A Personal Touch

Recently I shared my enthusiasm for handwriting with the Twitterverse. A post I assumed would get little traction had the highest engagement of any tweet I ever posted. I was pleased to discover others enjoying what I thought was a dying art form.

Handwriting holds a different experience in comparison to typing. You have to caress the pencil. You can hear the noises of the pen touching the paper. Sometimes the side of your hand will graze the paper softly as you write. You get in close. A bond connects. The words pouring out take their time. The mind immediately connects to your hand and downloads words to transcribe onto the blank page. A rhythmic dance of words ensues.

Does anybody else need a cold shower right now?

With typing, I can easily edit my words. In one soft tap, I can delete entire lines and pages I don’t ever want to be seen by others. Typing is dangerous and exciting in its own way, always closer to a final output. What I type is usually the part of me I am comfortable with sharing to the outside world.

Handwriting, on the other hand, is more personal and intimate. There will be words the world will never see. I can be as messy as I want to be in my book and not worry about a final draft of my stream of raw ideas and thoughts.

I can’t see myself having the same level of intimacy with the QWERTY keyboard.

Many research studies share similar benefits of handwriting, which include: improved memory & focus, stress/anxiety relief, building creativity, and helping one become better at writing.

Are they TRUE?

I looked at a few of these “benefits" to determine how much handwriting had an impact on my 542-day journey:

✅ Helps relieve anxiety and stress

I understand why psychologists and counsellors recommend some form of writing or journaling as part of their therapy. I like to write first thing in the morning to empty any thoughts that may burden me through the day. I am usually less stressed after a writing session. Handwriting is a welcomed break from my computer screen where I spend most of my time for my 9-5 job.

✅ Improved focus

How many times are you typing and all of a sudden you think “Let me check my (insert social media account here) for one moment.” An hour later you start typing again and then remember you didn’t look at your emails today. Not the email account already open on your screen, the other one you rarely use but all of a sudden is the most important email account ever. 30 minutes later you try to get back into the rhythm. You are distracted again because there are many tabs and windows open at one time. I know you can’t resist multiple tabs. It is harder to focus on words when easily distracted by the screen.

Writing by hand requires my undivided attention. I turn off my phone (or turn on airplane mode) to have dedicated WORD time before the family wakes up. I can focus more on the themes on which I am writing about. Handwriting helps me to slow down and be in the moment.

✅ Improved memory

TRUE… Wait, what am I writing about?

Oh, yes - when I write things down I am more inclined to remember what I wrote later on as opposed to typing. As I write things down I can recall other forgotten memories. A good example is my hand-written grocery or to-do list. This does not make me old and anti-tech (although I may be considered old and still fear SKYNET at times), I just like the comfort of a handwritten list in my hand at times. And I don’t keep forgetting to pick up bananas.

✅ More Creative

The blank page still scares me at times, yet I adore playing with words on the blank canvas. I love using a variety of colours, tools and writing formats in my journal. I am no poet yet I have many poems waiting to be shared.

✅ More grateful about life

SO TRUE. Every morning I list three things I am grateful for. It started as a rough exercise. Today it comes naturally. I have more appreciation for all I have in my life. I can easily list three things each morning, and sometimes I write more. There was a day last year when I wrote 100 things I’m grateful for!

✅ Become a better writer

UH… MAYBE? How should I define “BETTER?”

Daily handwriting gives me more confidence in my writing overall. Does this make me BETTER? I don’t know how to benchmark this. I would say I notice a difference in how I edit. I can catch grammatical errors and filler words a bit better than a year ago. I am also working on outlines (by hand) for other writing projects. I’ll refrain at this time from calling myself a better “writer.” We are always working on ways to become better at our craft but I don’t see it as an end.

All of these benefits are interconnected. Take my poetry as an example. I was motivated by other writers to experiment with words in a different yet creative way. I jot down and rewrite poems in my sketchbook journal. I try out different forms and styles of poetry. Some themes recall earlier distresses from the past and how I made it through. There’s a sense of calm during and after a private poetry session. I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase one of my poems in another newsletter last year.

I never saw myself as a poet. I still don’t. And I do not believe I would have tried if I was forced to type out a poem for the first time. Now I have the confidence to at least try in private.

There are other benefits I have found with daily writing by hand:

• Stronger relationships built with clearer communication

• Improved physical & mental health

• Increased motivation for reading & learning

• Encourages experimentation with different writing tools

• Discovering GEL PENS!

There is something magical about seeing a physical copy of your words. I do not receive the same sensation after typing things out. Each time I finish a handwriting session, there’s a sense of accomplishment I carry through the day. I’m so pumped afterwards, a cold shower can’t come fast enough!

As much as I love writing by hand, I will never diss TYPE writing. I love you too, keyboard. There will always be room in my life for hand AND type writing. Both of you complete me… in different ways. Writing by hand will always hold a special place in my heart that can never be replaced.

Write on, fellow creatives.

Naddy/Nad