Cursive or Cursor

Which shapes our thoughts better

The rapid clatter of keys and the soft hum of touchscreens has become a background noise of our daily lives, there’s a timeless debate that lingers like an age old riddle… is the pen still mightier than the keyboard?

It’s a question that I sit with day in and day out.  While I watch the majority of people attached, even glued to their digital devices. I wonder and worry about whether the next generation will lose the the ability to write by hand, as technology becomes the essence of how we communicate, create and even understand ourselves.

Give me a fountain pen and notebook any day. Nothing beats taking the time to sit and journal with beautiful writing tools.

Handwriting, with its artful strokes and curves, has been the primary vessel for human expression for centuries.  The fluidity of ink on the paper carries with it the legacies of poets, philosophers and visionaries.  It’s the tool that storytellers shared their declarations of love, archived personal histories and documented the course of revolutions. Think of all the lost love letters and even a ‘message in the bottle’ that landed on local shores.  Such beautiful romantic gestures, soon to be forgotten, thanks to the invention of the digital device.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for what the internet has provided as a tool for information and connection, but I’m really concerned that traditional handwriting might be a forgotten and essential skill.

Sadly in the digital age the keyboard reigns supreme.  It’s the gateway to the world of communication at our fingertips, offering speed, efficiency and the ability to reach a global audience in a split second.  There is no doubt in my mind that it is transforming the way we work and communicate.  

What was interesting a couple of weeks ago, when I was coaching therapeutic journaling to health practitioners at the Wales Lifestyle Medicine Conference, how many of the doctors hated their own handwriting.  Making scruffy handwriting a barrier, a block and even an excuse on why they chose not journal. Some opted for journaling on their preferred digital devices. It surprises me how few people, including health practitioners, don’t appreciate the fact that there are far more health benefits in using pen and paper as apposed to a laptop or iPad.

The question I always ask my students… what about the tactile experience of handwriting that continues to draw people to this practice of handwriting, even in the face of the digital age’s unrelenting advance? When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter to a friend or loved one?

I’m on a journey of exploration, seeking to understand the unique merits and the enduring allure of both handwriting and typing. I’m interested in the cognitive, emotional and creative dimensions of both methods and I hope I can shed some light on their impact to our wellbeing. 

Until the day I die, I shall journal daily with my pen and paper, because I truly believe the pen is indeed mightier than the keyboard.  Not just for pleasure but for boosting my health and wellbeing.  

Some neuroscientists are also worried. There have been studies conducted, proving that giving up handwriting will affect how future generations will learn to read. Drawing on the work in the neurosciences, psychologists have discovered that children leaning the basic skills of handwriting is a key step in cognitive development. Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva said  “Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought is an essential skill for helping our memory.” It might be complex, but handwriting is so cathartic and more than anything, it allows us to pause for thought.  Anything that helps us ‘slow down’ is good for the soul right?

I’d be interested to hear your views on this topic.  Which tools do you prefer to write with?  Do you actually like your own handwriting?  Did you ever enjoy writing by hand as a youngster? What impact do you think digital devices are going to have on the future of our handwriting?  Will the skill of writing by hand be a forgotten art? 

My favourite journal/notebook is by ‘Yop & Tom’ and my beautiful fountain pen is by ‘Kaweco’.  Using nice stationery, is one of the main reasons why I am able to journal every single day. I have written in my journal consecutively for 976 days, daily journaling is my oxygen. I pray that my cognitive skills remain strong, right into my elder years so I never have to miss a day of journaling.  Long live the art of handwriting!

Until the next time

Take care & stay safe xx