By SIM PEI XUAN
IF I were to tell the story of my handwriting journey, it would begin with the distorted imitations of alphabets written with coloured pencils. It would then evolve into the repetitive patterns formed with a 2B pencil over the red and blue lines of an exercise book. The alphabets would gradually shrink, and it would be recognised as neat lines and paragraphs written in ink, filling up pages of paper. Then it would end, under the reign of the digital word.
It is a sad fact that most people like myself have fallen victim to the smartphones in our pockets and the keyboards at our fingertips, barely finding the use for pen and paper.
As we abandon old school stationery to seek for better convenience in today’s rapidly changing communication, we unknowingly bury the art of the handwritten word. The Missing Ink author Phillip Hensher, warned about the endangered art of handwriting with a quote – “To continue to diminish the place of the handwritten in our lives is to diminish, in a small but real way, our humanity.”
There are significant reasons as to why the handwritten word remains an alluring aspect, irreplaceable by the rigid consistency of typed font.
The art of handwriting celebrates individuality, because no two people can have the exact same handwriting. In the olden days when corresponding through handwritten letters was a norm and the only form of lengthy communication, handwriting was a way to recognise and know another person. Experts believe that the description of handwriting – bold or crabbed, sloping or upright, italic or rounded, elegant or slapdash – can reveal the personality of an individual.
Public Relations major Ng Jas Min, 22, is one of the few people who keeps the habit of handwriting letters to her high school friends.
She said, “I am not sure how it started but we love the way of communicating through handwritten letters, and we treasure each other’s effort to maintain this kind of relationship.”
Ng finds the excitement of receiving letters a great motivation to continue writing by hand.
“It is great to know someone actually sits down to write to you, hence I think handwritten letters are sacred, timeless and personal mementos,” she said.
Despite being able to connect with our friends and family through social networking sites and instant messaging apps on a daily basis, there is no denying that the power of the handwritten word is one of the best ways to foster relationships.
In comparison to a birthday message sent on Facebook, one that is personally written on a small piece of card, would bring about a more significant meaning.
The beauty of handwritten notes lies in the eternity of the message; the writer may forget what was written as time passes, but the note will forever capture the emotion of that specific moment.
Taylor’s University Sky Adventure Club has a tradition whereby its members write notes for each other during the club’s annual orientation camp.
Club member Lee Phaik Yan, 22, recalled how everyone in the club eagerly waited to receive their own envelope full of handwritten notes, and had read them with different expressions.
“It feels special when I receive notes from my friends whom I met few years back, when our very first handwritten notes to each other were simple messages, but now the content has become longer and more meaningful. It makes me realise how far we’ve come and grown together in the club,” the Interior Architecture student said.
One of the simplest ways to cultivate the habit of handwriting is to make time to write in a diary or a journal every single day. A notebook full of a year’s casual thoughts will turn out to be an interesting collection of reflections, ideas, plans and happenings that one can look back on and reminisce about years later.
Having a physical journal is distinctly different from owning a blog; although both options achieve the same objectives, they provide different experiences.
Writing by hand is slower than typing, but it allows for a deeper connection between the writer and the words. There is also the perks of personalising the content with visuals and materials, which blogs are unable to achieve.
Accounting and Finance major Ong Shanie, 22, said, “I love relieving my memories by reading back on the happenings in my journal, especially during my primary school years.” Ong had been writing a journal since a young age; she used to write once a week but due to her current busy schedule, she writes in her journal once a month.
“Apart from serving as a great platform to keep track of my life and the progresses I’ve made, I think there is effort involved in the art of a handwritten journal,” she said.
Over the years, research has suggested a link between handwriting and learning abilities, in the sense that writing by hand promotes hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
A new research from the University of California claims that by taking handwritten notes during lectures, students are able to process and reframe the lecture content, which leads to better understanding and memory encoding.
Broadcasting major Jasmine Lim Sook Ee, 19, agreed that making notes by hand during lectures, allows her to think faster and clearer, while enhancing her memory of the content.
“I like to take notes in colours and different fonts, so I can read it better and be more motivated to study,” she said, stating that writing by hand allows for flexibility.
“I love that I can write anywhere on a page. For example, I can make boxes for exam tips.”
She also added that the handwriting habit is more reliable than technology, the latter of which has the possibility of failing due to lack of battery or crashing software.
Ultimately, the art of handwriting is a unique culture that encourages self-expression and personalised communication.
