Chapter 1: The Value of Handwriting

In today's educational landscape, many children miss out on learning cursive, a trend that saddens me. This loss signifies a departure from an era when individuals took pride in their penmanship, and receiving a handwritten letter held deep sentimental value.

I educate my two youngest children at home, and handwriting remains a core subject until they finish 5th grade. They start with manuscript writing and progress to cursive, diligently copying a full page of text each day.

Reflecting on my own childhood, I recall mastering manuscript writing, ensuring my letters reached the top line and aligned with the bottom line. This foundation fostered my passion for language and ultimately paved the way for my career as a writer and editor.

Recently, I encountered an article that presented scientific evidence suggesting that handwriting enhances information retention compared to typing notes on digital devices. The study involved students playing Pictionary while wearing electrodes. One group wrote words with pen and paper, while the other typed on a computer. The findings were striking.

"When students wrote by hand, the sensors detected extensive connectivity across various brain regions. In contrast, typing resulted in minimal activity, if any, in those same areas."

Through discussions with fellow writers, I’ve discovered that many prefer to draft their initial ideas by hand, later transitioning to a computer for revisions. This process creates a link between the creative mind and the physical act of writing, encouraging deeper cognitive engagement and the use of multiple brain areas, along with the muscles in the arm, hand, and fingers. Surprisingly, this extra effort can lead to new avenues of creativity.

Journaling offers us an opportunity to engage the less analytical parts of our minds, allowing for a free flow of thoughts on the page. This brain dump can clear mental space for other ideas. During a silent retreat, the director advised us to jot down every fleeting thought—bills due, medications to take, emails to send—before the silence began, and place it in a drawer next to our beds for later retrieval.

Lately, I've been experimenting with classic wooden pencils for my writing. I found a brand that crafts pencils from red cedar and decided to give them a try. While I enjoy writing with pencils—mechanical ones are usually my favorite—the nostalgic appeal of a sharpened yellow No. 2 pencil was hard to resist. However, the reality of uneven sharpening and loose graphite quickly reminded me why mechanical pencils became the preferred choice.

The next time you attend a meeting, consider bringing a notebook and pen (or pencil) to take notes by hand, even if you also have your laptop or tablet. When you write while someone speaks, it creates a point of connection. They notice your engagement and recognize that what they said mattered enough for you to jot it down, whether in agreement or dissent.

How do you feel when someone writes down your words? For a professional athlete being interviewed by a journalist, it feels validating. In a therapist's office, it may evoke feelings of vulnerability. As a ghostwriter, when my clients see me taking notes during recorded interviews, they often share more on the topic at hand.

Imagine a world where both young and old embrace handwriting more frequently. How might we positively influence culture by committing to this practice?

A heartfelt note to a spouse…

A letter to a beloved grandmother…

A wedding invitation on luxurious paper with calligraphy (rather than a texted e-vite)…

A journal entry filled with doodles or meaningful quotes…

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, what if we took a moment to step back intentionally? Offering someone your handwritten words—unique to you—could leave a lasting impression, akin to a fingerprint of thought for someone else to discover.

Thank you to Contemplate for publishing my article. If you appreciated this piece, let's chat over coffee.

Chapter 2: The Science Behind Handwriting

The exploration of handwriting extends beyond mere nostalgia; it taps into the cognitive benefits of the practice.

In "The Benefits of Writing by Hand," Katie McCleary discusses how traditional writing techniques enhance learning and creativity.