5 Items to Snap You Out of Your Digital Writing Routine
by Brett & Kate McKay
This content is brought to you by the new Hyundai Elantra which helps you “Snap Out” of your routine to live your best life. Click here to learn more about the new 2011 Elantra. What’s this? Tis the age of clickety clack. Well, more like just clickety. When modern man writes these days, chances are he’s hammering away at his computer’s keyboard or working his thumbs over his phone’s keypad. The use of pen and paper has fallen by the wayside. But while technology has made communication easy and convenient, traditional methods of writing should not be totally forgotten. Not for nostalgia’s sake, but because writing by hand offers a man several benefits that cannot be duplicated by tickling the keys. By scanning the brain, researchers have found that writing by hand improves memory, cognitive activity, and the expression of ideas. Because writing by hand involves making multiple strokes to form letters as opposed to simply pressing a key, it activates and lights up different parts of the brain. That’s why if you’re like me, you’ll often find that if you run into a writing block while staring at your computer screen, when you grab a notepad and start jotting down ideas, the floodgates can really open up. Writing by hand also tends to be slower and more thoughtful, and it provides a greater connection between you and your words.
So writing with pen (or pencil) and paper can really keep your mind sharp and your ideas fresh. But with our computers and phones so handy, it’s hard to snap out of the digital writing routine. So here are 5 things that can help inspire you to step away from the keyboard and take some time each day to write by hand. Col. Littleton Leather Journal Every man should keep a journal. A journal is a place to work out the big issues in your life. Use it to hone your life’s purpose or simply as a place to empty your mind and soul of the emotional or mental burdens that you’re experiencing at a particular time. And when you finally kick the bucket, your journal will ensure that your legacy as a man lives on with your children and grandchildren. Maybe you’re among the millions of people who have tried to start a journal, but never got into the habit. If you’ve had trouble making journal writing part of your daily routine, perhaps what you need is a journal so handsome and inviting it’s hard not to write in it. Enter the Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal. Wrapped up in rugged steer hide, this baby will have you putting pen to paper in no time. It’s the perfect place to record your legacy of manliness. Price: $142 We sign documents every day. Most of it’s mundane stuff, but every now and then we put our signature on pieces of a paper that carry a lot of significance. A marriage license, a mortgage, your child’s birth certificate. For these sorts of occasions, a rinky dinky ballpoint pen won’t do. A man needs a writing instrument with a bit of panache.
Enter the fountain pen. Used by distinguished gentleman since the mid-19th century, fountain pens turn everyday writing into an art. The nib on a fountain pen allows for calligraphic flourishes. When you sign that check to pay off your debt, it will look like you signed the Declaration of Independence. And when people receive your notes, they’ll think they were delivered via a time machine. Price: $50-$1500 If you’re like most men living in this modern age of ours, your personal communication probably takes place through the digital ether of email, Facebook, and Twitter. While these forms of communication are fast and ubiquitous, they lack the human touch. It’s time to snap out of your Web-based correspondence routine and embrace the art of the handwritten letter. But a proper letter can’t be just scribbled on a piece of torn out notebook paper. If you’re going to take the time to write a letter, you need to use quality stationery. March 28, 2011 Copyright © 2011 The Art of Manliness
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