Like everyone else, I do my fair share of typing, both on laptops and in the tiny text box on my phone.
But here’s why I write by hand every single day and why I honestly believe it’s in everyone’s best interest to do so, too:
- It’s calming. It’s a human-paced activity in a digital-paced world. We’re all a little too amped up as it is. Writing a grocery or to-do list, writing a card to a friend, writing a few lines in a journal – all of these re-acquaint us with that human pace.
- Writing by hand helps you learn and remember better. There are dozens of studies proving this, and as a corollary, they also attest that we learn and retain best what we read on PAPER rather than on a screen.
- We know that learning to write by hand fosters brain development in small children. We also know that writing by hand stimulates and soothes the adult brain in important ways. And there’s some evidence that writing by hand helps to keep your brain sharp and young.
- Low-tech is the new high-tech. We’re all a little burned out on devices and screens and charging cords. Writing by hand is accessible, affordable, portable, democratic, and exposes you to zero electro-magnetic radiation which is, if you ask me, a lovely bonus!
- Handwriting slows us down long enough to really think. Writing is thinking: it’s that simple. I’ve noticed that students who don’t take paper notes rarely think very deeply about what they’ve read. Couldn’t they type notes online or in the margins, you might ask? They could, but I find that they rarely do. For me, notetaking is an essential step in any intellectual work, and that means scribbling on a paper copy of whatever I’m reading and writing ideas and possibilities on paper to review and refine as I keep thinking.
- Akin to #5: A typed poem is rarely “cooked.” If a poem looks like a poem too soon, which is easy to achieve when typing, it rarely has the impact of the poem that has gone through several hand-written drafts with all the scratching out, arrows, and scribbling in. My favorite process is to hand write a draft in one of my million notebooks, work at it a bit, and eventually type it on my laptop. But type too soon and there’s just not much there.
- Handwriting affords a superior level of intimacy. I cannot imagine sending a typed condolence letter. Anything that truly matters to me, written for anyone who truly matters to me, is entrusted to handwriting even if that means I need to make a fair copy after a draft. Handwriting carries personality and emotion.
- The pleasures of paper and ink. In our increasingly virtual world, anything that puts us in touch with real things – things you can touch – is precious and worth prioritizing. I know that I’m a bit of an outlier here with my collections of fountain pens, ink, and notebooks, but even a dime store Meed notebook and a Bick pen offer us pleasures and freedoms that can strengthen and cheer us. And that’s worth it!
Why do you write by hand? And what do you write by hand? I’d love to know! Please feel most welcome to leave a comment and share your thoughts. I love to hear from you – even here where we “meet” through the medium of type!
PS – I’m planning to teach an Irish-language course this fall. Think: spirited gatherings, lots of laughter, lovely people, no homework, and the most delicious connection with Irish culture, language, and magic. Interested? Drop me a line at kate@katechadbourne.com and I’ll put you on the “tell me more” list.
I agree! Thinking with a pencil is one of my favorite activities! I love the idea of returning to a human pace, we all need more of that! And please put me on your “tell me more list”. Thanks for your thoughts, Bets
You may have been born with a pencil or a paintbrush in your hand – or a guitar in your arms! And so glad that you are interested in “Welcome Home to Irish.” For an Irishy girl like yourself, it will truly be a homecoming. <3
I so adore writing by hand and I used to do it all the time! Just the tactile sensation of shaping letters on a page brings me such pleasure. I struggle now with arthritis in some of my joints, including my hands, so it’s more of a challenge for me. I have a couple of writing journals I keep regularly: one is a kind of gratitude journal and the other is a place I copy in inspirational quotes. I usually try to do at least one of these a day, both for the pleasure of feeling pen on paper and to exercise the hands.
It doesn’t surprise me in the least that you’re a hand-writer, Jen, because you are truly a thinker and one of the wisest women I know! Thank you for weighing in here. A commonplace book of inspiring quotes is a real treasure.
I’ve been writing Gratitudes for years. Then I began writing Morning Pages in February. That progressed to journal writing, sometimes with prompts. Are you familiar with The Isolation Journals? I began there in April. Then I went a little nutty and started journals for many things… writing prompts, quotes, wonderings and wanderings (things we’ve done and want to do) and most recently a Moon journal. They are all lifelines for me in different ways. I came across a favorite quote “They are not failures. They are adventures of a different sort;” Twyla Tharp
Thank you for your words Kate.
Lori, what a JOY to hear from you here: thank you! I haven’t heard of The Isolation Journals but will investigate those for sure. I love the idea of going “a little nutty” and starting all those journals. Are we sisters???!!! Like you, I keep multiple journals and find refuge and inspiration in each of them. And so great to see the quote from Twyla Tharp! I just finished reading her book and love her vibrant spirit and spicy wit. These words that you share are a great gift, thank you. Wishing you JOY of all your writing adventures!