It’s been awhile since the last time I wrote anything longer than three sentences in hand. Though in Task 1: What’s in my bag, I revealed that I had multiple planners and notebooks to jot down important events and information, the truth is, since working from home, I have dramatically reduced my “manual writing time”. The only time I write using a pen and paper now is during meetings when I want to quickly write something down.

It feels rather strange to write by hand again. However, that awkward feeling is not the result of encountering something new, rather, it’s that initial emotion one has seeing an old friend years after. Overall, I find this task to be easy as I just write down anything my thoughts take me to. There is something about writing on paper that makes the actual process unique in comparison to typing because it is more difficult to make changes once some work has been done. When I type, it is simple to add, delete, or start something new all within a few clicks.

In the past, when writing by hand was my default mode to produce any text,  I use correction tape when I made a mistake. However, as I spent more time typing on the keyboard, I found myself to care less about keeping a neat presentation when I write by hand.  For this assignment, I simply crossed out the mistake or wrote over the original word. By reflecting on this change, I wonder whether the formality of writing by hand has slowly gotten away from me and that is why I don’t put much emphasis on making everything looks presentable?

In the same vein, when I was writing, I kept thinking about the podcast (The Printed Book: Opening the Floodgates to Knowledge) we listened to this week and how far we’ve come in rely and transforming knowledge. In our time, it is a seamless process to make multiple draft before we present the final work. This is such a blessing compared to centuries ago when any error would mean to start everything all over again. It is safe to assume that people back then, would be more intentional in the process of creating their writing. Nevertheless, does it mean nowadays, the fact that we have so many (and easy) ways in choosing the different medias to present our work takes away any special meaning behind writing?

Mass production changes how work is produced and also ways to share information. We have come a long way in print technologies. The use of typewriter now becomes something fashionable instead of a common office equipment.  In Taipei, Taiwan, there is one lead letterpress printing store called RiXing Type Foundry (日星鑄字行 in Chinese) and apparently, it has the most comprehensive selection in traditional Chinese characters in Asia. Here is a video I found on YouTube with more information on RiXing Type Foundry.

For me, the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing is the intention behind each method. As a generation that relies heavily on typing, writing by hand assigns any work we do a special meaning to it. When I use a keyboard, I know I can easily make changes. When I write by hand, changes can be made but whether it be using a correction tape or simply cross the words out, it is going to leave a mark. For work, I now prefer typing things on my laptop because it makes collaboration easier, which is crucial during remote working.