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  • I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    by Brené Brown
  • The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
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    by Brene Brown

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favorite books & things
on my nightstand
  • When You Reach Me
    When You Reach Me
    by Rebecca Stead

    Our August mother/daughter book club pick. Ellen just finished it and she absolutely loved it!

  • A Whole New Mind
    A Whole New Mind
    by Daniel Pink
  • The Ice Princess: A Novel
    The Ice Princess: A Novel
    by Camilla Lackberg

    Sounds promising.

  • Juliet, Naked: a novel
    Juliet, Naked: a novel
    by Nick Hornby

    Loving this.

  • The Fabric of Her Dancing Shoes
    The Fabric of Her Dancing Shoes
    by Terri St. Cloud

    Terri is one of my favorite soul poets! She's the woman behind Bone Sigh Arts and several of my all-time favorite quotes, including: "Maybe being brave is no more than staring down the 'less than' feeling and stepping up to the 'i am worthy' feeling."

  • One Day
    One Day
    by David Nicholls
sing & dance
  • Archive Series 2
    Archive Series 2
    by Don Walser

    There's nothing like a good yodel and he's the best.

  • Exile on Main Street
    Exile on Main Street
    by Rolling Stones

    If you could only listen to two RS songs for the rest of your life, what would they be?  For me . . . Waiting on a Friend and Beast of Burden. No question.

  • Down in New Orleans
    Down in New Orleans
    by The Blind Boys of Alabama

    One of my favorite versions of "I'll Fly Away."

give credit

Illustration Nicholas Wilton
Css Design Krystyn Heide
Cool Signpost David Robinson
Sky paper Weeds & Wildflowers
Background paper Sande Krieger  

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Wednesday
Dec092009

what font are you?

I love fonts. I can play on font websites and read about font history for hours (instead of working).

I also love PBS. I can watch it for hours (instead of working).

So, imagine my sheer joy when one of my favorite PBS shows, Independent Lens, did a special on my favorite font - Helvetica. It was fascinating.

After the show, I took a "which font are you?" quiz on their website. As it turns out, I AM Helvetica. I'm proud of my font. It's the straight-forward-workhorse font. Of course, the quiz has limited answers and we know that there are NO limits on fonts. 

I do think I'm Helvetica, but I've also got a little artful independence in me like CK Ali's hand (Ali Edward's handwriting font) and some old-school bold in me like the Two Peas font.

Ellen says she's "Mia's Scribbling."

A friend of mine who works in the printing business responded to the question with a quick, "That's a totally weird question!" Then 2 seconds later she said, "OMG! I'm Papyrus.

What about you? Ali once told me, "Fonts are like images, they convey emotion and meaning." What font are you? What does it say about you?  DaFont.com is a fun place to poke around for fun (and free) fonts and Fonts.com is the daddy of all font shopping.

Leave us a link so we can check it out. Unless, of course, you're Times New Roman or Arial. Then we know you (and we love you).

Date12.9.2009 | by AuthorBrené Brown | Print ArticlePrint Article Comment56 Comments

Reader Comments (56)

I love fonts too! Got hooked on them and font websites a few years ago. As a former elementary school principal I could spend hours just deciding which ones I wanted to use for flyers and newsletters. I am Felt! Love your blog,BB. :)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLisa D.
Fun! I am Impact!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSusan
Times New Roman?! No! No! I am Comic Sans or Antihero, seriously!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterVerby from PNN
Well, I was going to tell you Times New Roman before I took the quiz. Because I NEVER play around with fonts and I always use TNR. I didn't even know there were websites dedicated to fonts until I read this entry. So I decided to take the quiz. I thought to myself, "I'm a pretty creative, artsy person. Maybe there is a font out there that is totally ME and I'm totally missing out on something."

