Why Pen and Paper Writing is better than Typing

Why Pen and Paper Writing is better than Typing

 It mustn't have been long since you wrote a short shopping list, left a memo at your work desk or scribbled something on your kid's notebook. But, how long has it been since you last wrote a long draft with a pen and paper? It's awful to see an increasing number of people switching from writing to typing. The innovation of technology has altered the way people write and are slowly taking us away from the world of writing instruments. Needless-to-say, the use of pen and paper has rapidly declined over the past decade.

Undoubtedly, laptops and modern gadgets have made their way into our classrooms and meeting halls taking the place of our beloved pen and paper. Obviously, typing has an upper hand if you are playing the role of a scribe, but if you want to study your course material then definitely the pen is still mightier than a keyboard.

Today, precious writing implements like fountain pens have become nothing more than a mere nostalgic showpiece. With the advancement in technology, handwriting practice is slowly being pushed towards the corner. But, did you know that handwriting comes with tons of benefit? So, without wasting much time let's look into the benefits of handwriting.

Handwriting Makes Our Brain Work Faster

There is so much you can do with a pen compared to a normal keyboard. Picking up a pen and a pad of paper to write not only enhances your handwriting but also improves your cognitive and learning senses. Writing stimulates a bunch of cell in the brain called Reticular Activating System (RAS). RAS works as a filter that tells your brains which activities it should prioritize first. And, while writing this bunch of cell brings the art of writing to the forefront.

Less Distraction

With your laptop, you'll have other apps running which will definitely pull your attention from "just writing". On the counter side, writing with a pen and paper will allow you to solely focus on writing and will not engross your attention anywhere else. Besides that, writing with a pen will enhance your memory power and helps you to retain those notes on your head for a longer period of time.

It Makes You A Better Writer

Nine out of ten writers believe that writing with a pen makes you a better writer than typing your words on a computer screen. Most writers pen down their thoughts on a piece of paper before actually typing them on a computer. The slowness of your hands gives you adequate time to think before jotting down the next letter. So, the words you write with a pen will be more accurate, error free and will break your bad habit of using autocorrect function. Apart from that, people who use a pen to write complete sentences better compared to their keyboard typing peers.

Good Handwriting Will Serve You Beyond Elementary School

Good handwriting will not only aid you throughout your schooling days, fluency in handwriting also fills the void space in your daily life. It enhances your concentration, makes your brain sharp and helps you to stand out amongst your peers in any working environment. Experts have also stated that practicing handwriting is the best exercise for people who want to keep their brains sharp as they age.

Summary

With the introduction of laptops, smartphones, and tablets, typing has become the go-to method for many. Indeed, typing is fast and it does make our life easy but what about the benefits of writing. Handwriting comes with loads of benefits and it's essential for even an avid typist to include handwriting practice on their to-do list.

So, if you think handwriting is worth it, pick up a pen and start jotting your thoughts on a piece of paper.

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Writer Quotes

“The idea of just wandering off to a café with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.” - J. K. Rowling

“Good writing is clear thinking made visible.” - Bill Wheeler

“Pens don't draw they unravel their handwriting and then tie it up again, but differently. - Jean Cocteau

“A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.” - Franz Kafka

“I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say.” - Flannery O'Connor

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The Writer's Corner -The Healing Power of Writing

Putting pen to paper can be a cathartic experience, especially for authors.

While going through a particularly difficult time in her life with a recent divorce and a new child,author J. K. Rowling suffered a debilitating depression. “I just thought I want to write, so I wrote the book. What was the worst that could happen? It could get turned down by every publisher in Britain. Big deal.”

Political journalist and psychotherapist Laurie Nadel, PhD suffered from the burden of anxiety. Nadel found a way to ease her mind in volatile surroundings. She focused by writing for herself. "I thought that if I could write everything down, I could stay safe."

In the highly acclaimed book “The Artist’s Way” writer Julia Cameron states “Writing is medicine. It is an appropriate antidote to injury. It is an appropriate companion for any difficult situation.”

