Why handwriting still matters

Born just before the turn of the century, I had the pleasure of experiencing many different types of handwriting. I was taught print and cursive in primary school, but I soon became infatuated with calligraphy, as it was another way for me to express myself.

The computer age has brought about millions of computer generated fonts that make it easy for everyone to alter their style. But is it really their style that they are altering?

The premise of handwriting as an art form is that writers can express their own artistic vision beyond the words on their page. However, many forget this, as it is much easier to select a pre-made font. This standardization of fonts has severely truncated the amount of calligraphic artists. Before modern word processing, everyone who ever wrote anything by hand was an artist, as they developed stylistic flourishes that were solely unique to themselves. Now, only the people who create the fonts are the true calligraphic artists.

This being said, one's signature can be viewed as a direct representation of one's style. Each sharp turn and smooth line contribute to your own mark. However this is quickly being replaced with fingerprint scanners, and other biometric scanning devices.

Will educators ever stop teaching cursive? Perhaps. But handwriting is still a crucial part in how the world operates, and we can never live without it.

Steven Hanna

Glen Ellyn