Need help re-designing my Cutie Mark!

Grace Ruby

Grace Ruby

Dollar Store Baby Fakie
MLPTP Supporter
Joined
May 31, 2022
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Hi everyone! I'm updating my ponysona and I am really struggling with the cutie mark (or rump design for all you G2 know-alls lol)

Also very much want to rename her too!

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This is from last year - her name is Skydancer and she has a cloudy moon cutie mark but .... it's not really me, and I want her to really be me in pony form.

The trouble is, I can't really decide what really defines me, y'know? Not to get existential but, like, what makes up 'the self' - okay that's too philosophical but it's super hard to boil down every facet of myself into one symbol haha!

What should the mark represent?

If it's my hobbies, well I have hundreds! I have a natural magic talent for sewing, but I spend more time drawing than sewing. Then there's all the other crafts I do too

If it's my style, I love lolita fashion, pink, frills, bows girly stuff? But that's more about the outside than the inside!

Interests? Well, ponies, but I can't be a pony with a pony on my butt can I? I love my cat, I love disney princesses

How do I boil all of this into one thing? Currently I'm thinking perhaps a sewing bobbin with a pink ribbon bow that streams down the back leg? Sort of Cinderella vibes? Or a paintbrush instead of a bobbin? I feel like that's not super original though

How does everyone choose?

And how did you all come up with your names too?

Overthinking this but I really want to make her super representative of me!
 
Haha I struggle with this too, it's a big reason on why I don't have a ponysona honestly..... at least g4 has the concept of "blank flank" that suits me quite well but I still wish I could come up with one you know?

I guess another way of approaching it is going the subtractive route instead of additive route, if this makes sense? Like there are many things that make you you, but is there any value or hobby or trait that you would NOT be you without? Then that would make it pretty important!

On a side note I think it's so cool that you are into Lolita fashion! Have you got any coords? I'm more of an outsider admirer but I've thought of getting into mori kei, it's so pretty.

I really like your sewing idea though especially with the ribbon. I guess this is a bit of a crazy idea, I'm taking this from the name Skydancer but perhaps you could do something like sewing the sky together. Like maybe clouds? Not sure how that would work though. Also a lot of the cutie marks are more symbolic so perhaps you could do something kind of abstract. In the earlier generations were cutie marks meant to summarize a pony's passion or personality or were they just decorative? Realizing now that I don't really know much of the lore : P

Anyway I hope you figure something out, got luck!
 
This is exactly why Atmos, my OC, has a blank flank. I just can’t decide on one and I’ve ended up getting used to them just being blank. I don’t really have a ‘sona either since I can’t come up with something to define me.

I think instead of a passion I’d go down the name route for the symbol. You say about using the leg for the symbol too, what about a starry sky that goes down the leg? Or like a gradient?
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That’s a scribble example of what I mean. I think though with gradients you would have to think what are you willing to redraw if you draw her frequently, right?

Edit: How’d I come up with “Atmos Lazuli”? They had no name for years. Just “My Pony”. It came to me one night whilst thinking I should really give them a name and it felt like the one that just stuck the best. Atmos - Atmosphere. Lazuli - Lapis Lazuli. Blue!
 
This is my ponysona Bear Blossom
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When I was designing her I gave myself conventions she should fit into, those of a G3 unicorn, which helped me choose colors and her mark. I also let her name and her mark influence each other, as her name is Bear Blossom (play on Pear Blossom) and there are pear blossom flowers in her mark. Generally I didn’t let myself feel too pressured about her being “me” but just made a pony that I love. When I was making her I experimented with so many different color palettes and names. I even made a list of words I like and then tried out different combinations.
The struggle of picking a cutie mark is really tough. I love the idea of leaving a pony black flank, though I ended up picking something that I liked the look of. I would say if you pick something let yourself read every possible symbolic interpretation into it
 
Ooh I love all of these ideas! So much inspiration but so hard to choose haha. I guess I'm limiting myself a little too much because I typically draw in the G2 style and G2's naming and symbols were quite basic - typically one colour.

In terms of things that wouldn't be me without them....I still feel that I have too many haha. That's an adhd problem haha but sometimes sewing is my whole life, then drawing, then writing, then all my other hobbies and interests haha. Maybe I should incorporate my cat though she is everything to me. Instead of going for one symbol to represent me, maybe I need more more more haha

That's a good question about what the purpose of the mark is - I've always thought they had to like, be super meaningful but before G3 maybe they were just like, decorative that's really interesting and makes way more sense. heck, G1 Minty has clovers..... that's definitely not personality defining is it haha

I LOVE the gradient idea! But I'm getting a bit carried away in my own head now with sparkles and gradients and cats and ribbon ahahaha

Bear Blossom is so cute omg!
 
