Handwriting Analysis Toronto - Elaine Charal's Power of the Pen

Handwritten Logo: Sharpie

2011-10-17T08:58:00.001-07:00

The Sharpie Marker logo!

Handwritten logos are also a paper snapshot of not only the company, but what the company is unconsciously broadcasting to their customers about the company and what they are wanting to do for their customers in relation to benefits and service.

The Sharpie logo is a fine example of a logo having a constellation of positive characteristics that the company is on a subliminal level broadcasting to all their loyal customers; it is part of why people would feel an instant comfort in seeing the Sharpie logo and knowing they are using a good product.

The printed capital ‘S’ in the Sharpie logo indicates artistic ability: The company is conveying, “If you use a Sharpie, you’ll enhance your artistic abilities.” A printed ‘S’ also represents constructive thinking processes.

The squared letters in the ‘h’ and the ‘r’ within the Sharpie logo indicate a high level of manual dexterity. Therefore, the company is conveying, “If you use a Sharpie, your level of manual dexterity will be enhanced!”

The p-stem in the Sharpie logo is retraced, indicating precision in graphological terms. The company is conveying to all customers: “Enhance your precision by using a Sharpie!”

The i-dot is not only rounded, but close to the i-stem in the Sharpie logo . The company, therefore, is indicating that your ability to deal with detail will also be enhanced by using a Sharpie. The rounded i-dot indicates loyalty: Sharpie is conveying to their customers that they will be loyal to the quality of the product and to all Sharpie customers.

The ‘a’ in the Sharpie logo is clear, with no extra loops or hooks, indicating clarity, frankness and honesty. The message to all Sharpie customers is that by using a Sharpie everyone will be clearer in their communications.

The gentle forward slant of the Sharpie logo indicates the company is empathetic to its customers and has a good rapport with everyone who uses a Sharpie.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Celebrity Handwriting: Conrad Black 1996

2011-09-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Conrad Black in 1996

I recently found a letter written by Conrad Black in 1996, and thought there would be a good deal of interest in the dynamic aspects of his writing at that time.

Note the very firm t-bars, denoting extremely strong willpower. Most of the t-bars are extremely long, indicating enthusiasm: This enthusiasm made Conrad of 1996 a natural leader: All he had to do is get excited about what he was doing, and others would want to be a part of it. Many of his t-bars angle upward on his page of writing, indicating his optimism and positive mental attitude.

A great number of the t-bars sweepingly join to his next letter, indicating his fluidity of mind. This fluidity not only helped Conrad talk his way into or out of most situations, but helped him troubleshoot any difficult situation. He could easily change the subject, and no one would know! The figure-8 ‘g’ in the word ‘meeting’ and ‘King’s’ also indicates this fluidity of mind.

The star shape in the letter ‘t’ within the word ‘ate’ and ‘next’ indicates his tenacity.

Note the stick on the letter ‘p’ in the word ‘hope’ and ‘accept’. This stick shape indicates ‘argumentativeness’, indicating that Conrad is an incredible debater; he is someone who almost always got the last word.

The sharp break-away stroke in Conrad’s letter h’s in the mid-portion of the letter and the same break-away stroke in his letter ‘t’ in the word ‘went’ indicates his initiative: Conrad didn’t wait for much, but moved ahead with whatever needed to be done.

His many greek e’s within his letters indicated his literary ability and his creativity, seen today in the books and columns he is writing. The delta d’s in the word ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘forward’ also indicate his literary and creative abilities.

Conrad’s straight dowstrokes indicate his determination. His wide lower loops indicate his love of variety and ability to multi-task. There are many stick-like downstrokes without loops throughout his script, indicating Conrad would do his best work independently and was a leader/manager personality.

The retracing of his letter l’s suggest he was particular about the ideas he accepted, and would not readily accept an idea beyond his comfort zone.

The angled connective strokes between many of his letters indicate Conrad’s drive to achieve.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Celebrity Handwriting: Jack Layton

2011-08-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jack Layton: Dynamic All the Way!

Jack Layton’s signature has numerous strengths. These strengths appear in his 2008 signature as well as his 2011 signature, indicating his consistently dynamic personality was evident no matter what he went through.

Both of Jack’s signatures move up on his page, indicating his optimism: He believed things would work out well, no matter what.

Jack’s very high capital letters indicate his confidence and self-esteem. Jack believed in who he was, what he stood for and what he did.

The very long stroke above the capital ‘J’ in Jack’s first name indicates his enthusiasm and charisma. Jack was a natural leader: All he needed to do was to get excited about what he did or wanted to do, and everyone would want to be a part of it. The fact that this particular stroke ‘flies’ above the stem of the capital ‘J’ indicates Jack was a visionary, long-range goal setter.

The initial hook on the capital ‘J’ in Jack’s 2008 and 2011 signatures indicates ‘acquisitiveness’. Jack wanted to acquire ideas, thoughts, innovations. The final hook on this ‘J’ in Jack’s 2011 signature indicates tenacity: Whatever Jack accomplished and achieved, it was his.

The ‘a’ in Jack’s first name resembles an ‘o’, indicating he worked hard and made everything he did look easy. The pinched look of this particular letter ‘a’ indicates that Jack did far more for others than he realized. The tall, very slender loop on the ‘k” of Jack’s 2008 signature indicates he had very high principles and values that helped him guide his life.

The break-away stroke in the mid-portion of the ‘k’ in his first name indicates Jack’s initiative: Jack didn’t want for anything, but started moving on whatever could be done.

The very firm downstroke in the ‘y’ of Jack’s family name indicates his determination. The fact that this particular downstroke is so long indicates his need for change: Same/old wouldn’t last overly long before Jack ‘changed things up’. The hook at the end of this particular downstroke indicates Jack was someone who desired independence, was security minded, and someone who was conscious of his past.

Jack’s very high t-stem in his family name indicates he was a real go-getter who would always bite off way more than he could chew and then run to keep up. He needed to be in control so that if anything went wrong, he could do ‘damage control’.

Jack’s t-bars in both signatures move downward on his page of writing, indicating his need and ability to take charge. Both these t-bars join to the next letter, indicating Jack’s ‘fluidity of mind’. This fluidity not only enhanced his communication ability, but also helped him talk his way into or out of almost every situation. This trait would also help him smooth over difficult topic and move them to ‘safe waters’ without anyone realizing he had shifted the subject.

The downstroke on the ‘n’ in Jack’s family name pulls to the left, indicating reserve, suggesting that people may think they knew Jack, but in truth it would take time for someone to really get to know Jack to truly be able to say they knew him.

The period at the end of Jack’s 2008 signature indicates decisiveness, indicating he at that time was broadcasting unconsciously “I have the last word”.

"Snail Mail My E-Mail" project promotes Hand-written letters

2011-08-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

‘Snail Mail’ project promotes art of letters

The information and quotes in this blog are from CNN, and were written by Doug Gross on August 4, and relates once again to the importance of hand-written letters. Snail Mail My Email is a service created by Ivan Cash, a San Francisco designer and art director. The service lets users turn an online message into a handwritten letter. Since July 15 over 2,300 e-mailed letters to be written and then sent out. Snail Mail My Email users may request a doodle, flower petal or other extras to be included in their letters. Here are excerpts from Doug Gross’ article:

“The concept is simple. Since July 15, anyone interested has been able to e-mail a letter to the project’s volunteers. They turn around and hand-write the letter – complete with extras like a doodle, flower petal or lipstick kiss if desired – and mail it to the recipient.

Cash, who recently returned to San Francisco after a stint working in Amsterdam, said he’d been an avid letter-writer in college and the few years after. He said there’s something about the process of pulling out a pen and paper and crafting a message with your own hand that makes it more personal and well thought-out.” But eventually, he said, he began defaulting to e-mail and Facebook message like a lot of people. “Snail Mail My Email” was born as a way of getting back in touch with the joys of putting pen to paper, he said. “This isn’t a project that’s out to make money or be a forever solution,” he said. “This is just a jumpstart to help raise awareness.”

Apparently more people were interested than Cash guessed. In the project’s first two weeks, 2,300 letters were sent out “I’d originally thought I’d get five to 10 letters a week – and I was hoping I’d even get that many. He said. He’d originally planned to copy the letters himself. But when he got 1,000 e-mails on the fourth day, he considered canceling the project. After posting a request for help, he now has 134 volunteers literally lending a hand.

Kristin Huben of Montgomery, Illinois, is a volunteer who read about the project on a tech blog, sent her sister a letter through the site, then jumped when she saw Cash’s call for help. “I’ve always loved writing letters,” said Huben, who said she’s written nearly 50 so far. “I think it’s really become romanticized in an era of e-mail and Twitter and whatever – it’s an amazing thing to send a letter or receive a letter and think, ‘Someone took the time to do this.’” “Hands down, I would say that 90% of them are love letters,” she said. “I just feel so lucky to be part of a couple’s love story. It’s really sweet.”

Cash has penned more than 75 letters including the text of a man’s proposal speech to his wife, letters to President Barack Obama and even an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, from the “Harry Potter” series.

There’s something about a personal letter that e-mail or texting can never replace said Margaret Shepherd, author of “The Art of the Personal Letter: A Guide to Connecting Through the Written Word.” Shepherd said she supports the “Snail Mail” project as a way of enlightening people about the value of a handwritten note. But she’d still prefer to see participants just pick up a pen themselves. “Your mom wants to see your handwriting, and she wants to hear your voice, not a stranger’s,” she said.”

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting Sample: Jaycee Dugard

2011-07-30T07:27:00.001-07:00

JAYCEE DUGARD – Remarkable coping skills

This script is taken from Jaycee Dugard’s memoir called “A Stolen Life”. Jaycee was kidnapped at age 11 while waking to a bus near her house by Phil and Nancy Garrido. She was held for 18 years in a suburb of the San Francisco Bay area and had two daughters with Garrido, and was forced to be a ‘sister’ to her daughters.