Even the most inexperienced writer can benefit by putting pen to paper. As long as your intention is to communicate with others or simply open up yourself, the form your musings take will be rewarding.So start that journal, write a letter, craft a poem, share an observation or start the next great American novel. The act of writing will take you on a journey that will enrich your life and quite possibly the lives of others.

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In Celebration of Penmanship

Did you know that there is a national and international competition devoted to handwriting?

The AAHC, Annual American Handwriting Competition and WHAC, World Handwriting Achievement Contest brings focus to the fine art of penmanship.

You can enter in one of two different categories. Functional:  this stresses legibility and Artistic: which spotlights calligraphy using decorative stokes. The winners vary based on age groupings. Anyone 8 years or older can participate. You must enter your writings by hard-copy mail. The cut-off time for this year’s submissions has just passed. But you have time to practice for next year!

What a wonderful way to the art of fine writing alive!

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Pen Trivia

Question: How long is the longest hand written antique scroll?

Answer: According to Guinness Book of World Records, the longest hand written scroll in over 85 feet long. The paper scroll is from 1835 and is archived in India.

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Writer Quotes

“I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education.” Mahatma Gandhi

“Writing letters… is such a swell way to keep from working and yet feel you've done something.” - Ernest Hemingway

 “A man’s penmanship is an unfailing index of his character, moral and mental, and a criterion by which to judge his peculiarities of taste and sentiment.” Lord Chesterfield

“The post office has a great charm at one point of our lives.  When you have lived to my age, you will begin to think letters are never worth going through the rain for.” - Jane Austen

 “Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company. “-  Lord Byron

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Pen Trivia

Question: A pen by Thomas Edison is still used today. What is its purpose?





















Answer:  The first safe electric motor driven office appliance produced and sold in the United States was an electric pen, part of a complete outfit for duplicating handwritten documents and drawings. Thomas Edison filed a patent for his “Stencil-Pen” in 1876. The Stencil-pen was a commercial failure in its intended use of print duplication.

The invention received a reincarnation in 1891. Edison’s Stencil-Pen became a launching point for a newly defined industry. With Samuel O’Reilly’s modification to the inventions’ original design, the art of tattoos received a new boost in availability. O’Reilly expanded on Edison’s design, to allow the Stencil-pen to serve as a tool–injecting ink under skin instead of into paper.

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Writer Quotes

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.” –
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I never did calligraphy... But handwriting is an entirely different kind of thing. It's part of the syndrome of modernism... It's part of that asceticism.” - Paul Rand

“I was filling entire school notebooks with stories by Grade 3. Of course, they were double-spaced, and the handwriting was huge.’ - Linwood Barclay

“You may not be able to read a doctor's handwriting and prescription, but you'll notice his bills are neatly typewritten.” - Earl Wilson

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Recording Family History

Family bibles uses expand beyond being just religious scripture document. Many have also served the purpose of providing a home for records of important events that happened such as deaths, births, graduations and weddings for centuries. Many family bibles even include traditions, recipes and family anecdotes.

Recording electronic family history may now be the norm, but hi-tech solutions are not essential. The preference for keeping detailed paper records, including handwritten biographical outlines for each ancestor, family group records and pedigree charts, in a family bible or beautifully adorned journal is once again gaining momentum.

Even though most people are completely comfortable working with a computer, there is something to be said for keeping a fine penmanship record of your ancestors’ past. You not only keep your family history alive you also contribute to preserving the keeping of private and public records using the fine art of handwriting.

It may be time to treat yourself, and future generations, to a fine heirloom pen that can not only record your family’s current activities; it can be used by your great-great-grandchildren in many years to come.

