My handwriting – a way of expressing myself

You may have noted that there has been some recent discourse about handwriting and its proven benefits for cognitive development and learning. While engaging in an online discussion, I realized that my own handwriting has been shaped by two persons:

• Birgitta #. and Inger #. – my first- and third-grade teachers (I skipped second class) who helped me and my classmates produce a neat and readable cursive. (It’s really hard to imagine a Swedish class of seven- to nine-year-olds doing this today!)

• Edward Bell – the British art director who designed the David Bowie album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). The scan below shows a handout I prepared for a presentation in English class. (Click on it to see the entire page.) I imitated Bell’s style, I adopted it and I kept it as a way of expressing myself.