Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Peace alphabet

I mentioned earlier in the year that one of the alphabets over at A Letter a Week this year is based on the theme of peace. I pondered quite a few options for my alphabet and finally came up with an alphabet that is working, for me at least.

In case you haven't visited over there and don't know what I'm doing, here it is...

I ended up trying to set myself a bit of a challenge - to find peace each week. I usually read the daily newspaper on my ipad, but three times a week we buy the real thing and sit in our local coffee shop and read the news. I decided I would try to find the word peace in the three newspapers I read in hard copy.

It has proven to be a challenge and I am surprised in lots of ways that I can scan/read many many pages of the newspaper and peace appears only occasionally. Last weekend I only found it once, same with the previous weekend, so I really do have to stick at it and look hard and long.


I then chose to cut out the page on which I found peace and write a letter of the alphabet within the 7cm square. I also wanted to use pencil/graphite - a day to day material, not posh, not precious, not hard to find, and I wanted to feel as if peace could be all of those things.

The choice of hand (font, letter style) was another challenge - I didn't want it to be fancy but I also didn't want it to be easy, so I thought I would try to write my alphabet in Neuland. This is a hand with which I am not at all familiar and I have never previously written a single letter in that style.




Just out of interest (and probably because there is a work-work part of me that researches and analyses things) I am keeping a record of which page I find peace on in the newspaper and in what context.

I'm not the only one who has found 'peace' an interesting and possibly tricky theme to turn into an alphabet' yet there are many beautiful, wonderful and thoughtful alphabets appearing.  A part of me is thrilled to see so many people nutting out what peace means to them and how best they can express it.




10 comments:

  1. Enjoying seeing your process. Good luck finding PEACE.

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    1. Thanks letterlady - it's definitely an ongoing task this search for peace. Go well.

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  2. Why can't you find peace in the newspapers I wonder? Is it that we've all found it or that it's not mentioned because people have given up searching for it? Your perseverence has paid off handsomely and I like the strictures you've placed on yourself regarding the alphabet. That Neuland script is very effective and the graphite has a 'now you see it, now you don't quality'.... just like peace itself...

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    1. Hi Lesley - I fear people have given up on it a bit, that they almost don't believe its possible so there is no point isn seeking it? Not sure, but I hope not. It's an interesting experience I must say. Thanks for the support for my approach as well - sometimes I need to really think thru something before I accept that it's an OK notion to proceed with; at other times I just dive in and go yep, that's it!

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  3. It's hard to find any good news in any media these days. A good reason not to read the papers.

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    1. It's hard to know where to go for good news these days isn't it Jo?

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  4. The rawness of the newsprint contrasts nicely with the gentle graphite letters. I like the Neuland script and I feel you've made an excellent choice. Much peace to you and Barry, Fiona.

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    1. Thanks for the thumbs up Carol - I quite like how it is developing. Not really sure of how I'll present it in the end, but that will appear...

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  5. What a beautiful endeavor, Fiona!

    As the shamans say... the world is as you dream it .... imagine if the newspaper were filled with stories of Peace, stories of redemption, stories of miracles, of health and healing....imagine.

    I wonder who decided what news is? Really, when we think about it, we could focus on the amazing just as we do the horrid. We would still know the horrid is happening just as we know the good is. But then, we might feel so uplifted, reading all the amazing things going on in the world, that we wouldn't be able to keep from adding to it. I wonder if I sound a bit airy fairy here... I know we might be interested in knowing what the stock market it doing, but equal time to affirming the good would be wonderful. Dream, dream, dreaming.....

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  6. Dreaming is good Valerinna! I think the notion of news is one worth pondering..as you say imagine if the lead stories weren't full of fear and controversy but those that made you realise that most of the world is good, and that most people are trying...and encouraged you to be a better person. I'd like that sort of news on a daily basis!

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.