May 4th, 2024

The Lyrics Lettering 00004-Thinking of Me by Olly Murs

The Work

My Lettering design for Thinking of Me by Olly Murs

The Inspiration

This song, "Thinking of Me" by Olly Murs, seems like your typical pop tune at first listen. But, if you pay attention, there are some pretty profound lyrics in there about not dwelling on what's gone but cherishing the good times instead.

It's a reminder that not every love story lasts forever. Some ended too late, some too soon. Sometimes love ends on good terms at the right time and becomes cherished memories to look back on fondly.

"...No point regretting that it didn't last.
No point regretting that it went so fast
Time that we had was like sand in our hand.
But when I look behind,
I'm so glad that you were mine..."

The Process

I had a bit of a creative block when designing for this song. I started off thinking about using an hourglass to symbolize running out of time in love, but it just didn't feel right. So, I shifted gears and decided to focus on the tender moments instead. I emphasized the love part with the shape of a heart instead, which looked alright, but the hierarchy for the words was a mess--also a no-go for me. I tried to draw out some ways to incorporate the image of sand on the hands. However, I still couldn't figure out which direction I should go for.

So, I decided to develop the design on my iPad using real pictures to see what it would look like for each of them. After a few failed attempts, I finally landed on the idea of two hands holding sand carefully in the shape of a heart. It felt like the perfect representation of love slipping away.

I tried to go with the traditional layout, but then decided against it and came up with a new design that could convey the message better. I used the flow of an arrow to resemble a U-turn road so it would share the same sentiment with the phrase "But when I look behind".

After that, I drew hands, and the idea of filling those hands with more lyrics came to me. It made everything feel so much more meaningful. Adding symbolic details, like the hand symbol behind "You were mine" and infinity signs on the wrists to signify lasting memories, enhanced the design's meaning even more-- their shared memories will always remain, though their relationship was not. I loved how it all turned out. I also added some colors and fine-tuned the details to make it more like a finished work.

I am amazed by the transformation from confusion to successfully capturing the message essence in my design. All it took was letting the idea sink in and allowing creativity to flow. This design has become my favorite in this challenge as of now. I can't wait to see what other cool designs I can come up with before this month's challenge is over!

P.S. I don't have any brushes for sand, so, please use your imagination for that part, lol.