Dear Pennies & Pens,
Let’s start over and talk about how I became LoudPen. I’ve been writing all my life. Ever since I can remember, I have loved inkin the page. According to friends and family, I have always talked about writing a book. Now, I have two books and two travel guides not to mention this online magazine.
I get questions on where LoudPen comes from and how I got that name all the time. The answer is simple, I named myself. I like everyone else have a lovely government name given to me by my parents upon birth. I love my legal name. But I don’t use it anywhere online.
While growing up, I was actually really shy about sharing my writing. Family and friends knew I loved writing but unless it was a school assignment, I always kept my writing a secret. Then while in college at the illustrious, Hampton University, I officially became LoudPen.
I was writing my autobiography and I realized needed/wanted a writing pseudoymn. A name that was bold, in your face, and memorable. I was creating my personal brand without even realizing it. My younger brother always says I talk loud and I like pens so I just took the two words and put them together. When I typed, LoudPen, I knew I was onto something.
Over the years, LoudPen has grown into so much more. It’s my name, my identity, my brand. I don’t get why people get so weird about it. I have literally had people demand to know “my real name”. Like first of all, have a fuckin seat. These people are the reason why I never reveal my legal eagle.
How creepy does it look for someone I don’t know to try and get that info from me?! It makes me feel like this person is secretly googling me to try and seek this info. Which is so weird and completely unecessary. And that’s the first reason for the pseudoymn. It gives me anoynmity. The fact is people are creepy and obsessive. They want to know every detail of your life. So for safety reasons, you have to protect yourself.
The other reason for the use of LoudPen is that it’s memorable. In a sea of millions of content creators, bloggers, writers, photographers, stylists, designers, publicists, event planners, producers, and authors, you’ll never forget the day you came across LoudPen, it’s truly unique.
I’ve also been using LoudPen for 11 years now. So at this point, it’s also a respect thing. Like respect the brand that I’ve built. The page that my pen has inked. Ya dig?!
Sometimes, I have to reveal my legal name to brand reps and it sounds weird but I don’t like it when they then begin to call me by my legal name. Respectfully, it’s just not cool. The reason why is because my legal name and knowing my real identity is reserved for close family and friends.
It’s a line I don’t want to cross even with the people I do business with. Honestly, I only reveal it because I don’t have a govt issued ID with LoudPen on it. But as soon as I get one…yea you can finish that sentence.
Also, I have heard that not using my real name or brands not knowing my real name hurts me as far as collaborations because knowing my real name would make brands feel more “comfortable”. My goodness the rules between blogger and brand collaborations are endless.
So spending 11 years building my personal brand, having an online magazine for 9 years, planning over 15 events, publishing 2 books, and producing 2 travel guides is not enough to prove that I am really a LOUDPen not just an inkbot.
But having an ID with my name, age, and location makes me real. Doesn’t everyone have one of those?! So basically what you’re saying is, I’m not real unless the gubmint says so. Or unless the name I use is the one that was given to me upon birth. With all due respect, why can’t the name I gave myself mean more?
Crap, I lost my point. And I’m tired of inkin. This is the backinkstory of how I became, LoudPen. And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
