January 23 is National Handwriting Day. The goal of this day is to encourage people to put pen (or pencil) to paper and write what you feel. It is meant as a way to remember why handwriting is important. Handwriting is a very old form of communication. The act of handwriting made it possible for early cultures to record historical events. We know what happened years ago because someone wrote down a record.
The art of handwriting is in danger of being lost due to the keyboard. Today, more people communicate digitally than any other form. As such, human interaction and communication is losing that personal touch. This National Handwriting Day, we encourage everyone to unplug with these handwriting ideas.
Journaling
The practice of keeping a journal is a great tool for self-care. Writing out your feelings and making a record of events can help you to release any stress and anxiety you may be feeling. Although there are plenty of apps available that allow you to keep a digital journal, there’s nothing like having a physical journal to write in. Go to a local dollar store and pick out a journal. You can pick any type, but one with lined paper is encouraged. Grab yourself a new pen as well. Write in your new journal every day leading up to National Handwriting Day. On this day, read through what you’ve written and reflect on the act of handwriting in a journal. What did you like about it? What didn’t you like? Will you continue using this journal regularly? Have fun!
Letter Writing
Everyone writes e-mails. This stands for electronic mail. Before e-mails, people used to handwrite letters. Mail was delivered by hand. It’s much easier to type up an e-mail and hit send. However, it’s a lot more exciting to receive a letter in the mail than in your digital inbox. This National Handwriting Day, we encourage you to handwrite a letter to someone you know. You can choose to hand-deliver this letter, but it should be written by hand, and not typed up on a computer and printed out.
List Making
Making lists is a great way to stay organized. There are lots of apps that allow you to create digital lists. However, try writing down your lists by hand. Create a to-do list of things you want to accomplish today. Create a grocery list to take with you to the store. Or, just have fun with it and make lists of your favorite things. Using a journal, write a header title at the top, like “Favorite movies”. Then, make a list of your favorite movies. You can put this list in numerical order, or just list them as you think of them. Continue this with a new list of favorite things on another page. Soon you will have a journal filled with all your favorite things.
Note Taking
Taking notes by hand is how students keep track of information they learn in class. This may still be the primary format of notetaking in schools; however, students today have the option of writing their notes on a laptop or tablet. If this is you, try going back to paper and pen. Visit your local stationary store or dollar store. Pick out a new notebook. Make sure it has lined paper inside. Pick up a new pen or pencil as well. For the time leading up to National Handwriting Day, try taking your notes in class by hand, using your new notebook. On this day, reflect on the experience. What did you like about taking notes by hand? What didn’t you like? Would you continue, or go back to using a computer or tablet?
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the act of writing text in a decorative way. It is merging handwriting with art. Look up some examples of calligraphy online. This can of course be replicated with different fonts found in your go-to word program; however, there’s something so satisfying about mastering this artform. Look up how to write calligraphy online. Watch some tutorials and learn how to write your own name as a piece of art. Add some color, a nice border, then hang it on your wall!
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