Handwritten
Recently I wanted to write a personal letter, and decided to write it on paper and by hand. I used the fountain pen I had inherited from my father, and managed to rustle up some blue-black Quink ink. I then got to work, and was soon able to admire what was nothing better than a total scrawl, which looked exceptionally unattractive. So I tried it again, blotted ink on a book and on my desk, and used some unrepeatable language.
But I did it, and by the end my 40-word letter looked beautiful, like something straight out of a BBC costume drama. But it took me 30 minutes and several attempts, and this made me realise that the age (first) of typewriters and (then) computers has killed off my ability to write by hand in a useful way.
Maybe this is going to be a lost skill for many people – but I have decided to do this more often. My computers are my communication lifeline, but just every so often it is good to demonstrate that the old writing methods can still accompany the modern written word. Occasionally.
Explore posts in the same categories: culture, technologyTags: fountain pen, handwriting, handwritten letter
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
University Blog 
September 4, 2008 at 6:31 am
This is a familiar one to me – I’m shocked at how appalling my penmanship has become. I tend to handwrite envelops as often as possible just to ‘keep my hand in’ – have you seen this lovely TED talk from Lakshmi Pratury on that very subject? It’s gorgeous..
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/lakshmi_pratury_on_letter_writing.html
September 4, 2008 at 6:44 am
My handwriting had gone to the dogs, so I decided to ditch the electronic todo list and start a paper and pen one. I only started a week ago, but even in that short space of time the pen feels less alien to me.
September 4, 2008 at 9:45 am
i still write by hand quite often, mainly choreography that i am working on or to-do lists. my handwriting is awful tho, as i have very bad tendinitis (from working with computers from an early age) and handwriting is agony. i keep at it though as i love moleskin books and writing in different color ink, and despite my age i still love the scented pens mum used to get me for school…
September 4, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Perhaps, if Apple made “pens”….
September 5, 2008 at 7:32 am
I’ve always said to other people that my handwriting looks all over the place, yet they’ve always said that I write really well… 😕