Handwriting Improvement

The last couple of weeks at work have seen me spending a lot of time writing notes and documents. As a result, I have a sore hand. Whilst I was doing the vast amounts of writing, I was a little frustrated because I wanted to write faster, but this just resulted in ugly, chicken scratchings all over the page.

So, today I Googled 'handwriting improvement' and found some useful articles. The best article I have read so far is at PaperPenalia - Tips for improving your handwriting.

I've found I held my pen a little differently to the norm, and as a result I 'draw' my writing - it doesn't just stylize naturally, it's slow, and it causes muscle fatigue.

Now my right hand is extra sore as I have been doing writing exercises to retrain my hand and arm - but if this results in faster, more legible handwriting, I'll suffer happily.

Stationery

So, I went down to the city for a few days recently, and while I was there I bought a new pen. While this is hardly exciting news to most people, to people who collect and appreciate fine writing instruments, this is exciting stuff indeed.

I went in to my favourite store looking for a Lalex or similar brand of fountain pen, and walked out with a Montegrappa Micra.

For the price of one Micra fountain pen I could have bought a ten-year supply of ballpoints - but who wants to write with ballpoints?

I have several 'nice' pens - Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, Rotring, Lamy, Jean Pierre Lepine, and now Montegrappa. I saw a nice Aurora Mini Optima fountain pen recently, and it was a beautiful writer. Also, the Faber-Castell E-Motion fountain pen is pretty cute, but only comes in a 'Fine' nib. (I have a very light hand and get most of my fountain pens with 'Extra Fine' nibs.)

The Laurel Tree

"Why a Laurel Tree?"

The general meaning behind my name is "Crowned with Laurel". Laura is variant of Laurel, which is derived from the ancient Latin laus, a word which means "praise".

Circular wreaths constructed from the branches and leaves of Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae) were given to symbolize victory, a tradition which dates back to antiquity.

Alphonse Mucha Laurel

Koloman Moser Portrait of a Woman's Head