{photo via history.com}
During our recent Andrew Pudewa seminars, one of the training sessions discussed paper and pen vs. technology. The research cited was fascinating, and reinforces the importance we place on developing penmanship skills. (If you were unable to attend this session but would like to hear it, the audio of this talk is available to purchase and download from the IEW website.)
We also learned a fun fact – this Saturday, January 23rd, is National Handwriting Day! Sponsored by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA), it’s no coincidence that this also happens to be the birthday of John Hancock, whose famous bold signature adorns the Declaration of Independence.
We live in a digital world, but handwritten expression is still the most heartfelt and personal. It's also an art form when properly nurtured. “Though computers and e-mail play an important role in our lives, nothing will ever replace the sincerity and individualism expressed through the handwritten word,” said David H. Baker, WIMA's Executive Director. According to the WIMA website, National Handwriting Day is “a chance for all of us to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.”
Here are a few ways you can celebrate the lost art of penmanship on National Handwriting Day:
- Learn about the history of penmanship.
- Enjoy these Fun Facts about handwriting.
- Purchase a new and special writing instrument for your kids (and yourself) – perhaps a high quality mechanical pencil, a set of nice micro gel pens, or even a fountain pen.
- Reawaken your creative juices by using a pen or a pencil to handwrite a note, a letter to a loved one, a journal entry, or even a poem or short story if you really feel inspired!
- Just for fun, analyze your own handwriting or someone else’s.
- This would have been the ideal time to share the Master Penman video, so if you missed that blog post back in October, click the link and watch this amazing video with your kids on National Handwriting Day!
