Are you ashamed or embarrased of your handwriting?

[beelzebub23]

I am not really ashamed but I could do better. At the moment I am trying to relearn Palmer cursive. I am the worst probably haha. I am kinda of ashamed that I didn't learn that as well. But overall I am not ashamed.

[RLTodd]

My handwriting has always been bad.

 

I should print, or change to cursive italic.

 

But, I have put so many decades into Z-B cursive that I just can't stop even though my practices show no significant improvement.

 

So, if it is important recipient understand, even personal letters, I type it up on the computer.

[Ondina]

Mine's not too bad if I slow down, but I definitely need to practice and get better.

 

As one of approx. 5 students at my high school that still write in cursive, I often have new teachers towards the beginning of a semester say "Why do you still write in cursive?" or "Your handwriting is really hard to read."

 

In eighth grade, I even had a teacher make a big deal about one of my papers. She started yelling "I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO READ GARBAGE LIKE THIS! DRAW YOUR LETTERS LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!!"

I'm going to try to learn Chancery and then maybe Copperplate as soon as I get my calligraphy pen in!

 

I'm sorry you had to hear those comments from a teacher. I think they need to receive some letters from members of this forum in cursive, off course. Keep practicing and learning, they say success is the best revenge.

[Ondina]

My handwriting has always been bad.

 

I should print, or change to cursive italic.

 

But, I have put so many decades into Z-B cursive that I just can't stop even though my practices show no significant improvement.

 

So, if it is important recipient understand, even personal letters, I type it up on the computer.

 

I don't believe it, you can't have a bad hand. We all think ours is bad. Now, I need a letter. Seeing is believing, Sir.

[rbanks]

I've always written illegibly. My second grade teacher told me to learn to type, "SOON!" Like many others on FPN, I write much better with a fountain pen. My ballpoint writing is almost unreadable according to others. Most of it is just slowing down. My mind thinks faster than my hand writes so I don't take time to make the letters distinguishable from each other. The fountain pen forces me to slow down and I have also practiced writing with them which has helped.

[dflorida]

Ouch, this one hits too close to home. I have to admit that I don't enjoy watching people attempt to read my scrawl. One of my acquaintances recently asked me which medical school I attended. I didn't think my handwriting was that bad but then again.....

[dnb]

Mine's not too bad if I slow down, but I definitely need to practice and get better.

 

As one of approx. 5 students at my high school that still write in cursive, I often have new teachers towards the beginning of a semester say "Why do you still write in cursive?" or "Your handwriting is really hard to read."

 

 

 

Do you mean to say that teachers want you to print or to write using the computer?

[holgalee]

My handwriting isn't bad, and I sometimes get praises for how good it looks, no doubt from people who have worse handwriting or are just being kind! But I think ít's quite nice for a leftie underwriter who has a four-finger grip and tilts the paper anywhere between 30 to 90 degrees. I tend to write quite fast--esp when note taking or writing for exams--and use a mixture of joined and unjoined letters that I cooked up and developed over the years. When I slow down a tad and try to get into a smooth rhythm, the writing improves.

[yoplaboum]

I was ashamed about my handwriting for decades, until I discovered stub nibs. Before I was writing very small, then I was using F nibs, witch were allowing me to write smaller and worse again...

Now I'm using stub or italic medium nibs. They force me to write bigger, and when I write in italic with this nibs I can, after so many years, stand my handwriting...

[kmcmichael]

I have been working on my handwriting for a couple of weeks. It has gotten a lot better. I must thank this board and the advice that I recieved here.

[79spitfire]

My handwriting is atrocious, and yes I'm embarrassed :embarrassed_smile: As a Mechanic I have to write more and more then ever now that anything missed on a car (scratches, nicks, dirt, etc.) results in accusations of malfeasance, or an *** chewing. So I tend to write too fast, mixing styles, print and cursive. For the past 6 mos I've gotten back to practicing Calligraphy, and practice regular cursive every night, several pages worth. It is improving and some day I hope to be confident enough to post an ink or pen review as a scanned picture, but not just yet!

 

:embarrassed_smile:

[Parse Error]

but then again... why would you even care about using FP if you have bad handwriting?

[ImolaS3]

Follow the "Write Now" course and you'll find a massive improvement in your writing - i did

[Kathelyne]

but then again... why would you even care about using FP if you have bad handwriting?

 

because even people with bad handwriting can find it very painful to use ball point pens and a million other reasons besides.

[Fuddlestack]

My handwriting isn't so much bad as unpredictable. I lose track of the arches on Ms and the glutei maximi on Ws, so that they're likely to be endowed with more than nature or nurture intended. I leave letters out, I put in extra spikes, my capital Rs turn into capital Ds with a sort of a tail, etc - and I can't control it. Well, not always. It comes of trying to write more quickly than my brain/eye/hand can manage, and speaking a forgeign language while taking notes, something I've had to do throughout my career - it shoves an extra layer of processing in and sucks down CPU performance.

 

I use several nib sizes, from F to OB, so I'd like to have seen more options in the poll. Just now I've having in OB mode.

[countrydirt]

My italic writing is very legible, my rough calligraphy is decent, my whiteboard writing (I am a teacher) depends on the time of day and class I am teaching - I try to used a modified italic on the board but my quick notes are horrible. I took my cheap calligraphy set to school and intend to start using those grading papers and use exclusively a modified italic.

[Fuddlestack]

but then again... why would you even care about using FP if you have bad handwriting?

 

And why own a pair of duelling pistols if you aren't planning to knock a hole in someone? People like fountain pens for what they are and what they represent as much as for the kind of writing they do with them. And some of the FP magic might just suffuse their writing...

Edited April 27, 2010 by Fuddlestack

[Mille]

but then again... why would you even care about using FP if you have bad handwriting?

 

At least if you do it poorly, you can do it poorly with style.

[Atheris]

Mine is a lot better when I try than when I'm a slob (i.e. writing fast). But it's still pretty bad. I wouldn't say I'm embarrassed about it though; like anything it gets better with practice!