This writing sample is from a journal she wrote about a kitten she was given (which was subsequently ‘gotten rid of’ because it interfered with Garrido’s fantasy. At the time of this writing, Jaycee had been held for two years. She had been raped repeatedly and threatened, and saw no one but Philip and Nancy Garrido, and was not allowed out of the room where she was kept.

This was (and is) a remarkable girl in relation to the coping skills in her script. Her vertical slant helped her maintain an objective, pulled-back outward demeanour during those traumatized and terrified years.

Her wide word spacing helped her keep what was happening to her at arm’s length, and helped her emotionally distance herself from what was going on. This script appears to be fairly heavy in relation to pen pressure, which would have given her enormous energy reserves to show resilience under stress.

The dominant lower-case letter area throughout her script helped her focus on the day-to-day, minute by minute which I’m sure helped her find even small things in her environment to feel appreciation for that helped her to hold on and focus on keeping herself as whole and as safe as possible.

Her rounded m’s and n’s also helped Jaycee focus on whatever matter was at hand and take things one minute, one day, and one circumstance at a time. The carefully retraced mid-portion of these letters helped her repress her emotions so that she could make sure she was ‘good’ and didn’t anger her captors.

The heart doodles that appear within her script and at the bottom of each page reflect her hope; hearts are ‘romantic’ doodles. The string at the end of her heart-shaped doodles at the end of her page may well have been symbolic of hope and love feelings reaching out to her ‘future’ (the string on the heart moves toward the right). In some of her heart doodles, the string is more vertical, suggesting she was elevating her sense of love and hope above what was happening to her each and every day.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Celebrity Handwriting: Elizabeth Taylor

2011-07-08T06:10:00.001-07:00

Your handwriting is the ‘paper mirror’ of your personality, unconsciously broadcasting all kinds of secrets about you to others. The text of your writing indicates your private self. Your signature represents the face you show the world.

In the strokes of your signature, you have developed a ‘trademark’; whether it’s legible or illegible, has flair strokes or is unadorned, it is the ‘face’ you have chosen to wear and show to the world. Its direction, size, style and position on the page all shriek to others the needs of your ego, and reflects how you want others to see you. Many celebrities and regular folk style their signature to project publicly how they wish others to perceive them.

Some celebrity signatures reveal a wealth of information about them. Elizabeth Taylor’s signature is certainly a treasure trove of positive qualities.

Despite having many physical illnesses and personal ups and downs throughout her life, Elizabeth’s signature still moves upward on her page, denoting sustained optimism. The tie-loop in the ‘t’ of her first name represents her persistence: It’s fair to say that having had eight husbands, persistence would be a necessary attribute!

The pronounced flip-up stroke after her first name, where the stroke rises dramatically above the tops of her lower-case letters, we have a ‘need for attention’ stroke. This stroke alone signals Elizabeth’s craving for attention, excitement and need to seek out the limelight. Her desire to be loved, valued and respected motivated her to move out to be with others and attract applause.

The subliminal figure-8 stroke formed between the ‘y’ and ‘l’ of ‘Taylor’ indicates her ability to communicate smoothly and to smooth over troubling situations verbally and in writing. The needle-pointed ‘r’ in her family name indicates sharp mental perceptions.

Now we come to the ‘lower zone’, or lower loops, representing our physical needs (food, sex, wishes/desires on the physical level). You’ll notice that Elizabeth’s lower zone is full and active, very much like her very colourful and rich love life, her wealth of memories and past experience, and very appropriately portraying this ‘active lower zone’ in her eight marriages. Elizabeth’s wide lower zone loops are typical of a physical, sensual person who appreciates enjoyment, pleasure, and the material things that money can buy.

If the lower loops represent a composite of past experience, ideas we wish to treasure, and physical experiences, Elizabeth Taylor was a wealthy woman, and the wealth I’m referring to has nothing to do money.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Importance of Cursive Part 3

2011-03-20T05:11:00.001-07:00

DOES TEACHING YOUR KIDS CURSIVE WRITING MAKE THEM BETTER STUDENTS AND PEOPLE? ABSOLUTELY…HERE’S WHY… (Part 3)

There is an upper stream of very competitive kids who are not taking the shortcuts many of our schools are instituting. For example, there are many ambitious newcomers and some who are considered ‘old school’ or traditional who have insisted their children take the more disciplined route and who can be seen in coffee houses all over the city with pen in hand working in study groups and using cursive writing. These children will become the doctors, lawyers and upper management. They are not late and don’t say “Hellooh, I had a hair appointment.” The bigger issue of education relates to the children with less discipline who have “lower case” ‘reading/writing/and ‘rithmatic’ skills and whose parents have glib answers to the shortcomings of today’s education in schools and who have facile explanations why their children are only achieving a Grade ‘C’ average.

With the Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z all having to interact and get along, it seems the characteristics above have swung the proverbial pendulum far from the middle. I believe what we’re to see in the next number of years will move that now-wildly-swinging pendulum to more of a balance.

The start-point to find a balance for that pendulum is to reinstitute cursive writing in schools and to teach the children to make longer upper loops, thereby fostering an interest far-reaching ideas, values and philosophies. This will give them a stronger focus they can apply other learning, and will provide a short respite from their many technological diversions. A longer, stronger attention span will, no doubt be an added benefit.

Handwriting: Generation Y

2011-03-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

DOES TEACHING YOUR KIDS CURSIVE WRITING MAKE THEM BETTER STUDENTS AND PEOPLE? ABSOLUTELY…HERE’S WHY… - Part 2

Examples that illustrate the personality of the dominant middle-zone person: Upon visiting a restaurant where both server and hostess were Generation Y, upon mistakes being made in seating and food order, the Generation Y response was “Whatever” and “Nobody told me.” The hoped-for mature, professional response “We’ll remedy that right away; this shouldn’t have happened” was gone.

In another example, a Generation Y’er was late for work and, when questioned, responded “Hellohhh! I had a hair appointment.” On yet another occasion relating to absenteeism, on being asked why they had reported for work three days out of five, the Generation Y’er retorted, “Well, do you want a good happy employee for three days, or a bad one for five days?”

A boomer told me this story: On observing two Generation Y people standing right in front of each other who were texting back and forth, she approached the pair and said “I might seem a nosy older woman, but why are you two texting one another when you’re standing together?” They replied, “Because we don’t, like, want anyone to, like, overhear our conversation.”

Get the idea? All of the above may very well explain, in part, why many from Generation Y prefer to live at home with their parents well into their twenties (no, Martha, it’s not because of the economy). While I appreciate that not all Generation Y folks fit the examples and descriptions above, many of you reading this, I’m sure, will be able to relate on some level with stories of your own.

So, what does all this have to do with handwritten script? The middle zone (lower-case letter area) is the area of the ‘immediate’, as I explained. Those with a dominant middle zone (termed the mundane area, represented by lower-case letters) and very short upper zone (termed the abstract area, represented by upper loops) want everything NOW. Many boomers were taught they needed to plan and save and then buy that house, that fridge, that car. Generation Y (and soon Generation Z) of the large middle zone feels they want it now and can merely put it on their charge cards, not likely thinking of the consequences until the bills come in.

We are, whether we realize it or not, in the middle of a quiet revolution and its new opportunities. The technical mind-set and different brain wiring of Generation Y and Z make it appear rational for the schools to put less emphasis on cursive writing. But is this really what we want to do?

Although Generation Y and Z have this technical mind-set, it is also crucial to re-institute the now-absent sense of responsibility and consideration of others. It appears that Generation Y and Z have a free pass on these qualities, resulting in the “Whatever” attitude we witness all too often. This consideration of others should not go out the window with cursive writing and other basic skills.

Justin Bieber's Signature: Positive Strokes!

2011-02-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

JUSTIN BIEBER’S SIGNATURE: POSITIVE STROKES!

In relation to Handwriting Analysis, some signatures are rich in qualities and some are not: Justin Bieber’s signature is one that is rich in positive qualities.

Justin’s signature moves upward on his page of writing, indicating his optimism. Justin’s optimism is enhanced by the ‘smile’ stroke on the capital ‘B’ of his family name—Justin can keep smiling on the outside even when he’s not smiling on the inside.

How interesting that the capital ‘B’ of Justin’s family name ‘sinks’ into the lower area of the writing. This is termed ‘sensuousness’ and indicates attraction to (besides the obvious attractions) delightful aromas, attraction to good food and attraction to the feel of rich-textured material, etc.

The letter ‘r’ in Justin’s family name is flat-topped, indicating good manual dexterity, which comes in very handy when playing guitar or drums. This letter ‘r’, denoting creativity, pops up higher than the tops of his lower-case letters, indicating that creativity is a priority and a necessity for him to be fulfilled.

The i-dot in Justin’s first name and in his family name are round, suggesting his loyalty to his friends, family and his fans. The very close i-dot to his i-stem indicates his close attention to detail.

The t-bar in Justin’s first name stands alone (doesn’t join to the next letter) indicating his matter-of-fact, practical outlook. It’s in the upper portion of his t-stem, indicating his drive to set high goals and stretch out of his ‘comfort zone’.

The deep v-wedge in the ‘n’ within his first name indicates Justin’s good analytical ability. The leftward downstroke of this particular letter ‘n’ indicates reserve: people may think they know Justin, but it will, in truth, take time for someone to really get to know him.

All the letters within Justin’s first and family name are joined, indicating his logical, sequential mind and his good ability to solve problems. His high capital letters indicate a good level of confidence.

The high, full upper loop in the ‘b’ within Justin’s family name indicates an excellent imagination and ability to plan long range.

The angled connective strokes within Justin’s first name indicate his drive to achieve.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Using a Comfortable, Quality Pen

2011-01-06T18:18:00.001-08:00

Using a Comfortable, Quality Pen

I’ve been asked on many occasions just how important the actual pen they use would be in either writing or handwriting analysis.

Comfort in writing and ease of writing is incredibly important. I have had people declare that they cannot write at all with a fine-tipped pen; others insist they need a medium-tipped ballpoint pen. More people today request gel pens because it makes it easier and more fun for them to write.

