Why 'OddMeerkatStudio'? And, what even is an 'odd meerkat'?

Hi, I'm Ana (they/them/he/him), and if you've been following my socials then you probably know that I used to go by the name 'AnaGPArt'. I think it was a nice name, it was pretty and to the point, but...it wasn't really me. Okay, let me rewind a little. At the height of the COVID pandemic I decided to start sharing my art on Instagram and Facebook, and I chose that profile name because I thought it was nice and to the point. Now, at the end of 2022, I've come to realise that even though I picked it, I didn't really like it.

So, let's dive a little bit into the reasons why I changed it. I was born and raised in Mexico, my name is Ana. Or at least, that's what my birth certificate says, and who am I to question the wisdom of a 28 year old piece of paper, hmm? Anyway, as I was saying, even though that's my name, that's not the name that I feel truly encompasses all that I am. To be fair, though, I don't think there's a single name out there that can describe everything a person is.

I landed on 'odd meerkat' by pure coincidence. I love nature, and meerkats in particular. I wouldn't say they're my favourite animals but they're definitely in the top five. I especially love baby meerkats, and the way they wiggle, run, and dig. That's what I love most about them, that they dig and they make extremely complex tunnels that we are mostly unaware of. One time I went to a zoo in Borth, Wales, and I was admiring the meerkat enclosure when I saw a baby meerkat wiggling its bum, digging, jumping, and running around.

I did not expect the baby meerkat to come up to the glass, plop down, and engage in a staring contest with me. I let the meerkat win, obviously, who wouldn't? As I watched the meerkat go back to her hole, I thought to myself, 'well, that's an odd meerkat'. Over the years I often found myself thinking back to that moment, and the memory was comforting. I don't know that the meerkat or myself ever really understood why we just sort of...stared at each other for a while. I just know that we did, and that in those moments something happened inside me.

I'm pretty sure the meerkat forgot all about it by the time some of her friends came over to play with her, but that's alright, because I remember. What I'm getting at here is that in essence, I am that little odd meerkat, in awe of the world and its vast magnificence. And sometimes, when I'm by myself, I sit down and take a look at this planet of ours, and I feel very lucky to be here.