I love writing by hand. This will probably come as a surprise to most people who know me as my handwriting is atrocious. If I don’t concentrate I sometimes struggle to read my own writing. Not great. And yet I find writing by hand enjoyable.
For people like me with bad handwriting the digital age is wonderful, it allows us to write safe in the knowledge that our thoughts will be accurately be transmitted to another. And yet time and time again I return to writing things by hand as my preferred method of getting thoughts out of my head.
I have always loved writing, when I was studying for exams I would write out my notes by hand to aid my memory. If I typed the same notes they wouldn’t stay in my brain. Since I have been writing properly I tend to write out my initial ideas by hand. I was given a Moleskine notebook and a fountain pen for my birthday and they have been my constant companions since then.
For my birthday I was also given an ink well that belonged to my great grandmother. It sits on my bookshelf in the main room I write in. I look at it sometimes as I write and imagine the world before technology took over. The prompt for this post asked if I could go back to that world. Despite my love of handwriting I wouldn’t go back. I love being able to connect with people half a world away. I love hearing stories that change my perspective and make me think about my world.
But most of all I think of those who have been given a voice by technology, people who might have been trapped without communication were it not for technological advances. Pandora’s Box has been opened.
19/01/2015 at 12:20 am
I love writing by hand, as well! I have to admit that I’ve gotten really good with typing my stories out, and it’s what I do most of the time, but I still love the magic of writing by hand.
19/01/2015 at 1:26 pm
There is something magical about writing things out be hand, my thoughts seem to flow much better with a pen in my hand.
19/01/2015 at 10:54 am
Even I love writing by hand. I also used to prepare for my exams by writing and writing and writing until it was permanently stored in my memory.
19/01/2015 at 1:25 pm
maybe its something about the physical act of writing that causes helps with the exam revision? Something to do with the different styles of learning perhaps.
19/01/2015 at 2:13 pm
Although a lot of work I do is now on the computer, I’m exactly the same when it comes to writing notes out for revision! I love to write a good birthday card or thank you letter too, for some reason an email just doesn’t work in the same way! Great post!
19/01/2015 at 7:06 pm
I agree birthday cards etc need to be handwritten, possibly because it takes more effort to write by hand than to type an email. I sometimes, (not often as my drawing is worse than my handwriting) do a quick doodle, a flower or a fish. That’s a bit harder via email.
19/01/2015 at 7:07 pm
Definitely agree… And a snowman at Christmas!
19/01/2015 at 2:54 pm
Great use of the prompt. I love writing by hand too :-). I even make my own notebooks and a stationery addict too 🙂
19/01/2015 at 7:02 pm
I am a stationary addict I can not deny it. I must know more about the notebooks you make. Intriguing.
27/01/2015 at 9:53 am
I love writing by hand too, and have been doing more and more of it lately – blog post drafts! But then they stay in the journal and I’m a bit tardy about polishing and posting. I still believe that I think differently depending on what tool I’m using.