I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be a good topic to post here...
-------------------
Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized and creatively lazy people:
It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting? Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or who in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any handwriting skills go...
In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
My handwriting was very bad and therefore very inefficient. I retrained myself by coming up with letter forms and then focusing on them every time I wrote. It worked, but it took years to produce what everyone says is very neat, very legible handwriting. You may be able to short-circuit the process by getting a workbook on handwriting. I'd highly recommend "Italic Letters: Calligraphy and Handwriting" [Paperback] by Dubay, Inga; Getty.
I think you address it will - practice, practice, practice. The trick
is /what/ to practice.
For me - I'm left-handed - I abandoned cursive writing (a curse from
the right-handed majority :-) and have done nothing but print for the
last 30 years. Turning the paper 90 degrees clockwise helped me
tremendously as well.
Amusingly, yhe largest "back-slide" I've had to overcome happened when
I first got a Palm-I many years ago. Suddenly, my hand writing was
suspiciously like graffiti. That took a while to untangle.
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
> beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to
> over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or
> moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
It's just practice, practice, practice. My handwriting improved dramatically when I started writing letters--there, you write slowly because you care about how your writing comes out. Just practice and be conscious of your form and eventually you will improve. I had terrible handwriting as a kid--I have very good handwriting now.
As an occupational therapist I worked for many years with older students
improving their handwriting because, unfortunately, their papers were
being graded on handwriting as well as content.
I like a system called D'Nealian. It is more like people realy write
than the curvy, corny letters that most schools teach. You can check
out how it looks at their web site...google for it I don't know the url.
Also, if you google for d'nealian like fonts, you will find some
worksheets, tracing letters, etc in some of the homeschooling sites.
I am in fact, writing an e-book right now based on this more normal type
of writing.
-----Original Message-----
From: Woody2143 [HYPERLINK "mailto:Wo...@2143.net"mailto:Wo...@2143.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:07 AM
To: 43Folders@googlegroups.com
Subject: [43F Group] How have you improved or developed your
handwriting?
I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be a
good topic to post here...
-------------------
Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized
and creatively lazy people:
It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to
over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or
moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of
the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or who
in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any
handwriting skills go...
In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could
benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
Thanks
// Brandon Wood
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.3 - Release Date: 04/25/2005
-- No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.3 - Release Date: 04/25/2005
One of the main reasons I try not to take hand written notes too often is that my handwriting is terrible. It's been bad since I was a kid and gotten worse as an adult. If I don't immediately transcribe my writing to computer I can often not read it later... aigh. I actually broke my hand a few years ago (Scaphoid for Zura the OT) and that has not helped matters at all... writing can be uncomfortable the post-break contributes to my "translation" issues as well.
I love the look and feel of Moleskin but there's no way I can make something like that work.
> As an occupational therapist I worked for many years with older > students improving their handwriting because, unfortunately, their > papers were being graded on handwriting as well as content.
> I like a system called D'Nealian. It is more like people realy write > than the curvy, corny letters that most schools teach. You can check > out how it looks at their web site...google for it I don't know the > url. Also, if you google for d'nealian like fonts, you will find some > worksheets, tracing letters, etc in some of the homeschooling sites.
> I am in fact, writing an e-book right now based on this more normal > type of writing.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Woody2143 [mailto:Wo...@2143.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:07 AM
> To: 43Folders@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [43F Group] How have you improved or developed your > handwriting?
> I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be > a good topic to post here...
> -------------------
> Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized > and creatively lazy people:
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this > beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to > over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or > moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting? > Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of > the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or > who in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any > handwriting skills go...
> In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could > benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
While someone suggested trying d'nealian, that's simply the font they
teach little kids to write in (in GA at least) before they start
learning kindergarten. I can't see it hurting mind you, but that's
what it is.
I got an "Italics" workbook
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/002079990X/michaelsswiki-20?cr...)
that I used all the way through. You can't really get the font right
with a ballpoint/rollerball pen, however you will drill things like
eveness and a sense of space into your handwriting that will transfer
to all your writing.
