Some Ideas Won't Wait for a Laptop or a Spreadsheet

I'm often asked about research about handwriting and research done using our product, PointScribe. All research aside, this Friday afternoon, after a crazy busy week defined by details and direction changes, I'm all about the practical side of things. I don't need documentation and data to prove to me how valuable hand written communication is, even in this day and age of technologyl

As I look at my desk---littered with checklists and brainstorming notes and voice over scripts and flow charts from a week of video editing, it's clear to me that being able to capture ideas quickly and fully in real time was my saving grace this week in terms of both productivity and creativity. And yeah, I was making a video about handwriting:  the evolution of handwriting education which was ironically inspired by notes scrawled on the back of a napkin--the kind of notes you just have to take in the moment. The kind that refuse to wait for a lap top or a spreadsheet.

In her article "The Pen & Paper: the most underrated creativity and productivity tool",  Nancy Messieh muses:

Whether it’s a mundane to-do list or the beginnings of a best-selling novel, using a pen and paper can be very satisfying, if not a little messy. The act of putting pen to paper, of making an effort, together with your inherently personal handwriting has both practical and emotional benefits.

I couldn't agree more.