Why Q Is My Favorite Letter

My favorite letter is Q. It’s really an infatuation, and it’s been going on for quite a while now. Taking it apart and putting it back together, exploring how far I can go with the simple shapes it’s made of. Q is the 17th letter in the English alphabet and it is the second most rarely used. Inspired by what Tom Robbins wrote about the letter Z in Wild ducks Flying Backwards, I decided to go on a quest to figure out what it is about Q that I find so endearing.

There is no denying it’s beauty. It has a certain regal essence to it. It starts out as an O where it encompasses a perfect geometrical form, but it doesn’t stop there, just when you think it’s complete, it pushes perfection’s envelope with it’s descender, leaving you in complete awe of the endless possibilities at your fingertips. have you ever thought how beautiful of an experience drawing a line can be? You start with a simple oval-ish circle and the possibilities are endless from there; Up and down and over and across, long or short, thick to thin, aggressively filling the space on the paper or timidly leaning in towards the lower right side of the circle.

It embodies the traits of an ambitious warrior, in an army of 26. It’s in the minority but it reigns. It appears on unique occasions. It graces us with it’s presence on events of its’ choosing. Bringing its quizzity to words like quadrennium and kumquat. Don’t mistake its extreme attention to detail with quiddity. It’s form requires it to behave that way. It also has a deep understanding of other cultures, maybe due to the fact that it originated in Hieroglyphics. It’s worldly, cultured and global. To define that certain sound, you need that extra flare; Qat, Qadi, Qibla, Qanun, or Inqilab which is a fabulous word with even a more fabulous meaning.

On the edge of the river, it’s reflection would look like a life-saver. If you tilt it over, you can carry your freshly bought veggies in it. If it was sent to space, it blends in with the planets. On top of your tea mug, it can be your strainer. If you lean on it, it offers you an armrest.

As a designer, Q is everything I want to be.

@sunbird300