Found an interesting article today on the waning art of penmanship:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11777003/Cant-sing-cant-dance-cant-write-joined-up.html
Initially, I thought "Oh, here we go, another Luddite." What's the point, after all, in making kids sweat over blotting paper and scratchy nibs when the vast majority of them will be scribbling the odd note on a post-it pad and doing everything else via a keyboard? And we all know how the ancient Greeks tut-tutted over the new skill of writing and the loss of the age-old skills of memorization. People have always had a partly fearful reaction to new technologies.
But I do kind of see what he means. I was on holiday recently and had to do my writing on a notepad. And the whole process of laying something out on paper does make you think differently. I'm a lot more likely to think carefully about what I'm writing. And the lack of ability to select whole paragraphs and delete them on a whim means I can go back and find some nuggets of worth.
And there is something about the tactility of the experience. Even if it's a fickle Bic that I'm using, and not a good-old fashioned fountain pen.
Comments
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As you write in your title, handwriting is indeed an art and it can be a wonderful way to express your artistic side. I personally love reproducing those beautiful symbols on a piece of paper. I have always loved the sensual pleasure of the act of writing. I always find it fascinating when the words come out of my pen. It is also very relaxing and liberating.
The beauty of the handwriting is also that it is personal and unique. It would be a shame to lose contact with that beautiful, recognizable part of ourselves.
When I find a post-it on the fridge, even before reading it, I know immediately who wrote it because I am able to recognize the handwriting of my family members. If those notes were to be typed in a computer and then printed out, I would definitely miss the intimacy of knowing those personal details.
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One of my students wrote a paper about this for my class last semester. It was interesting - he was worried that children are losing a necessary part of their mental development, which I'm not convinced is the case, but it's an interesting idea .
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Your student has a point, I think. My instinct tells me that children should develop their fine motor skills. Our hands have been vital to our development as a species, and I suspect we need to put them to use on delicate work. That could be handwriting (described beautifully by Maria -thanks!). But it could also be woodwork,embroidery, playing a musical instrument...I once did jewellery making. The absorption and relaxation is amazing.
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And here's another lamentation! http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/20/printed-word-handwriting-meaning-calligraphy
I think you could write a pretty good love letter via email, though. Pity there's no such thing as digital perfume..