genuinegirly

I love handwriting.
I appreciate when someone hands me a hand-written note that is clearly written, but I can also decipher cryptic messes. I find it humorous that someone with legible handwriting apologizes for their sloppiness while one who writes sloppily is rarely bothered.

Here are a few questions to guide the discussion. Feel free to answer any or none of these questions.


How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Do you enjoy writing?
How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?

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How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Daily. If I'm not writing a tag for something in the lab, I am writing myself or a friend a note.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
Never. For most of my life I have tried to improve my penmanship by writing journals. My second grade teacher was appaled by my writing and asked my mother to encourage me to write something on my own every day. This was the start of a long-standing journal fetish. Incidentally, my third grade teacher informed my mother that my handwriting was hopeless, at which point my father pulled out the typewriter and a typing tutorial book. At the same time that I tried endlessly to perfect my penmanship, I worked at my typing speed and accuracy.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
I didn't feel confident with my handwriting until college. After a lifetime of being told that my handwriting was disgusting, and working to improve it, a girl in one of my courses leaned over and whispered that my handwriting was the most beautiful she has ever seen. I was shocked. It was a confidence-booster.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
I have never taken a penmanship course. I have always kept my eyes open for one. I am jealous of my aunt who was required to take penmanship as part of her secretarial schooling - her writing is beautiful.

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Psycho Dad

I write like a drunken doctor with a fat stubby crayon on wet paper.

But there are times when my penmanship somehow surprises me. Most of the surprise is due to how rarely even I can read my chicken scratchings.

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ASU2003

I was graded on penmanship in elementary school. I took a CAD/drafting class in high school that influenced how I print letters and numbers (we had to hand write like the computer would print). And I had a friend in middle school whose hand writing style I copied and still use to this day. It is a mix of printed uppercase letters of different sizes. I sometimes use upper and lower case printed letters. I like my handwriting and if people aren't blind, they can read it. But, I hardly ever write in cursive. It is painful for me to have to read it for some reason.

Xerxys

I write for fun. My job does not require me to write but I have Excellent hand writing. This is because I attended a school where pretty much everything was hand written and it being legible was a requirement.

Jetée

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Every other day on the odd occasion I feel compelled to want to remember something, yet not actually take the mental strain of commiting within myself a phrenic note, I scramble for my pad and pen to jot down whatsoever is on my mind, so I can forget about it until the day I come across the note again and veritably recall its importance to me at that particular juncture in time.

Do you enjoy writing?
It's a routine in which one cannot go long without, like drinking water.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
I don't know what this is

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
If it is decidely atrocious, I'll inform the person in question never to send me another letter forthwith, and to instead send me a postcard with the smallest possible regards.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
Maybe. I cannot truly recall if I did, but I don't see it out of the realm of possibility.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
I'd made a mental note (and as I've outlined above, I am especially horrible at remembering these types of notes) some time ago to purchase a small legal pad and devote some considerable time to repeatedly signing my name over and over and over again until I deem it satisfactorily-sufficient that this is the keen legiblity of a gentleman, and not some freckled crayon-wielding little girl.

Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
No, but that is a superb idea. But I'll have to spring for a class, though. For it is a right shame that each and every one of my Arabic, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, & Russian compatriots do not want anything to do with me, and my incessant requests to aid me in learning their respective native tongues/writings.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
No. I don't take stances on suppositions based upon my current mode of residence or country, for I always find once I move along, what was antiquated here is the common routine there. So, I'll say there is a fair percentage of pockets of the population that rely on the written word, while in other locales, it has perhaps been replaced (or never introduced in the first place) by spoken recitals and/or computational stenographs devoid of any resemblances of phalangic input.

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

squeeeb

i like writing and i like writing letters. i think letter writing is important, and also a dying/lost art form, which is sad.

i write like a third grader riding in the back seat of an offroad vehicle driving very fast over a rock field.

when i was in the 7th grade, i took a calligraphy course. it was pretty cool and can write in calligraphy a little bit now, if i have the pens.

when i do write its a mixture of print and cursive. i try to write a letter to someone a few times a year, because i think humans enjoy getting a hand written letter in the mail. it's a pleasant surprise.

i used to keep a handwritten journal, wrote in that every day. i've been keeping handwritten journals for about 20 years. i only recently stopped, say, within the last year. i still write in a journal now and again, but mostly i just type now. i currently keep a wine journal, a "book's i've read" journal, and a travel journal, of places i travel to.

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onward to mayhem!

inBOIL

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Almost every day.

