Work Is Not Enough...

[LeakyInk]

20190830_201140 by anxious tj, on Flickr

[pajaro]

I am retired and I do limited writing, testing pens and recording meds I take. Even that is not sufficient writing to not do.

[Tas]

20190830_201140 by anxious tj, on Flickr

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/me_big_grin.jpg

 

No rush. Take your time. We'll be here.

[Noihvo]

[DrDebG]

LeakyInk, we are all working on our handwriting. There are some great resources here on FPN for templates to help you improve your writing. There are also numerous books on the subject as well, and lots of internet resources.

 

Sometimes, all it takes is printing of a template and practicing everyday..

[gttld819]

LeakyInk, I had similar feelings a few months ago and then I happened upon this post:

https://fountainpenlove.com/handwriting/how-to-use-your-fountain-pens-more-often-stream-of-consciousness-writing/

 

As others have mentioned, it can seem daunting to start out but it doesn't matter what you write. See how many ways you can write your name, or a quote, first in lowercase, then uppercase, then try again in cursive. Then switch pens and start all over.

 

Or try this: alpha bravo charlie delta echo foxtrot golf hotel india juliet kilo lima mike november oscar papa quebec romeo sierra tango uniform victor whiskey xray yankee zulu.

It took me a week before I could remember each of the words, but now it has become my current 'handwriting' exercise. When I started there were some letters that I thought I had forgotten how to write in cursive but after a few days it starts to come back! If you need some inspiration, just Google 'handwriting practice' and prepare for another rabbit hole slide!

 

Now I write about what the weather is like, what happened at work today, things I am grateful for, how I like/don't like the nib on the pen I am writing with, how the ink is flowing, what pen review I am watching on Youtube, and on and on and on. Now I look forward to sitting down with my notebook every day. Some days it's a quick 1 page, while on others it is more.

 

For me it is a win on many levels - I get to use my pens and inks, I use up the notebooks I have been gathering, it's a mind-relaxing exercise, and it has improved my handwriting.

[jiayou]

I like to write song lyrics and copy out passages from favorite books or fanfic. Sometimes I just write beautiful words in different styles. It's a nice way to relax and unwind from the stresses of the day. Not only do I get to enjoy my pens and inks, but my notebooks also get put to use.

By the way, I like your handwriting.

[sansenri]

amazing how many answers you got to a question that was not asking to be answered!

 

my suggestion too, keep it simple at the beginning

write to do lists...

we all have things to do...

and it's incredible how many thoughts come to mind and the next moment they are gone

jot them down, keep a small notepad handy and take a note as thoughts come up

you will be surprised how more productive you become (in your everyday life tasks)

and then the best part: draw a nice juicy line over the completed task!

 

(the next step is order you list, write it again, in order of priority, works wonders too)

[LeakyInk]

20190902_195437 by anxious tj, on Flickr

[Sailor Kenshin]

LeakyInk, your writing is very readable!

[ENewton]

When this thread began, I was just about to retire and had been wondering whether I would soon be using my fountain pens more or less. At work, as a technical writer, I used pens to take notes in meetings, to make outlines for the structure of documents, and to sketch illustrations, either as drafts for diagrams I would later create on a computer, or to supplement a verbal explanation during a training session for one or more colleagues.

 

I do other kinds of writing also, and I assumed retirement would give me more time for creative projects, but what I did not anticipate was the immediate compulsion to write thoughts of a more routine nature on paper, now that I have so many fewer opportunities to speak with other adults (as distinct from my baby granddaughter). I am not keeping a formal journal--my journals are for creative projects--but, several times a day, I find myself grabbing a piece of paper and a pen and writing, whether my reactions to events of the day, options to consider when making a decision, plans for future activities, or ideas that happen to arise in my mind. I know a few people whose thoughts seem to scatter very easily, to the extent that their problem solving ability has diminished, and I wonder whether one reason might be that they have lost the habit of expressing ideas of any complexity or extent.

 

Of course, one could catalogue one's thoughts on a computer also, but I find the pace of handwriting more conducive to reflection.

[peroride]

This thread reminds me of a lesson our science teacher gave that I still remember and carry with me decades later.

