Sunday, January 29, 2017

Handwriting or computer writing, or a balance between the two

Morning thoughts about writing by hand, using voice recognition or the computer keyboard, and the effects on my wellbeing.
It is all about balance.


dairy page of ME/CFS Artist and Writer Corina Duyn
the feel of the pen gliding over the page


I have not picked up my pen to write for weeks.
I have in stead written my blog every day. I love it. But I do miss the feel of the pen gliding over the page. The side of my right hand touching the cool page. The way my head bends sideways a little to the left. My left hand holding the page softly into place. The ease of my body in this action cannot be replicated by using a keyboard, having to sit upright looking in front of me instead of down. Even the use of voice recognition software on my computer - and thus limiting having to use a computer keyboard – is just not the same.
It requires concentration, which is not required in the same way by using pen and paper.

I can imagine – I know – that even the words that come from my pen are different from those coming through my fingers.
There is a different intensity to it.
The computer writing might be more controlled, as in not totally stream of consciousness writing.
It has a different purpose perhaps.

Also one cannot play with words – not create the big, crooked, large, small, bold, angry, sad, happy words in a visual way.

Writing them express the intensity and intention of the words. Typing them limits this to a large degree.
So…

It is all about balance again.
Again.
It always is.

Balance between my desire to write.
To write from my heart. But also the desire to share these thoughts – my experiences, my views, my creative ideas, my life- with others.
I so love that too.

It probably means reframing my day again, to include my handwriting. After morning meditation and before the computer time.

Balance – all about balance!

dairy page of ME/CFS Artist and Writer Corina Duyn
clarity and resolutions appear on the page
My diary writing can be - will be - the starting point for my computer writing.
My "worry" was that if I were to write on paper first the rawness of my thoughts have already been used up – the Blogs would be more "polished" – maybe this is not the case?

Let's play, play, play, with that this week.

Blog writing has taken a hold of my brain. When I wake up at about 3 AM (menopause hot flush time) I think about my next blog post. I have so many ideas! I have a whole book worth of ideas I like to write about and share.

All in good time. All in good time.

Just make notes of the ideas and let them rest on the sheet of paper. Don't try to hold them in my head!
There is no more room.
My brain's filing cabinet is full. My brain is wired. The filing cabinet is overflowing and keeping me awake even during rest and sleep.
Adrenaline – most likely.
A dangerous place to be. Too long living on adrenaline results in a crash……
So be ahead of it.

Be more mindful and go back to my 20 minute rule for computer time.

Maybe, just maybe, writing by hand first and speak my writing onto computer, via iPad (?) Might be a much easier way, and ultimately healthier way for me to progress in my day, in my life, in my well-being.
I do love to write! And share.
All good. Be well.

Post note:

I dictated this scribble onto my iPad, sitting in comfort and only took about three minutes. Siri, the voice recognition software is actually more accurate than the Dragon software on my computer.
Also the small corrections that do need to be made (by typing) are easy, as my clever iPad suggests possibly replacement words.
The correcting took another few minutes.
I figured out that I can copy my text straight onto my blog. I saved it and am now finishing it on computer.

My actual computer time - which I find very different from using my iPad- has been very much curtailed today!

Lesson learned! 😉

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