HOW TO CHANGE YOUR HANDWRITING

Next on my list of topics to cover is dealing with messy handwriting. It’s a common question among students, and I too understand the hardship. I’m no expert on the matter (although at one point I did relearn some cursive), so I decided to ask my best friend and calligraphy guru for some advice. Here I quote him:

“When it comes down to handwriting, unfortunately it’s all about effort. Your handwriting is definitely a large part of you and is a representation of you as an individual. As you progress through life your handwriting will evolve as you yourself evolve, but sometimes it’s just not up to par with what you expect. It takes lots of practice to change it, but it’s not impossible. It only takes a little dedication and the willingness to change. I once asked my friend how his cursive was so good. It was a very traditional cursive, not like half print half third grade cursive. It was like business cursive from the 1900s. And he told me that he taught himself. He was tired of his messy, illegible handwriting and decided to change it one day. So he started writing in cursive and kept at it until it was flawless.

19th Century Bank Book(Source)

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But the easiest way to start writing a new handwriting is like learning a new calligraphy script. You work one letter at a time. You master A, both upper and lower case, then move onto B and so on. Once you know each letter you write the alphabet all the way through in upper and lower case. Use a sketchbook to write it all out. Your practice sheets end up looking really cool once you’ve filled every space with a letter.

After this start integrating this new handwriting in everyday life. If you take notes a lot, use this new handwriting as a heading or to emphasize a word. Be creative and just start using it. Soon you’ll be able to write it without thinking and then it will become a habit. And by golly wouldn’t you know it, you’ve improved your handwriting.”

So there’s some wisdom for us all. To get us started with changing our penmanship, here are some resources and inspiration:

1. If you are learning cursive, print this out and stick it somewhere where you’ll always see it when writing.

Printable Cursive Template

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2. Check out some examples of handwriting, pick one or two that you like and start practicing

This one has been circulating quite a bit recently

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3. It’s all about patience and practice.

Make sure to practice the fonts in your every day writing and in a sketchbook/journal. It’s okay if your letters don’t look exactly the same, that would be your personal penmanship and personality shining through!

4. And check out some of these links to find something you like:

P.S. If you have a Tumblr or blog related to this topic, feel free to leave a comment with a link below!

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