Author Topic: Childhood handwriting inspirations?  (Read 2010 times)

Offline mjgebhart

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Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« on: July 12, 2018, 11:49:23 AM »
Hello!

Anyone here remember admiring a teacher or family member's handwriting and wishing you could write like that one day?

I used to love my mom and my aunt's consistent, legible, and very stylish penmanship (I still do!)

I also had a fifth grade teacher who wrote very traditional Palmer-style cursive, and she was a huge inspiration for me. Just to be clear, this was considered very old-school at the time (2001!)

I want to share a short reminiscence I wrote about 'Ms. Smith', and my quest for an A+ in penmanship (yes, she gave us grades for handwriting!) I hope you'll enjoy it.

https://www.inpursuitofpenmanship.com/blog/how-to-succeed-in-penmanship-stories-from-the-fifth-grade

I'd also love to hear your stories about how you learned to love handwriting.

Cheers,
Michael
Michael

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Offline AnasaziWrites

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2018, 05:47:19 PM »
A well written and interesting story. Thanks for sharing.
I, too, was graded on penmanship in the fifth grade, the last year I was in a three room schoolhouse (grades 1-8). Mrs. Wilgroth wasn't considered old school, although she was probably born around 1900-1910--it was just the way penmanship was taught back then (1959). The start of a long journey.
More later.

Offline himasf

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2018, 07:12:37 PM »
That's awesome how you have a vivid memory of it. Really made an impact on you.

My fifth grade teacher had the best chalkboard cursive. I always wondered how he kept everything even and straight with no guidelines. It was like magic.

I remember being made to do oval drills in school at age 5. This was in the 80s. Everyone wrote Palmer cursive by the second grade.

My second grade teacher was one of those who walked around with a stick during handwriting class.  :o Wow, this probably explains why I hate doing drills haha! I never set out to make mine pretty. I've never been complimented on my handwriting while in school coz it really wasn't special. I stopped writing cursive at around 16 and my everyday handwriting looks worse and worse as the years go by  ;D

Man, watching him write was the best part of that class. I wish i had a picture of my 5th grade teacher's blackboard writing but this was before digital cameras.

God, I feel old. Thanks, Michael, haha
« Last Edit: July 12, 2018, 07:14:45 PM by himasf »

Offline mjgebhart

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2018, 01:23:03 AM »
Hahaha James, sorry to make you feel old. That's so interesting that you did the whole drill thing even then. There was absolutely no technique attached to our cursive lessons in 2nd grade. I can't say that's a bad thing--Palmer was a bit of a nut after all, but leaving 8 year olds to their own weird writing habits can't be the best thing either...

Thanks so much for reading and sharing  :)

I hope you never got smacked with that stick...
Michael

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Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2019, 09:41:36 AM »
I wish I had seen this when you first posted it @mjgebhart ! This is fantastic. You are an excellent writer - both literature and calligraphy! I so enjoyed reading this.

It was my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Jacobs, whose handwriting inspired me. It was a monoline Blackletter written with a felt tip pen. We were all graded in penmanship and I was a straight A student with C’s in penmanship. The irony of that still irks me.  ;D

I hope to read more of your writing! Thank you for sharing.  :)
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline mjgebhart

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2019, 11:35:07 AM »
Thank you, @Erica McPhee I'm so glad you liked it! And thanks for sharing your story.  :D
Michael

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Offline Cyril Jayant

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Re: Childhood handwriting inspirations?
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2019, 11:48:37 AM »
Nice story and greatly done and thank you for the share Michael, ;D Thank you for the share.
In my case, I remember My first use of fountain pens. I was really enjoying them playing with them fixing breaking changing nibs etc. In my time all, I can remember is how I loved different colors of ink and I think I had a few pens in a collection. Don't know what happened to them and How I lost all of them.
I had a fellow friend who worked with me and he had beautiful cursive writing. My writing was not great but until recently when I had seen this real American cursive I thought I need to do something as I loved collecting pens and learning calligraphy. On I am on the journey and things are getting slowly but surely. I am grateful to find this Calligraphy community and this gives me all the opportunity :) to be in the curve to learn more about writing and the are of drawing letters. :)