Here’s a good starting point of suggested pens to get your search going:

http://www.penboutique.com/parker-sonnet-sterling-silver-cisele-gold-trim-rollerball-pen.html
http://www.penboutique.com/aurora-ipsilon-satin-blue-rollerball-pen.html

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Writer Quotes

“In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give your style.” - Sydney Smith

“I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.” - James Michener

“If you can't write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don't have a clear idea.” - David Belasco

“Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. “- Sylvia Plath

“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.” - Norbet Platt

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Writing Corner

Far Eastern calligraphy is an art within art, a way of life, and a path to immortality. Just like love fills the heart, calligraphy fills our souls, nourishing a new sense of life born out of selflessness, absence of pride in the fertile soil of a pure mind. It can intrigue you by stimulating the deepest layers of sensitivity accessible to a human being. Life experience adds a lot of flavor to one’s work. In this capacity, it cannot be learned, and it ought to be experienced, it cannot be rushed, but it must be earned.

The importance of choosing the ink, whether using a calligraphy brush, calligraphy pen or an everyday fine instrument, is also held in high regard as a critical element in Far Eastern calligraphy and writing. Two of the most popular ink bottle brands that are mainstays in today’s eastern and western cultures are Sailor and Pilot Namiki Iroshizuku, both originating from Japan.
You too can embrace the Eastern way of mindful thoughtfulness is by choosing these captivating inks.

http://www.penboutique.com/search?q=+Pilot+Namiki+Iroshizuku%2C

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Writing Corner - Wild Bill Hickok Last Letter to his Wife

Wild Bill Hickok

Last Letter to his Wife

One of the beauties of a hand written letter is that they can live on long after the writer is gone. Be the reason sentimental or historical, reading a hand written letter from long ago packs an emotional response like nothing else.

James Butler Hickok, also known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a skilled gunfighter and lawman from the American old west. He was also a professional gambler between his law-enforcement duties. On August 2, 1876, Hickok was playing poker at Deadwood, in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory. He had a premonition Deadwood would be his last camp, and expressed this belief to his friends who were traveling with him at the time. Shortly before his death, he wrote a letter to his new wife, which read: “Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife — Agnes — and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore.” J.B. Hickok Wild Bill

Interesting Fact: Legend has it that before Hickok was shot he had lost all his money and had to borrow $50 from the house to continue playing. When shot, he was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, all black. The fifth card had been discarded and its replacement had not yet been dealt. In poker, a two-pair of aces and eights is known as the dead man’s hand. 

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Inspiring the young to write

In order to keep the art of writing, and writing in cursive penmanship, alive sometimes we all need a little inspiration. It is important to inspire our young ones to keep both arts alive. Here are some fun, sure-fire questions to prompt and get the young creative juices flowing.

1. If I was a super hero what kind of super hero would I be and what powers would I have (This can also be done using villains)?

2. If you were given 3 wishes what would they be and why?

3. If I could invent a new toy what kind of toy would I create and why?

4. If you could be invisible what would you do and why?

5. What would do if you won a million dollars?

6. Write about something you are really good at.

7. Write about 1 thing you want to learn about.

8. Write about a time when you worked really hard to get something.

9. What is the best thing someone has ever given to you?

10. What is the bravest thing you have ever done?

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Penmanship Corner

Writing is a codified system of standard symbols: the repetition of agreed-upon simple shapes to represent ideas. Recognizable systems of writing developed in 3 major cultures within 1200 years of each other. Sumerian cuneiform developed around 3000 BC, Egyptian hieroglyphs around 2800 BC, and the precursor to Kanji Chinese around 1800 BC. The development of writing allowed cultures to record events, history, laws; theories in math, science, medicine; create literature and more.

By the mid-1700’s, there were special schools established to teach handwriting techniques, or penmanship. Master penmen were employed to copy official documents such as land deeds, birth and marriage certificates, military commissions, and other legal documents. Timothy Matlack was commissioned to write the final copy of the Declaration of Independence, and Jacob Shallus penned the final copy of the Constitution of the United States of America.

What better way to make friends than being prepared to spontaneously recite poetry?

