Identity Crisis? or, What’s in a Name?!

My last name for 37 years was/is “Blomeley”.  At 37, I married; my groom’s last name was/is “Maddigan”.

What was I to do? I had the name “Blomeley” for so long that I did not want to change it!! My father could not understand that!!  He said: “With the numerous times Blomeley has been pronounced and spelled so many different ways, why not take this chance to get rid of it?” My father said that!!

Well, I could not let Blomeley go!!  So, I kept it, and in effect doubled my last name.    I signed my marriage licence: “Blomeley Maddigan”.  Over the years I have added a hyphen now and again – more ‘now’ than ‘again’!!   The hyphen seems to help people understand that my first name is not “Blomeley” –  or “Maddigan” – it has happened!

So, why I am telling you this? Well, I am an occasional artist – as in abstract art.  My works went without a signature on the front, for a number of years.  (I did sign the back).  What would I sign on a picture?    “Patricia Blomeley-Maddigan” ?  That’s 24 letters plus one space and one hyphen! Signing that on a piece of art work was almost offensive to the picture!!  A couple of years ago, I reached a place where I wanted to sign my pictures. So, after much pondering, I decided on one name only: “Blomeley”, and I am very happy with it. (Signed on a slant up).

However, what if the ‘writer side’ of me leads to publishing?  What name? Just ‘Blomeley’ seems inappropriate.  But, my 3 name signature on the cover of a book?  Somehow that seems too much.  It is important to me that I keep ‘Blomeley’ in the picture.  So, Patricia Maddigan, does not seem the way to go, (with all apologies to my husband).  By the way, my husband was/is open to any name I have/use – thankfully!

And what about a name change?  My thought?  ‘Patricia James’ !!   Within our family ‘James’ exists as a first name, and as a last name – that’s a very brief explanation as to where I had the idea spring from!  But then no one would know it was me?! (Vanity? Pride? Maybe!)

So, after encountering a similar dilemma on another blog, this post seemed like an appropriate place to ask:

“What do YOU think? What name would I use on a book cover?”.

All comments will be appreciated!

Thank you!

Patricia