Illustrated Arabic Typography

When my parents made me spend Saturday afternoons in Arabic school instead of playing sports, I thought I'd never overcome my resentment toward them.

I never got great at sports, for one.

But now I am someone who can read and write in Arabic.

Mostly.

What I mean is:

I speak like a Lebanese mountain villager who just emerged, Encino-Man-style, from a 1960s time capsule.
I read at about a 4th grade level on my best day.
My handwriting has been described by Lebanese children under the age of ten as "adorable".


I mean. I'll take it.




It's a good enough foundation for a native speaker who has lived her whole Americanized life on a different side of the planet.


Maybe eventually I'll polish my vocabulary, step up my literacy game, start watching Middle Eastern news channels oooohtheytalksofast, and use these skills to help people. It't not yet a game plan, only a possibility, if my current job, which I still love, unexpectedly quits on me or something.



For today, I'll share the amazing work of designer Mahmoud El Sayed, who illustrated Arabic words based on their meaning:

Aren't these beautiful?! They made me so, so happy.