7 reasons why handwritten notes remain
A week or so ago, Mart Visser and I set a date to have lunch together via SMS. To show that I had noted it down correctly (I can sometimes have a bit of a chaotic side), I sent Mart a photo of how I had entered the appointment in my calendar. Mart immediately texted back a shot of his calendar. “How terribly old-fashioned we are, Mart. We both write with fountain pens.” Within a second, I received a text back. CRAFT! it said. And that's true, because those who write, stay.
1. It looks nice
Just practice your handwriting a bit and find a pen that brings out your handwriting the best. I swear by my Montblanc fountain pen that really makes prettier letters. If you pay a little attention to your words, it looks like a work of art. No email font can compete with that.
2. It has a keepsake factor
In my Marie Claire days, I always sent a handwritten card to everyone who contributed to an issue to thank them for the styling, photography, or that candid interview. I always found it a lovely moment to quietly look at the magazine and reflect on all the beautiful work that had been done. And everyone told me again that such a card was on the mantelpiece because it had done them so much good. Really no one prints out an email.
3. Writing forces you to concentrate
Because you can't do anything else while you're writing (or can you really write and call and check your Facebook page at the same time, no right?), you experience a moment of calm while writing. A mini-meditation. When you write an email, all sorts of things pop into your inbox and all those open tabs on your Google Chrome beckon, and before you know it, you've suddenly typed the wrong words because those were just things that took your attention.
4. Writing makes you more creative
While you write, the visual and cognitive parts of your brain are activated. That's why it works so well to write something down when you want to remember it. Because you write slower than you type, your mind moves at the same pace as your hand. Your thoughts no longer scatter in all directions but are more restrained, allowing more creativity to flow.
5. You think about every word
Because writing is inherently slower, you become more aware of what you're saying. It's more noticeable if you use the same word twice, and because you're aware of the ‘timeless value’ of a letter or card, you'll put even more effort into the content.
6. It is read by more people
If you send someone a very sweet card or note, there's a good chance the recipient will let others read it or display it in a way that multiple people can see it. This makes it even more fun to send a beautiful text to someone.
7. It is unique
Someone knows that a card was written especially for them. Copy-pasting still doesn't work with fountain pens. Every note is unique.