 

I was close to flunking out for excessive absenteeism.

 

When I did come back, he had this assignment where he'd show a movie (we had something called a film projector back in those days ) and the game was 1 question, 1 point. The more questions you asked, the more points you got. At first it was easy, all the softies about the content: What's an electron? How many protons in the nucleus? etc

 

The more you wrote, the more you got.

 

It was cooperative as you could even write other people's answers when they shouted them out.

 

We were all shooting for 100 but it got harder as seemingly, we exhausted all the possibilities.

 

Then one of the class clowns asked, "What color is that guy's (narrator) suit?"

 

Everyone laughed because it had nothing to do with the film, but to our shock, the teacher said, "Good, 1 point."

 

Some of the proper academics protested about the rules, but the teacher was firm and clarified: 1 question, 1 point to their exasperation.

 

All the lil brains began to wake up. Even the ones who didn't want to be there, stoners, jocks, bored and rowdy kids, etc

 

It was a frenzy!

 

An outpouring of meta broke through the log jam: "Why are we watching this film?" "Who made this?" "Why is this important?" "Who drew that cartoon?" on and on...

 

Everyone was engaged and alive even if the content was a backdrop. That was the point. Questions.

 

He taught us the lesson of curiosity, to constantly question, to look beyond the surface. There is always knowledge about knowledge about knowledge... I think we even repeated questions!

 

We all passed and he was beloved and respected even by the less engaged kids.

 

I eventually got a science degree, maybe I was inspired

 

Now I keep a journal now filled with what the kids call: Today I Learned (TIL) and other daily miscellany, lists, inspiring quotes, gratitudes, lots of pen related things lately, people's names I've known for years so I don't forget and questions, lots and lots of questions

[inkstainedruth]

Wow. Cool story! Thanks for sharing.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Thymen]

alpha bravo charlie delta echo foxtrot golf hotel india juliet kilo lima mike november oscar papa quebec romeo sierra tango uniform victor whiskey xray yankee zulu.

 

I filled several notepads with the above, and also with:

 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

January February March April May June July August September October November December

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Aap Noot Mies Wim Zus Jet Teun Vuur Gijs Lam Kees Bok Weide does hok duif schapen.

 

And poems, and prose, this wonderful gift of God to mankind. I looked them up on the internet, copied them into a Word document. Now, if I want to write 'nice', I open the file (large letters, I am rather old), put on some soft and gentle music and write down these poems as beautifully as I can. No hurry, just relax. Mistake? I just start over again. It is then not only the writing that is so therapeutic, but the music, the words of those who are so much better than I am in putting their innermost feelings, their wisdom onto paper.... really, it more than once helped me through the drudgery of the day....

 

Sample? Try this, LeakyInk...

 

Desiderata

 

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

 

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

 

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

 

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

 

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

 

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

 

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

 

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

 

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

 

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

 

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Thymen

[sirgilbert357]

LeakyInk, we are all working on our handwriting.

 

 

Err, clearly, no...not everyone is, LOL. Have a look at the "What does your handwriting look like?" thread and you'll see some people's isn't changing at all!! Just saying...

Edited October 11, 2019 by sirgilbert357

[LeakyInk]

 

I filled several notepads with the above, and also with:

 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

January February March April May June July August September October November December

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Aap Noot Mies Wim Zus Jet Teun Vuur Gijs Lam Kees Bok Weide does hok duif schapen.

 

And poems, and prose, this wonderful gift of God to mankind. I looked them up on the internet, copied them into a Word document. Now, if I want to write 'nice', I open the file (large letters, I am rather old), put on some soft and gentle music and write down these poems as beautifully as I can. No hurry, just relax. Mistake? I just start over again. It is then not only the writing that is so therapeutic, but the music, the words of those who are so much better than I am in putting their innermost feelings, their wisdom onto paper.... really, it more than once helped me through the drudgery of the day....

 

Sample? Try this, LeakyInk...

 

Desiderata

 

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

 

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

 

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

 

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

 

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

 

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

 

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

 

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

 

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

 

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

 

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

 

I appreciate the idea. I started writing letters to a pen pal and soon another. It's been an interesting and fun way to get some writing in.