A Left-handed Logo

An early sketch of We are Lefty logo with a calligraphy pen. It was initially called “Yay, Lefty”.

Our logo is a mess. Truth be told. I have always been embarrassed by the logo I created for We are Lefty and been trying to re-create it in a way that it’s going to be at least acceptable with the lettering community. But the more I try to create lettering that is equally accepted by everyone by trying to emulate how a right-handed would write it—it dawned on me that I am on the right path.

Left-handed lettering is really non-existent as it wasn’t the standard. You can’t write the letters in a way that will make your lines broad or thin the way a right-handed could. That is why for hundreds and thousands of years, writing with your right hand is the right way of doing things. It is the standard when it comes to lettering, and the awkward-looking strokes made by left-handed are strictly unacceptable. If a right-handed requires hundred of hours, a left-handed must practice thousands of hours to be equally as good. Because itt means painstakingly emulating how a right-handed would do it. It takes real grit and passion for being really good at lettering especially if you are lefty.

Our final logo above the fold, even though I’ve written it for more than a hundred times over the years is not something that can be considered beautiful. It’s a logo that only a lefty can draw, and I think it just fit and it represents what We are Lefty is about.

I hope this story will inspire you to start and to keep on trying and be proud of how Lefty does it. As we are good in adapting in a world that is primarily made for right-handed. Maybe in the future, the way we write letters can also be considered beautiful. For now, let's contend ourselves in learning the ropes.

Remember, when in Rome do as the Romans do. :)

A time-lapsed of early iterations of We are Lefty logo on Procreate app before it was further cleaned up on Affinity Designer.