Imprinting Something of Yourself On a Piece of Paper

Or, the worth of a handwritten note

I’ve been doing a lot of spring cleaning (or summer cleaning, I guess). This includes going through stacks of paperwork, letters, cards, and even collections of recipes torn out of magazines. At least the recipes were easy – I’m severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, so anything containing those I could put on the recycle pile.

However, I don’t throw out any cards or handwritten letters – even if they belonged to my mother or grandparents. It is bittersweet to see Christmas cards addressed to our family by people who are no longer with us. Of some I only have a vague recollection as I last saw them when I was small. And I realised that I truly miss sending cards and letters - proper handwritten ones.

With the postal strike dragging on and on and on... and on, it is difficult to send letters or cards anywhere, and I hope that the private companies will become more affordable. This is also why most people are switching to only electronic communication even for personal letters, I expect. But looking at all the cards containing so many memories – the condolences, birthdays, Christmases, and weddings, I decided to make an effort to give more cards. To write letters as often as I can. To reach out to people.

Sending an email or instant message to friends in other parts of the world is absolutely wonderful, but I’m starting to miss the way in which a handwritten letter or note can touch your heart – because you know that someone took extra time to write it. It is as if something of the person is imprinted on the paper along with the pen marks.

So, on Handwriting Day 2015, I am making a promise to myself to write more, to share more, to give a personal touch wherever I can to show that my ‘thank you’ is not simply something I type and send in a few seconds and then forget about, but something I truly mean and want to take time to express.

View image | gettyimages.com

Get Out That Notebook and Pen

Or,

Why I decided to write more by hand

Today (23 January) is the annual Handwriting Day. While typing is certainly faster than writing (depending on the speed at which you type, of course), studies have shown that writing by hand holds some definite benefits. I had found before that I remember things much better when I write them down in my diary instead of putting them on a digital to-do list or calendar app.

After having a go at keeping a diary, I decided to make a point of writing at least some of my fiction and articles by hand. While I was able to write a full page in about 5 minutes during my exams only a few years ago (thank you, Linguistics and Literary Theory), my hand now cramped after only one or two sentences. Not to mention that my penmanship had gone a bit down the drain. But I was amazed at how quickly I got back into the swing of things.

The best pen for the job

I’ve always loved stationery and still collect notebooks and pens. But I struggled to write with the normal ball point pens I’d been using because I developed a problem with my right wrist over the past few years. I played around a bit and found an affordable pen that’s perfect for me – comfortable to hold, light and easy on my wrist. It even made my wrist feel better after a day of typing. A few people at my office have even started to use them. And I finished quite a few of them last year… After spilling a gigantic mug of coffee all over the one notebook, I also discovered that the ink doesn’t run and I could salvage the now coffee scented notebook. I don’t think my laptop would have fared quite that well.

 

My eyes!

Between staring at a screen at work, a laptop at home, and my phone, I desperately wanted to take a break. Writing by hand also helps me with this – no glare, no distractions, no ads, no email notifications popping up on the screen. I have also spoken to quite a few people who are making an effort to write more by hand because they want to take a break from looking at screens.

No electricity required

Ah, Eskom. If you live in South Africa, you know very well the curse of “load shedding” (having your electricity turned off four about 4 hours at a time – if it keeps to schedule). And with batteries only lasting a few hours tops, using (paper) notebooks is an easy way of saving your laptop or phone battery while you’re still saving money to buy for a solar charger.

I can attest in all honesty that getting out some pens and paper is a very good idea – even at work. I must admit that being able to type fast also makes writing things by hand before typing them more practical. All in all, writing by hand ensures that you take time to slow down and truly focus on the task at hand. Rather than hindering your productivity, it can actually serve as a point of focus and keep you from multitasking.

And, yes, I did initially write this post by hand.

Disclaimer:

I adore Typo’s notebooks and pencil pens, but I have to sponsor myself to buy them. Except when it’s a birthday or Christmas gift. So I am not trying to do a bit of native advertising – it’s simply products that I enjoy using. And in honour of Handwriting Day I might just go and stock up again…