With everything and everyone moving faster than the proverbial speed of light, ease of writing becomes that much more critical. Bic’s ReAction Pen, for example, has the writer feeling that their hand is dancing and even racing across the page, a delightful combination of the solidity of the ballpoint pen and the flowing ease of a gel pen. For those who grip the pen heavily and develop calloused skin on the sides of their fingers, the soft rubber grip of this particular pen will be a welcome relief for many.

I asked a representative of Laywine’s Pens on 25 Belair in Yorkville, Toronto why people choose a high quality writing instrument. She said it was a matter of aesthetics, together with the pleasure of having and using a well-balanced pen in your hand.

The Laywine’s expert also said the importance of a high-quality pen had to do with the quality of the ink flow. As people push the paper with the pen, they’re looking for the good feeling of the ink flowing and the satisfaction in producing the line of the pen that you create on paper.

Further, the Laywine’s expert told me that a fine quality pen would satisfy the visual needs of the person using the pen, analogous to a nice graphic design poster. There is an element of art insofar as the aspect of visual art, with the look of the letter as it is being shaped with a fine-quality pen.

Finally, many people feel they attain a higher status in using a high-quality pen, similar to the status they would attain from driving a top-of-the-line car.

As far as I’m concerned, there is a ‘sensuality’ attached to seeing a line of substance and some texture produced from a writing instrument. Seeing and using a beautiful, top-quality pen can fulfill an artistic side of people they may not even be aware they need to feel and express!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Importance of Cursive Writing - Part 3

2011-01-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Importance of Cursive Writing - Part 3

Learning disabilities expert Betty Sheffield has found that, “handwriting allows access to kinesthetic memory, the earliest, strongest and most reliable memory channel. Put simply, when children write what they have learned, they learn it better.”

Here is a quote from “What America Lost: Tracking Attitude Changes Through Handwriting” by Sallie Bolich: “In the early nineties, Jeanette Farmer, a Certified Graphoanalyst in Denver Colorado learned of a study, completed in 160 by Dr. Rudolf Pophal, a German neurologist and graphologist, which proved handwriting actually creates a physiological/psychological link in the brain. … Her theory was that ‘push pulls’ and ‘ovals’, those drills so strictly administered long ago, aided development of neural pathways to the brain thought to improve impulse control, thus increasing the students’ ability to concentrate.”

Handwriting does require a significant amount of practice, perseverance, focus and concentration. Handwriting stabilizes the emotional brain because of the repetitive and rhythmic manipulation of the thumb and forefinger over time. This involves the development of the prefrontal cortex part of the brain. The word ‘focus’ is important: Studies show that children who are able to focus perform better in many areas of their life. Therefore, practicing handwriting until it becomes an ‘automatic skill’ is one of the best avenues to develop ‘focus’.

As the writing skill develops, so does the hand-brain-eye coordination that can be transferred to other tasks. Some researchers believe the brain paths created by developing the eye-hand co-ordination at an early age will lead to higher brain function later.

Throughout history, when the importance of handwriting was emphasized, the literacy of the population was enhanced. Historically there have been many cycles of literacy to illiteracy: The one fact that has been consistent is that during times when the population was not literate, the people went through more difficulties.

Writing focuses attention: Both the mechanical skill and creative intellectual processes are developed. Like it or not, people still judge you by your handwriting—some employers judge you by your handwriting.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Importance of Cursive Writing - Part 2

2010-07-24T08:03:00.001-07:00

Importance of Cursive Writing – Part 2

Handwriting is an independent skill that doesn’t rely on technology that at times may not work. The portability of handwriting allows it to be used when a laptop or other electronic equipment would be less than efficient. Many wonderful ideas have been quickly written on serviettes or small pieces of paper in restaurants.

There are tablets and Readers that allows a stylus to be used to jot down notes to be bookmarked for later reference.

For students: Written language requires more systematic thinking processes to organize thoughts effectively than oral communication. Therefore, writing and systematic communication go well together. The muscles everyone uses to write are also used in other fine motor control activities such as playing with puzzles or stringing beads. On a basic level, handwriting helps children learn to follow directions, an ability transferrable to numerous aspects of life. The fine motor skills required for handwriting can easily be transferred to professions such a dentists, doctors and woodworkers.

For teachers: Requiring students to write in cursive throughout their elementary schooling will facilitate the creation of the neurological pathways for handwriting and increase their speed and stamina—students will develop discipline and pride in doing their best. Studies have shown that students who maintain handwriting are better at spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar and composition. Teachers have observed how children’s thoughts are released once their handwriting skills have become automatic to them. Like the Traditional generation, young students today who take pride and work hard to achieve high standards in handwriting also choose to excel in other areas of their life.

For seniors: By writing for a short period every day, you are maintaining your fine motor control muscles and stimulating your brain as well. Handwriting notes and letters to the younger generations can inspire them to develop their own writing skills. It is said that handwritten papers will in the coming years be worth a great deal of money. Autograph books, high school yearbooks and copybooks from grammar school are sought after by antique dealers today.

People who are more interested in connecting with others are also often more inclined to use handwriting. By allowing enough time to be given during a student’s education process to master cursive writing, we are enhancing their opportunity to develop a significant aspect of themselves. In addition, it has been learned that children who develop a fluid style of writing tend to excel in other subjects.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Importance of Handwriting

2010-07-21T15:35:00.001-07:00

The Importance of Handwriting

Even if you learned to write way back in Grade 3 and don’t choose to use it any more, the neuro-pathways you used to develop the skill are still there, and can easily be re-activated. Resurrecting your handwriting skills, therefore, would be a much easier task than to learn it as an adult.

Studies have indicated that after handwriting becomes an automatic skill, we shift focus to the information we’re learning or communicating. Therefore, the more cursive writing practice we do, the faster we’ll be able to write. Students who have more handwriting practice in their early ears are better at reading and spelling. Being able to write in cursive means you will also be able to read in cursive.

With fewer pen lifts from the paper, cursive writing is faster than printing—each pen lift takes time and slows down the speed of your writing.

Did you know that literacy rates are higher when students are required to master handwriting skills? One possible reason for this is teachers must use the “See it, Say it, Do it” teaching method to incorporate the visual, auditory and kinesthetic abilities of each student in the process of learning to cursive write. Therefore, we can conclude that should learning handwriting decrease, so will literacy.

Cursive writing results in less confusion for children who have learning disabilities because the smooth flow of cursive connected letters is easier for children to master. In addition, there is less confusion between directions of letters such as ‘b’ and ‘d’ or ‘g’ and ‘p’.

Computer competence can be taught at a later age; however, reading and writing has a ‘window of opportunity’ that occurs before the age of 9 or 10. This is one of the reasons handwriting is so important by grades 2 and 3.

Studies have shown positive side effects of handwriting include reducing depression, blood pressure and boosting the immune system (Swedlow 1999). Learning to write helps children focus and concentrate and, in addition, helps to calm the emotional part of the brain. Over 3,000 nerve endings in each fingertip directly connected to the brain are stimulated when writing.

Marketing research shows that those receiving hand-addressed envelopes are seven times more likely to open that letter.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Why Cursive Write?

2010-07-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

Why Cursive Write?

Most of us who attended school from the 1950’s to the 1970’s experienced Penmanship classes using either the Palmer method or the Zaner Bloser method (remember the cards traditionally perched on top of the blackboard?). Most writings from Boomers that I see have elements of these styles of writing, with original and positive combinations of strokes that makes everyone a unique individual.

I have been perplexed for a number of years that the majority of scripts from teens and youngsters from prestigious schools are all printed and have about four or five stroke combinations in common that 1) results in most youngsters writings looking eerily identical and 2) indicates why many of the youngsters today are miles apart from their parents in terms of their overall outlook and philosophy (more about this in upcoming blogs).

This is not to infer that Boomer writing is ‘good’ and the writing style so common to youngsters is ‘bad’, but to get everyone thinking—period. Yes, we’ve all heard the ‘Well, why bother with cursive writing anyway, since the kids are all prefer computers’ argument; however, children are still excited and intrigued about handwriting and are proud about developing their own signature.

Developing the skill of cursive writing is, from the young people I’ve observed, a big challenge. To cursive write requires a good deal of practice, a need to persevere and the ability to focus and to concentrate. Did you know that handwriting actually stabilizes the emotional brain because of the repetitive, rhythmic manipulation of thumb and forefinger over time? Did you know that cursive writing involves the development of the prefrontal cortex part of a child’s brain?

The same focus I have just mentioned is a recent word that frequently appears in evaluations of young children. Studies show that children who are able to ‘focus’ perform better in many areas (including cursive writing!). Therefore, I say with confidence that practicing handwriting until it becomes automatic necessitates a child’s ability to focus and is an excellent method to develop focus.

As cursive writing skill develops, so too does the hand-brain-eye coordination which directly relate to many other tasks. Researchers believe the brain paths created by developing the eye-hand co-ordination at an early age will lead to higher brain function later.

The physical process of handwriting results in information being more powerfully entered into the brain by producing stronger neuro-pathways than simply pressing keys on a keyboard.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting of George Clooney

2010-04-18T17:31:00.001-07:00

Handwriting of George Clooney

George Clooney’s signature is every bit as ‘sensual’ as the man himself.

Notice first and foremost how George’s capital letters ‘sink’ into the lower area of his writing. This is known as sensuality, and indicates George’s sensuality includes attraction to delightful aromas, attraction to good food and attraction to the feel of rich-textured material, etc. It’s nothing by mischance that George should be holding a glass of champagne!

The excellent height of George’s capital letters indicates his self-confidence. The width of his capital letters indicates his self-esteem.

Notice how straight the downstroke of the ‘y’ in George’s family name is, as well as the downstroke in the ‘g’ in his first name. This indicates his enduring determination. The hook at the end of both these downstrokes and at the end of the ‘l’ in his family name all indicate his tenacity: Once George achieves something, it’s his! He is not one to give up on a task or a person. Both these downstrokes are also extremely long, indicating George is someone who loves change and diversity: He won’t tolerate ‘same/old’ for very long before he ‘changes things up’.

