The Magic of Handwritten Notes in a Digital World
Digital media is ingrained in every part of our society, from endless emails and texts to apps designed to keep us scrolling, its easy to get sucked into the fast pace and forget to slow down once in a while. This digital age makes sitting down to write by hand intentional. A purposeful decision to step back from the hustle and bustle of the online world and be fully present with your current task.
Typing often feels rushed and a way to get all ideas and communication out as fast as possible. Writing by hand forces us to slow down to form each letter, each word, each sentence. The scratch of pencil or pen on paper becomes a reassuring song of taking time for yourself. Each swoosh and slash reminding us that not everything needs to be instant.
Handwritten notes carry a nostalgia that even the best designed apps can’t replicate. Im talking about the lined journal from the 90s with the little lock and key where you scribbled down your most important thoughts and inner feelings to lock them away from prying eyes. Each persons handwriting is unique – loops, lines, smudges – all communicating that this person was here and their words were important enough to demand to be recorded in time.
Written notes bring a bit of mindfulness to recording information and thoughts. You choose the notebook, the pen, the paper, the subject, the words. Carefully and thoughtfully. Each small decision takes a bit of care and slowing down.
Handwritten words carry a historical importance as well. For centuries, letters and journals have been how we learn about our collective history as humans. The greatest writers may have never had their works published long after they were gone if not for handwritten manuscripts. Important peeks into history would not be had if people didn’t keep journals about their lives (think Anne Frank). Love letters between admirers can help to trace back ancestry. Sure, the internet is forever, but is it the kind of forever that archaeologists and historians will recover long after we are gone to understand what our lives were like?
Slow down and write a handwritten note. Wether it be a journal entry or a letter to a friend, take the time to pick out paper, a pen, and a spot to relax and get to writing. You might be surprised at how much peace and joy it brings you, and whoever receives your letter (letters are WAY better than bills!).
P.S. If you do decide to keep a journal remember to use archival ink or pencils. Regular pen ink will fade and disappear with time. See my favorite archival ink pens here and here
