What does your avatar say about you?

Since I started using Twitter, this polar bear has been my profile picture, or avatar. Actually, I lie...I started my Twitter account using my Second Life name: "Ipenda Keynes" (You can view my Second Life blog: here), but since changing my username to the screenname I want to be identified by, I grabbed this polar bear picture, cropped it square, and voila! An identity is born.

At my first Harrisburg Tweetup, I introduced myself as "rorowe"...when Shawn, a fellow Central PA blogger/Twitterer replied, "Oh! The polar bear!". Instantly, everyone recognized me by my avatar. Since that point, I've tried to keep the same avatar image on every social media site I register for. By using the same screenname and profile picture, people can instantly recognize your content, your comments, and your communication styles. But, what does your profile pic say about you?

The polar bear, for me, defined me as a Northern School District Employee, as it was their mascot. Polar bears are also my favorite animal (from years of staring at them at the Philadelphia Zoo), and their endangered status wears on my heart as an environmentally-conscious human being.

In a few short weeks, I will be moving away from Central PA (I'll definitely miss the Tweetups!), as I no longer teach at Northern. I no longer associate with the polar bear mascot, and want to change my avatar...but to what? I've been tossing ideas around for a few weeks now, and would like a mashup of all these things: ORANGE (my favorite color), a picture of me (the one to the left, perhaps?), and maybe even a portrait of my SL avatar.

How often do you think about your avatar image? Do you change it often, or stick with a tried-and-true picture, logo, or design? What does your's say about you?