George’s script is a beautiful print-writing that is well integrated, indicating he is someone who possesses above-average intelligence. The ‘n’ in his family name breaks down into a thread formation, indicating he can adapt to any circumstances without compromising himself.

George’s signature moves upward on his page of writing, indicating his optimism and positive mental attitude.

A dynamic signature for a dynamic man!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Michael Moore's signature

2010-02-22T18:53:00.001-08:00

Handwriting of Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s signature is incredibly dynamic in every way.

Notice how the direction of Michael’s signature is dramatically upward. This indicates his positive mental attitude and his feeling that things are going to work out well, regardless of the circumstances.

Michael’s large capital ‘M’ indicates his confidence. The wide loop in his capital ‘M’ indicates his incredible capacity for responsibility. Just as he is holding the world, Michael will shoulder the world in relation to responsibility without hesitation. The flat-bottom loop in the capital ‘M’ indicates Michael’s need to excel and to best his personal best.

The v-wedges at the base of all the letters indicates Michael’s drive to achieve. The corresponding upper v-wedges in his letters indicates his equally strong drive to be in control of his life, his destiny and his decisions: This is a man who will never be ‘told what to do’.

The descending portions of Michael’s capital ‘M’ indicate diplomacy: He’s a man who easily can gain the cooperation of others: People do what Michael asks because they really like him!

His needle-pointed ‘r’ in his family name indicates his sharp mental perceptions.

The large size of his script indicates he is people oriented, big picture oriented and has a personality that ‘shines’ naturally.

Michael is a truly dynamic man!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Zacks Logo

2009-11-21T18:29:00.001-08:00

Handwriting and Zacks Logo!

A handwritten logo conveys the personality of a company just as clearly as a signature conveys the personality of the writer. The handwritten logo also implies the type of person who will visit and shop at the store or the company as a customer or client.

Zacks is a clothing company with a bold, dynamic logo. The dynamism of their logo suggests the type of dynamic woman, full of confidence and panache, who is attracted to their stores and who buys their clothing.

The Zacks logo is a print-writing that is very well integrated (the letters look like they ‘belong’ together) indicating the woman who shops at Zacks has above-average intelligence.

The capital ‘Z’ on the logo is tall, indicating excellent confidence in the woman who shops at Zacks; the great width of the logo indicates the women shopping at Zacks have a strong sense of self or ‘ego’, and like themselves.

The hook at the beginning of the capital ‘Z’ indicates the woman who shops at Zacks wants to acquire nice things for herself and has the drive and desire to achieve.

The ‘a’ in the logo is absolutely clear, suggesting Zacks customers to be honest, frank and clear in their intentions and their tastes. The slightly tucked-in hook within the ‘a’ indicates a Zack customer will be someone who deals with issues on her own time and on her own terms, and who will not discuss an issue until she is more than ready to do so.

The k-buckle in the Zacks logo has the buckle of the letter ending higher than the tops of the lower-case letters, indicating ‘defiance’. Therefore, a Zacks customer is likely someone who needs to be her own authority figure and does not take kindly to being told what to do.

The printed ‘s’ in the Zacks logo indicates the woman who shops at Zacks is someone who is a constructive thinker.

The bold underscore under the Zacks logo indicates the customers who shop at Zacks and the people who work at Zacks are extremely self-reliant.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Top 7 Dynamic Sales Qualities

2009-10-30T18:37:00.003-07:00

Top 7 Qualities of a Dynamic Sales Person from the Strokes of Handwriting

Handwriting reflects dynamism in writing, especially in relation to sales. Employers giving each potential job candidate a few blank sheets of paper and requesting their candidate to write some of their long/short term goals will gain a wealth of information to more closely target their questions to both candidates and references. Using the qualities below, employers will also be able to see if these very dynamic tendencies are within their candidates strokes of writing!

1. Enthusiasm: Seen in long t-bars (longer than the ‘usual’ length of a t-bar in crossing a t-stem). Your candidate’s enthusiasm will give them added energy to apply to tasks and projects and, in addition, make them ‘people magnets’ because of their natural charisma inherent in this enthusiasm stroke. They will be natural leaders because they’ll throw themselves into what they do 100% and others will wish to be a part of it.
2. Optimism: Seen in lines of writing that move gently uphill on the page, and within t-bars that also move up on the page. Candidates who have these qualities in their handwriting will have a positive mental attitude that will help through any highs and lows.
3. Fluidity: Seen in joined t-bars to the next letter and any figure-8 strokes in g’s, s’s or f’s. Fluidity of mind will enhance your candidate’s communication ability, and help them ‘flow verbally’ around problems and objections. This fluidity will make your candidate an excellent troubleshooter because they’ll be able to change the subject or smooth over difficult topics without the other party realizing what they’re doing.
4. Confidence: Look for high capital letters in your candidate’s writing (about 2 ½ times the height of the lower case letters). Evidence of such confidence in your candidate’s writing should enhance their self-esteem and improve their quantity of sales.
5. Initiative: Look for v-wedges in the mid-portion of your candidate’s h’s and k’s, and possibly in the letter t’s that occur at the end of a word. A candidate with initiative will not want to wait too long for anything, but will want to go after whatever needs to be done. Those who retrace the centre portion of these letters will prefer to opt for the tried and true rather than take too much of a risk.
6. Persistence: Look for tie loops in your candidate’s t-bars as well as star-shapes in the t-bars for someone who won’t give up until every scenario has been explored.
7. Able to work independently: Look for stick-like downstrokes in some or all of your candidate’s y’s and g’s. These ‘loner strokes’ reflect someone who does their best work independently and who has leadership and managerial skills.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Tim Hortons logo

2009-10-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Handwriting and Tim Hortons Logo!

Handwriting tells a very tall tale where business logos are handwritten or a certain script is used for the logo.

Tim Hortons has a positive logo with an abundance of dynamic qualities.

The slant of the logo is forward, suggesting the company has a desire to reach out to others, and really cares about the service they give. The baseline of their logo is steady, indicating the company is reliable, dependable and sincere.

The t-bar in both ‘Tim’ and ‘Hortons’ is firm, suggesting firm willpower, projecting the company has similar strong willpower.

The very rounded i-dot in ‘Tim’ indicates loyalty toward the company and toward their customers. The close i-dot to the i-stem suggests the company cares deeply about detail.

The ‘star’ in the capital ‘H’ of ‘Hortons’ indicates tenacity: This suggests the company will not give up until every possible aspect of a scenario has been explored.

The greek ‘e’ against the ‘r’ in ‘Hortons’ indicates a love of learning and challenge, and a need for harmony, indicating similar qualities in the company.

The deep v-wedges in the m’s and n’s within the logo indicate the company to be extremely analytical in their research and approach to what they do. The corresponding upper wedge in the ‘m’ and ‘n’ suggests ‘investigative’ ability, and projects that the company will trail-blaze rather than being directed by what other companies do.

The sharpy-pointed letter ‘s’ in ‘Hortons’ indicates steadfastness to a course once the company has it set.

The t-bar being in the upper portion of the t-stem in ‘Hortons’ indicates the company will not hesitate to set high goals.

The letters of the logo all being connected suggests the company has a logical, sequential mind-set and suggests a good ability to solve problems!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Sensitivity Enhanced with Other Fears

2009-09-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Handwriting: Sensitivity to Criticism Enhanced with other Fear Strokes

As discussed in my last Blog, Sensitivity to Criticism is a common fear trait, primarily seen in writing where there are fairly large loops on the stems of the ‘t’ and ‘d’. Sensitivity can be enhanced when other fear or defensive traits are seen within the writing together with the wider loops in the t’s and d’s.

For example, sensitivity seen in far forward slanted writing that also has a heavy pen pressure suggests someone with deep feelings and strong emotions … hurts caused by criticism in such a person will leave enduring effects.

Sensitivity seen in a writing that slants leftward indicates someone who may protect themselves by criticism by withdrawing into themselves.

Sensitivity seen in a writing where the strokes of the m’s and n’s are tightly retraced suggests the person is so fearful of expressing his thoughts that he will inwardly hold hurts caused by criticism tightly to himself, in time resulting in stress which could conceivably cause health issues.

Similarly, sensitivity seen in a writing that contains ‘secretiveness’ (rightward ovals within letters such as ‘o’) indicates an individual who wants to express his ideas but is fearful of doing so.

A person who is extremely sensitive to criticism may well attempt to protect himself with deceit (double looping within oval letters), vanity (extremely tall t- and d-stems), or other traits.

It is within social contacts that a person prone to sensitivity to criticism suffers most. Such a person’s success in relating to others can well depend on their ability to defend themselves against this fear. Pride (seen in t-stems that are approximately twice the height of the lower case letters) can mask hurt feelings, for a person who is proud would rather ‘suffer’ than disclose that they have been hurt.

If a sensitive person becomes defensive and, in this defensive mode verbally strikes back at those he feels are criticizing him, he may cause others such discomfort that they don’t want to be near him and will actively avoid him!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Sensitivity to Criticism

2009-09-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

Handwriting: Sensitivity to Criticism

Sensitivity to Criticism is evident in handwriting. Sensitivity to criticism is a common fear trait, acquired through continued disapproval and also nurtured by recurring hurts or rejection.

If you as a child met with frequent criticism, especially from those whose good opinion you valued or desired, your self-image may have deteriorated to the point where you have formed a habit of imagining unfavourable attitudes where in truth none exist.

The sensitivity discussed here is produced when there is repeated damage to a person’s ego that results in the person having a continuing fear of hurts, even imagined ones. This type of person may well have the habit of imagining unfavourabe attitudes where in truth none exist.

It is ironic that as much as sensitive people need assurance through praise, they often deprive themselves of it by refusing to enter into situations where there is even a chance they will encounter criticism. In a sense, they have their ears plugged to avoid hearing words of disapproval, and, in the process, they don’t hear words of praise, either!

