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Friday, April 13, 2012

I am doing a handwriting challenge, come and join me too.

If I could hand write this post straight to the interwebs I would, but I have no idea how to do that.

Instead you will all have to do the writing yourself.

If you want.


It's time for a mini handwriting challenge.





I have been thinking about doing this since Eden mentioned handwriting. I have been making more effort to ensure I send the odd letter, note or card to people.

I also received the most surprising and lovely card in the mail last week. It made me cry. It could not have had the same effect if it was typed, texted, facebooked or even emailed to me.

Mail, actually written by you has a secret power that you never even realise. Only the receiver gets the magic. That extra smile you have when you get a surprise letter, the joy of hearing from someone real, of learning some news, of knowing someone far away was thinking about them.

I know lots of you might be thinking the following things:

- I have no one to write to
- I don't have any nice cards or paper
- I have no news to tell
- my handwriting is too messy, my spelling too poor

And I am telling you these are just excuses.

Write to your family members, an old friend or a friend you see every week. Write to your kids and put the letter in your drawer until they are 21. Write to your husband and put the letter in his wallet to read at work. Write to your grandma, even if you never have, especially if you never have. Send birthday cards to old friends that you have not sent to in some time. Send a thank you letter to your favourite shop or cafe, tell them why you love their service, often it is the complaints that come in first.

Cards and fancy paper are limiting, they reduce the space you have to write on, use printer paper, folder paper or a note pad. Use the back of your kid's artwork, recycle some junk mail. Send one sentence on a sticky note or copy an old photo of you and a friend and add a note on the back.

You always have something to say.

Your handwriting is perfectly fine. The beauty of handwriting is that it is all you, it is not meant to be perfect, straight and planned, it is fluid, wobbly, personal and flows out on the page.

So here is my challenge for myself and if you want to join along just let me know.

I will add a special side bar in my blog that includes everyone who is taking part, Bloggers or not.


It is really very simple, the challenge is just

Six letters to six people in six weeks.

That is just a letter a week for six weeks.

It can be harder than it sounds though so let me give you the tips to help make sure this happens.

Get your envelopes and your stamps ready at the beginning. Choose your paper of choice or buy a collection of cards if you think you want to send cards. Having to get to a post office six times is annoying so get all you need on one trip and just pop things in the closest mail box.

Keep a pen handy in case you get a spare moment to write to someone.

Try and decide at the beginning who you will write to, write them on a list and tick them off as you go.

And lastly, let me know if you blog any thing about your handwriting. I have a button over there on the side bar that you can use on your blog sidebar, or your posts or wherever you use such things.


If twitter is your thing, I will be using the hashtag #6letters

And I will be using the handwriting challenge as an excuse to write about all sorts of things related to handwriting from time to time during the six weeks, which might also be a reminder for you to get writing.

I hope someone feels like joining me, but either way, I will enjoy writing and sending my letters and hope six people have an extra skip in their step as they walk away from the letterbox knowing they have a real letter and not just bills to read for the day.
Happy writing.




And a huge thank you to Liz at Mumstrosity for making the button. Lady is a genius of late night blogging magic.

32 comments:

  1. I'm going to love this challenge! I am a stickler for handwriting and manners - for every party we have half the fun for me is choosing the paper for hand written invitations and matching thank you notes. I have a very special handwritten thank you note from my sister in law pinned up permanently in my home because it's so special to me. It simply says, ' Thank you for being who you are', and I treasure it.

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    1. Phew, Excellent to know I have some people to keep me company over the next few weeks.

      If you share the beautiful stationery be sure to let me know so I can pop over and take a look.

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  2. Oh yes - definitely count me in !!!! I write to two aunts back in South Africa and they are both due letters so that is my first two. Will have to come up with others to write to.

    I LOVE getting snail mail that isn't bills - glad to hear that others do as well !

    Thanks for a great exercise - have a great weekend !
    Me

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  3. International destinations are even more exotic, I bet they really love hearing from you in the next couple of weeks.

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  4. I'm in! I have been meaning to do some hand writing for ages. I figure this way I have no excuse not to. I'm getting axcited just thinking about writing and sending them already.

