New logo - a visioning exercise in personal branding

Motivated by an upcoming project with Eldergrow and Java GP, I took the opportunity to create a logo of my personal brand and philosophy.  There were two front runners.

The message here is to shine your light.  I was inspired by my Parents' entry in my high school senior yearbook with the words of Helen Lowrie Marshall's poem, Afterglow.  It's had a firm imprint on my heart ever since.*  Components:

- Shine out

- Recognize, encourage, cultivate the shine you see in others

- Grow (that's my spider plant in the background)

- Propagate goodness

- Value scars (healthy, vibrant plants have brown spots, damaged leaves; they thrive)

The second logo is authentic in a different way.  Components:

- Bees, our pollinators: This image was designed based on a photo I took of "Number One," the first bee I helped in our current home.  Badly injured, I found zer daily for ~2 weeks, offering water, honey, different flowers in the gardens.  If I extended a finger to zer, zhe eagerly climbed on my hand.  

- BG Network: My previous boss was an inspirational mentor.  He gave me the nickname, BG Network, explaining, You're smart and fast like a 3G network (granted, this was a few years ago!).

- Strength: There is a hardness to this design.

- Tattoos: Maybe I'm projecting, but I see in this some homage to the ink I love and have.

* The entry in my high school yearbook from my Parents: