Calligraphy

Is Handwriting Becoming Extinct?

Is Handwriting Becoming Extinct?  This question was asked and answered in an article of the same title by Joanne Chen in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Yes, I love to be crafty and creative like Martha!  And so do the Beastie Boys:  “She’s crafty! She’s crafty!”  Wait, that’s different.  Anyway, I digress.

The article is about how the technology take-over is changing learning, as young children often learn how to type before they actually learn how to write.  Chen quoted several studies, one of which showed that preschool children who learned how to write first were able to distinguish shapes and letters while their typing counterparts could not.  The article continued to explain how handwriting primes the brain for learning in a way that typing does not.  Even elderly adults with dementia improved their memory function after doing Chinese calligraphy for eight weeks, whereas those seniors with cognitive impairments who did not do calligraphy continued to deteriorate.  The article went on to discuss how handwriting is a form of personal expression, and promotes reflection and creativity.

I would like to thank Ms. Chen for a great article.  Unfortunately, the article is not online so I cannot post a link for you.   For those of you who read Martha Stewart Living, the article is on page 158-161.

Calligraphic Meditation

This morning I stumbled upon the video The Mindful Art of Thich Nhat Hanh – Calligraphic Meditation.  If you don’t know, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist master who helped to found the “engaged Buddhism” movement and focuses on mindfulness practice.  I know some in the fountain pen community are also doodlers and dabblers with paint, as well as various forms of calligraphy.  Therefore, I thought this would be of interest.

 

You can find more about Thich Nhat Hanh at the Plum Village Practice Center.