"You can make anything by writing."--C.S. Lewis
Handwriting is one of the oldest forms of human communication. It is a tool we use to entertain, educate, record, and convey all manner of thoughts and experiences. From primitive cave markings...to cuneiform stone tablets...to painted hieroglyphs...to ink pen & paper...and to us today with a MobiScribe's e-Ink & e-paper, we and our ancestors have felt the need to express ourselves with writing. Handwriting is synonymous with humanity, and a vital part of being human is our innate capacity and need to create via the written word. There is something uniquely special when you handwrite freely with an ink pen on paper (or a MobiScribe's e-Ink on e-paper). The visualization of words forming on the page aids with the creative thought process while bringing a sense of enjoyment and self-gratitude; it is no wonder why humans have for millennia sought and celebrated the artistic and enriching attributes of handwriting -- a true extension and manifestation of who we are as individuals and collectively.
Let's take a closer look at some of the benefits frequent handwriting has on the human psyche:
Handwriting Equals Pleasure
No matter if you are handwriting in a personal journal, or creating a rough draft for a story, or listing bullet point ideas for a new business venture, the free flow expression of handwriting provides instant tactile feedback you don't get when typing on a keyboard. Thus, handwriting is a more pleasurable and gratifying experience than typing.
Handwriting Improves Creativity
Most would agree that handwriting improves creativity, and the more frequently you write the clearer your ideas become. The American author, Richard David Bach, said, "A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” A skilled writer is a wordsmith, so be sure to continually write to hone your talent and channel the creativity within you.
Handwriting Reduces Stress
Writing down personal thoughts in a diary is a time-proven way to reduce stress and add clarity to one's life. The therapeutic releasing of thoughts, especially burdensome ones, to paper (or e-paper) is analogous to permanently transferring them from your mind via the ink (or e-Ink) to the paper. Relieving your mind of cluttered, anxious, or exciting thoughts in this way can noticeably improve one's mental equilibrium and overall well-being.
Handwriting to Achieve
Writing down a list of personal or professional goals to achieve in a journal or a to-do list provides a strategic and focused way to accomplish them. Having goals written down by your hand on paper (or e-paper) is more personable and tangible than typing them onto an impersonal computer screen. Consequently, handwritten goals produce an increased intimacy and commitment level to better help you achieve them. "Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant's into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don't just think it - ink it!" -- Michael Korda, English Novelist.
Handwriting Sharpens the Brain
Typing can be too fast for the brain to fully comprehend and analyze the meaning of all the typed words forming on a page. Handwriting forces one to slow down, so one can fully process and comprehend the poignant ideas and thought processes behind each word in every sentence being written. Studies have shown that handwriting improves one's memory, increases comprehension, and enhances cognitive skills, all brain health benefits that typing does not offer.