So I took the quiz. I'm Times New Roman.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSarah Craig
Had to update my comment...took the quiz and I came out Helvetica,but I'm really Felt. :)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLisa D.
I am Helvetica!!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterJessica
I'm Times New Roman. I'm not sure how I feel about that....
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAmalia
I'm another font lover. I love Amanda's (of Kevin and Amanda) fonts. She has all kinds of handwritten fonts, as well as scrapbooking fonts and they are all FREE! Her web address: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLindy
The quiz is confused. It said I was Helvetica, but I am really Comic Sans. :)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth
This was fun !!!! This is a fun topic!!! I like Comic sans so much!! The thought of the font makes me smile ! I also took the quiz on the website you gave, and it turns out I am Edwardian script... a true romantic at heart, which is true too! I guess I am a combination of both!

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/ascender/comic-sans/
and
http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/itc-edwardian-script/

Thanks for sharing! Happy Holidays!!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterGargi
I would love to think that I'm a fancy Script font or something like that, but in fact I'm just a Times New Roman or an Arial font. Love the question though...
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterPeabea
Quiz said I was Helvetica. Who knew!!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterPeabea
The quiz said I'm Times New Roman, which I won't argue with, but I ADORE the font Archer, which is what Cathy Zielske uses on her scrapbooks all the time. I LOVE IT but it costs hundreds of dollars just for the basic version and I just cannot justify spending that on a FONT. (SOB.)

http://typography.com/fonts/font_styles.php?productLineID=100033
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterCameron
How fun! I agree with Elizabeth. I also think this quiz is confused! It said that I too am Helvetica. However, I am with Ellen on this one. I think I am much more better represented by "Mia's Scribbling."
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterJV
Oh I *love* fonts. Turns out, I'm helvetica, too. Thanks for the fun mid-day diversion!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAnnie
what a fun quiz!
the main font i seem to be is Times New Roman but scrolling through the other font options that came up, i think i am more like Comic Sans, Mrs Eaves and Contrary...

i think you can view my results with this link:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/helvetica/quiz.html

thanks for the fun! i love how your blog is developing =-) and DaFonts is one of the best sites EVER for finding great, original and imaginative fonts - many for FREE!! YAY!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterMonica
I'm Courier!
That was somewhat of a surprise :) I do like the old typewriter fonts...but I also like the really funky ones!

Thanks for sharing!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterCecilia
The quiz says Times New Roman but I use Calisto as my default font.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterThe Other Laura
Straight up Helvetica. No surprise here. Although my default font is actually Helvetica NEUE. See? I can be wacky! I can be unpredictable!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterChookooloonks
I'm Times New Roman. I think that's pretty accurate. just for fun i took the quiZ a second time and got helvetica. that works too. what a fun post brene.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSara Moriarty
What an fun quiz I got Edwardian- the description was pretty accurate for me. :)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered Commentermelissa
Courier-going against the grain. I think it's perfect.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSara S
The quiz says Helvetica for me too. There are a lot us! I usually use Comic Sans or Tempus Sans.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterStacey D
Helvetica??? I would have sworn I was Comic Sans......
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterCheryl
Okay, so it says I'm Times New Roman (which is what I always switch OUT of when creating new docs), but then again, they didn't have Tahoma as an option, so I guess I'll take it ;-)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAnj
Of COURSE there's a quiz about this! I'm Helvetica, too, with the limited options. And I LOVE Ali's font & Mia's Scribbling! Actually - I'd love to turn my writing into a font... that would be cool! I definitely believe that fonts & writing are a window to emotion.... man, if I could categorize my writing & my font choices it'd be a psychologist's nightmare! Thanks for this post today!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterMonica L. H.
Try 1001fonts.com
Enjoy!
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterTatjana
the quiz says I'm helvetica but I disagree. I think I am Gasoline Alley. Pretty crisp with just a touch of curlyque.
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterDeb J
CZ has me wishing for Archer too. Now I have to look up Gasoline Alley and Felt...thanks for the enabling.

I love fonts---(except Comic Sans, sorry...unless it really is comic dialogue). Main loves: Century Gothic, Bookman Old Style, but what font am I?