> I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be a
> good topic to post here...
> -------------------
> Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized
> and creatively lazy people:
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
> beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to
> over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or
> moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
> Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of
> the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or who
> in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any
> handwriting skills go...
> In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could
> benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
> Thanks
> // Brandon Wood
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The people who get what they want in this world are the people who get
up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find
them, make them. --George Bernard Shaw
Wanted to be a comic book creator, so I drew like mad and I paid particular attention to how the letterers on comic books did their thing. Was so geeky about it that I not only knew (and could tell) the work of pencillers and inkers, but I could also tell you who lettered the dang thing. This also got me into trouble in elementary school, as they'd want kids to "write a certain way" to indoctrinate us in cursive and all, but I'd do it My Way instead.
Also, I've found that the pen used makes a big difference in how well one writes longhand. My current favorite is the Sanford Uni-Ball ONYX Fine. Red, blue, black. Great writing instrument and I hoard these suckers.
Oh, and I've also found that if I've been typing all day and finally go to write, the first 15 minutes or so of writing produces the worst penmanship. Really, the first writing of the day (longhand, that is) is horrible for me. Sort of need to warm up, I suppose.
> I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be a
> good topic to post here...
> -------------------
> Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized
> and creatively lazy people:
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
> beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to
> over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or
> moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
> Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of
> the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or who
> in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any
> handwriting skills go...
> In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could
> benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
> Thanks
> // Brandon Wood
My handwriting looks good from afar, but is almost unreadable. I know
print (block letters) anything that needs to be read later. But I need
to be careful there too not to let the letters get too small.
> What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
> Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of
> the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
I collect fountain pens, and many people expect pen collectors to have
nice handwriting. Mine's not so nice, but I have worked it back to
legibility after years and years of printing.
For me, practice came first -- it's an excuse to use those nice pens,
after all. Writing in a journal helped make me more comfortable with
cursive writing again, while also helping me work through my thoughts.
I did finally break down and buy a book on handwriting ("Teach
Yourself Better Handwriting", by Rosemary Sassoon) [1]. I read it and
actually took some time to diagnose what was wrong with my handwriting
so I could work on what I thought were my problems. I have seen
improvement and managed to maintain it even though I haven't practiced
in a very long time.
I have also seen good recommendations for Getty and Dubay's "Write
Now" [2], which I may buy and try at some point.
To help your legibility, slow down. Fountain pens can help with this,
by encouraging a lighter touch with the pen. Plain ballpoints need a
more ham-fisted grip than rollerballs, gel rollers, or fountain pens. When I rush, my handwriting disintegrates into a random zigzag that
carries almost no information.
I haven't really done much about yet, but plan to soon. It's on my summer projects list... :-) And I definitely need it. I've recently converted to a Hipster too, and although most of it is legible (to myself, at least) none of it is very pretty.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Brendstrup [mailto:brendst...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:45 AM
To: 43Folders@googlegroups.com
Subject: [43F Group] Re: How have you improved or developed your
I haven't really done much about yet, but plan to soon. It's on my
summer projects list... :-)
And I definitely need it. I've recently converted to a Hipster too, and
although most of it is legible (to myself, at least) none of it is very
pretty.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Langford [mailto:michael.langf...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 10:47 AM
To: 43Folders@googlegroups.com
Subject: [43F Group] Re: How have you improved or developed your
handwriting?
While someone suggested trying d'nealian, that's simply the font they
teach little kids to write in (in GA at least) before they start
learning kindergarten. I can't see it hurting mind you, but that's what
it is.
I got an "Italics" workbook
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/002079990X/michaelsswiki-20?crea tive=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1)
that I used all the way through. You can't really get the font right
with a ballpoint/rollerball pen, however you will drill things like
eveness and a sense of space into your handwriting that will transfer to
all your writing.
> I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be
> a good topic to post here...
> -------------------
> Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized
> and creatively lazy people:
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
> beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to > over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or > moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting? > Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of > the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or
> who in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any > handwriting skills go...
