The Forgotten Method

Handwriting. At the core, it's a fundamental form of communication which revolutionised how humans shared ideas and conveys all kinds of messages. Fast forward a few years though, and it's almost become a relic of the past. We opt for "faster” forms of communication, such as digital input such as, dare I say, email. Digital communication has since evolved to make it "easier” to input our languages and converse, but why have we pushed the handwritten message to the not-so-distant past, and was this a mistake?

In fact, this blog post is a test. I'm actually using the best of both worlds by handwriting this on the iPad eg "GoodNotes 5". Lately, I've been intrigued by the concept of digital stationery. I've read on multiple occasions that handwriting has been attributed to an enhanced recall of educational content. It's also a more intimate connection to our own thoughts and feelings, and is one of the reasons why journaling is still incredibly popular today. But can digital handwriting reignite that old love for pen and paper?

As I write this. I can wholeheartedly say that I can notice that the connection between input via keyboard is vastly different to handwriting when it comes to anticipating what comes next. The digital paper is forcing me to both slow down with my thoughts and with my writing, which in turn is shifting what I'm intending on writing. It's particularly weird saying that as I write - there is a different level of consciousness invoked with a pen; the keystrokes focus on faster output - not better output.

It begs the question: what would we all output on a daily basis if we returned to pen and paper after the keyboard? Would our thoughts change? Would we remember more? Would we become more intentional with our words? What happen at both the individual level and across the broader public if we just slowed down?

If sometimes you feel like you need to slow down, with everything moving too quickly - try handwriting. If my experience is anything to go by, it's an important shift in a world in desperate need of a slower perspective.