The primary indication of sensitivity to criticism in handwriting is where there are the loops in the stems of ‘t’ and ‘d’ letters (letters which do not have looped stems in standard script). T’s and d’s embody pride and the elements of self-esteem. A loop, no matter where it occurs in writing, is imagination. When added to a ‘t’ or ‘d’ stem, this indicates a real or imagined view on the part of the writer of what other people think about their ideas, habits or actions. The more inflated the looped stems, the greater their fear of and sensitivity to criticism is.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Celebrity Handwriting: Alfred Hitchcock

2009-08-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Signature: Alfred Hitchcock

Showmanship is clearly evident in the signature of Alfred Hitchcock with his profile above his name; it’s every bit as distinctive as the candelabra above Liberace’s signature.

Notice the bold underscore under the signature. This underscore signifies strong self-reliance. The loop at the end of the underscore is an additional flair.

The first and last name of the signature is joined, indicating fluidity of mind. This is evidence of talent both in writing and conveying his ideas to others. The capital ‘A’ is open at the top, further indicating Alfred Hitchcock’s ability to convey and share his ideas and thoughts with others.

The signature itself moves strongly upward on the page, indicating strong optimism. The high t-bar in his family name indicates Alfred’s high goals and further indicates he had no fear of stretching way out of his ‘comfort zone’ to achieve his goals.

The straight downstroke in the mid-point of the signature indicates strong determination. The ‘harpoon’ v-shape attached to the downstroke indicates ‘aggressiveness’, or the drive to go after what he wanted in life.

There is an ‘energy’ to this signature that indicates the energy, drive and charisma of the writer. All the letters are joined, indicating Alfred Hitchcock’s logical, sequential mind and his ability to solve problems.

The retraced letter ‘l’ in his first name indicates Mr. Hitchcock was quite particular about his ideas. The ‘pinched’ letter ‘o’ in his first and his family name suggests he was someone who did far more for others than he realized.

A talented signature denoting a very talented man!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwritten Logos

2009-07-05T08:17:00.001-07:00

Handwritten Company Logos

Handwritten logos can be quite telling on an unconscious level about your philosophies and the mind set of your company. My logo “Positive Strokes Handwriting Analysis” was styled by a friend of mine who had knowledge of calligraphy. She wrote out the two words ‘Positive Strokes’ and based on my knowledge of graphology, I asked her to refine the letters, making this one wider, this one taller, this one this way, this one that way because I wanted to convey a specific message behind the strokes of the writing.

I asked her to print the capital letters ‘P’ and ‘S’ because printed capitals mean artistic and creative abilities. I had her mix printing and writing because when these two forms of writing are well integrated (that is, the letters look as if they belong together) it indicates above-average intelligence.

I asked her to make the letter ‘o’ very clear (no extra loops) projecting my own frankness, clearness and honesty. I asked her to keep the ‘s’ printed in the word ‘Positive’ because printed s’s indicate constructive thinking processes. I asked her to keep the i-dots very round because round i-dots indicate loyalty. I kept the i-dots close to the i-stems because it meant good orientation toward detail.

I instructed that the t-bar be kept high on the t-stem because this would project high goals. I made sure the t-bar was long because it indicated enthusiasm, charisma, and natural leadership. I had her form the t-bar to look somewhat like a ‘dagger’ to indicate wit. I made sure the letter e’s were well looped because it would project broad-mindedness and tolerance.

I purposely requested the word endings be wide because it would project generosity, kindness and a giving spirit. I made sure the entire logo angled upward, indicating optimism and a positive mental attitude. I had her make a strong, single, bold underscore under the logo which would project self-reliance.

I made sure there was a greek ‘e’ leaning against the letter ‘r’ in the word ‘Strokes’ because it would indicate a love of learning and challenge, and a need for harmony. Further, I made sure the buckle of the ‘k’ in the word ‘Strokes’ was higher than the tops of the lower-case letters because it would indicate ‘defiance’, meaning I was projecting I needed to be my own authority figure. In addition, I made sure the traditional ‘s’ in the word ‘Strokes’ was sharp-topped, indicating ‘steadfastness’: That is, if I was interrupted, I could stay in control and get back to what I was doing easily.

Make sure you style all your handwritten logos to project the message you consciously intend others to interpret from the logo!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Independent Thinking and Handwriting

2009-06-20T16:50:00.001-07:00

Handwriting: Independent Thinking

The word ‘independent thinking’ may bring all manner of descriptions to mind. In graphological terms, it points to a person who forms their own conclusions without deference to others. Graphologically speaking, ‘independence’ means thinking for oneself.

This does not mean such a person will not conform to the thinking or ideas of others when they feel it appropriate, but they reserves the right to make up their own mind and to act accordingly. This also does not mean that the independently minded person will not conform to a set of standards; however, those standards will be theirs and theirs alone. The independent-minded person might have a desire for approval, but is satisfied from within when they meet their own standards. Such a person will not be overly concerned with regard to the opinions of others.

Independent thinking is seen in handwriting by short-stemmed t’s and d’s, whether these stems be retaced, looped or otherwise stylized.

Some trait tendencies do not mix well with independent thinking. Where the trait of stubbornness (seen in tent-shaped t-stems) is present in a writing that also has independent thinking within it, such a person could stubbornly ‘dig in’ even if presented with logic.

Where independent thinking is combined with temper (flying t-bars to the right of the stem), resentment (long, rigid lead-in strokes to words), aggression (v-wedges in g- and y- looped areas), and deceit (double-looped oval letters), the writer could cause them to strike back in an uninhibited manner when they felt imposed on.

Some trait tendencies blend well with independent thinking. Broad mindedness (well looped e’s) and diplomacy (descending portions of double m’s and double l’s) would in effect minimize or ‘soften’ the trait. Initiative (break-away strokes in the mid-portions of h’s, k’s and t’s) when mixed with independent thinking would galvanize the writer to take opportunities and not allow themselves to be held back by the opinion of others.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Dignity in Handwriting

2009-06-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Handwriting: Dignity

The trait of dignity in handwriting terms is referred to as an inner quality or a predisposition rather than an outer quality. Someone who is said to be dignified is someone who has an inner sense of worth, based on the knowledge that they conform in thought and action to a set of standards that they’ve accepted as a certain ‘code’ for living. Whether this ‘code’ is acceptable or non-acceptable, it represents a code of conduct that the individual has come to accept and approve of, and expects others to approve of as well.

In handwriting, dignity is identified with the retracing of ‘d’ and ‘t’ stems. The strength of the trait will be seen in the frequency of the retracing and the closeness of the retracing. Where no ‘daylight’ shows, it is considered to be a strong evidence of the dignity trait.

Where the t- and d-stems are tightly retraced and the t-stem is short (indicating independent thinking processes), the person will reject conventional customs if he feels them to be obsolete while maintaining his sense of dignity in the process.

The writer with strong dignity will usually possess script that is neat and orderly with evenly spaced letters. The presence of dignity will usually curb any impulsiveness within the writer; such a writer will instead usually curb their outward expression of feelings.

A strongly dignified writer will usually think twice before committing to a course of action. However, if a really active imagination (seen in wide loops on l’s, h’s and b’s) is also seen in the writing, the writer will usually be able to act with more flexibility.

A dignified person is not likely to ‘lose his head’ but more able to stay level-headed through upset and pressure. They are more likely to be able to support people who are more ‘shaky’. Traits such as ‘rhythm’ (cadence, order and form in handwriting) and focus (seen in smaller writing) will intensify the trait of dignity.

The trait of dignity that is seen only occasionally throughout a page of writing indicates a person whose personality will indicate dignity at times, but not consistently.

Dignity will be an admirable trait to live with, but not one to get so caught up in that the writer seems to ‘live for dignity’.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Conservatism in Handwriting

2009-04-12T11:40:00.001-07:00

Handwriting: Conservatism

The trait of Conservatism is seen in Handwriting by script that is compressed: Letters are very closely spaced and the letters are narrow. This narrowness of letters is especially seen in the loop and circle letters. This narrowness of letters indicates minimized imagination and therefore the individual will be reluctant to accept new ideas or philosophies; they will also be reluctant to accept or acknowledge a broader outlook.

To be sure, Conservatism in handwriting is not nearly as common now as in past times. However, when seen today it can be perceived as a stabilizing quality that keeps a person in balance by helping them control characteristics which could be over-expressed. For example, a far-forward slant denoting a highly emotionally responsive person, if he also has Conservatism in his writing, will not allow expressed feelings to make them conspicuous. Conservatism in this case is a benefit because it will act as a control on a writer who, by his far-forward slant, would otherwise be impetuous.

Similarly, Conservatism acts as a control on such handwriting traits as aggressiveness (v-wedges in the y’s and g’s). Conservatism will also act as a control on enthusiasm (long t-bars), acquisitiveness (hooks at the beginning of letters and words) and initiative (v-wedges at the base of h’s and k’s), all of which can be valuable as success traits, but can also be detrimental when carried to extremes.

Where conservative thinking is called for in problem solving, Conservatism can help the person solve problems because it will keep them from going off on wild tangents. This works well, of course, unless a more original approach to problem solving is required.

This being said, a writer with Conservatism will find it difficult to adjust when placed in an arena where rapid change is the rule. Such a person will long for routine and will search for the ‘rut’ where they feel comfortable.

Conservatism can also act as a natural protection for a person’s ego, for it will facilitate the writer going along with an existing status quo and, as a result, can avoid being disapproved of or criticized.

Carried to an extreme where the handwriting is extremely narrow or where the letters appear cramped, Conservatism may be a real protection from fears such as fear of criticism or some other inadequacy so that the individual can retreat into a condition where they can be strongly vigilant so their behavior is never ‘out of line’. Such a person will be handicapped in a social sense because their fears inhibit normal expression of character traits that would otherwise make them interesting companions. Such an ultraconservative person will instead have a feeling of false security in their conformity with a set of standards which in reality mask ego protection.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Narrow-Mindedness and Handwriting

2009-03-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

My last blog discussed broad-mindedness as it is seen in handwriting. How then do you discern through handwriting if a candidate is narrow minded? First, let’s discuss what narrow-mindedness is: For the purpose of this blog it is someone who has a narrow or restricted point of view, or someone who is intolerant to opinions they consider far from theirs. To an extreme, narrow-mindedness may cut someone off from outside experiences and contribute to inner tensions, limit understanding and reduce thinking capacity. Although thought of negatively, narrow-mindedness may provide the positive effect of acting as a screen against the intrusion of extraneous ideas into a person’s pattern of thinking so that certain opinions can be blocked out to preserve their way of life.

