It's rather common for people to use "pen names" or pseudonyms. My pen names are various, but contain a common theme: change.
By this time, I'm pretty sure someone had already noticed that I use at least two pen names for my art-related schemes, though I may not have directly opened this topic before to anyone else but last night (shoutout to my friend for asking me HAHA).
Personally, I use pen names for the following reasons:
Delivering a Message
Those who may know me at one point in their lives, especially during my formative years, may have known me to be a bit of a nut when it comes to historical facts and random knowledge.
I can only assume that some people who have some form of curiosity and imagination also envisioned themselves as a sort of powerful being or a hero. In my case, I viewed myself as an anti-hero at best, or even a villain, as I really like the concept of causing nothing but trouble to people in a good way.
The idea of Chaos and its presence in this material world is closely associated with Eris, Goddess of Strife. Though I rarely use the name nowadays, the goddess' characteristics most often bleed through my other pen name that I use - Kali, Goddess of Time and Destruction.
As a believer of utter nihilism and absurdist views, I view that Chaos is must be revered, respected, but overcome and appreciated. There is good in the strife and challenges of life in the sense that they bring about change.
And what better way to convey change than the march of time and destruction of old values and principles.
I guess in some way, though my choice for Serifina is mostly random and rooted in playing Dungeons and Dragons, Serifina is a variant of "seraph", and there was a certain angel that brought about a lot of changes to the mechanics of life for humans...
Concealing Identity
It's easier for me to convey my thoughts into making sure that I am separated from my daily identity as Ericka. Certain names have a certain "vibe" or feeling, if you will, and there was a period in time where I did not want to choose to identify my legal identity with the things that I have been doing.
Sometimes they're still true, and that's why the book I plan to put out needs to be under one of my pen names, lest I suffer the consequences of becoming an apostate or run the risk of excommunication from my peers, as if I already am experiencing enough disconnect and grief from simply not having the same interests as them.
Easier to Spell
It's hellishly easy to spell Eris or Kali than Ericka. Almost every restaurant misspells my name unless I present my PWD ID card.
At one point you may ask me why I like change and chaos and deliver such a message. It's simply because of the fact that I don't like being stuck in one place, and I do like growth. Growth can never start without actually doing some pattens that defy the usual ones.
I am also known in the family as a #rebel so yeah, I just liked the idea of living up the reputation in the family.
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