What's with the Pen Name?
That's right. My real name is not Ransom Grey. It's a pseudonym, a fancy term for a fake name that sounds cooler than the original.
Many of you probably knew it was a pen name already, but perhaps you don't know why I chose it or even why I decided to use one. I get a lot of questions about it, so let me answer them all at once for you.
1. Why a pen name?
Let's be real. It's because no one can pronounce my real name. I can honestly count on one hand the number of people who have ever said it right on their own. Plus, a pen name gives us the chance to name ourselves, or at least a version of ourselves that others will perceive. Rarely is such a chance offered, so why not take it?
2. Why Ransom?
It's not a common name. In fact, I first heard it used only as a last name. But I wanted something unusual, something that would stand out and be different. More than that, I wanted something that had meaning. As a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, I believe that I have been ransomed. What better way of proclaiming that than literally working it into my name? On top of that, I just thought it sounded really cool.
3. And Grey?
"Gray" is actually an old family name, reaching back a few hundred year to pioneers who first settled Texas when it was a territory of Mexico. I adapted it to "Grey" because, as a graphic designer, I find the letter "e" to be more aesthetically pleasing between an "r" and "y" than an "a." Weird? Probably, but that's what I'm going with.
And that's where Ransom Grey came from. It's easy to pronounce, it's got significance and meaning, and it sounds pretty dang cool. Feel free to disagree, but it probably won't change my mind. I'm Ransom Grey, and I like it that way.
