Hot Gravatars

Hello from the Dogpatch!

I am in love with Gravatars. I love seeing how everyone has designed their gravatar—one a smiling face of a hardworking blogger, one a favorite pic that holds meaning, another a classy and colorful branding for a themed blog.

Not that I’m the first to notice, but there’s something really cool about the way they make unique art when lined up in a sidebar. I love seeing the different colors and images randomly lined up and noticing when a blogger with whom I’m familiar has changed up his or her gravatar.

When I’m having a challenging writing day, I often click to my blogrolls and scroll through the gravatar grid. Looking at the friendly faces of so many hardworking writers makes revision a less-lonely task. It’s just nice to recall a comment or two exchanged with a blogger I follow or someone’s post that was hilarious or inspiring.

Remember those early AOL days, where some of us were really just playing in chat rooms without much real intention? Haven’t we grown globally? As in, matured? Not to get too mushy, and certainly, there’s still room to just play, but it’s nice now and then to stop and ponder how writers and other creatives have found their professional and creative niche on the internet and how much professionalism, authenticity, and general goodwill is displayed in so many online communities.

This post is mainly a thank-you to all of you out there with way-cool gravatars, reminding me of the awesome folks behind so many great blogs that have become my morning reading. Some of you I’ve met, some of you I knew before either of us knew what a gravatar was, and some of you I know only through your gravatar. If we all show up at a conference, we should wear a t-shirt with our gravatar on it. 🙂

Cheers,

Laurel Leigh