Mike Cafuta: https://blogs.ubc.ca/mcafuta/task-4-manual-script/

Mike’s Task 4 focuses on traditional handwriting. He describes the challenges of writing manually and notes how the slower pace creates a different type of engagement with the text. His reflection highlights the physical effort involved in handwriting and the way this material process shapes attention, rhythm, and meaning.

My Task 4 explores a very different form of manual inscription. Instead of handwriting, I experimented with potato printing and created a short video documenting the process. This approach emphasized the labour, imprecision, and creativity involved in producing repeated marks with simple carved tools.

Reflection

Although both posts respond to the same prompt, our approaches contrast in meaningful and revealing ways. Mike engages with the familiar act of handwriting, while I worked with a more primitive printing method. His experience centres on fine motor control, letter formation, and the steady flow of writing by hand. Mine focuses on the tactile and sometimes unpredictable process of carving, stamping, and reproducing text. These differences highlight the broad spectrum of manual literacies that Task 4 brings to the surface.

Our authoring tools also influence how each task is shared. Mike’s post uses a clear text-and-image format that suits the reflective nature of handwriting. My post integrates video, which privileges visual and procedural literacies by allowing viewers to see each step of the printing process. This creates a different sense of transparency and embodiment in how the work is communicated.

Theoretical ideas about the materiality of writing appear in both posts. Mike’s work invites reflection on the cognitive and sensory qualities of handwriting. My post connects more closely to early printing practices and raises questions about how tools, precision, and reproducibility shape the meaning of written text. Together, these approaches show how varied manual inscription techniques influence both practice and interpretation.