Handwriting will always be important...especially if one wants to write a letter!
0 Comments
Harris Blackwood over at The Gainsville Times has written an enjoyable article on the antique art of handwriting. He speaks not only of the decline of handwriting but also of language mastery. I am humored by the following which likens smartphones to monkey communication: There are research facilities where they have taught monkeys how to make little sentences like “Monkey want banana.” t is done with little icons on a screen. That’s not much different from a smartphone that tries to complete your words in a message. Most of us have not yet declined to the level of a trained monkey but many of us have lost respect for written communication, and with it, the skilled hand that can pen an elegant...or even legible...note.
Please take a moment to visit The Gainsville Times and enjoy Mr. Blackwood's article. ![]() For those of you who wish to improve your hand-writing, you may find the lesson pages at IAMPETH helpful. IAMPETH stands for International Association of Master Penmen and Teachers of Handwriting. The following quote is from Self-Instruction in Modern Writing by A.N. Palmer: "No young man or woman, regardless of the vocation chosen, will regret the short time necessary to spend in mastering a good style of business writing. Under modern methods the process is not only short, but it is easy, and to the majority a delightful pastime." While business writing is no longer used, it is still true that time spent in improvement is delightful and not to be regretted. If you have ever wished to learn The Palmer Method, Spencerian, or Copperplate, IAMPETH is the place for you. They even offer lessons on flourishes and signatures. Below is a bit of sound handwriting advice coming to us from what may seem a very distant past. Enjoy your visit to IAMPETH and happy practicing!
I share with you an inspiring story. Meet Annie Clark of Pittsburgh. Seven year old Annie recently won a national award for penmanship. Earning such an award is impressive in itself but what makes Annie's award extraordinary is the fact that she was born with no hands. This is a picture of Annie's handwriting. Already she writes more legibly than many of us who may have neglected to put effort into such things. I would not have thought writing anything at all would be possible with no hands but I see now it is. If Annie can print like this at age 7, she may just grow up to be a calligrapher. May Annie inspire us to improve our own handwriting. She has certainly inspired me to expect just a little bit more of myself.
An interesting video. Of course we still use handwriting, most of us do anyway, but penmanship is something our culture no longer values. Those of you familiar with Charles Spurgeon, the 19th century baptist preacher may be interested in this. If you're asking, Spurgeon who ? but enjoy old samples of writing you'll still enjoy this. This sample is most likely sermon notes, not a letter, but enjoyable all the same. As a fountain pen user I can't help but wonder what ink he used. The purple is still vibrant and beautiful.
|
Letter Matters
|