Every January 23rd, we celebrate National Handwriting Day. I know, what the heck is this national holiday about? In a modern context, it’s a day for us to encourage each other to step away from our screens and return to simpler times of pen and paper. It’s also a day we pay respect to John Hancock, the first signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, who was born on on this day. 🙂

4 things you can do for National Handwriting Day

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1. Practice your writing

Simply write! Write a story, poem, letter, list your future goals, start a journal, whatever your heart desires.

2. Restock on writing supplies

It’s surprising how creative people have gotten with pens over the years. All sorts of pens are now available from clever ones to downright odd. Did you know that there are pens in the shape of everyday tools, animals, flower stems, mermaid tails, wands, syringes, weapons, and food? How about that some pens levitate and hover on their own? By far the cutest idea is the Harry Potter hovering broomstick pen.

3. Get Artsy with Calligraphy

Calligraphy, the art of beautiful handwriting, can be a way to create something for yourself or someone you care about. Check out Dafont, 1001 Free Fonts, or Font Squirrel to see all the different possibilities.

• Do a DIY project with words. A great place to start is Pinterest where there are tons of DIY project ideas. Here’s a link to start you off: Home Decor DIY Sign Projects.
• Learn a logographic/pictographic language and try writing out sentences. There are a few writing systems you can explore (for example, Chinese, Japanese, or Hanja). You can also look at ancient writing systems like Cuneiform or create your own!

4. Discover

Books

Handwriting Analysis

Learn what your handwriting says about you or how to look at handwriting critically.

Check out this article from the FBI: Handwriting Examination.

Happy writing!

-E