Today is National Handwriting Day (yeah, I didn't know this was a thing either, but apparently it's been a thing since 1977). This particular date (January 23rd) was chosen because it is John Hancock's birthday.
I was hesitant to speak on this, as this is my first time observing the "holiday" but I thought it would be nice to write a post about it.
So, now that you know what today is, do you plan to do anything special? A few ideas below [I can't take credit for these; I found them on this website]:
Start a journal.
Send a handwritten letter to a friend or family member.
Write a short story or poem.
Take a calligraphy class.
Write a to-do list.
Leave a love note for someone dear to you.
Compliment someone with a handwritten sticky note.
Pay with a check – if you dare.
Leave your server a tip and a handwritten word of thanks for their service.
Another idea I found online: practice your signature! Mine has been pretty much the same since I was a teenager (ugh...flashback to signing my last name with my high school crush's last name in my notebook, to see how it would look) and I don't plan on updating it. It's nothing impressive, but I think it's nice. I know my mom as an adult changed the way the first letter of her last name looked in her signature. We have different surnames now since she remarried in 2007, but I remember her telling me about how she actively came up with the style of the H, and I thought it was cool that she made it her own.
I've posted before about my interest in one day exploring the art of graphology (the analysis of people's personality traits/characteristics based on their handwriting style) but in general I don't often think about handwriting on a deeper level. I do write a lot with pen and paper though: it is how I prefer to take notes, it is how I prefer to jot down plans (rarely do I use online calendars), it is how I write to my penpal every month or so, it is how I write my thank you cards. Only in recent memory did I stop writing my grocery list on scrap paper and concede to digital.
And of course, I started a whole website to promote letter writing (although typed letters are also encouraged) and I still want to learn more calligraphy and actually dedicate time to the practice so I can be good at it. So I'm certainly pro-handwriting. And it's not just the romantic in me who clings to certain old ways; there are cognitive benefits of handwriting over typing as well.
Happy Handwriting!