> In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could
> benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
> Thanks
> // Brandon Wood
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The people who get what they want in this world are the people who get
up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find
them, make them. --George Bernard Shaw
-- No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.3 - Release Date: 04/25/2005
-- No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.3 - Release Date: 04/25/2005
I am interested in improving not only the handwriting but the art to structure information on a plain sheet of paper. E.g. in a meeting there arise many kinds of information and it requires some creative mind where to place the corresponding notes on the paper without creating a clutter of different pieces of information. Also I have the problem often that I reach a margin and I have to compress my script until unreadability. Does anyone know techniques how to "fill" a sheet of paper or are there any resources concerning this skill?
Woody2143 wrote: > I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be a > good topic to post here...
> -------------------
> Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart, organized > and creatively lazy people:
> It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this > beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to > over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or > moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting? > Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of > the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or who > in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any > handwriting skills go...
> In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could > benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
> Wanted to be a comic book creator, so I drew like mad and I paid
> particular attention to how the letterers on comic books did their
> thing. Was so geeky about it that I not only knew (and could tell) the
> work of pencillers and inkers, but I could also tell you who lettered
> the dang thing. This also got me into trouble in elementary school, as
> they'd want kids to "write a certain way" to indoctrinate us in cursive
> and all, but I'd do it My Way instead.
> Also, I've found that the pen used makes a big difference in how well
> one writes longhand. My current favorite is the Sanford Uni-Ball ONYX
> Fine. Red, blue, black. Great writing instrument and I hoard these
> suckers.
> Oh, and I've also found that if I've been typing all day and finally go
> to write, the first 15 minutes or so of writing produces the worst
> penmanship. Really, the first writing of the day (longhand, that is) is
> horrible for me. Sort of need to warm up, I suppose.
-- "One cannot but wonder at this constantly
recurring phrase 'getting something for nothing,'
as if it were the peculiar and perverse ambition
of disturbers of society. Except for our animal
outfit, practically all that we have is handed to
us gratis. Can the most complacent reactionary
flatter himself that he invented the art of writing
or the printing press, or discovered his religious,
economic and moral convictions, or any of the devices which supply him with meat and raiment
or any of the sources of such pleasures as he may derive from literature or the fine arts? In short, civilization is little else than getting something for
nothing."
--James Harvey Robinson,
historian, (1863-1936)
Absolutely agreed on the point about fountain pens. My writing is illegible to all but me when I use a ballpoint, but my Waterman seems to magically turn my chicken scratches into something decipherable by normal mortals. It encourages me to treat writing as a pleasure, not a chore. The ritual of using a good bottled ink instead of cartridges also helps a lot in this regard.
Fountain pen neophytes would be well served to take a look at Pentrace[1]. There's a wealth of information on the forums, and some really interesting articles. Pick up a Parker 45, Lamy Safari or Waterman Phileas next time you're at the stationary store, and give it a try.
Getty and Dubay's "Write Now" is excellent. It's a thoroughly un-fancy script, but exceptionally legible and not too tough to learn. I'd love to learn James Pickering's italic handwriting style[2], but I really need to work on my basic hand first.
I'd recommend to anyone considering taking the italic path that they go straight to the original italic hands of fifteenth century Italy and copy those, as the original hands set out to solve exactly the same handwriting problems that we are discussing here. Most decent calligraphic histories will include samples. I spent a summer teaching myself italic, and it has been every bit as useful to me as typing - my writing is faster, more rhythmic, more comfortable than before, and best of all, other people can read it. (David Harris, "The Art of Calligraphy", is well worth a look).
Organising notes on a page: that sounds a lot like mindmapping, and I've certainly used mind maps to fit unfeasible amounts of data onto a single page in the past.
I would say the book "Inventing Comics" helps with this. It helps you
understand graphical communication, and get's you to develop a sense
of space. It will allow you to add meaning to text scattered
everywhich way (mind mapping in my experience requires large amounts
of space).
