From Symbols to "Drawings"

Everywhere, every day we see letters all around us. To us these letters are symbols and once they are set in a certain order these symbols form words that have meanings. We are so used to seeing these symbols all around us that they do not always catch our attention. To most people they are simply a method of communication but to some they are a form of art. In everyday writing (such as this article) we do not see calligraphy. Calligraphy is more like a form of visual art. From time to time we get glimpse at these symbols as a different form of art as we walk down the street; graphitti. But that is as far as we use symbols in art.

This changes once we see something like Chinese lettering. It is unusual to us and closer to a form of art than our letter symbols. We see these Chinese characters and they immediately resemble drawings. Just scribing those Chinese letters seems like creating some sort of masterpiece. The real beauty behind the Chinese letters is that behind their artistic appearance they have a meaning. What makes these Chinese "drawings" so enticing to us? Unlike our letters Chinese letters can stand for more a whole world! Once single "drawing"(or symbol) can have a meaning by itself.

What makes them even more attractive to foreign crowd is their appearance. Because they look very much like a drawing you can see these trademark Chinese letters all across the world. People across the world appreciate the appearance of these Chinese "drawings" that it is not rare to find one tattooed onto a foreigner's body! At this point I myself must admit that these Chinese letters have also caught my attention enough to the point where I have been considering (for quite a few years) to get a tattoo ... it is only a matter of time before I get one. These Chinese letters have become so popular that people who do not even know Chinese can easily recognize the several of the very popular symbols. Love, strength, piece, happiness and many more!

Chinese is quickly becoming a popular language for people to learn. Be it for its usefulness in this globalized world or simply for the love of Chinese lettering. I personally, consider Chinese to be one of the most interesting languages in the world. Their calligraphy is of particular interest to me as I cannot imagine being able to look at one symbol and immediately interpret a word. Chinese lettering is both an art and skill that must require a lot of patience to fully learn.