In handwriting, narrow-mindedness is indicated by narrowed letter e’s, sometimes so restricted as to be retraced. You may also see tightly oval circle letters as well. Someone who has this evident in their writing prefers to stay ‘safe’ within the confines of his own experience and does not welcome the ideas of others. If a candidate’s e’s are retraced but the oval letters are rounded, there will be some appreciation of the opinions of others, but they won’t be likely to be accepting of them.

If your candidate’s writing has extremely narrow upper loops in the l’s h’s b’s and k’s, your candidate will restrict philosophical ideas Add to this attention to detail (close i-dots to the i-stems) and loyalty to beliefs (rounded i-dots) and you have a definite perfectionist in your candidate. If in addition to the above your candidate’s m’s and n’s have sharp v-wedges at the base of the letter and corresponding upper v-wedges in the letter, your candidate may exhibit narrow-mindedness because he has come to what he believes is a correct conclusion and he sees no need to explore the situation further; the matter will be closed as far as he is concerned.

Stubbornness (tent strokes in the d’s, t’s or l’s) may enhance narrow-mindedness for, after having taken a stand, your candidate would refuse to change their mind or admit a new idea. The vertical-slanted candidate (poised) who also retraces his e’s may see only the black-and-white related issues and refuse to acknowledge the existence of ‘gray or nuance’ between.

Repression (retraced m’s and n’s) in addition to retraced e’s makes your candidate afraid to assert new ideas or expand the ones they have. Add to this mix of traits self-deceit (left-ward looped a’s and d’s) and your candidate will be afraid to face life and, in closing his mind to the facts, they deceive themselves. All the above with dagger- and downward-slanting t-bars and you have someone who is generally obnoxious and who tries to enforce their ideas on everyone around them.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Broad-mindedness and Handwriting

2009-03-07T10:22:00.001-08:00

Are you considering candidates for a position requiring broad-mindedness? Are you looking for a potential mate or good friend with broad-mindedness? You can easily see this in handwriting! Broad-mindedness in handwriting terms is defined as ‘a willingness to tolerate the ideas of others’.

The trait in the strokes of handwriting is seen in well-circled e’s, supported by other wide loop and circle structures. Although the main indication is in the well-circled letter e’s, the upper loops would also best be well looped to indicate ‘abstract/idea’ tolerance.

When these well-circled letters are seen in vertical slanted handwriting, they will in effect ‘soften’ the poise and objectivity of the person to allow for another’s point of view. The vertical writer with broad-mindedness brings the element of empathy and fair-mindedness to their personality.

When these well circled e’s and l’s appear in a forward-slanted writing, the writer will usually avoid bias, especially when generosity is also seen in the writing (wide word endings). The more well-looped letters such as ‘l’, ‘b’ and ‘h’ are, the more broad-minded the writer will be in relation to ideas, philosophies or even religion. Where you see an extremely narrow upper loop, the writer’s tolerance of ideas, religion and ideas will be equally as narrow.

Broad-mindedness is a wonderful asset for the writer because they can adjust quickly, to accept advice or counsel in an understanding and empathetic manner. Such a person can establish rapport and cooperation very quickly.

Broad-mindedness (well-looped e’s) seen with independent thinking (shorter t-stems than upper loops) is a plus because the person will not only accept the beliefs of others, but will themselves expect the right to make up their mind in their own way.

When the upper loops barely ‘peek’ over the tops of the lower case letters (and where the letter e’s are well looped, indicating broad-mindedness), the writer will be tolerant of ideas predominantly relating to every-day life. Broad-mindedness will be able to balance such ‘rigid’ traits as resentment (rigid upstrokes to words and letters), stubbornness (tent-strokes in t’s and d’s) and aggressiveness (v-wedges in y’s and g’s)

This trait will add a good deal of enjoyment to any writer’s life because tolerance will enhance personal relationships and ease adjustments to new situations.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Self-Confidence and Handwriting

2009-02-25T17:06:00.001-08:00

Are you considering candidates for a position requiring self-confidence in your firm? If so, you’ll be seeking someone who is sure of their ability to reach worthwhile goals. You’ll be looking for someone who can move toward their goals efficiently because he is not shackled by the fear of failure. You’ll need someone who is sure of their powers, but someone who also realizes that at times they’ll need assistance and they won’t be afraid to enlist such assistance.

In handwriting terms, one of the main indications of self-confidence in the strokes of writing is strong, well-placed t-bars. Someone who is self-confident will place these bars high on their t-stems in what could be termed a ‘high practical’ area, but not all flying above the t-stems which would give a hint of the person being ‘visionary’.

You’ll want to see a t-bars that is firm to indicate firm willpower, together with this tendency to set high goals, with the t-bar in the upper portion of the t-stem.

A constellation of trait strokes that also points to self-confidence is ‘independent thinking’, seen in t-stems that are shorter than the upper loops. You’d also want to see enduring determination with the independent thinking, indicated by strong straight downstrokes on the y’s and g’s. In addition, you might want to see ‘stick’ downstrokes on the y’s and g’s rather than loops, indicating your candidate’s desire to work alone.

Self-confidence is also seen in high capital letters (but not so towering high as to be seen as overblown ego strengths).

A combination of intuition (breaks into letters between words which end on a downstroke and begin on a downstroke), combined with fluidity (t-bars that join to the next letter together with figure-8 g’s, s’s and f’s, and i-dots connected to the next letter.

Self-confidence is enhanced by a strong, bold underscore under the signature. Even a flourished underscore can indicate self-reliance, although curved underscores do not have the force of straight ones.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Team Work and Handwriting

2009-01-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

The most important component of success in today’s workplace is everyone working as a team and everyone sharing and communicating in a positive, forward-thinking manner.

I’ve found that one of the most dependable areas to perceive Team Work is in the strokes of Handwriting. It’s amazing how many times I’ve seen how people’s work team relationships work so well because they have common drives as reflected in their writing.

I’ve spoken to many groups whose ability to communicate and care/counsel others is paramount to the success of their team; it’s amazing how common characteristics thread through all the writings in the group resulting in all team members being on the ‘same page’ in their goals, their work ethic and their desire to help one another. Such a team would as a matter of course have gently forward-slanted writing that makes them natural counselors and people who love to give their time and help to others. Such a team would also be inclined to have ‘fluidity of mind’ in their writings where all or most of their t-bars join to the next letter and where they have many fluid figure-8 g’s and y’s in their script. Such fluidity would not only enhance their communication, but would help them be expert at troubleshooting difficult situations and shifting tough topics to ‘safe waters’ without the other person realizing they had done so.

Solidity within teams at work where communication and care are paramount can also be seen where the lines of writing of those on the team are steady, indicating their dependability, their reliability and their sincerity with others. In a team where rules and guidelines need to be adhered to, team members will likely have letters that join together, indicating their logical, sequential mind and their ability to effectively problem solve.

Where the positions predominant in the team are guideline-focused, team members who opt for the tried and true and for methods that work are usually the most comfortable. In handwriting this is seen where the person predominantly retraces the mid-portion of their letter h’s. Where there are break-away strokes in the mid-portion of this particular letter it indicates the person will occasionally take a ‘risk’; where this is combined with all the stroke tendencies in the paragraph immediately above, it suggests the person will take a ‘calculated’ risk as long as they’re sure that what they’re doing will work out well.

The next time you find yourself assessing a team at work, try having them write some of their goals and objectives as a team on blank paper and, especially if the team is geared toward caring and counseling, check their writings to see if all or most of the above stroke tendencies are present. The more the writings have in common with one another, the more your team will have a similar mind set, goals and focus.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Regular or Inconsistent?

2009-01-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve found that one of the most frequent characteristics an employer seeks of their candidates is consistency in work style and work production.

Some of the areas in handwriting where this is evident is in the consistent size of letters, the consistency of slant, consistent pressure and the ‘cadence’ or strokes that return to the baseline of the writing on a regular basis. The presence of this constellation of trait strokes indicates the level of stability, maturity and self-discipline of the candidate. This is the type of person who will have the staying power and reliability that most employers value so highly.

All too often a writing is seen where the size of letters fluctuate in size within a word or the slant will vary greatly from word to word or line to line. A candidate whose cursive or printed script has these characteristics is someone whose maturity has yet to be developed, someone who is less than disciplined and someone who might be careless in their work.

All too often I have seen candidates’ writing where there is frequent patching of letters, frequent flooding of ink within words and cross-outs of letters or words that seem almost angry. I have seen instances where candidates have this crossing-out of letters within their own name or the date. Such a writing is far from what could be termed ‘regular’.

Most people would agree that capitalizing the name of the company you are applying to would be usual, if not an understood or unconscious stroke of the pen. Believe it or not, I have in my possession a candidate’s writing where they on three occasions used lower case letters to write the company name. This, once again, is something I would definitely call irregular!

There are some who might immediately think: “What if the person is from another country and English is not their first language?” I have seen writings from people very new to North America that are by far more regular and consistent than people who were born and educated here.

A writing that is consistent and ‘regular’ is termed a writing with ‘good form level’. The opposite features mentioned above are red flags employers need to watch for!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Letter Spacing

2008-11-08T13:21:00.001-08:00

Letter spacing in handwriting relates to self-expression and, in regard to relationships, your level of warmth and receptivity.

If you were to look for an ideal space between letters, you might like to think of having the space of a ‘u’ between letters. With this amount of space between letters, you would be someone who could adapt, respond in a friendly manner, and be able to have a good give-and-take within your relationships. Not only would you have an openness to learning, but you could alter your point of view within that learning. You would likely be open-minded, candid and have a good level of self-discipline and steadiness.

