Adventures In Analog

Sparked with fresh interest, I began enjoying the Apple Pencil 2 to handwrite and sketch on iPad over the past six weeks. The more I used it, the more I liked it. Digital handwriting instead of typing felt intriguing and satisfying. But then — to my surprise — I shifted to analog. Using the Pencil on iPad led me back to old-school penmanship and stationery.

Plastic and glass versus ink and paper

Journaling in Apple Notes with the Pencil on iPad renewed my sense of a more natural connection to my thoughts, but I found some downsides to digital handwriting. The plastic tip of the Apple Pencil 2 on the iPad’s glass display is slick compared to a “real” pen on paper; there’s no friction. So my hand grows tired from steadily holding a firm grip. My letters are sometimes hardly legible; I must write more slowly. And while palm rejection (even for a lefty) is excellent, it’s not perfect as sometimes my hand triggers the Sidebar or starts scrolling the page.

This led me to search for info and tips on iPad handwriting. There are special Pencil nibs available, and there are textured iPad screen protectors that simulate the friction of paper. They aim to make handwriting feel natural, look good, and minimize wrist fatigue. But just when I was eager to try these, the shift began. I discovered articles and videos about plain old writing by hand on actual paper.

Wait, what? I could just write on real paper with a “real” pencil or pen? You mean, like, analog instead of digital?

Exactly.

Why…who does that?

Many, actually.

Low-tech, Slow-tech

It seems there’s a trend of folks choosing analog tools over digital ones. Call it “retrotech.” It’s like when people prefer “dumb” phones, eschewing smartphones. Or like listening to vinyl records, cassette tapes, or CDs instead of digitally streaming music. And more to the case in hand, there are several YouTube videos with people sharing their experience with physical journaling and planning. And scientific studies and other reports show handwriting is better than typing.

My eyes and mind were opened to the benefits of writing by hand (whether digital or analog). Yet I also couldn’t shake the attraction and apparent benefit to actually writing on paper. It just feels more natural and simple; low-tech for the win. Why buy an expensive paper-like screen overlay for iPad when I could just use affordable real paper? (Don’t get me wrong, there are other pros and cons to digital versus analog note taking.)

A ball-point pen and a piece of paper are simple compared to digital apps and devices. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. Handwriting forces you to slow down the flow of thoughts from your brain to your hand and onto the medium you choose, causing you to think more deeply. It’s like careful contemplation or mindful meditation. You connect more intimately with your thoughts/feelings as they appear as words from your hand on the page before you.

Summary

I’m still surprised that after having converted to an all-digital lifestyle years ago, I now find myself reverting (in part) to physical solutions. Maybe it’s mere novelty. Maybe it’s nostalgia for the good ol’ days, having grown up in Gen X and learning to write cursive years before the internet existed. Maybe handwriting on paper is somewhat romanticized in contrast to sterile typing and staring at a screen.

Nonetheless, I’m intrigued by traditional handwriting — simple and natural. I’m taking my time to practice it, incorporating it more into my life, hoping to reap its benefits. A slower pace, a calmer mind, and clearer thoughts. Sounds good to me.