How is your hand-writing these days?

Fleurpepper

Thank you all- and I am not surprised it seems to be a very common issue with most of us- age, arthritis, but mainly, lack of practice due to using phones, computers, etc.

You’re right, I was thinking this recently when writing a message in a card.My writing used to be very good, now it’s all over the place.Not health related in my case just lack of use.

I still write cards and thank you letters with the fountain pen I received for my 16th birthday, although I use biro for most other things.
And a bizarre result of teaching I think … my handwriting doesn’t wander if I write upside down 🤷🏻‍♀️ (Discovered when doing the crossword and writing a list for DH after lunch. )

I was a teacher and had really neat “primary teacher “ writing (I was taught to write display label with “dippy” nib pens too)
It’s still really good- clear, uniform, neat and legible- but unfortunately it now wanders all over the page 🤣

Thank you all- and I am not surprised it seems to be a very common issue with most of us- age, arthritis, but mainly, lack of practice due to using phones, computers, etc.

My handwriting has been awful since learning shorthand in the early 70s! I think it can make you more impatient.

I used to have lovely writing (not my opinion but the opinion of others). Unfortunately, since developing knobbly joints because of arthritis it looks like a spider has dipped it legs in ink and crawled across the page. I was doing some sorting of old paperwork yesterday and just couldn't believe the deterioration. It does actual differ according to what pen I used but some days still barely legible.

My father wrote the most beautiful copperplate handwriting, but we used to say it was so good as he wrote so little adding bits to the letter my mother would write etc!! Because we moved and the schools used different styles I have a very mixed way of writing so may do one l with a loop and another with just l no loop, same with g and y etc. quite handy for a signature as it is a mix and not easy to copy I gather. My handwriting gets worse the longer I go on writing and this typing is obviously easier to read. However when I lived in Portugal and Syria, I used to send long letters, partly family things but also about daily life and what festivals etc were happening. These letters have been kept and some have gone to a social history collection, which is giving an idea of life in other places. It will be so difficult for people in the future, with people travelling more, not getting married or getting married abroad etc so all the clues of checking electoral roles or churchyards etc will have disappeared.Have been able to touchtype for many years so that is fine now for computers etc but personally I think birthday cards etc should be handwritten, with that personal touch. My son sent me a very pretty card for mothers day but I would still have preferred a hand written card from him. Not that I said anything of course except thankyou!! Keep doing both I think. I have mostly recipes typed in books etc but treasure special handwritten recipes that my mother sent me when I lived overseas. They are now very tatty pieces of paper but remind me of old times, making those special things that our family enjoyed and seeing my mothers handwriting when I make it.

I agree with alot of the comments. Again my writing was never great but has definitely got worse. I cannot write any thing in front of anyone when they are watching me, my hands shake uncontrollably. Upon doing some research this is a particular condition, the only way round it sometimes is to write really slowly and quite large, but I always feel under pressure to get it done quickly, so I rely on hubby to fill any forms in

My spelling is okay but my handwriting is definitely deteriorating as I get older.

One word: awful!

With a soft pencil and masses of space, my handwriting's as good as it's ever been. Can't cope with being cramped though. I used a Rotring 2mm drawing pen for writing at school to keep the size down. Now I just scrawl. Nice scrawl, natch 😅✏️

My handwriting was always petty good but over the last year it's deteriorated to a point where I could do with writing and 'X' instead of my name. My hands shake first thing in the morning and ususally takes about two to three hours to settle down.

My handwriting is completely dreadful these days .
I stood for five minutes yesterday trying to decipher my shopping list .
I'll have to write it in capitals next time .
It's better if I write using a fountain pen .

fancythat

I sometimes cannot read my own shopping lists! Though that is not too much of a new thing. I somtimes have to return home without whatever the item was.
I have to remind myself to write larger. Then I have a better chance of reading it.

I once had a shopping list returned to me in Waitrose with nothing on it to identify me. I knew the supervisor she was the mum of a former pupil. I laughed and asked if she had seen me drop it no, she had recognised the writing from school reports and seen me in the shop. She then said they had always been very clear to read. Not like today.

Mine's got really scruffy but the only thing I write these days is the shopping list, which I then have trouble reading back in the supermarket.

My handwriting is terrible, probably not helped by typing all day at work and the arthritis in my hands getting worse. I do find though that when I write things down I remember them better than when I type. When I type I find I'm able to spell automatically, but have to think more about spelling when I write!

Mines got very poor, decide to start writing in a note book regularly to try to improve it, my Dad had really beautiful handwriting one of the best I’ve ever seen
He was ambidextrous too, but his left hand slightly better than his right, im left handed too, slightly ambidextrous but nothing like Dad was.
Guessing it’s because we type everything nowadays.

My handwriting varies with the pen and paper I am using.
I used to go to Calligraphy classes at night school and still enjoy using the different types of script. but not as everyday handwriting.
As a point of interest . Different age groups have their own type of script. probably from handwriting instruction at school
I have a cousin who also writes exactly like her mother.

I tend to still do handwriting alongside 'typing' as I do enjoy writing in general, though my style has changed over the years.

My writing was always quite neat but since having a thumb joint operation in December it's now nothing like it used to be. Some days I can write a few words that are legible, another day I can't even hold a pen or pencil comfortably yet. But at least the awful arthritic pain is no more.

I used to have good handwriting but now I can barely hold a pen with my arthritis, consequently my writing is now atrocious. I try to always have a 'fat' pen in my bag so I can grip it better.

My writing is pretty awful and I regularly got the belt when I was in primary school. Unfortunately, it didn't improve my handwriting just my stubbornness to do it my way. Resulted in getting the belt a lot and absolutely dreadful handwriting as an adult.

I could never write a sentence without making at least one mistake so although my handwriting looked good at a distance, the crossings out weren't pretty! Also, if you looked closely at my handwriting, you would find that half the letters had loops, the other half didn't. I could write an "s" or "r" in different ways in the same word. The way I write is dependant upon my mood. It may be upright, sloping forward or backwards. It is a bit like my brain, all over the place! All this typing hasn't made my handwriting any better.

My handwriting hasn’t changed really over the years, I must admit I do love writing but find I don’t write that much now. But when I do I’ve had people comment on how neat it is. I always use gel pens.

Lack of practise is one explanation, but deterioration can be symptomatic of various neurodegenerative conditions e.g. Parkinson's disease. Worth paying attention to if this seems to be part of a pattern of problems.