The Blue Cabin.
(found at the Kevin and Amanda site mentioned in another comment above)
12.9.2009 | Unregistered CommenterDeirdre
I have a font fetish!! I agree with Ali that fonts have emotion and personality. My favorites? Old typewriter fonts like these:
http://simplythebest.net/fonts/typewriter_fonts.html

and very cool handwritten fonts like these:
http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2009/05/45-exceptionally-useful-free-handwritten-fonts.html
So glad that so many fonts are FREE and therefore a harmless fetish!
12.10.2009 | Unregistered CommenterPattie
I took the quiz - I love this link! I'm 'Edwardian Script' which is no surprise because I've been told more than a few times that I'm a die-hard romantic!!
12.10.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAngela
I took the quiz and it says Helvetica. Given the quiz choices, I'd say that works - Helvetica is perfect for the everyday. My favorite font of all time is Scriptina, but I admit that it has limited usage. I'm also a fan of VT Remington and CK Ali's hand and a bunch more too numerous to mention.
12.10.2009 | Unregistered CommenterCheri Andrews
Who knew there were so many font geeks like myself?! The quiz told me I was Helvetica, but I don't know about all that. For everyday, I love Arial- so clean and straight forward.

for fun Comic Sans, but i could (and have) spend hours looking at fonts. I was just over at dafont.com and fell in love with Jellyka, Saint-Andrew's Queen (http://www.dafont.com/jellyka-saint-andrews-queen.font) So pretty.

fun post Brene!!
12.10.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLorie
Well, the (inaccurate, I think) quiz says I'm Edwardian Script. But I'm with Deirdre: My faves include Century Gothic & Bookman Old Style and I dislike Comic Sans.

I loved what I saw on www.KevinandAmanda.com; not being a scrapbooker, I had no idea of the bazillions of scrapbooking fonts there are available. "My" font is probably Times New Roman. I like a classic font with a serif for my writing and correspondence.

This has been a fun distraction from productivity. Thanks, as always!
12.10.2009 | Unregistered CommenterHeather
I just watched the documentary and now I WANT to be Helvetica-- "perfect"! I think I'm not quite there yet. I keep house and dress like I'm papyrus. My accent, however, says I'm "Makeshift"
12.11.2009 | Unregistered CommenterHeather
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/helvetica/quiz.html
i like it, i like it a lot!
i love fonts!
12.11.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAmy Gleason
oops...i thought the link would go to my font, "contrary."
12.11.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAmy Gleason
Garamond,always
12.12.2009 | Unregistered CommenterBridge
I have been obsessed--OBSESSED--with Mrs. Eaves lately.

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/emigre/mrs-eaves/
12.12.2009 | Unregistered CommenterKate
I {heart} fonts too! I'm Helvetica all the way.
12.12.2009 | Unregistered CommenterDawnS
I want to know what the sarcastic font is.
I keep getting misinterpreted
12.12.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSara w/out the "H"
Too much fun and absolutely dead on - Times New Roman, can't help it - it's what I am. Check out http://fontasy.de/
12.14.2009 | Unregistered CommenterKathy VK
Didn't realize how interesting fonts could be. Thanks for enlightening me!

Peace and Puppies,

Susan at Charm of the Carolines
12.15.2009 | Unregistered CommenterSusan at Charm of the Carolines
Mrs. Eaves...never even heard of it but now I'm gonna have to use it!!! Kim
12.17.2009 | Unregistered Commenterthe inadvertent farmer
I was Helvetica but I am probably Arial in real life. : )
I didn't like any of my answers: the choices didn't fit me at all.
I think I am a creative person but I feel spending time picking a font is a waste of time.
I guess maybe I am boring. : )
12.19.2009 | Unregistered CommenterDeb
According the the quiz, I am Times New Roman- but oh how I actually love Courier.
12.19.2009 | Unregistered CommenterAllison
i am helvetica. i am going to watch the film. i entered the computer world late, after four children and the highlight of introduction, access to fonts. prior to that we had NO access to fonts. none. it was a gift.
12.20.2009 | Unregistered Commentermargie
What an interesting post. And also...what a grandma! The cat eye glasses photo is worth a thousand words. Lucky you. Love the tradition, too. She's of loved it, I bet.
12.20.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLeisa Hammett
I find it extremely amusing that I knew the answer to this question instantly. I am "the quickest shift" http://www.dafont.com/the-quickest-shift.font

It's a bit quirky, sassy, slighty tim burton-ish, and fun. YAY for fonts.
12.21.2009 | Unregistered CommenterBecky
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