I think a lot of people are under the impression that handwriting is something that can't be changed. I understand the thought process- you're so used to doing something one way that it becomes difficult to picture yourself doing something any other way. But, I love disproving that thought. Penmanship is absolutely something that you can change, and at any stage in your life. I always tell people this but it's all practice. As with anything else, the more you practice at it, the better it'll become.
I didn't take my penmanship serious until I was around 21-22. I was in college and I fell in love with the aesthetic studygram pages I saw everywhere. I had always wanted my writing to be nice, so I always played around with styles and tried (with minimal effort) to make my notes presentable enough, but I only really cared to 'perfect' my writing once I got the inspiration from the accounts I followed. And now, years later, I can share some tips with you guys that I found helped me the most during my penmanship-improvement journey :)
1. Grip
This is the number one piece of advice that I offer. Grip is SO important when it comes to consistency and uniform letters. The better you hold your writing instrument, the more control you'll have over your writing. I hold my pen in the crease of my thumb, my index finger presses down on top of the pen, and my thumb slightly wraps around the body. (See pictured below)
Placing my index there allows me to have a good control of my pen, which allows me to maintain consistency throughout my writing! My thumb and my remaining three fingers act as support, to let me have even more of a grip.
But, with this come hand cramps, and that's something we as writers absolutely want to avoid. Please take necessary precautions before you start journaling. I normally stretch my hands before I write, and I do it a lot during my journaling as well, so I take a lot of breaks. If your hand hurts a lot, please stop and resume writing at a later time.
2. Pen + Paper
I think this goes without saying, but I want to go ahead and mention it anyway. You have to find your perfect combination. Or, at the very least, a pen that complements your writing. You're not always going to have the best paper to write on, so I'd definitely tell you to prioritize the pen. My most favorite combo right now is my Hobonichi & my Uniball Signo RT1 0.28!
3. Start Big
It's much more beneficial to begin practicing a new font by writing the letters big. This gives you more of an understanding of each letter and its characteristics, and in turn will let you write smaller more concisely. If you can master the large version of the font, the transition to the size you want to write at will be much easier!
4. Evaluate
Every week or so, try to think of any areas in which you're maybe struggling, or finding difficult to do. Is one letter not working out as well as you'd like? Is your writing not as consistent as you'd like it? Be honest with yourself, because it's much easier to identify a weak spot early on and work on it rather than compile a bunch of weaknesses towards the end and then get overwhelmed.
5. Patience
This is crucial. As I said, my penmanship took me years to achieve. You're unlearning something that I'm assuming was a constant in your life, and that will take you a lot of time. If it doesn't, great! But that's not normally the case. Please be patient with yourselves and allow yourselves the time to get better.
6. Letter Spacing
I need to take my own advice here but do as I say, not as I do lol! Spacing is very important when trying to achieve good handwriting. When letters are too close together, it becomes a jumbled mess of words, and it doesn't look appealing to the eye. If you make sure there's an even amount of space in between each letter, it will look much more pleasant, and more reminiscent of a typed page.
7. Write Slow
When I first started practicing my writing, I wrote at a snail's pace. Now, I can write fairly quick (example: I can take notes in lectures and still maintain my writing). But I'm only able to do that because of muscle memory- my fingers have adapted to writing how I do, and that's all thanks to me taking my time while I was learning!
8. Have a Light Hand
If you press too hard with your pen, that might cause your letters to look a bit stiff. For nice writing, especially if you're going to be writing small, you need to be as light-handed as possible. Apply enough pressure to get a consistent flow of ink, but no more.
9. Handwriting Guides
Handwriting guides are a wonderful way to improve your writing. You're essentially taking it back to the basics- learning the way we all did in kinder. Trace the letters, memorize the style, and practice yourself until you achieve your desired 'font'! And the best thing about them are that there are so many to choose from, so you're not limited to one style if you don't want to be. Another thing you can try is making your own! Take your time writing out the letters exactly as you'd like them to look, and practice off of your own guide!
If you'd like the a-z worksheet of my own handwriting guide, please click the link here :)
10. Have Fun!
Writing should be a fun thing, and never a chore. Don't practice because you feel like you have to- do it only when you really feel like doing it (but still try to remain as consistent as possible). Enjoy the process and know that when you're done, no matter how long down the line, you're improving your penmanship permanently!