Irregular letter spacing suggests someone who will likely be inconsistent in their responses to others, sometimes acting impulsively and sometimes pulling back, and seeming to not know where they really want to direct their efforts. Confusion of interests and the result rollercoaster ride of feelings that accompanies it may be far more attractive to this person than consistency and directed effort. In truth, this type of writing indicates a person who is anxious and not sure (or inwardly worried) about which way to go. They may well overreact to situations and people.

Very narrow letter spacing suggests someone who tends toward impulsiveness or overreactions in most situations, and whose judgment may be ‘off’. This type of person tries to fit in because the most important thing to them is acceptance. A narrow letter spacing can be indicative of someone who experiences confusion about what they feel and also about what others feel.

Someone whose letter spacing is wide is usually more outgoing and tending toward spontaneity. This is the type of person who responds ‘in the moment’ rather than taking time to ponder. They may fall in and out of love easily, for their attachments may appear to be to many, but in reality are to few. This type of person can on occasion be a little thoughtless and can lack tact at times.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com

Handwriting: Word Spacing

2008-10-25T15:07:00.001-07:00

Word spacing in handwriting relates to your ‘space’ in relation to other people around you. Word spacing can indicate whether you’re an easy, go-with-the-flow type of person or a more arm’s length type of person. Your word spacing can also reflect your style of speech, whether you talk quickly or in a more paced, relaxed manner.

If there is a nice visual balance between the space between your words, this suggests that you are likewise well balanced and have a good sense of boundaries between yourself and others. Your balanced word spacing also indicates you are reasonable, quite self-confident and are likely at ease in social settings. It also indicates you’re likely comfortable whether alone or in the company of others as well as a clear thinker.

If the space between your words is narrow, this does suggest you seek contact with others and have a strong desire to maintain constant relationships. Your narrow word spacing also suggests you may think, talk or act with minimal reflection. Very narrow word spacing can suggest you give advice freely (perhaps too freely), and your judgments are based on feelings. In addition, there is some insecurity that can be an integral part of close word spacing and some inclination toward occasional periods where you can feel isolated or lonely (resulting in you more strongly reaching out to others to compensate).

Wide word spacing suggests you’re not one to allow another close without giving time for the relationship to develop. Should your word spacing be wide, you likely hold others at arm’s length until you get to know them. You’re likely a little reserved. Extremely wide word spacing indicates you are quite independent and a little wary of intimacy. You may give the impression that you are self-assured, but feel shy or isolated inside.

If your word spacing varies between wide and more narrow, you’ll approach issues from a varied point of view depending on your mood of the moment. There are times you may feel a little anxious or scattered, and you can tend to worry. Your sense of boundaries may be blurred.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: A Fine Line

2008-10-13T13:16:00.001-07:00

The space between lines of writing is significant. Line spacing reflects how clear emotionally the person is, it suggests organizational abilities and has ramifications in regard to goal setting. Self-discipline and common sense are also factors in line spacing.

All the above is challenging to assess if you give your potential candidate or friend lined paper, for the lines of writing and so many other factors are dictated by the margins as well as the lines on the paper. Remember to always use blank paper.

Line spacing that is balanced suggests someone who can plan well, and who has a clear objectivity in their outlook. Balanced line spacing, in addition, suggests clarity of thinking and a good ability to plan. In addition, this is an area where you can assume that your candidate or friend’s level of common sense will be strong.

Where you observe narrow line spacing, when you can see that the lines are almost going to collide, it suggests a questionable judgment on the part of your potential candidate. It also implies a lack of comfort with self and a questionable level of knowledge about themselves. Their sense of reserve can also be called to question.

Overlapping lines, where the handwriting resembles a ‘traffic accident’ immediately raises red flags in relation to ability to follow through in an organized fashion. Where the upper loops (ideas, philosophies) are colliding with the lower loops (imagination, ability to bring what you are thinking into ‘reality’) it also suggests the person’s thinking may be far from organized. If you think of the writing as one line stepping on the other, it can call to mind a person who steps on another’s toes and who therefore lacks consideration for others. The look of such a writing can be analogous to the proverbial dog’s breakfast, and suggests issues with perspective and judgment.

A writer whose line spacing is wide is indicating they wish to be more detached, perhaps so that it is easier for them to exercise their judgment. If the distance between the lines is significant, it can suggest the writer feels somewhat isolated emotionally, or at least someone with an arm’s length idea of manners or protocol—perhaps a more elegant or ‘refined’ individual. Overly wide line spacing can also suggest the person is experiencing some level of upset or is a dispassionate individual.

Line spacing that is up, down and all around is an obvious red flat insofar as inconsistent confidence, demeanor, and can indicate moods that swing this way and that way at will. This is type of person who can be impetuous and whose moods are ‘of the moment’.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: A Marginal Issue

2008-10-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Margins not only create a person’s ‘universe’ as encapsulated on a piece of paper, but they create a frame around the writing. Margins also represent the writer’s area for communicating. For example, just as some people crowd their lives with activities, they crowd their page without any room to spare. Others leave space around their page, analogous to time left for reflecting upon their thoughts.

The person who has no discernible margin around their paper, but who uses every inch of space wants to live life fully. His sense of boundaries may not be developed, and they may believe that because they’re interested, everyone is interested. Someone who writes with a fairly even, broad margin all around is someone who makes sure there is plenty of space in their lives for everything to be done. People like this are not inclined to extend themselves beyond comfortable limits. Those with average margins have a good overall sense of control, neither being over-involved or distant with others.

A left margin that drifts righward is usually characteristic of someone who is enthusiastic and wishes to move to their future. This writer is so excited by what they are doing, they don’t want to take the extra time to go all the way back to the left margin. The writer whose left margin drifts leftward is someone who prefers to opt for the tried and true and established methods rather than ‘taking a risk’. In a sense, this person is ‘backing up’ from taking risks.

Should a page have a concave margin to the left, the person likely starts a project quite enthusiastically; as they realize they are overly far from a familiar ‘comfort zone’, they’ll likely move back toward the familiar (similar to the way their margin steadily drifts back to the left). The writer whose right margin is concave has readily sailed into a new project only to back away mid-page in the right margin pulling back toward the left when they’ve had a chance to re-consider their initial action. After such introspection and with renewed feelings of security that things will work out very well, their right margin is free to drift back from the left and back into the rightward area of the page.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: Big or Small Picture?

2008-09-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

In essence, the size of writing reflects your need for visibility and recognition. The letters, line direction and more marching across the page will indicate your ability to remain steadfast and steady, and whether your ego strength will help or hinder you in your quest for goals and objectives.

Large Writing: If your writing is very large, you are unconsciously ‘broadcasting’ that you feel a different standard or construction of the page should be created for you to accommodate your script rather than having to pinch your writing into a smaller space. This alone says volumes about you. Your very large script will almost seem to challenge the page; you’ll likely respond to life with the same confidence and enthusiasm. You’ll be very likely to enjoy risks and you’ll be quite at ease with others and in terms of your ‘inner self’. Your goals are likely high, and you’ll naturally assume a leadership role. Others will usually acknowledge and recognize your ability to influence others.

Small Writing: If your script is the opposite end of the proverbial spectrum from the large writer’s, it’s likely you’ll be more introspective. You may not be as open as the larger writer, although you’ll have a talent for detail and organization, personifying your small script. You’ll find it easy to focus for long time periods. In a sense you’re a kindred soul to the large writer, for you both have chosen paths away from the ‘norm’ and your small writing (similar to the large writer’s script) makes you quite independent. Your goals may be just as grandiose as the larger writer’s goals, but you’ll be more private and introspective about them. As a small writer, you’ll be comfortable working alone and, when you’re focused and intent on what you’re doing, will exclude the entire world without even realizing it.

Average-Size Writing: If your lower case letters are about one-eighth of an inch high, your writing is average in size and indicates you have the ability to be practical and realistic; you are able to adapt to your writing without compromising yourself in the process.

Handwriting: The Baseline - How are you motivated?

2008-08-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

When you interview that potential candidate and have decided to ask them for a Handwriting sample, be sure to hand your candidate blank paper as opposed to lined paper. Blank paper will allow your candidate’s writing to find its own direction and size without the restriction of lines and margins.

Should your candidate request lined paper because they don’t feel comfortable with blank paper, you’ll know your candidate prefers structure to being more free-flowing/creative. Should you see your candidate use some sort of edge (whether it be a ruler edge or the edge of another piece of paper) as a baseline for their writing, it suggests your candidate has a strong need to feel in control.

Baselines can move in a multitude of directions; the line direction itself indicates whether your candidate is motivated from within or allows outside circumstances to influence them. Those candidates who have a steady baseline when writing on blank paper are self-motivated. This is a person who is reliable, dependable and sincere with others. They will be a person who can maintain productivity and who can keep things in perspective and under control. This type of person will likely be quite goal oriented.

People with a fluctuating or vacillating baseline are more other-motivated, affected by reactions to their environment. They will be more susceptible to being influenced by outside circumstances or the expectations of others. Long-range projects may be challenging for this person because they prefer to wait and see what the immediate holds.

The person whose baseline ascends the page is optimistic and has an upbeat personality. A gently ascending baseline indicates the individual will be enthusiastic and buoyant. A baseline that resembles a steep hill suggests someone who is overly optimistic or who has aspirations that are unrealistic.

The baseline that moves ‘downhill’ could be broadcasting a period of discouragement or pessimism. It will be important to know whether this is something that happens in their writing all the time, for if someone is used to writing on lined paper, it is possible that their baseline will pull downward toward their body naturally without any discouragement evident.

A writing that begins the line steadily or in an upward direction and then falls downhill at the end of the line suggests someone who starts off with determination and a good attitude, but somehow loses energy as time goes on. Such a person may lose energy throughout a task or become discouraged or pessimistic as they move through tasks. Conversely, a baseline that begins well and then droops down like a sagging mattress and then moves upward toward the end of the line is someone who may become discouraged, but pulls themselves out of it to ‘win the game’ in the end.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: The Aggressive, Hard-Driving Person

2008-08-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

This blog will be helpful to you if you seek to hire someone who is a hard-driving sales person who will do their utmost to bring in the numbers. It will also be interesting to you if you are looking for a hard-driving mate who has a personality that is ‘larger than life’.

