Today I’m inspired by the book Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. In one chapter, the main characters are walking around NYC looking for hand-lettered signs. As a game, they attempt to find and take photos of letters from different signs to spell one another’s names.
This made me think of handmade signs in my area. Chalkboard signs, menus, murals, you name it! From big cities to small towns, new or old. Some signs are so faded that they’re barely decipherable. But, wow, do they have character! Here’s a mural that I drive by every week and love.
Here’s the challenge: If you’re a writer, choose letters from hand-lettered signs to spell out the working title of your work in progress, or even just the topic of your project. (Hint: This can be done online, too.) How do you feel about the letters you chose? Do they lend levity to a serious topic? Could they direct you to a distinct perspective that hasn’t been explored before? If you’re writing fiction, what do the styles tell you about your character? For illustrators, how would choosing a different style of lettering effect the placement of a title on a book cover? What do you notice about the size and readability of the different styles?
Hopefully, by allowing your mind to play, you’ll loosen up your creative juices!
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