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.

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!

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! 😉

The power of the written word

'Part of our identity and our abilities may be hidden away like treasures  at the bottom of the sea until we are forced to find them.'

Tobi Zausner - When Walls Become Doorways as quoted in  Into the Light

This morning I woke up thinking about writing. How writing has come into my life because of illness. 

Friends have been telling me that I always wrote descriptive and funny letters - you know the kind that arrived in the post. Anyway, writing in my changed life, is like having found that hidden treasure, as quoted by Tobi Zausner in her book when Walls become Doorways. It was part of my identity, but it was hidden.

Writing started by following The Artist Way by Julia Cameron, back in 1997. However, in the early months of illness (1998) I was unable to write. When regaining that ability a year later, I wrote, and wrote, and wrote whenever I could. (Again using Julia Cameron as my guide).

And even when it seems impossible to write, I still wrote.

There were days when I was in so much pain and was stuck to the bed, unable to even sit up. But I would have my notepad and fountain pen (the only pen I can write with, because of its easy flow and no pressure needed to write), beside me and I let my pen move over the page and see what words would lead me ...  I write, whatever needed to come out of my head and hand. I couldn't even see what as I writing, but that did not seem to matter.

I have quite a nice handwriting, but in times of absolute distress, like the day when I was put on steroids, and thought I was about to loose my mind (and life) my writing turned to a mismatch of scrambled words, varying in size and voracity. But ultimately I found peace. The fear eased somewhat. I could make some sense of what was happening to me.

writing about the fear brought on

while on steroids

my writing showing the distress 

Writing became very important to me in terms of writing myself into wellbeing, but it also became a tool to have fun with. I realized that I love words (see links below), I loved looking up words in the dictionary. All of the titles in my book Hatched came from researching 'bird' and 'egg' related words in the dictionary. Bliss! Fun and the power of words made it into all my books.

Writing, I realized the other day when I paged through an old scrapbook, came from childhood. Again, the hidden treasure found again.

Writing, I now know features in my family too. My great grand father wrote letters for other people. My father and mother both wrote their thoughts down too.

My dad (1917-1977) wrote this tiny diary during the months before the Netherlands went to war in 1939, and some experiences during the war. It is a treasure to have his words in my hand.
I am translating the diary with the help of my brothers Hans and Joop.
Some of the thoughts shared are funny, others are heart wrenching.

a page from my dad's 1939-42 dairy

My mother (1921- 2007) started to write a series of reflections of her life while in her seventies and eighties. A life of poverty during youth, but with amazing resourcefulness and strength of mind by her, her parents and siblings. There are some very funny accounts too. It is an interesting insight into her life. 

page from my mother's diary with a story about
Sinterklaas of 1933.

My brothers wrote detailed diaries during their travels in the eighties, to many places that would not be safe to visit in modern times. Kees has been compiling his words and images of the journey to and in Africa, and I am looking forward to see and read this later in the year!

So, writing might be in all of us.

The book with the written memories by my mum and dad will be published in June 2017. Pre-order by contacting Corina expected cost is €15

I hope that this post might inspire you to pick up your pen, or maybe you share witn me and otehr readers your story about writing?

With every best wish.

Corina

If you share my post or blog on social media 

with a few of your own words on why you shared it - 

please email me a link and your postal address 

and I will post some bookmarks from Into the Light

as a Thank You for sharing!

links:

• posts about dissecting words: here and here
• Hatched- now available for download
• Books quotes in this blog, see details here
• Into the Light