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  5. I am SO in. You know my thoughts on the handwritten word. xx

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  6. This is a great idea - I just sent a letter today to my Pop and have another one sitting on my desk to post. Guess you could say that I'm in?!! Will you remind me though? (Yep, I'm that pathetic!)

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  7. Only just up to speed on this post but have been doing a similar thing with my bestie who lives a few hours away. We both read a book late last year (the gurnsey literary & potato peel society) and it reignited my desire for handwritten letters. So I started writing to her laying down the law that for the next 12 months we can only communicate via handwritten letter or face to face. No text messages, no email, no Facebook. It's lovely getting a letter in the mail and therapeutic writing one. You're right, technological advancements can't replace the joy of letter writing. !!

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  8. I am in Hun, this is such a gorgeous idea. I know myself I just adore getting a handwritten letter in the mail, so I am totally going to do this for others. Now the fun part, to decide who I will writento. I am thinking I might look up some childhood and old school friends. Thanks for such wonderful idea. Xx

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  9. I am COMPLETELY in. Shared with my sister and mum yesterday, and at their request bought some gorgeous paper for me and for each of them (and a journal for them!!!).
    Blogging about this right now.
    Just gotta figure out how to pick up and use your button. Cross everything. I'm techno-idiot with beautiful handwriting xxx
    K xxx

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  10. Woot count me in hun this is awesome! xx

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  11. I set myself a personal challenge to send birthday cards this year, and I've kept up to date so far. This will just be an extension of that, I'm in!

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  12. Oh yes. I am SO in. I remember this is what brought me to your blog in the first time and I am so glad!
    Can't wait to get started!

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  13. You darling thing! Count Mrs Nutty Nut in!! I have a massive stack of fabulous cards and notecards and papers, I love to write little notes too. Looking forward to it CH!!! Also I just cast my votes for the sydney writers thingo and couldn't find you on it!!!! SAD!!!!

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  14. Love this idea - just started pen pals with my girls for them to write letters - 1 is writing with a daughter of a primary school friend of mine back in the states(friends for 34 years) and the other is writing with a daughter of a friend in the UK. My 7yo and I were just talking about writing more notes and letters to family instead of skype calls etc. She wants to write to Grandma and ask her if they have pink Flamingos in Florida. I have cards ready as I wanted to write to a few wonderful women in my life anyway. will share and spread the word!

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  15. It's beautiful. I've been doing the Hallmark thing (sending cards) and it really is so joyful for sender and receiver xxx

    I'll come along, for sure. Now to get organised and STOP PROCRASTINATING!

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  16. count me in little sis!

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  17. Consider me kicked into gear. I'm hopeless at sending cards and letters and feel really guilty about it. And I just happen to have a bunch of lovely cards from DPCON12 to get me started ;). Great idea Claire!

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  18. If you like the element of surprise there is a website called " postcrossing" www.postcrossing.com

    Basically you sign up and send postcards for every postcard you send you should get one back. From anywhere around the world.

    I set up an account for my almost 3 year old obviously I write on behalf of him but I wanted him to experience sending postcards and receiving them rather than doing it all online .. Also I like seeing the expression on his face when I tell him he has mail .. Ok so maybe I still like getting something other than bills too

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  19. Ok add me please I am up to the challenge. A few years ago I found a stack of letters and cards written by my friends and I lved adding the memories xo

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  20. Miss Clairey Hewitt..count me in...6 in 6 weeks. Yep. Will do. XXXXXX

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  21. I love this challenge. Definitely count me in!
    My Grandmother and her two sisters wrote letters to each other twice a week until the day she passed away at 92. I'd love to still be exchanging letters at that age.

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  22. Bummer! I missed this. Can I be a late bloomer? x

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  23. I'll jump in late too! I love handwriting & haven't written to my penpal (who I started writing to 23 years ago)for ages!

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  24. Love this idea Clairey! Sorry I didn't see this sooner, I am in too! x

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  25. oh, Laney @ CrashTestMummy just shared this with me. I'm thinking by the dates that yuo've finished,,... but I think I'm going to have to write a few letters! It's been on my heart recently to do.
    Hayley

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