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Pen Trivia - Contracts and Signing on the Dotted Line

Contracts have always required a signature to become legally binding. Typically, contracts are oral or written, but written contracts have typically been preferred in common law systems. Hand written permanent ink signatures are the usual mode of agreement. In this fast paced world of new technology an electronic signature is now also accepted.

If a contract is in a written form, and somebody signs it, then the signer is typically bound by its terms regardless of whether they have actually read it provided the document is contractual in nature.

To sign on the dotted line: Agree formally or fully, as in The deal is just about fixed; all they have to do is sign on the dotted line. This idiom refers to the broken line traditionally appearing at the bottom of a legal document, indicating the place for one's signature. [Early 1900s]

Using a fine writing instrument makes a statement of committed permanence when signing contracts that mark the important stages of our life such as buying a new home, purchasing your first car, filling out paperwork for a new job and filing for a marriage license.

Question: When and where was the first legislation created to acknowledge and require signed contracts?

Answer:  In 1677 England passed the Statute of Frauds which influenced similar stature of frauds laws in the United States and other countries such as Australia, which honoring signed and binding contracts.

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History of the Hand Written Letter

According to the testimony of ancient historians, the first recorded hand written letter (epistle) was by Persian Queen Atossa, around 500 BC. The leaves of plants and the bark of trees advanced the use of writing. The linden tree was particularly good allowing the folding of its bark. Egyptian papyrus made possible the ancient libraries of Alexandria.

Jumping ahead to more modern times, prior to 1840 letters were delivered by courier, coach or horse rider. The receiver of the letter had to pay on its receipt and the cost was dependant on the number of pages and distance travelled. To prevent the contents of the letter from being read by others they were sealed using a colored wax with ring or handheld seal.

In May 1840 Great Britain introduced the first prepaid stamp nationwide postal delivery service, with the Penny Black stamp (portrait of the young Queen Victoria) for letters under half an ounce and the Two Penny Blue stamp for letters over. This was soon followed by other countries introducing similar systems.

The United States postal system played a crucial role in the national expansion. It facilitated an inexpensive, fast, convenient communication system. The postal service helped integrate established areas with the frontier, creating a spirit of nationalism and providing a necessary infrastructure. You could now easily communicate your family updates to your cousin Elizabeth in Virginia, all the way from your home in Massachusetts.

Personal communication now is sadly being replaced by short bursts of text messages beeping on our phones and e-mails clogging up our in-boxes. Let’s all put forth our best effort to make sure letter writing does not become a lost art! 

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Celebrating Pencil Day..

Pencil is the basic stationery that everyone has. For a writing instrument with a history that dates back to the time of human civilization, it still remains as humble as it used to be and does its purposeful work. It is only fitting that there is a day dedicated to it. Yes, 30th March has been dubbed Pencil Day and the date wasn’t chosen randomly.

Some 157 years ago, on 30th March, Hymen Lipman received the first US patent for his “pencil with attached eraser” invention. While this pencil was different from the pencil-with-eraser we know today, it did pave the path for today’s pencil. Just imagine a writing-time where you have to hold on to a separate eraser all the time. Exactly! It doesn’t sound very convenient. Hence, thank you Mr. Lipman and Happy Pencil Day to you all.

How to celebrate Pencil Day?

• When was the last time you drew a cartoon or doodled or something? Well, today is the day you         should take it up again and get in touch with your creative side.
• Write. Anything. Just let your brain to stimulate and enhance by writing. Start a journal today.
• Finish a crossword puzzle/Sudoku or Find the Way or Join the Dots on your morning paper.

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Wedding Invitations Calligraphy

From your invitation envelopes to your favor tags, handwritten calligraphy will give your wedding paper a luxurious, elegant look.

Calligraphy for wedding invitations has been used and adored throughout history. There is much projection that goes into finding the proper sort of calligraphy one desires for wedding invitations. For example, did you know that there are many types of calligraphy that one can employ? Many are familiar with the flowing italic sort of calligraphy which is somewhat constant these days. People do create a life out of this particular art, they are able to deliver on their promise to leave you feeling spellbound.

