July
2010
On Neglected, Yet Effective, Forms of Communication
It can sometimes seem like penmanship is becoming unnecessary, it’s one that is even nowadays key in numerous areas of life. A written missive expresses more importance than a typed letter, like an apology, an invitation, or an application for a job.
One might conceive it’s a recent phenomena of people eschewing hand writing for the keyboard, yet as far back as the late 1800s, there were cries that penmanship was neglected due to the invention of those times : the typwriter. These days, the blame is being linked to the usage of computers.
Still, there still exists a strong requirement for penmanship ability in in all walks of life. Hand written letters are seen as more reliable, they demonstrate the writer has carefully thought out his words, and they evince more respect to the reader. During the era of templated responses, the penned letter has never been more influential.
I have frequently been caught red-handed with my own terrible hand-writing – made worse due to decades of reliance on the keyboard. In situations where I’ve had to put pen to paper, my writing’s been almost illegible at times. That’s just not professional. What did I do? I wrote more often, and my writing improved greatly. In conclusion, it’s wise to brush up on your penmanship through sheer repetition.
One more tip is to get a pen you are comfy with, with refills. A good ink is the famous Mont blanc refill. This permits you to polish your penmanship with the same pen.
