Before I got my big break into the world of graphic design (ha!) I worked for almost two years at a Costco. As I moved up the ladder there, I eventually found myself as an inventory auditor working with my friend Paul Maurawski. He was an endlessly interesting co-worker, and one of his skills was his amazing penmanship. He had the best handwriting of anyone I have ever known. He had actually created a bunch of different “fonts” and could switch between them depending on his mood. He had some modern ones, some decorative ones, some funny ones. He could write with serifs or without. It was a sight to see. As an auditor you are constantly filling out forms and the paperwork never ends. He would fill out these forms with an artistry that astounded me. Every time his pen touched paper, he would concentrate on the forms of the letters and the results were amazingly beautiful. He took pride in this skill, and it was a running joke whenever someone else would hand him a hand written note. He would pretend to struggle to read the message as if the person’s penmanship was almost undecipherable.

Eventually I asked him what the secret to his handwriting was. Basically he told me that it was practice, and he taught me (as funny as that sounds) to improve my handwriting. One day Paul wrote out the alphabet complete with alternate figures for me to use as a reference. I remember filling page after page with the alphabet, only to have it critiqued harshly by Paul. My hand writing was readable, but it was a long way from beautiful. I decided that from that point on I would use every word I wrote as an exercise towards improving my penmanship.

That was probably about 5 years ago, and I have carried around his handwriting chart in my wallet as a constant reminder of how beautiful handwriting can be. I was cleaning out my wallet today and decided to scan it before the paper disintegrated any further. You can click on the image above to view a larger version. My handwriting still isn’t beautiful, but it is a little more enjoyable to fill out forms and paperwork when I think of it as an opportunity to improve my handwriting. If you are looking for a resolution this new year, consider improving your penmanship. Happy New Year!