Do you enjoy writing?
Yes and No. The motion and tactile sensation of making many of the lines, curves, and angles are enjoyable, but the repetition and attention to detail that writing requires quickly become tiresome.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
It's fairly good when I focus on it, but I never use it because it's less efficient to read and write than printing.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
Only if it's so bad that it's hard to read. Cursive is always hard for me to read, except in Russian, which is probably due to my Russian teachers constantly requiring reading and writing in cursive. In English it's not as expected/used, so I'm not as good at reading it.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
Not per se, but I had to practice penmanship in grammar school.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
About the time I became an adult. By then it was legible enough that there was rarely a problem with it, and I figured that was good enough.

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Fremen

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Usually once a month when I write out the checks for my bills, or when I send birthday or Christmas cards. Not frequently, it seems.

Do you enjoy writing?
No. My teachers hated my writing and castigated me all through school because of it. I was traumatized. (I have turrible penmanship. Just turrible.)
I feel stressed trying to come up with something to say on the cards I send.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
I'm not real bothered by it until I have to present it to others. Then my shame comes barreling back.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
Just jealous of others that have better penmanship. I don't make fun of anybody's writing, unless they're doctors.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
Nope, other than the Second grade when we learned to write cursive.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
18 or 19

Have you trained yourself in calligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
Not trained my self, no. I took Calligraphy in art class in High School.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
Yes, I do. Especially when I read somewhere that some schools don't teach cursive writing any more. (may have been here)

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wooÐs

I hate my handwriting. For a woman, I write like a child. I used to write nicely but it's like I got lazy over the years or something. I'm so used to typing emails now. Writing a letter almost makes my hand cramp up and I'm not kidding - I recently wrote one to my ex's parents. I also noticed I had a mix of cursive and print. No two f's are the same, etc.

Reese

I have horrible hand writing. It is very embarrassing to me and I hate writing anything because of it. I've probably been emotionally damaged by teachers in school punishing me and making me stay in class and write things instead of letting me go to P.E. They told me I just wasn't trying hard enough. It's something that can't be fixed with practice though. God knows I've tried. I was probably required to write more than anyone else in my school. Pens and pencils are just uncomfortable in my hand. I don't think my writing accurately represents who I am as a person. It's one of the few things that don't. I mean, I'm not scared to shoot a basketball because I know I suck as basketball and I have no problem with that. I am however unbelievably self conscious about my ability to right because it really is one of the few things I want to be able to do well.

So to answer your questions, I never write anything. I get pissed off and embarrassed every time someone has to see my signature. I would enjoy putting my thoughts on paper, but I get depressed at it's illegibility and give up. I can't really be bothered by others penmanship - that'd be hypocritical. Those people with excellent penmanship that say, "excuse the horrible handwriting" piss me off though. My dad for example has beautiful handwriting and I see people compliment him on it constantly. He shrugs it off and I'm just left standing there angry that he takes such a gift for granted.

I don't stop trying to make my print legible though. Writing is nothing if it's not able to be read. Still, my best attempt at writing still has to be decyphered.

By the way, Thanks for ruining my day for making me talk about my shitty handwriting. My hour's up. See ya next week.

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Lasereth

My printing is really bad. So is my cursive, but only because I can't remember how to do it right anymore. I used to have amazing, flowing, beautiful cursive writing from 3rd to 8th grade-ish. Teachers used to love grading my papers just to see my hand writing. I got so many compliments on it. It felt so good to write in cursive...it was like an art to me. Then I stopped doing it in 9th grade when the teachers stopped requiring it (because my print is slightly faster than cursive) and I basically forgot how to join the letters together. I sorta want to learn again because good god my cursive was sexy.

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The_Jazz

Insert "epileptic who is current suffering a grand mal seizure" at the end and that pretty accurately describes mine. Somehow between my senior year of high school and my sophomore year of college, I unlearned everything I knew about how to write. A few years ago I looked through some old notebooks of class notes and couldn't even tell what class they were for.

But I'm fine with it. Keyboards are my friend.

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Cynthetiq

I used to print very well. Then I got a Palm Pilot and learned to write "graffiti" so that I could take fast notes in meetings. My print is horrific now.

My cursive writing I was graded on as I was in private school. It is still very nice, but hardly used.

In my job I still hear a typewriter from time to time. I see people with fountain pens and people writing notes. I see people who know Gregory shorthand.

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tisonlyi

Loops all over the place, undecipherably bad.

MD bad.

Awful.

I like it that way though, actually.

