When was the last time you saw your handwriting?

This is the question I asked myself in a stationery store in Melbourne, Australia—a store dedicated to an art that has been replaced by instant messages and emails. Small notebooks to test pens were filled with the scribbling of patrons who wrote names and jokes, thinking nothing of how long it had been since they last sat down to write by hand. But who can blame them? Today, to write is a conscious effort when alternatives are faster and more accessible.

It’s with these alternatives that we have lost more than the memory of our handwriting. With this capitulation to digital forms of expression, we have lost a skill essential to the gentleman or lady, the art of penmanship, your unique analog fingerprint in an increasingly digital world. 

Why Handwrite at All?

Much like clothing, music, or hobbies, your handwriting is the culmination of your life, interests, and the people you wish to emulate. In grade school, I was inspired by the American Business Cursive style, as it embodied qualities I aspired to have in my writing: elegance, professionalism, and sophistication.

“Though a young Jasper Hawks couldn’t have emulated this with a No. 2 pencil, my scrawl improved in clarity and quality.”

Sadly, after my schooling, there was little need to write reports or letters. A signature here or there at a restaurant or on a get-well card sufficed, but the muscle of handwriting atrophied, and with it an avenue of expression. While most are satisfied with a text message sent through the imitation of a keyboard, processed through autocorrect, and delivered instantly, the handwritten word remains that much more impactful.

Seek opportunities to write letters, as they demonstrate time and care to loved ones or colleagues. Journal to bring ideas, feelings, and your story into the world, and study your penmanship as it’s one of the last expressions of yourself in an expressionless world. 

One may not be an artist, poet, singer, or dancer, but everyone can write.