Calligraphy for wedding invitations is surely one of the primary things you need to think of when you are forecasting a wedding.

Calligraphy is not only fun; it's a deeply spiritual art that may transform your outlook on everything you do and see. By incorporating calligraphy into your wedding presentation you can send a message of tradition and elegance combined with a personal and artistic touch.

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Pen Trivia - Left Handed Writers and Nibs

Bias against left-handed people is discrimination, conscious or not, against people who are left-handed dominant. Approximately 10% of the world's population is left-handed. Yet many common tools are designed solely for use by right-handed people, making them difficult, painful, or unsafe for left-handed people to use. These range from simple objects such as scissors to dangerous machinery such as power saws. Even in relatively "modern" societies, left-handed people historically have been—and in some places still are—forced from childhood to use their right hands for tasks which they would naturally perform with the left, such as eating and writing.

Left-handed people who speak Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, or any other right-to-left script do not have the same difficulties with writing. The right-to-left nature of these languages prevents left-handers from running their hand on the ink as happens with left-to-right languages. Because writing when moving one's hand away from its side of the body can cause smudging if the outward side of the hand is allowed to drag across the writing, it is considered easier to write the Latin alphabet with the right hand than with the left. Furthermore, it is considered more difficult to write legible Chinese characters the left hand than it is to write Latin letters, though difficulty is subjective and depends on the person in question.

Left-to-right alphabets can be written smudge-free and in proper "forward slant" with the left hand if the paper is turned 1/4 turn clockwise (90 degrees to the right), and the left hand is drawn toward the body on forward strokes, and left to right on upward strokes (as expressed in directionality of the text). It is also possible to do calligraphy in this posture with the left hand, but using right-handed pen nibs. Otherwise, left-handed pen nibs are required in order to get the thick-to-thin stroke shapes correct for most type faces.

Luckily Pelikan and Lamy offer left-hand fountain pen nibs for the left-handed writer.
http://www.penboutique.com/pelikan-pens.html?cat=291
http://www.penboutique.com/search?q=pelikano+480

Pen Boutique carries many of Lamy’s left handed nibs including:
http://www.penboutique.com/lamy-pens.html?cat=215&type=435
http://www.penboutique.com/search?q=lamy+logo


Question: When was the first pen nib invented?




























Answer: The first pens were reeds, bamboo, and bird feathers (quills), and quills were used extensively from the 5th through the 1st century BC, notably for the Dead Sea scrolls. By 79 AD, Romans were using metal-nib pens dipped in ink.

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Monks Contributions to Calligraphy

Medieval monasteries were the refuges for book copying during the Middle Ages. The burning of the library at Alexandria in the 5th century had been a terrible blow to humanity. Countless scrolls containing scientific, philosophical, artistic and mathematical knowledge were destroyed out of ignorance. Surviving documents were rare, and were often brought to monasteries to be copied for future generations.

The Bible was certainly the most copied book of the Middle Ages. Not only was the Church interested in using these Bibles to spread its gospel throughout the land, these volumes were to be a veneration of beauty. Monks would often work in large rooms called a scriptorium, and only those working on texts would be allowed in this room.

Monks became specialists. The antiquaries were masters of calligraphy. Rubricatores illuminated the large initials at the beginning of a page while miniatores illustrated the margins. Monks called illuminators painted intricate designs and biblical scenes on pages, to supplement the text. One of the most famous of these, the Book of Kells, was written around 800 a.d. and can still be seen in the library at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

Some monks made tremendous strides in changing the acceptance of non-biblical writing. Thomas Aquinas rattled the foundations of the Church when, instead of denouncing early Greek thinkers, he read ancient texts to reconcile their philosophies with Christianity. The illuminations also went against the convention of "never paint a picture of Christ." These illustrated scenes became masterpieces, and aided in the peasants' understanding of biblical stories.

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