Whether to foster relationships, preserve memories or for learning purposes, it is up to our own choice to rediscover the joys of writing by hand, and find the worth in our effort to keep the handwritten word alive.
It is a sad fact that most people like myself have fallen victim to the smartphones in our pockets and the keyboards at our fingertips, barely finding the use for pen and paper.
As we abandon old school stationery to seek for better convenience in today’s rapidly changing communication, we unknowingly bury the art of the handwritten word. The Missing Ink author Phillip Hensher, warned about the endangered art of handwriting with a quote – “To continue to diminish the place of the handwritten in our lives is to diminish, in a small but real way, our humanity.”
There are significant reasons as to why the handwritten word remains an alluring aspect, irreplaceable by the rigid consistency of typed font.
The art of handwriting celebrates individuality, because no two people can have the exact same handwriting. In the olden days when corresponding through handwritten letters was a norm and the only form of lengthy communication, handwriting was a way to recognise and know another person. Experts believe that the description of handwriting – bold or crabbed, sloping or upright, italic or rounded, elegant or slapdash – can reveal the personality of an individual.
Public Relations major Ng Jas Min, 22, is one of the few people who keeps the habit of handwriting letters to her high school friends.
She said, “I am not sure how it started but we love the way of communicating through handwritten letters, and we treasure each other’s effort to maintain this kind of relationship.”
Ng finds the excitement of receiving letters a great motivation to continue writing by hand.
“It is great to know someone actually sits down to write to you, hence I think handwritten letters are sacred, timeless and personal mementos,” she said.
Despite being able to connect with our friends and family through social networking sites and instant messaging apps on a daily basis, there is no denying that the power of the handwritten word is one of the best ways to foster relationships.
In comparison to a birthday message sent on Facebook, one that is personally written on a small piece of card, would bring about a more significant meaning.
The beauty of handwritten notes lies in the eternity of the message; the writer may forget what was written as time passes, but the note will forever capture the emotion of that specific moment.
Taylor’s University Sky Adventure Club has a tradition whereby its members write notes for each other during the club’s annual orientation camp.
Club member Lee Phaik Yan, 22, recalled how everyone in the club eagerly waited to receive their own envelope full of handwritten notes, and had read them with different expressions.
“It feels special when I receive notes from my friends whom I met few years back, when our very first handwritten notes to each other were simple messages, but now the content has become longer and more meaningful. It makes me realise how far we’ve come and grown together in the club,” the Interior Architecture student said.
One of the simplest ways to cultivate the habit of handwriting is to make time to write in a diary or a journal every single day. A notebook full of a year’s casual thoughts will turn out to be an interesting collection of reflections, ideas, plans and happenings that one can look back on and reminisce about years later.
Having a physical journal is distinctly different from owning a blog; although both options achieve the same objectives, they provide different experiences.
Writing by hand is slower than typing, but it allows for a deeper connection between the writer and the words. There is also the perks of personalising the content with visuals and materials, which blogs are unable to achieve.
Accounting and Finance major Ong Shanie, 22, said, “I love relieving my memories by reading back on the happenings in my journal, especially during my primary school years.” Ong had been writing a journal since a young age; she used to write once a week but due to her current busy schedule, she writes in her journal once a month.
“Apart from serving as a great platform to keep track of my life and the progresses I’ve made, I think there is effort involved in the art of a handwritten journal,” she said.
Over the years, research has suggested a link between handwriting and learning abilities, in the sense that writing by hand promotes hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
A new research from the University of California claims that by taking handwritten notes during lectures, students are able to process and reframe the lecture content, which leads to better understanding and memory encoding.
Broadcasting major Jasmine Lim Sook Ee, 19, agreed that making notes by hand during lectures, allows her to think faster and clearer, while enhancing her memory of the content.
“I like to take notes in colours and different fonts, so I can read it better and be more motivated to study,” she said, stating that writing by hand allows for flexibility.
“I love that I can write anywhere on a page. For example, I can make boxes for exam tips.”
She also added that the handwriting habit is more reliable than technology, the latter of which has the possibility of failing due to lack of battery or crashing software.
Ultimately, the art of handwriting is a unique culture that encourages self-expression and personalised communication.
Whether to foster relationships, preserve memories or for learning purposes, it is up to our own choice to rediscover the joys of writing by hand, and find the worth in our effort to keep the handwritten word alive.