Grace Ruby said:
Ooh I love all of these ideas! So much inspiration but so hard to choose haha. I guess I'm limiting myself a little too much because I typically draw in the G2 style and G2's naming and symbols were quite basic - typically one colour.
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I can understand the feel of wanting your OC to follow canon design rules too. Especially you get a custom of it and they fit in snugly in a crowd of official ponies…

Atmos was originally made on one of those pony generator games. I guess that’s how they came to follow the more G4 style
 
StormMaeker said:
I can understand the feel of wanting your OC to follow canon design rules too. Especially you get a custom of it and they fit in snugly in a crowd of official ponies…

Atmos was originally made on one of those pony generator games. I guess that’s how they came to follow the more G4 style
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I do want to make a custom of her and her friends so I don't want her to be too difficult, or to not fit in on my shelf........but if she's my ponysona she deserves to be a little more special. Ugh, such decisions
 
nvrrrdie said:
You have a lot of creative hobbies that all make up a part of you. Perhaps you could do something that represents a "creative spark"? Like a star or something
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Oh that's a lovely idea
 
nvrrrdie said:
You have a lot of creative hobbies that all make up a part of you. Perhaps you could do something that represents a "creative spark"? Like a star or something
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I really like that idea too!

What if each point on the star was a different colour representing the colours on the colour wheel? Since colour is used in different creative mediums too
 
I like the "spark" idea, a sparkling star like those hand-held sparklers?

I have a hard time with my own ponysa as well. I can't think of a symbol that wound define me as me either. Which is why I chose to use my RP character in a pony form for my avatars. Easy and I love it. He doesn't represent me, but the character's been with me since the 90s.
 
Thanks for everyone’s help! Here’s what I landed one, I realised that being a kitty mom to my spoiled furbaby is a huge part of my life, and sewing is a huge passion, so I combined those
 

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oh my god this is so adorably drawn!! I'm so glad to hear you arrived at a design you're happy with, I think it's beautiful. the eyes especially fit in really well to the mlp style
 
Grace Ruby said:
How does everyone choose?

And how did you all come up with your names too?
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I think your OC is lovely! <3 I understand being indecisive about the details though.

Mine was made around 1999. I had my hair dyed like that, and I was taking guitar and voice lessons. To this day I have no idea why she's gold colored LOL. But 20+ years in, it's a bit too late to change any of it now. ;)

The story about my username is even more embarrassing. :blush::tongue:
 
nvrrrdie said:
oh my god this is so adorably drawn!! I'm so glad to hear you arrived at a design you're happy with, I think it's beautiful. the eyes especially fit in really well to the mlp style
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Omg that's so sweet thank you! That really means a lot

MustBeJewel said:
I think your OC is lovely! <3 I understand being indecisive about the details though.

Mine was made around 1999. I had my hair dyed like that, and I was taking guitar and voice lessons. To this day I have no idea why she's gold colored LOL. But 20+ years in, it's a bit too late to change any of it now. ;)

The story about my username is even more embarrassing. :blush::tongue:
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I love your OC design, the gold and purple work really nice together. I like the username too I can't imagine there's anything too embarrassing behind that!


I've ended up recycling my old OC Gingerbread Cream and I'll be adding in elements from Skydancer too and they're both basically my ponysonas

But the vibe is now definitely more 'cats and crafts' than baking or daydreaming so now I'm stuck on the name. I do call my cat 'kitten whiskers' a lot as a nickname but I'm not sure about that for a pony haha

Kitty Whiskers? Maybe?
 
Grace Ruby said:
Thanks for everyone’s help! Here’s what I landed one, I realised that being a kitty mom to my spoiled furbaby is a huge part of my life, and sewing is a huge passion, so I combined those
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Oh, it’s so cute!! And so sparkly. I see your avatar has an updated design featuring this and it looks like it works!
I really like animal cutie marks but maybe that’s because since little kid times I’ve always preferred animal/creature stuff over pretty much everything
Grace Ruby said:
I've ended up recycling my old OC Gingerbread Cream and I'll be adding in elements from Skydancer too and they're both basically my ponysonas

But the vibe is now definitely more 'cats and crafts' than baking or daydreaming so now I'm stuck on the name. I do call my cat 'kitten whiskers' a lot as a nickname but I'm not sure about that for a pony haha

Kitty Whiskers? Maybe?
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That sounds like a really nice name, a name that sounds like it flows well to me :Flutter4:
 
StormMaeker said:
Oh, it’s so cute!! And so sparkly. I see your avatar has an updated design featuring this and it looks like it works!
I really like animal cutie marks but maybe that’s because since little kid times I’ve always preferred animal/creature stuff over pretty much everything

That sounds like a really nice name, a name that sounds like it flows well to me :Flutter4:
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Yes after thinking about it a lot I realised that loving animals, and especially loving my cat and her being my best friend, was a huge part of me, and that sewing thread / a ribbon spool was enough to represent all my crafts. Also, my cat ALWAYS wants to play with my craft supplies.

That's great feedback

I'm also toying with Kitten Mischief or Kitty Mischief :lolpony:
 
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