😂 Haha! No worries there. My username is more of a statement on American culture (and my place within it) than anything else. I am not a literal man of the cloth. I do, however, enjoy practicing my handwriting with words of wisdom from the Bible, as well as proverbs from many worldwide mystic, spiritual, and religious sources.
And then other times I write down quips from cartoons or whatever else I am watching. I'm not too picky.
That's not a stupid question at all. I neglected pertinent details because I didn't anticipate that anybody would be replying with advice for me. My details were only meant to indicate that there have been times when my own handwriting felt alien to me and that it was frustrating when I couldn't make it better as quickly as I would have liked. I thought that maybe kealani could relate. I tried to touch upon, without saying, that one almost mourns a portion of their own identity when one's handwriting doesn't feel right or isn't as good as it used to be.
But yes, when I practice underhand I turn the page 45 degrees clockwise. The 90-degree turn was the result of some advice I saw on a video, where a lefty calligraphy student was told to practice blackletter calligraphy at a 90-degree angle prior to trying Spencerian or Copperplate styles. But even with the 90-degree turn, he uses a side/underhand grip. Eventually I'll move on to some other advice, but the common denominator is to stop using the overhook, which is—by far—the most comfortable and practical option for me in every day writing.
I'll eventually apply a more disciplined approach to practice, but right now I am too focused on my career, responsibilities, ever-growing list of books to read, etc. to dedicate the 30 minutes/day that I'd like to apply to improving any of my horizon-expanding endeavors. Calligraphy has been pushed back to a "when I retire" priority. At that point I'll look more into the book, tracing paper, and pencil approach that you've kindly suggested. 😊