Handwriting

I began a daily writing project on June 25, 2002.  The eleventh anniversary of that date is rapidly approaching.  

June 25, 2002 was the day I turned 49. My intent was to write a page every day.  By write, I meant hand write.  Since then I have never missed a day.   Until 2007 or 2008, I exclusively hand wrote in a notebook.  Beginning in February 2004, I began sending out a monthly letter.   I would type whatever theme I centered on in my daily writing that month.  I would then email out what I called an e-letter to friends and family.

In January of 2009, I put all my e-letters on this blog and moved my once a month e-letter to more of blog format.  For a few years, I have been posting four times a month.  That date began my transition from handwriting everyday to typing every day.  Buying an iPad really marked the real end of handwriting every day.  It was just too convenient to type directly and daily into that wondrous device.

On May 30th, I decided to be retro and hand write a page.

I have not handwritten a page for a few years.  I kind of miss it at times.  It has simply labor saving to type my postings into a PC or iPad.  That way I can edit and post without the added step of handwriting and then typing my handwriting.  Like the change in the US Economy, I have gotten used to the “new normal.”

Yet, there is something more intimate and old school about hand writing.  It is a different mind, eye, hand, pen, and paper interaction and interface than the mind, eye, finger, keyboard, and screen interaction and interface.  It is hard to explain, but having done a lot of both there are differences.  Perhaps it is quite simple explained by the fact that I first learned handwriting and, until recently, did all my writing that way.  It may just feel more natural and comfortable.  Another way of looking at it that with handwriting I am creating, more artistically, my own words and thoughts directly onto the paper.  I can watch a notebook fill with my scribbling.  Handwriting is more personal than typing on a screen even though there are limitless fonts to choose from.  Handwriting into a notebook, where the cover gets worn and weathered (might I use the word Patina ?) is different compared to the anonymity and sameness of a list of .docx files stored on a hard disk or cloud.

I knew a fellow, Dan Ciampa, who is a management consultant and author.  He had written a wonderful book, Total Quality: A User’s Guide for Implementation, Addison-Wesley, 1991, that I had reviewed and recommended.  Not really being a writer then, I asked Dan how he wrote.  At that time, he told me he handwrote all of his books.  He not only handwrote them but used a fountain pen, and presumably good paper, in doing so.  That left an impression on me.

I wrote this page with a very nice ball point.  My weapon of choice today is the Waterman Carene in the photo.  I call this old school writing.  Yet, real old school would be to write with a quill that had to be constantly dipping into ink.  I tried that once and hated it.  HATED it.  This led me to believe that I am biased, wired, if you will, to favor the method of writing I learned in grade school.

I often think about a moleskin or other classic notebook to write in and collect my precious thoughts.  I think of that, and yet, I used my $800 beauty – my iPad and Zagg keyboard.  I have Evernote and Pages on it.  This really is the best way to think, collect my thoughts and ideas, and turn them into written pieces and postings.

Handwriting was fun for this one day.  I feel like, for old times’ sake, I should do this once a week or once month.  I say that but realize that, really, I should focus on using Evernote even more effectively.