Also, I affected myself to write 7's with a strikethrough, continental style, from the age of about 7 or 8 and 0's like an old style computer 0 with a / through from about 10. One old physics teacher ended up getting a bit of a dressing down on the subject, as the pole up his arse refused to accept these glyphs as legible.

*rolls eye*

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"I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place." - Winston Churchill, 1937 --{ORLY?}--

Xerxys

Funny enough, I NEVER overlook the chance to not make fun of a female's handwriting. I dunno, my mum used to drill into me how bad my handwriting was and when I got it better because she of course doesn't practice as often ... I made fun of her every chance I could get!

jewels

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Often. Although I keep lists on my BB, I find writing somehow soothing and cathartic.

Do you enjoy writing?
Yes, see above.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
Quality? Hmmmm. They're good, I think.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
Not really, I can decipher just about anything!

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
Does first grade count?

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
40. I think signing those electronic pads made my handwriting go lazy.

Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
I used to be a fabulous bubble letterer.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
Maybe. My lefty kid is horribly sloppy, but the other two write beautifully. The kids use computers for probably 90% of their schoolwork now, so I suspect handwriting is going to become a lot like telling time on a clock with hands.

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Meditrina

I have a hard time handwriting anything more than a sentence or 2. My handwriting starts off neat, but by the third line my hand hurts and my writing goes downhill. I'd rather type whatever it is, it is less painful.

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DaniGirl

I love good handwriting. I used to love to write, but after a look of kitchen jobs where I do tones of dishes my wrist hurts really fast. Ive noticed its only women that really care for handwriting. My boyfriend in high school would right me notes that would take me forever just to read his handwriting. Is that just a guy thing?

MSD

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
-Every few days I might have to write something on a Post-It

Do you enjoy writing?
-No. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and all it takes is a few sentences and my arm cramps up. I'm also pretty big, and holding anything thinner than a Magic Marker feels like I'm bending my fingers unnaturally. In a high school psychology class, we did a questionairre, and my result is that I was very likely born left-handed and learned to use my right hand. My mom says she doesn't think she or my teachers forced me, but it's possible. I grew up right-handed, and have more practice in most activities with my right hand, but I can play pool, shoot a basketball, shoot a gun, and do just about anything other than write approximately equally well with both hands.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
-I can read it with some difficulty. I can sign my name, or I can remember one letter at a time. Cursive is utterly useless as far as I'm concerned.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
-Only if I can't read it.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
-Yes, back in elementary school. I always did poorly and was diagnosed with fine motor skills difficulties. I think this is bullshit because I can solder PCB components, thread a needle, and do things like that with no problem.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
-When they stopped grading me on it.

Have you trained yourself in calligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
-Nope.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
-Yes, and it doesn't bother me at all.

thespian86

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
- Not very often. At work I scratch a lot of out with a pencil but at home I write (as a playwright) on my macbook.

Do you enjoy writing?
- Writing, as in the act of cursive? No. In fact, ready for this, I NEVER LEARNED. I'm not terrible at it; my signature is fascinating though.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
-Not great. haha.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
- Occasionally, but I recognize that I'm no better.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
- Nope. One of the first years not to in my part of the world. I was also the first year that grade six was cut out. the first to have enforced kindergarden. We were the guinea pigs for the state of education in New Brunswick.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
- Very early, if at all. I know that little things have changed in my printing stylistically. My lower case A's turned from those "d"-styled a's to the one's you see here [a]. My uppercase E's are more in the style of a C. etc.

Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
- I used to play with them, but like most things I've "attempted" in my life I gave it up pretty fast.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
- Yes and no. I think there is some sort of anti-progression movement in art right now. At the same time, digital is the new signature. People hack systems instead of training their hand to forge signatures. I do believe there is a need for people with "old fashioned" skills. Those skills are usually universal and not dependent on the million variables that come with technology.

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Anormalguy

I was born a natural left-hander, but was forced to be right-handed my mother (a lefty!) and by my schoolteachers. My handwriting, even my printing, has always sucked.


How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
Hard to say, but not very often.

Do you enjoy writing?
No, but I'm a voracious note-taker.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
It sucks.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
No.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
No, but I was graded on handwriting in elementary school.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
I don't recall exactly, but probably as soon as I started junior high, N/K/A middle school.

Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
No.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
Definately.

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Jetée

Well, I can't speak for all guys, but my main aim in scribing notes longhand is to be as efficient as possible. I've even devised my own sort of amalgaized unique font because of the way I write. Once I put my pen to paper, I do not lift it up off the page at all, not even a millimeter, as it is taught how to do so in cursive, but I use the technique in general print. The result is that I have dispersed triangles and oblongs in between letters and words, but other than that, it is quite legible.

