Some people take their time to consider their options taking a measured approach, but me? I dive straight in, make a decision and go with it. I hate waiting, biding my time. So when I decided to start a blog I spent a quick half hour looking at the different blogging platforms, decided against the couple that I would have to pay for just in case I didn't stick with it and opted for Blogger. Then I had to pick a name for my blog. A couple of my favoured options were already in use (including my name) so I took the name of one of my favourite pieces of work "Fan My Flame"
It is still one of my favourite pieces made from silk paper that I dyed and made myself and decorated with free machine embroidery. The name Fan My Flame however did not remain popular with me for very long. Almost straight away I started to read it as Fanny Flame... which of course sounds more like a porn star than a textile artist!
I'm not entirely sure in what order things evolved but as part of my degree we did a Professional Practise module which was all about branding and having a portfolio... all very grown up! So in an attempt to be a grown up I threw off my Fanny Flame image and became Gina Ferrari, Textile Artist and opened up my Facebook page under the same name. However when I tried to open a Twitter account under my own name again I found it already taken so I resorted back to old Fanny! It doesn't really matter because I don't find Twitter something I really engage with... I still don't understand how to keep track of conversations and not being someone who is on my phone all the time I seem to miss half the action in the Twittersphere. But I digress.
Then of course there was my Etsy shop. I really couldn't bear the idea of my shop being called Fanny. As it happens I had just embroidered the fairy above for my blogging friend Mrs Moog (now there's a name!) who doesn't really blog anymore but is now active on Instagram. She always referred to her daughter as Minx and the fairy was based on one of Minx's drawings. Although I'm not entirely sure how any of that is relevent anymore my Etsy name became a combination of Gina and Minx and became Ginxie, which now of course is now meaningless! I think maybe I was going to fill my shop with embroideries of Minx's drawings!
Now roll forward several years to the launch of my baking business and another name was required. Ignoring all suggestions that contained the name Tart by my dear friend Gill I actually took my time until I finally happened upon "Apricot & Fig"... one of those early hours of the morning inspirations. And despite numerous people telling me they think that everything I make contains apricots and figs I've been quite pleased with the name. I even called my Instagram account apricot_and_fig
But now of course, I'm giving all that up and want to ditch the Apricot and Fig image and so I'm thinking I should consolidate everything under a single name as I concentrate more on my textiles and painting... Gina Ferrari Textile Art... or just Gina Ferrari, Artist? It won't matter of course because now you will all just think of me as Fanny Flame forever more!
How and why did you choose your blog name?
You know that impulsive side to my personality I was talking about at the beginning... I impulsively decided to do my advent count down to Christmas again. Starting tomorrow a short post every day until the 24th because I really have nothing else to do... will you join me?
