How I Improved My Handwriting So Neat & Legible (It's My Journaling Handwriting)

I asked one of my close friend if she journals and she said she really wants to do it but no, she doesn't. When I asked what stops her from doing it, she said she fears her journaling would look like this because she is not confident in her handwriting. If you're like her and hesitate to journal because you lack confidence in your handwriting, if you want to achieve the neat, charming handwriting you've always dreamed of, or if you want to level up your journaling or Hi, if you're new, my name is Liz and I'm a graphic designer turned calligrapher. In this video, I'll show you how I improve my handwriting from this to this and provide you with actionable tips that you can apply right away to improve your handwriting dramatically. I'll explain why you're missing out on so much if you don't handwrite in this age of keyboards and computers. After watching this video and following all the guides and tips, you'll see a remarkable improvement in your handwriting in as early as two weeks. Then without further ado, let's get started. The very first tip to improve your handwriting is to conduct a legibility test. It can be incredibly frustrating when you can't decipher what you wrote the previous day. This frustration often discourages continuous handwriting. A practical solution is to perform a legibility test and here's how to do it. Step one, conduct the test. Write a sample paragraph and ask someone to review it. Have them circle any parts that are difficult to read. Number two, identify problem areas. Look for recurring letters or patterns that contribute to illegibility such as an A that looks like a U or a Y that resembles a G. Of course, you can do the test yourself but having someone else help you with the legibility test is recommended because it will minimize bias and provide a more objective perspective. Keep in mind that this process can make you feel a bit vulnerable as if you're being criticized but if you ever feel this remember this quote, be brave enough to suck at something new when you are learning. You see, this quote helped me so much when I felt criticized, not good enough and wanted to give up on moving forward. Everyone has to start somewhere if they want to achieve mastery. When you're done with the legibility test, focus on the specific letters that fail the test and practice those letter forms until they're clear and legible. Also, try writing letters consistently in terms of their height, spacing, and angles with each other. So, one other tip that I can show you is maintaining uniformity in height, spacing, and angles of the letters while writing is the key to making your handwriting look neat no matter which style of letter shape you write. The second tip is to develop a mindset that's helpful for good handwriting. Let me share you something interesting. I find that in most cases, the biggest reason for out of place illegible handwriting is not a lack of hand control but a lack of mind control. When you write something, you often feel pressure to write quickly. You might fear that your thoughts will evaporate if you don't write fast enough or you might feel social pressure to write quickly if someone is waiting for you to finish. This can also happen during note-taking in class. Eventually, this pressure to write quickly becomes a habit, leading to a handwriting without proper care and attention. When your mind moves faster than your hand, your writing loses its proper form. To resolve this issue, I recommend setting up a comfortable, pressure-free environment for yourself when practicing handwriting. For example, when you journal every night or every morning, allow yourself 30 minutes each day as a gift during this time. Don't feel any pressure or social constraints that make you hurry. Think of these 30 minutes as extra time given to you as a reward for working hard at your job or business and taking care of your family and kids all day. Sit properly at your desk with the right posture and pay attention to each letter you write. In this setting, your focus can hold your thoughts, so it's okay to go slow. No hurry. When you have a pressure-free environment and maintain proper sitting posture, your handwriting will instantly become much nicer and tidier. You will also find yourself enjoying those focused, peaceful moments. If the second tip was to help you practice your mind for better handwriting, the third tip is to train your hands muscle memory for controlled and neat handwriting. This process is called the warm-ups and drill exercise in calligraphy community. Basically, it's an exercise you do before writing for about five minutes. There are a variety of shape drills. You don't have to do all of them, but these are the shapes that I do regularly even as an experienced calligrapher. Try to follow these shapes repeatedly. This exercise will help you train your muscle memory for controlling strokes and also prevent hand cramps or fatigues. It's like doing a warm-up stretching before the main exercise when you work out. If you're interested in the warm-ups and drills worksheets, I'll leave the link for you in the description below. Feel free to download them for free. The fourth tip is to find the perfect tool that suits you. The discovery of tools that I enjoy using has helped me improve my handwriting dramatically. The right pen and paper help you with controlling strokes. Also, having tools that you like gives you the feeling of wanting to write more, which is important especially in the beginning stages of learning. Believe me when I say this, as for the pen, I have used many kinds of pens since I'm a calligrapher and like to try out various pens. For everyday handwriting such as journaling, I like to use the because I prefer a pen with a thin stroke and not too much inflow. I've noticed that the thin strokes are easier to control and create neat-looking handwriting. Also, there are many color choices available. I personally enjoy the muted vintage color set for my daily journaling. When you choose the paper, one crucial point to consider is finding a good guide sheet. You need to train both your eyes and hands to write uniformly with those guidelines. For journaling, I use a dotted paper like this, but if you're learning to improve your handwriting, I recommend using a lined paper journal at the beginning for better guidance. If you plan to use a fountain pen, make sure that the paper does not bleed. If the fiber of the paper is not thick enough, the ink will bleed through, causing blurriness in your handwriting. Simply test the papers before you begin writing if you can. Usually, thicker and higher quality paper offers less bleeding. One more thing I should mention is that many people ask me whether they should use a fountain pen. Is the fountain pen better for handwriting? I personally think that one of the biggest advantages of using a fountain pen is to develop a personal fondness for the pen that you're using. For me, having my favorite fountain pen was like having my iPhone. As you feel more special about the pen, you'll naturally have a greater desire to use it. I found this to be particularly helpful, especially when you are learning to improve your handwriting. I would highly recommend either the Twisby Eco or Lamy Safari for a beginner fountain pen choice. They both are available at an affordable price, yet the quality is superb. However, if you want a quick, easy solution for a pen choice, a ballpoint pen will do just fine. The last tip to improve your handwriting is to learn specific fonts. This last tip is optional, not mandatory. If you think your handwriting is decent, legible, and neat enough, and you're satisfied with it, you can skip this last tip. However, if you want to level up your handwriting, the best way is to learn specific font shapes. For example, one of the fonts that I have learned recently and trained myself in is called Monoline Italic. I like this font because it has similarities to cursive writing, but it's easier for everyone to read. Another reason I like this font is how the Monoline Italic creates a nice bridge between everyday handwriting and the calligraphy world. Here's how you can do it. First, choose a font you like. You can search for popular fonts on Google Fonts and select the one you want to learn. Then, print out the entire alphabet in the font and attach it to a notebook like this. From A to Z, try to follow the lines and learn the shape of each letter. One piece of advice I can give you here is don't get overwhelmed by overthinking it. When can I finish learning all the letters from A to Z? It's going to take forever, but the good news is that once you learn from around A to D, you will usually see a pattern of the shapes for the particular font, making the learning process easier and faster as you proceed. Once you feel confident with the basic shapes of the font, try writing your favorite quote or a paragraph from the book that you're reading. This process has remarkable benefits for mental health as well. You will find subtle but satisfying feelings of peace and focus. Journaling is one habit I highly recommend, probably as the first one on the list. If your lack of confidence in your handwriting is stopping you from doing it, please reconsider. Don't let it prevent you from taking advantage of the amazing opportunity to experience the benefits of journaling. If you follow these tips I've covered today and apply them to your practice, dedicating just about 30 minutes daily, you'll very soon achieve the handwriting you have dreamed of. And also, let's not forget, the process of learning and practicing handwriting will bring tremendous benefits to your mental and psychological well-being. If you liked the video and found it helpful, please like and subscribe. It helps me focus on creating more content like this. That's all for today. Thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next one. Bye!