For two days now I have been learning to write. No, not the creative type that I have studied with the Open University, but handwriting, just like this, that you may or may not be able to read. If you have paid attention, you will have seen a post a month ago, where I exposed myself as one of the worst scribes on the planet.
Last week there was a development, a patient at work commented ‘Oh you have such cute little handwriting’. It made my colleague laugh rather too much and gave me a nice warm glow all day. It actually wasn’t cute or nearly readable like this, it was more my old style. You see,I think I might just have turned over a new leaf!
I started to think about why it is so messy. I know that part of the problem is that I am really always in a hurry but it has to be more than that. And then I remembered, a few people over the years have said that I don’t hold my pen correctly, so I looked at how others did it. It seemed to be something to do with the angle, so instead of my usual grasp,
I tried like this,
and guess what? It’s instantly better, whoop, whoop I’m so excited, I can nearly do it. At this point my daughter will be thinking special mummy and laughing her head off. But why did it go wrong in the first place? I really was neat as a child and feel a bit cheated when I could have had really stylish writing all my life. My next challenge will be to keep trying to improve until it does look beautiful. I may have to work on making it a little bigger as well, I can remember my old boss saying my writing was too small as well as illegible and I would defensively tell him that he should be pleased that a pen would last longer because I didn’t use as much ink.
So, click on the two photos, can you all see some improvement? 🙂
Lucid Gypsy 
Can’t believe you didn’t have a teddy bear!
Now that is TOTAL deprivation!!
Thanks for the reply!
Your new style is how I have held my pen all my life. I remember getting yelled at as a kid by my teachers but I couldn’t grasp the other method. BTW- I have pretty nice handwriting. Keep it up.
You are so cute! I adore handwriting and love when someone has a beautiful hand. Margie
Not to brag, but I used to have nice handwriting. For the past few years, my typing skills have improved, but my handwriting is atrocious now. Practice makes perfect, and the decline in my ability to write with a pen anymore is proof. Congrats on redefining your handwritten writing skills. I think I’ll continue to work on my typing skills. 😉
you have made a huge difference already, the new page is legible! well done gilly, keep doing it! isn’t it wonderful that change is always possible, and in the direction of our choice 😀
Gilly, you’re adorable. but yes, using our hands is incredibly empowering. kudos to you!
Amazing, Gilly! Good for you! Handwriting can show character traits. I think your writing hand shows great creativity….very nice!
Your post shows that it’s never to late to try new things, even writing. I have a bad hand writing too. It gets better when I write slowly and consciously. I learned to slow down and take my time . Thanks for sharing a beautiful post, something I can totally relate to. Have a blessed day my friend. best wishes to your family.
Writing? What’s that? Can you eat it? LOL! I just know typing. Wait, there’s a piece of paper lying on my desk with some writing on it. Hmmm…grocery list. Who the hell wrote that? I can hardly read it. Wasn’t me!
You have a lovely handwriting hon. You don’t want to see mine when I start. I am so used to typing that I forgot how to write. And in writing there’s no backspace! hehehehe
Great post!
Oh man I should practice my handwriting but I’m still traumatized by my elementary school teacher. I was a pretty decent student, but my handwriting grade was always really low–it was devastating. Good luck with your handwriting growth!
Good for you 🙂
Gilly I am gobsmacked! You deserve the biggest and best chufty badge available for making the effort to make your handwriting legible!! LOL. I could actually read your sample and hope you will take such pleasure in having it readable that you’ll continue even when you’re in a massive hurry! (This may sound tongue in cheek but I am genuinely very proud of you!) haha
Oh gosh I hate handwriting. Not only does my hand get tired, but my writing is all over the place, changing angles and from script to print and all mixed up. I do think the secone example is clearer, but I’m not so usre it’s the angle of the pen as much as the fact that holding it differently causes you to write a bit slower, as you’re not used to it. At least, that was my personal observation, cause I tried your example. Regardless of how it works, if it works, it works, so keep up the good writing exercises. Me? I’ll stick with the keyboard, thanks. 😉
A marvellous improvement, well done – I can read it! 😉
Enjoyed reading of your endeavor! I have several styles that usually reflect my mood…I am a mood writer! Sorry I just had to say that. Thank you for sharing.
Peach State
Greetings!
Early in February, I ‘awarded’ you the Versatile Blogger Award. But I realize you already have it — just wanted to be sure you knew —-> you have ANOTHER one:) Have fun & be well!!
Oh no where has that time gone! Back then I had a burst of awards and was os far behind with my emails that I didn’t have time to sort it. I’m still way behind with everything – I had no idea how much time I would spend blogging when I began! and now I have an assignment to write for my course as well 😦
I did already have the versatile award but its still a great honour to receive it and that you think I deserve it so thanks so much for choosing me. Eventually … I hope to get myself organised! 🙂
i used to spend hours writing…you encouraged me to go back to it Gilly
Don’t worry…you don’t have the worst handwriting in the world…there is at least one worse…me.
I think I was born left handed, but, my mom would have none of that. I fell from a tree and broke my right wrist as a child, and for a few months was forced to use the left hand to write with…It was actually better, and from then on, though I couldn’t call myself left handed, or even write with the left hand, I found myself doing many other daily activities left handed…Anyway..
Now for the bad news…or depending on how one sees it.
Solar Storm Tomorrow:
http://sonsothunder.wordpress.com/2012/…/sunrise-may-turn-out-the-lights…
Put me up there with the bad handwriting crowd. My writing has always been that way. It’s better than it was as a child but still not good. Part of my problem is – I don’t have a uniform slant and I write too fast. It has nothing to do with my left-handedness. I don’t have the “left-handed hook” (fountain pen ink smear corrected that) and I learned early to slant the paper.
I resort to typing whenever I can so people can read my writing.
i’ve gone in the opposite direction, from clean readable to messy mess. I hold my pen same as your original way, hmmmm…. great to put hand and brain together for new learning.
I agree. It could be bigger… keep it up and you’d get there soon enough. 😉