Does handwriting matter?

It’s slow, not as transmittable, and there is no delete button. Though I will resist launching into a protracted defense of handwriting, I can't help but reference a Wall Street Journal article that I read recently. "Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential strokes to form a letter, whereas keyboarding involves selecting a whole letter by touching a key. She says pictures of the brain have illustrated that sequential finger movements activated massive regions involved in thinking, language and working memory—the system for temporarily storing and managing information.” (You can read the entire article here.) But there you have it in a nut shell: handwriting exercises our brains and helps us think. I’m a firm believer in a hand-written list or brainstorming diagram for that very reason! But writing is not only for practical things; it can be decorative, too. We’ve had two fun lettering projects at the studio this past week...

Since our studio is open by appointment, the door is not always unlocked... so we jumped on the bandwagon and got a mailbox. Clearly it couldn't stay blank and plain. I used white acrylic paint, a small brush, and a slow and careful hand, because no stroke could be erased. I may go back and add more of the scrolls from my sketch another day when I am feeling brave.

Here's the final-for-now in context, a little sentry by our door.

***

If you thought that chalkboard-painted surfaces were only for children's playrooms, think again. Look at what a fun touch the chalkboard shade adds to this sophisticated Regina Andrew lamp!

Close-up of the sketch: sweet Marleigh is in for a treat! (Also, I did break the chalk in half.)