If I take the time to, I can mimic the font once used on my old typewriter. I use this when I'm creating a random guide or book in a small notebook, for later use by anyone who cares to read it.

__________________
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

stonefaceddog

I can't write any thing in cursive other than my name. I unlearned everything else.

My printing is truly awful-like a guy trying to write while having a seizure in a car going 90 down a bumpy dirt road.

Keyboards are my true friend.

That being said. I love getting hand written notes from women. They seem so much more sensual than a typed out email or text message.

Corneo

I don't care very much for my own handwriting, its not awful but it doesn't exactly impress anyone when I write notes. Nowadays, most things are electronic so rarely do I pickup the pen and write anything longer than a few words.

ametc

I dunno if my writing can be considered sloppy or not.. but definitely it reflects me and my crazy mind. I do write frequently, though. I do my signature a LOT, too. Lots of signing involved for me for some reason.

Most men write HORRIFICALLY. XD

I'm jealous of how most other women write. so much better and neater and whimsical than my own handwriting.

I want to learn how to write fancy and all that. I might take a class if I have time. Which would be never.

grumpyolddude

I used to love the act of writing, and had excellent cursive. Somewhere along the line, I decided that some cursive conventions are just plain too silly and time consuming: a scrolly capital "F" or a cap "Q" that looks like an effeminate "2"

Any more, my penmanship is a cross between printing and cursive that gets down on the paper quickly, yet still scans easily and is quite legible. I get as many, or more, compliments on my penmanship now as when I was young .

I attended Catholic schools where cursive was drilled endlessly, but I've refused to impose the same on my children. I have, however, stressed legibility. If you have respect for your audience and your thoughts, why wouldn't you strive to ensure that your message is easy to read? I work with some of the most atrocious writers and spellers on the planet. I'm constantly making them read their own notes, often without success. Quite frustrating!

QW has exquisite cursive, but I can hardly stand to watch her write as she laboriously forms each character. I love to read her notes, though. She puts as much love into the writing as she does in her thoughts.

Handwriting is becoming a lost art. I have met very few young people who care to make their writing legible. They don't seem to feel the need, since they have so many communication options available. Spelling and grammar are endangered talents, as well (but those subjects aren't on the table in this thread!).

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Martian

My handwriting, like myself, is simple but functional. Block printing is my mode of expression when it comes to pen and ink, and it serves me well.

My signature is illegible. It used to bother me, but I've grown to accept it. People always crack a joke when I have to sign something; I've heard them all.

I'm very much out of practice when it comes to cursive, as I haven't used it since grade school. I'm certain the forms would come back quickly if I decided to try again, but my penmanship has never been elegant and it serves no function in my life now.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

highdro69

How frequently do you find yourself writing or printing?
I prefer to write, then type it up later, so I'd have to say at least 90% of the time I'm writing it down first

Do you enjoy writing?
I LOVE writing. There's something so calmly satisfying about putting good quality ink down onto a piece of paper. It relaxes me and gives me such instant gratification.

How do you feel about the quality of your cursive?
I have no illusions; I know my writing is chicken scratch. If you can read my freehand, you're a government grade cryptographer.

Are you bothered by others' penmanship?
As hypocritical as it is, I am. I have HORRID penmanship, yet if I see someone who has indecipherable scratch, I'm bothered deeply. Like, to the point of being angered and not wanting to read it anymore. Like I said, horribly hypocritical of me.

Did you have to take an assigned penmanship course?
I did not. Though the thought seems rather redundant heh.

At what age did you stop focusing on your writing legibility?
It was never really a concern of mine. Since, when I was younger it was legible enough for my teachers to understand it, and they never much pestered me to improve it, so I became comfortable with my cave scratchings. By the time I was in college, I guess the professors had just gotten used to deciphering freehand or mine isn't as bad as I think it is, but either way, I've never been bothered to improve it.

Have you trained yourself in caligraphy or other artsy writing forms?
Heck no, I'm way too left brain to find any use for fancy artsy stuff. Ironically, I have great appreciation for artsy stuff and beautiful writing.

Do you feel that handwriting is a dying art?
Yes, without a doubt. Especially with dictation software becoming more and more prevalent, and other means to quickly record things with one's voice or taking a picture, the use for handwriting is dwindling. I think it will be incredibly interesting for future historians and linguists alike to look back and see how the evolution of language changed as handwriting started to die out.

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