A Spiral of Sass, Sentience & Swinging Softly
Let’s start with the obvious: orangutans are not your typical brand icon. They’re not sleek. They’re not minimalist. They don’t wear blazers or sip flat whites in co-working spaces. But they do hang upside down, solve problems with sticks, and raise their babies with more patience than most humans muster on a Monday morning.
So, when I was shaping Bloggyness, a space for emotional nuance, cultural critique, and values-driven messiness, I wanted more than a logo. I wanted a presence. Something that said: “This is not business as usual.” And the orangutan? Oh, it said it all.
Orangutan Intelligence: Clever Enough to Be Cheeky
Let’s talk brains. Orangutans are ridiculously smart. Like, “learning sign language and using it to negotiate snacks,” now that is smart. They’ve been known to:
- Use tools to solve problems.
- Recognise themselves in mirrors.
- Fake injuries to get out of things.
- Laugh at magic tricks.
- Teach their young how to build nests and forage with flair.
They’re not just clever; they’re strategic. They don’t rush. They observe. They calculate. And when they act, it’s with intention. That’s Bloggyness energy: thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, and just cheeky enough to keep things interesting.
One orangutan, Chantek, famously mastered over 180 signs in American Sign Language. He could request food, express preferences, and even tell the occasional fib. That’s not just intelligence; it’s personality. And Bloggyness is nothing if not personality-forward.
Cheeky, But Make It Wise
There’s something deliciously subversive about orangutans. They’re not loud like chimps. They’re not regal like gorillas. They’re the quiet ones in the corner, watching everything, plotting their next move with a banana and a side-eye.
They’ve been caught pretending to be interested in something just to sneak food. One orangutan faked a limp to get out of an enclosure. Another used distraction tactics to steal snacks from a human handler.
That blend of cheek and charm? That’s Bloggyness. It’s the wink in the writing. The sass in the spiral. The refusal to be boring, even when talking about serious things.
Why Not the Octopus? A Soft Goodbye to a Tentacled Contender
Now, before the orangutan stole the show, the octopus had a serious moment. It’s a master of camouflage. A symbol of adaptability. A genius of the deep. There’s elegance in its eight-limbed logic, and a kind of melancholic mystique that’s undeniably alluring.
I considered it. Really considered it.
But here’s where the tentacles tangled:
- The octopus felt too solitary, too slippery. A little too cool and cryptic, when Bloggyness is warm, weird, and relational.
- Its genius is dazzling, but it’s a quiet kind of smart. The orangutan? It smirks while solving problems. It teaches with side-eye. Bloggyness needed that kind of wisdom.
- And emotionally? The octopus felt like it might ghost you. The orangutan? It shows up, listens, and swings in with compassion.
There’s also something about the octopus that feels unknowable, and Bloggyness is all about naming complexity, not disappearing into it.
So yes, I bid farewell to the octopus. With love. With respect. With a gentle nod to its mystery. But when it came to choosing a creature that could embody cheeky care, emotional resonance, and quiet rebellion… the orangutan was the only one who winked back.
Orangutan as Archetype: The Bloggyness Blueprint
Let’s reframe the orangutan not as a mascot, but as an archetype.
It’s the part of us that:
- Moves slowly, but thinks deeply.
- Refuses to rush, even when the world demands speed.
- Holds space for others, without losing itself.
- Solves problems with sticks and stubbornness.
- Communicates, but always with meaning.
In a world that rewards hustle, the orangutan reminds us to pause. To reflect. To swing gently through the chaos and find our own rhythm.
Bloggyness isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the most resonant. And orangutans, with their deliberate movements and soulful eyes, embody that beautifully.
Emotional Intelligence in a Fluffy Package
Orangutans comfort each other. They grieve. They play. They parent like pros. And they do it all without a single productivity app.
They’ve been observed expressing empathy, mirroring emotions, and offering support to distressed companions. That’s not just instinct; it’s emotional intelligence. And it’s the kind of intelligence that Bloggyness holds sacred.
Because Bloggyness isn’t about being efficient; it’s about being real. It’s about naming the tension, holding the contradiction, and refusing to flatten complexity into clickbait.
The orangutan reminds us that emotional depth isn’t a liability; it’s a superpower. And that sometimes, the wisest thing you can do is hang from a tree and take a nap.
Cultural Messaging: Orangutans as Quiet Rebels
In Western branding, we’re taught to go sleek, go sharp, go aspirational. But orangutans? They go slow. They go sideways. They go deliberately.
They’re solitary but social. Fierce but gentle. They don’t perform; they exist. And that’s the kind of energy Bloggyness wanted to channel.
Because Bloggyness isn’t here to perform professionalism. It’s here to reclaim presence. To say: “You don’t have to be polished to be powerful.” And the orangutan, with its shaggy fur and chaotic grace, embodies that beautifully.
Personal Tensions: Choosing the Unlikely Mascot
I’ll admit it; there were other contenders. Sleek birds. Clever foxes. Even a moody octopus. But none of them held the same emotional resonance.
The orangutan felt right, but not safe. It’s not universally adored. It’s not easy to stylise. It’s not the kind of creature you slap on a tote bag and call it a day.
But Bloggyness isn’t about safe choices. It’s about the true ones. And the orangutan, with its quiet wisdom and cheeky charm, felt like the truest representation of what this space is trying to hold.
Conservation, Care & Co-Flourishing
Let’s not forget: orangutans are critically endangered. Their habitats are shrinking. Their populations are dwindling. And their quiet brilliance is at risk of being lost.
Choosing an orangutan for Bloggyness wasn’t just symbolic; it was a call to care. A reminder that emotional intelligence, cheeky charm, and slow wisdom deserve protection. Not just in branding, but in the wild.
So, if Bloggyness can help people see orangutans differently, less as exotic curiosities and more as kindred spirits, then maybe this spiral has done its job.
Final Thought
Choosing an orangutan to represent Bloggyness wasn’t about branding. It was about belonging. It was about creating a visual and emotional anchor for a space that values depth over polish, care over performance, and cheeky wisdom over corporate gloss.
So yes, I chose an orangutan. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s true. And in a world that’s constantly asking us to be more, faster, shinier…
Bloggyness says: be slower, softer, stranger. Be an orangutan.
Bloggyness 
Drop a Thought, Stir the Pot