When I first started setting up Ruthie’s author pages, I knew I wanted something distinct—recognizable, but not just “me with a selfie.” Since Ruthie Ambrose is a pen name, it felt right to create a visual identity that reflected both me and the character of Ruthie.
The avatar became my way to blend a few threads of who I am (and where I come from) into something that feels both personal and a little mythic.
The base is built from aged-up photos of me, blended with images of my grandmother, who Ruthie is named after, then transformed through an illustrated style using Creative Fabrica’s AI tools. The result is a portrait that’s a little bit me, a little bit Gram, with artistic tweaks that make it feel like its own character.
If you know me in real life, it’s familiar but not exact—like meeting me in an alternate universe. And Ruthie’s got those bold color streaks in her hair that I’m definitely not brave enough for… at least not yet. 😉
This avatar has become my visual shorthand across socials and author spaces—it’s a reminder that Ruthie Ambrose is both me and something a little larger than me.
