Asemic writing is a form of writing without a shared code.

The word asemic means “having no specific semantic content,” or “without the smallest unit of meaning.”

Asemic writing communicates raw thoughts and emotions that are emotional and pre-verbal.

It is what young children do when they imitate grown ups’ “writing” and  artists who work at the intersection of visual art, painting, drawing and calligraphy.

Millions of people are linguistically displaced due to fleeing violence and economic instability.

Asemic writing provides a way of expression for those, who cannot express their ideas easily in a shared writing system. All writing systems in foreign languages look like asemic writing to those who cannot read them.

Living life as a linguistic nomad is an experience refugees and voluntary or in-voluntarily displaced people in the world share. Asemic writing can shine a light on those who rarely express themselves in their native tongue.

Creating an appreciation for languages beyond our own and ways of expressing thoughts, culture and customs is important for being comfortable with what we don’t understand.