Word Nerd : Handwriting

Word Nerd is an on-going feature that shares and highlights unique, whimsical and sometimes forgotten or overlooked words. It’s dedicated to the logophile in us all.

Handwriting – it’s such a simple, everyday sort of word and yet, it’s a practice that seems to be falling by the wayside. Something only done in dire straights, when the preferred method of typing or texting can’t be done. Today is National Handwriting Day and I think it’s a day worth celebrating! Handwriting is such a personal thing – everyone has their own style that’s as unique as their fingerprint and every bit as original. It’s a skill, an art, a piece of self-expression (apart even from the words being written). I felt it only fitting to share a few examples of my own handwriting (I was going to hand-write this entire post, but time and ability slipped past me – maybe next year!) The first was, of course, the Word Nerd header I added to this very special edition of Word Nerd and then there is my well-wishing for the day (see above, hehe). Next we have this…

This is that wonderful quote I shared a few posts back. I actually had it written out before I shared it, I liked it so much. I was also testing out the easy way to create a fake calligraphy effect (not quite right, but not to shabby either). I also did this…

This was a line from a bit of spam I received to a previous Word Nerd post and it cracked me up so much that I practically had tears running down my cheeks from the sheer absurdity of it! Naturally that meant I had to save it for posterity’s sake (also I think I might adopt it as a tongue-in-cheek sort of motto. I imagine someone like Mr. Turveydrop from “Bleak House” saying it and thinking it adds to His perfect model of deportment…yeah, I’m a nerd, I mean Intellectual Badass *ahem*) Anyway, I encourage everyone to pick up a pen, pencil, crayon, whatever and practice your handwriting. Let’s prevent this most excellent skill from becoming a lost art and let’s keep this really awesome part of ourselves strong!