> I am interested in improving not only the handwriting but the art to
> structure information on a plain sheet of paper. E.g. in a meeting
> there arise many kinds of information and it requires some creative
> mind where to place the corresponding notes on the paper without
> creating a clutter of different pieces of information.
> Also I have the problem often that I reach a margin and I have to
> compress my script until unreadability.
> Does anyone know techniques how to "fill" a sheet of paper or are there
> any resources concerning this skill?
> - martin
> Woody2143 wrote:
> > I sent the below question to Merlin and he suggested that it would be
> a
> > good topic to post here...
> > -------------------
> > Had a quick question to pose to you and your army of smart,
> organized
> > and creatively lazy people:
> > It boggles my mind how people can put pen to paper and have this
> > beautiful script flow across the page. How many people have had to
> > over-come horrible handwriting when moving over to the Hipster or
> > moleskin? What resources have they used to improve their handwriting?
> > Obviously practice, practice, practice and more practice is a part of
> > the solution but what resources were used to develop style/form?
> > This may apply more to those who grew up in front of a computer or
> who
> > in using their computers for 98% of their writing have let any
> > handwriting skills go...
> > In my humble opinion, I think it would be a topic that many could
> > benefit from seeing discussed on 43Folders...
> > Thanks
> > // Brandon Wood
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The people who get what they want in this world are the people who get
up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find
them, make them. --George Bernard Shaw
Thanks for posting this. As I looked at my Hipster the other day and said to myself, "What the hell is this?" I thought about finding some sort of handwriting re-training. Describing my handwriting as chicken scratch would be a severe understatement.
I printed out some of the italic tutorial and have marked it as @read. Hopefully I'll get around to actually @reading it.
I really want to get rolling on the moleskine (have purchased 2) but until my writing improves, I don't think that will happen. Also, part of the reason I haven't put pen to glorious moleskine paper is because of that damn pamplet they include with the history. Too daunting. It makes it sound so sacred. And true it is, but I'm scared to not put anything but literary worthy text into it. I've wandered off topic a bit too far now.
Thanks for addressing this poor penmanship problem. My grocery list will thank you when I'm able to tell that I was supposed to pick up beats instead of beers. Although I will be pissed because I don't like beats and I love beers.
> I really want to get rolling on the moleskine (have purchased 2) but
> until my writing improves, I don't think that will happen. Also, part
> of the reason I haven't put pen to glorious moleskine paper is because
> of that damn pamplet they include with the history. Too daunting. It
> makes it sound so sacred. And true it is, but I'm scared to not put
> anything but literary worthy text into it. I've wandered off topic a
> bit too far now.
I threw the pamphlet away (I've wanted a moleskine since I read
"Songlines" way back) and thought the "reward" stuff too twee. Then
the 3 year old got hold of it and a pen, and it's wasn't so pristine
anymore :-)
I have started using the hipster PDA, and agree with another poster here that your handwriting improves the more you write. Prior to the HPDA, I hardly ever had to write with a pen. I ALWAYS used a computer. I type thousands of words a day, but write close to none. Now, with my HPDA, my handwriting is coming back.
The problem I have is that my hand cramps when I write. Even if it is a relatively small amount of writing. It is the part of my hand that touches the paper (the left edge of my palm, if you were looking at your hand with your palm towards your face). Anyone else get this? Anyone else get this and found a fix?
> I have started using the hipster PDA, and agree with another poster
> here that your handwriting improves the more you write. Prior to the
> HPDA, I hardly ever had to write with a pen. I ALWAYS used a computer.
> I type thousands of words a day, but write close to none. Now, with my
> HPDA, my handwriting is coming back.
> The problem I have is that my hand cramps when I write. Even if it is a
> relatively small amount of writing. It is the part of my hand that
> touches the paper (the left edge of my palm, if you were looking at
> your hand with your palm towards your face). Anyone else get this?
> Anyone else get this and found a fix?
> Jason Ellis
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The people who get what they want in this world are the people who get
up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find
them, make them. --George Bernard Shaw
