Becoming Sula Found

You’ll notice that this email is coming from a different name. Let me introduce myself: Hi, I am Sula Found.

Yup, that’s a new one! I’ve considered a pen name for years and tried a few. I think Sula Found is the one that will stick this time around. The name is not anonymous like the others since I am tapping into the network that I’ve unintentionally built throughout my career (or, as I like to say, when I was just doing shit that intrigued me.) But it is an opportunity to cultivate a brand identity with intention, and that starts with accepting that it is a “brand” that is being cultivated. (Anyone who knows me IRL is probably cackling at my realization.)

I’ve always liked the idea of another name. As the youngest sibling, I heard three or four other names before an adult remembered which of us they wanted to address. My first name is also an amalgamation of two of my siblings’ names, a fact that, while I was growing up, was both an honor and a nuisance. In sixth grade, our teacher let students pick nicknames or alternate names. You could write the name on assignments and tests, and she would address you as your chosen name in front of the class. It wasn’t just was a valuable lesson in giving children a sense of autonomy; it was an opportunity to rebrand, and trust me, I did.

I cycled through at least seven different names over that year. I often picked the name of a character in a story that I was drafting. As I got older, I found inspiration for character names from all over, pop culture (Irulan from the Real World: Las Vegas, Nola from She’s Gotta Have It) or a friend’s ex-boyfriend’s cousin. Years later, for my first publication, I played around with a pen name that was a homage to two of my grandmothers. None of these names felt like an authentic fit, so I moved on from pen names until now.

I won’t go into further the process of picking my pen name (more on that in the future) but you should know that the name comes from Toni Morrison’s 1973 novel Sula.

Like any artist with no art form, she became dangerous.

None of my previous pen names were worthy enough of a domain until Sula Found. I figured it was time to give myself another platform to encourage me to amp up my creativity—on my terms, of course.

Btw, Sula Found is not a nickname. You can continue calling me by my personal name if you know it, otherwise you can address me as Sula, Sula Found, or Mx. Sula Found. That being said, Sula Found is not just a pen name, note that this newsletter won’t be your only encounter. You’ve gotta stick around to see what’s coming next.

Thank you for reading and welcoming Sula Found. Before you go, here are some questions that caused unnecessary stress during my decision-making process:

• Will people get too confused? Or lose interest in an unrecognizable name? (The real ones will stick around. Also, who are you?)
• Will I like the brand version better than the IRL version of me? (Probably.)
• Will other people like the brand version of me better? (Probably.)
• Am I overstating my significance and name recognition? (Absolutely but fake it ‘til you make it.)

With love,

Sula