Don’t write, draw instead

It’s not illegal to have an illegible handwriting, but it’s annoying for both the person reading it and the one who has written it too. Not only are you constantly told to improve, but you can’t score well in essays sand tests because the teacher can’t understand what you have written. In order to avoid all these problems learn to draw and enroll for picture therapy.

“Good handwriting comes with practice, correct positioning of the hand and excellent hand control. And this is possible only when you have a good grip on your pencil/pen,” says Jameel Ahmed, an arts and handwriting teacher who has done research on developing retaining capabilities and handwriting skills in kids through drawing. Picture therapy, which is extensively used in schools these days can actually help you do this. “It’s very important for those of you who want to try your hand at calligraphy,” he says.

Crampy, uneven letters are a result of drawing the letters with the fingers rather than using the whole arm. “It’s also been noticed that children press down on the paper when they write, creating impressions on the subsequent pages. Lifting your hand often while writing also spoils your writing,” says popular artist Fahwad Tamkanat. Throwing more light on the idea, Mr Ahmed says, “Drawing figures relaxes your hand and allows it to move freely. It gives you a good control over your movements and curves.”

Here are a few tips that would help:

* Your fingers should move very little and your wrist even less. Your forearm does most of the gliding, while your shoulder provides the power.

* Hold the pen/pencil lightly, don’t squeeze it hard. Pretend that the barrel is a soft rubber and squeezing it will get you a big, fat blot. The thumb and forefinger should form an oval when you hold the pencil.

* Go by Picasso’s rule. Sharpen your instrument, whatever it is. The lines will be sharper and better.

* Never sit hunched or slump over the desk. Give your hand space to move.

* Practice making Xs and slashes, ///s and \\\s and Os overlapping each other. Make your lines, loops, circles and spirals freely.

* Create animal figures with letters. This will help you gain better control and also improve your pictorial skills. Try stretching, elongating the letters to test your skill at cursive writing.

Helpful games

* Practice cursive letters by playing Tic tac toe using two cursive letters instead of ‘x’ and ‘o’.

* Play hangman, but write the letter on paper instead of guessing it.

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