Author Topic: What happened to my cursive?  (Read 4881 times)

Offline SunnyMoni

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What happened to my cursive?
« on: December 18, 2015, 10:23:18 PM »
I suppose this goes here since I am writing about my regular, everyday penmanship. I know there is a similar top on signatures but I'm wondering more specifically about the everyday writing.

I'm not sure what happened but ever since I started learning Copperplate, my cursive writing (which is many times my regular, everyday writing) has gone very far down hill. A main problem I'm having is I am not able to just let the letters flow out. I'm forming them as if they were Copperplate letters. I had tried to start learning Spencerian with the Spencerian Penmanship books that were recommended to me on here but then started running into problems between learning Copperplate and Spencerian, shortly after which I found out many people suggest not working on the two at the same time.

So, what am I to do? At what point can I learn some kind of everyday penmanship and not confuse it with Copperplate? Will I need to learn something like an Italic calligraphy in-between? Or is there a point one might reach with Copperplate where it won't be so confusing to work on both at the same time?

Thank you!
Monica

Offline andyj

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2015, 01:27:49 AM »
Interesting conundrum!  I'm very new here but I did read one other topic on this and I think you pretty much have the advice: not to work on two styles which are similar until you know one intimately.

My intuition (not experience!) would also comment that it probably depends on your style of cursive.  I'm really getting interested in the subtle variations of cursive that have been taught throughout the generations (and certainly by locality).  I believe what I learned in the 70s in elementary school was probably closest to what I guess is called American Cursive, though I haven't really seen a compendium of styles.  [Sidenote: that would be an interesting topic here as well, to categorize/sub-categorize the styles across the Spencerian-Business-Palmer-"Modern?" spectrum and matrix them by years they were prevalent.  Well, I digress!

Guess my well is empty (as a newbie's well is wont to do) on your question but those are my two cents (or two bits, at least).
Andy

Offline seanlanefuller

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2016, 10:48:30 AM »
I went through something similar.  I think I'm still going through it.  My advice is to keep having fun learning.  It will all sort itself out naturally over time.  I am trying to learn flourishing now and it has entered my handwriting.  Why lift the pen and go back and cross Ts when you can soar, loop, and dive to cross it.  Just have fun.  Slow down a little bit if you need to.

Offline Elizgadus59

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2017, 01:26:34 AM »
I think we should all post samples of our everyday hand and our calligraphy hand.... might be interesting.

Offline JanisTX

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2017, 08:26:28 AM »
Learning Copperplate DESTROYED my handwriting!!  I used to have beautiful "ordinary" handwriting. - After spending a lot of time with Copperplate, I can't write AT ALL!  It's like chicken scratch!  However, I am very pleased with my calligraphy & I chalk up my destroyed handwriting as a "cost of doing business".  It's a good trade-off, as far as I am concerned!  If I can't have both, I'd rather have good calligraphy!   ;D

Janis

Offline AmandaW

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2017, 08:10:32 PM »
I had wondered about this too - was my handwriting actually getting worse or my eye getting better and more critical.
Decided it was probably a bit of both.

Offline cejohnson

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2017, 10:13:52 AM »
Somehow, over time, my cursive faded and I print everything (left hander who writes underhand).

What I am finding is my cursive is somewhat better now that I am learning Copperplate. I think, for me, it is because I have to write slowly and deliberately. Doing the drills and then building letter formations have made writing a meditative experience.

So far my printing has not suffered  :)

"The expert at anything was once a beginner." - Helen Hayes

Offline Lyric

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2021, 01:11:48 PM »
Learning Copperplate DESTROYED my handwriting!!  I used to have beautiful "ordinary" handwriting. - After spending a lot of time with Copperplate, I can't write AT ALL!  It's like chicken scratch!  However, I am very pleased with my calligraphy & I chalk up my destroyed handwriting as a "cost of doing business".  It's a good trade-off, as far as I am concerned!  If I can't have both, I'd rather have good calligraphy!   ;D

Janis

This is cracking me up, Ms. Janis.  Truly, my "regular" handwriting could get no worse.  Yuck.  It is paaaaaiiin on the eyes!
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline Andrew Davies

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2021, 03:01:26 PM »
I have always had issues with my normal hand, which is strongly based on italic, being affected by working on other styles. My recovery technique is to slow right down for my normal hand and gradually bring it back up to speed. Interesting that doesn’t in turn affect the hand I’m working on. I’ve never figured out why that is.

Offline jeanwilson

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2021, 07:29:34 AM »
This is one of my favorite topics. It would be lovely if Lyric and Janis and I could meet up in Omaha at the next IAMPETH conference. As you may know - the TH in IAMPETH - stands for Teachers of Handwriting.

I spent many fun hours at IAMPETH during the downtime between classes - hanging out with people who claimed that calligraphy had ruined their penmanship - and showing them how to restore their penmanship. I do not recall that there was anyone who remained unconvinced. But, it is not a simple 10-step program. It has to be individualized to whatever it is that has happened to your penmanship.

I'm pretty sure I can make it to IAMPETH in Omaha -- anyone else going to be there?

Offline jeanwilson

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2021, 08:20:11 AM »
To anyone who needs to repair their handwriting --
Andrew's suggestion to slow down -- is absolutely, positively, Step 1.

Offline JanisTX

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2021, 09:15:59 AM »
@jeanwilson :  I am strongly considering going to Omaha!  If so, let's have lunch or dinner!  I'll be glad when they release the class list, so that I can decide if there are classes that I'd like to take!

Janis

Offline jeanwilson

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2021, 07:01:15 AM »
Sounds good -- I've often thought of setting up a table for everyday penmanship somewhere that is not a classroom to establish an informal gathering spot. There were 70 people at the first IAMPETH that I attended - so we were all in the same banquet room for the entire week. It was so nice to actually meet everyone who was there. But, I'm happy that it's grown. It's better for spreading the wealth of knowledge.

Offline Cyril Jayant

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2021, 10:07:29 AM »
This is good great topic and I like to know more about this.

Offline jeanwilson

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Re: What happened to my cursive?
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2021, 01:54:47 PM »
There are probably some old threads on this topic - but, I don't know if it has its own section.
If not, maybe we can start one.
Mostly, people need to figure out what their worst problems are and start repairing them one-by-one.

99% of the time, people are writing too fast.
Depending on your age - you might have several decades of muscle memory built up - but, it's not rocket science.
If you learned cursive, you already know the basic shapes.

Consistent Cursive is a good program (on YouTube) to lead you through the steps of repairing your cursive.
I'm always happy to give people tips if they want to post an example of their penmanship.

Maybe Lyric will post a before and after shot of her penmanship.
It would be a very good example of how much progress can be made in a fairly short amount of time.