My first email address handle was hlockwoo. Not hlockwood – which would make sense because of my name. But nope.
Back in the 90s, email handles were limited to just 8 characters. And that’s how it began: HLockwood became Hlockwoo and I ran with it. My old school Twitter handle, my Instagram, even my blog. It was always available and just quirky enough to feel like me.
The 8-character constraint became my signature. The signature became my personal brand
As it turns out, 8 has a lot going on.
#1
The origin. I’m GenX, but I consider myself a digital native. I grew up in the early years of my career experimenting with building sites in GeoCities and launching a personal journal online before blogs were a thing. The hobby became a profession.
#2
Numerology. The number 8 governs power, ambition, abundance, and earned authority.
#3
Tarot VIII: Strength. I dabble in Tarot, so of course it makes sense that the 8th card in the Rider-Waite deck is Strength. It features a figure opening a lion’s jaw, not with force but with calm, demonstrating inner mastery over outer pressure.
#4
The lemniscate ∞. I love that an 8 tipped sideways becomes the infinity symbol, a lemniscate. Energy flows in both directions continuously. No beginning, no end, just perpetual motion and harmony.
#5
The 8th chakra. I also do energy healing so it felt especially relevant that the 8th chakra is the soul star. It represents a seat of higher purpose and energetic legacy.
#6
Magic 8 ball. The iconic childhood toy. It felt like magic as a child, but the randomness as an adult can sometimes provide direction for when you don’t know where to go next.
#7
The octave. Did you know that eight notes bring a sound back to itself at a higher frequency? I didn’t until I searched the meanings of 8. And I love that. Who doesn’t want to vibe higher?
#8
Prosperity. Eight is the luckiest number across many cultures. The 2008 Olympics opened on 08/08/08 at 8:08pm. I didn’t name the business 8 Characters for luck, but I’ll take it.
8 Characters Digital Strategy 