cannot purchase art with real money.

That's okay, whether you may or may not notice, not all furries with their sonas do arts themselves! (I used to get help in that regards as well, back when I didn't do arts like nowadays)

And the opportunities are plenty out there! Just launch a thread asking for that, you can easily discover thread as such here in FAF as well, maybe go check em out to see how they're done? There are actually some artists kind enough to do free arts! If lucky, those who volunteer to do free arts for you may emerge soon!

But obviously, before all that, you'll need to have the setups, well.. Set up!
Otherwise, chances are that you'll get some 'random designs' that may not fit your heart's content.


Assuming from your context, I think you don't really have any specific species/designs that rings the bell? In that case, why not try to match your personality and/or behaviors?

An easy example:
If you enjoy water activities, search for marine mammals, amphibians or else who do activities in/around water environments, etc; if otherwise, search for land creatures/avians, etc; if further, say, you hate water, search for those but especially who aren't friendly to water environments.

Like that, sort out those species who fit you more, and then sort out which ones looks good for you among them!

+
Further, you may pick the genres you prefer and design your sona accordingly, to aid you establish your design more stably, I'd say.

In my case,

Spoiler

I like dystopia and post modern technology genre, so I let my sona be a mercenary assassin. But at the same time, I'd also like to enjoy casual lifestyle of such atmospheres, so I gave my sona a daily outfit too. (Hence my profile pic now, with both in one art!)
These two extremes combined have resulted in making my sona a mercenary in disguise being able to enjoy both fictional combat and usual civilian life according to each extreme forms, overall the drama!

The more enjoyable it is to keep your sona as the more opportunities there lie for you to create stories!

I have given you only suggestions but specific ideas, because I believe what you need is the method, not the fixed form a random fur like me can only give.

I wanna emphasize that, one is likely ending up having a sona they feel fit to themselves best. So you're the one and the only who are going to decide how your sona is gonna be, and you'll always enjoy the result better than any other case!

Good luck on your journey, Arjun. And hope you establish the sona you enjoy!

 

[ArjunCFR]

Hey Pomorek, thank you for your reply. I have done some look into animals but not much. I appreciate the suggestion; hopefully this will help me find more of a connection with the animal I choose.

Pattern in changes? Hmm. I do know it's often times when I'm in a different mood or feel like the character doesn't represent me at that moment. I guess I am demanding to much in the present rather than looking at the overall picture. It's like if you have a happy profile picture and you're sad so you change it. I seem to change it whenever I have an abrupt mood change in real life and I feel as if my fursona is old stuff.

I'll check the spirit animal/totem thing out!

3D? I'm not sure since I'm not good at most kinds of arts and crafts but I'll be sure to check it out. Thank you for your comment!

 

[ArjunCFR]

Aight I have my perspective on these factors!


How about you give him multiple outfits available?
Pro:
Your sona stays as a single being, and garments, just like real life, allows you to shift between styles every time to your heart's content!
Con:
If you don't wanna have clothes on your sona, this won't likely work.

I'll continue on below.

Telling ya, I actually used to have shifting sona, both on appearance and personality.

It's due to my identity disorder stuff I've been struggling at that times(I don't mean you are! No offense, just context), but good thing is that I actually, contraversially, got aided from such concept to merge my mind as well as my sona to a single being!

If you won't mind, may I suggest you to not really strain yourself too much on having to set a single fixed sona? Let time and thoughts do the job for you, you'll manage to sum up what's truly yours as you weave in and out all the way through the journey of border-free ideas! And this suggestion may also apply to the first factor above.


That's okay, whether you may or may not notice, not all furries with their sonas do arts themselves!

And the opportunities are plenty out there! Just launch a thread asking for that, you can easily discover thread as such here in FAF as well, maybe go check em out to see how they're done? There are actually some artists kind enough to do free arts! If lucky, those who volunteer to do free arts for you may emerge soon!

But obviously, before all that, you'll need to have the setups, well.. Set up!
Otherwise, chances are that you'll get some 'random designs' that may not fit your heart's content.


Assuming from your context, I think you don't really have any specific species/designs that rings the bell? In that case, why not try to match your personality and/or behaviors?

An easy example:
If you enjoy water activities, search for marine mammals, amphibians or else who do activities in/around water environments, etc; if otherwise, search for land creatures/avians, etc; if further, say, you hate water, search for those but especially who aren't friendly to water environments.

Like that, sort out those species who fit you more, and then sort out which ones looks good for you among them!

+
Further, you may pick the genres you prefer and design your sona accordingly, to aid you establish your design more stably, I'd say.

In my case,

Spoiler

I like dystopia and post modern technology genre, so I let my sona be a mercenary assassin. But at the same time, I'd also like to enjoy casual lifestyle of such atmospheres, so I gave my sona a daily outfit too.
These two extremes combined have resulted in making my sona a mercenary in disguise being able to enjoy both fictional combat and usual civilian life according to each extreme forms, overall the drama! And the more enjoyable it is to keep your sona as the more opportunities there lie for you to create stories!

I have given you only suggestions but specific ideas, because I believe what you need is the method, not the fixed form a random fur like me can only give.

I wanna emphasize that, one is likely ending up having a sona they feel fit to themselves best. So you're the one and the only who are going to decide how your sona is gonna be, and you'll always enjoy the result better than any other case!

Good luck on your journey, Arjun. And hope you establish the sona you enjoy!

I really appreciate the kind help you've given me! Honestly, I've only done bits and parts of what you said such as relating myself to the animal (based on what I like) but I haven't tried that entirely. I will soon! Also, the outfit idea, may or may not help, though either way, I love the idea. And thank you for motivating me to look across the forums for art/tips! Your comment was honestly more helpful than I could have imagined.

 

[ArjunCFR]

Update: I found out I love raptors. I'm going to try to find the right free base that I feel like represents me best regarding body shape/facial expression and see how it goes! Hopefully after, I can create a design fitting my personality and some time later find someone to make art of it! I'm excited; thanks for the help you two! Hope this goes well

 

[Kain]

How to be decisive: Exploring your options is good. You got that part.
The rest is taking the time to evaluate what appeals to you.
A recommendation from me is that it doesn't need to be decided right away. Take all the time you need.

 

[PC Master Race]

-I cannot draw well and rarely practice so I cannot create my own art easily.
-I cannot go willy nilly buying art I like or commissioning people because I cannot purchase art with real money.

I'm kinda late here, but have you tried this one yet ?

Hero Forge Custom Miniatures

Hero Forge® is an online character design application that lets users create and buy customized tabletop miniatures and statuettes.

www.heroforge.com

It has pretty good 3D models and it's entirely free, with regular updates too
It might not have exactly what you want, but it might still help you visualize on your fursona look
Or at least it's fun to mess around with the models

 

[ArjunCFR]

I actually have a sona at long last that I'm willing to keep! I've had him for 13 days now. Let's hope I can last at least a few months

Also, I'll check that out anyway, PC Master Race, thanks!