Do you have a co-worker who ends every email with a smiley face or a wink? InventHelp’s Invention Girl has noticed that emails are getting more and more “emotional” thanks to the explosive popularity of emoticons.

Now, if your coworker has Gmail, say goodbye to black and white text emails forever – Gmail just unveiled 143 picture emoticons to help users communicate.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl was a little slow to embrace emoticons (they just seemed too “cutesy” when they first hit the scene), but now I’ll admit that I can have entire conversations by using them! A few of my favorites on Yahoo Messengers are the “cowboy,” “clown” and “party” faces.

Compared with Gmail, those emoticons are downright humble. Gmail includes a dancing lobster, martini glass, snowman and even a heaping, fly-covered pile of you-know-what (gotta break bad news somehow, eh?).

While they’re not entirely professional, emoticons are a great way to lighten the mood. Of course, one flaw with IM and email is that you can’t see the other person expression or gauge the diction in their voice. Sometimes, what’s meant to be a joke can be taken the wrong way.

Used sparingly and appropriately, emoticons can be a fun way to communicate. And really, what else says “I’m having a laugh” like a dancing lobster?