1️⃣ Will You Be My Emoji?

Illustration by Rachel Maves.

Since they arrived on our keyboards five years ago, emoji have changed how we communicate. Our texts are all dotted with 😊 and 😂 and ❤️, maybe even some 🍆. But, where do they come from? How are new emoji created? 

In this mini-series on emoji, I answer that question. I go on a quest to create an emoji of my own, and chronicle every step of the way. In part 1️⃣: the proposal.

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Brought to you by:

• Fracture: Photos printed in vivid color directly on glass. Tweet a link to this episode with #YogaEmoji to enter the giveaway for a print the beautiful artwork for this episode (featured above).

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Members can hear exclusive deleted scenes from this episode about another person smitten by the idea of proposing an emoji, and Unicode's love of completion. If you're not already a member, sign up here.

Music in this episode is by the mysterious Breakmaster Cylinder and Mark Bramhill. Theme music is by Terique Greenfield. Editing by Rob McGinley Myers. 

My beautiful, designer-drawn emoji. Illustration by Aphee Messer.

You can read my full proposal for "Person Meditating" on the Unicode website.