Bryan Stewart is an Amsterdam-based designer who created a typeface as unique as his DNA. Stewart wrote the letters A to Z on his skin using black ink, picking up the creases and lines on his epidermis to create his very own ‘skin type’. As I write most of my notes and messages to people by hand this project got me thinking about the uniqueness of handwriting.
Handwriting analysis, or graphology, is an intriguing practice that delivers some impressive insights into people’s personalities. It’s a specialized art, but there are some basic traits even us amateurs can pick up on. Does your handwriting lean forward? Then you’re typically caring, warm and outgoing. Slant backward? You’re observant and typically conceal your emotions. No slant at all? You’re practical and keep your emotions in check.
At the Florida International University, a study was carried out to see if handwriting had any relation to future success. Children in different age groups had their penmanship skills assessed along with their grades, and kids with better writing showed to deliver higher test scores. However, what about doctors who are known to have often illegible handwriting? Time constraints and habit are apparently to blame for this, but I wouldn’t take the quality of one’s handwriting as a prediction of the future. It may reveal a lot about your character traits, but good penmanship skills can be acquired with practice.