Aggressive: One area you can perceive aggressiveness through the strokes of handwriting is in the ‘y’ and ‘g’. Should you see strong v-wedges in these letters or any other strong v-wedges in the lower loop area, you are perceiving aggressiveness, or that person’s drive to go after what they want. A sprinkling of these through the handwriting indicates a strongly sales- and results-oriented personality. If every ‘y’ and ‘g’ has a v-wedge, you’re looking at a sales individual with a personality that could be a little disarming to those who prefer a softer approach.

Sharp Wit: In your hiring search for someone who can win through intimidation, keep a look-out for someone who sharply slashes their t-bars to the point where they resemble daggers. Here you are looking at someone who wins by intimidation and someone who can withstand rejection. Should this person feel they are being pushed around, they are quite capable of making pointed remarks to keep others at arm’s length.

Angled Connectives: When you perceive the connections between letters in a writing to be sharply angled, you’re seeing someone who has the drive to achieve, no matter what the odds. This is a quality that Donald Trump has in his writing to strongly drive himself toward what he wills himself to achieve.

High, Dominant Capitals: When the writing you’re looking at has capital letters that fairly leap off the page in terms of their height and width, you’re seeing someone who has incredibly dynamic ego strengths and extremely high confidence. This is the type of person who is ambitious, full of self-esteem, promotional talent and could be almost imperious.

Large Writing: The writer who lands on the page with their commanding script usually lives their life with equal confidence and enthusiasm. This is the person who will not hesitate to take a risk, act courageously and act boldly. They’ll have high aspirations and most likely seek leadership. They will be gregarious and have no doubt as to their own self-worth. Their ability to influence and lead will be obvious.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: The Dependable, Logical Person

2008-08-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

This blog is a continuation of some tips for those who hire individuals, or who are cultivating a new friendship. By now you have handed your candidate a few sheets of blank paper and asked them to record some of their long- and short-term goals, what they feel the responsibilities of the position are, and why they’re excited about working for you.

If one of your hiring criteria (or criteria for friendship) is dependability and logic, you might check for the presence of:

Solidity: Does your candidate have a steady baseline? If the answer is yes, this indicates the individual is reliable, dependable, straightforward, sincere, and likely has an even temper. If their writing is ruler straight, it indicates control of emotions and moods to the point of fearing being out of control. Such an overly straight ruler-writing also can suggest rigid discipline and someone who does not allow self-doubt.

Logic: If your candidates letters are all connected, this suggests your candidate has a logical, sequential mind and solves problems one issue or item at a time until everything is resolved.

Matter-of-Fact Outlook: Should you need your candidate to have a matter-of-fact, black-and-white outlook, check to see if all of their t-bars stand alone on their t-stems (that is, check to see that none of their t-bars join to the next letter). If this is the case, your candidate would likely respond to a remark such as “Oh, look, there’s our garbologist over there.” By saying “It’s garbage … why don’t you call it what it is. Why use a five dollar word rather than a one dollar word?”

Analytical mind: Check your candidate’s m’s and n’s: If most or all of their letters have a v-wedge at the baseline, you’re looking at a candidate who has an incisive, analytical mind. This is the type of person who doesn’t accept existing information, but who wants to know ‘why’.

Good follow-through: Do your candidate’s ‘g’ and ‘y’ loops return to the baseline of their writing? If the answer is yes, you have someone in front of you who has an excellent sense of follow-through. If they say they will do something, chances are very good that they will, and within the time frame they have promised!

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: The Service-Oriented Person

2008-08-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are hiring staff and who would like more information about your candidate so that you can get to know them better, here’s a great general tip: Hand any candidate you interview from this time onward a few sheets of BLANK paper and ask them to write some of their long- and short-term goals, ask them to write what they understand the job responsibilities are, and ask them to write down why they are excited at the prospect of working with your company. In doing this, you will get a few pages from your candidate’s heart and thoughts rather than receiving a crafted resume. Doing this will also give you more information to target questions to both your candidate and to their references.

For those of you seeking service-oriented people, look at those few handwritten sheets from your candidate and see if any of these trait strokes are present:

Diplomacy: If the second portion of your candidate’s letter m’s are lower than the first portion, they are indicating they can be quite diplomatic with others, and are good at gaining the cooperation of others. Other people will do what your candidate asks, even if they’re not sure why.

Helping Others: Are the lead-in strokes to your candidate’s letter h’s suspended above the baseline? If the answer is yes, your candidate is someone who has a need to be needed, and likely loves to reach out to others.

Empathy: One area of empathy in handwriting is reflected by a gentle forward slant, indicating the person will not only reach out to others, but is someone who others can relate to easily.

Being of Service: Do some or most of your candidate’s letter s’s have soft tops? Do some of their letter r’s have a soft top as well? If you see many of these soft tops on these particular letters, it indicates ‘yieldingness’ in your candidate. That is, your candidate wishes to accommodate to the needs and wishes of others—it may be difficult for your candidate to say ‘no’, especially when ‘no’ is going to result in unpleasantness or confrontation. If the position you need to fill is sales related and you see a high number of these soft-topped s’s, it indicates your candidate will be a relationship-building type of sales person and not someone who is a hard-core crunch-the-numbers sales type of person.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Personal Pronoun I

2008-07-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

There are many formations of the Personal Pronoun I (PPI), each one having a special meaning. This blog addresses the size of the Personal Pronoun I.

The average size PPI balances with the size of the rest of the writing. If your PPI is an average size, it suggests you are comfortable with yourself and those around you, and someone who can give and take with ease. You are someone who doesn’t give in to those around you and at the same time doesn’t exert your own opinions or need for independence forcefully at the expense of others.

If your PPI is small, you are someone who is modest and tends to underestimate your abilities. You’re not someone who ‘blows your own horn’ so to speak, and would rather blend and be more unassuming. Should you be faced with a new challenge, you’ll have to overcome doubt in yourself . Lack of faith in yourself may limit your ability to achieve. As such, you’ll need activities where you can feel comfortable and that you know how to do very well.

If your PPI s large, you have a strong self-image, are relaxed with yourself and open toward others. You really won’t be overly concerned about others’ opinions of you. Your self-confidence will be strong, allowing you to be spontaneous with others. You are someone who can ask for what you want and who can easily command the respect of others. You can be quite visible in your actions and your positions and will handle this easily.

Inflated PPI: Your PPI represents ‘you’: any exaggeration is also an exaggeration of your personality. If you have an exaggerated PPI and your writing is balanced and a ‘high form level’, you are someone who projects energy and power with incredible confidence and a strong ego. If your exaggerated PPI is in a faltering or ‘low form level’ writing, you may be someone who projects super confidence while inwardly shaking.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

How You Think: Check out Your m’s and n’s

2008-07-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Your m’s and n’s are one are of your handwriting that indicates how you think. The most efficient thought process is where you have a variety of m’s and n’s. When there is only one type of ‘m’ and ‘n’ throughout your writing, that is also giving a message to you.

Rounded m’s and n’s: If all your m’s and n’s are carefully rounded, you are someone who thinks in a cumulative, step-by-step process. You are likely to be someone who does things in a careful, methodical manner. It may take longer for you to learn, but once you’ve learned something, it usually stays with you. You are not someone who likes to be hurried in building ‘evidence’ to support your thoughts and conclusions. Some may think you ‘slow’ but in actuality you are thorough.

V-wedges at the base and the upper part of your m’s and n’s: If you have deep v-wedges at the base of your m’s and n’s, you are a truly analytical thinker. You won’t appreciate people presenting you with fait accompli information, but will want to ask ‘why’. The corresponding upper wedges in these letters represent your exploratory ability: In other words, you are not someone who allows others to ‘tell you what to do’. Such an individual will challenge absolutely everything until they are satisfied.

Needle points: Are there needle points in your m’s and n’s? These are indications of your keen comprehension. You are someone who is so quick and bright that you can finish sentences for people. You are usually three or four steps ahead of most! The only caution here is when you need to communicate with those who are slower minded than you are. You may think you’re listening, but in actuality have drifted off and are thinking about five or six other things. You may say “Got it, yes, absolutely.” However, you’re the same one who may have to return in five minutes, saying “What was that last part?”

Threading: Do the portions of your m’s and n’s ‘break down’, resembling a spool of thread thrown to the ground? If the answer to this is yes, it indicates ‘threading’. If you are a true thread writer, you can be a real chameleon who has the gift of adapting to any situation and person without compromising yourself. You are someone who could be termed a ‘politician’.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

More Dynamism in Handwriting

2008-06-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Further to my last three blogs on Dynamism, here are a few more for you to add to your list to see if they already flourish within your script.

High goals: The height of stand-alone t-bars in your writing reflects the height of your goals. If your stand-alone t-bars are mid-point on your t-stems, you are ‘broadcasting’ that you set practical, achievable goals and that you do what you set out to do. If your stand-alone t-bars are lower than the mid-point in your t-stem, you are saying you underestimate the height of your goals, and keep your goals somewhat low to make sure you don’t disappoint yourself or others in what you achieve. If you wish to enhance the level of your goals, you might like to see how you feel by placing some of your t-bars in the upper portion of your t-stems. Flying t-bars indicate you set good long-range visionary goals: Make sure that all of your t-bars don’t fly off the tops of your t-stems, for this indicates ‘unrealistic’ goals.

Good follow-through: Take a look at your lower loops on your y’s and g’s. Do your loops return to the baseline of your writing? If the answer is yes, this means you are good at following through on your goals. If your loops cut off before the baseline of your writing, this means you’ll tend to postpone looking at situations, or cut your feelings off from dealing with certain situations until you are absolutely ready to do so. If the final stroke of your ‘y’ and ‘g’ loops shoots upward higher than the top of the letter, this indicates ambition, as indicated in last week’s dynamic qualities.

Loner strokes: Are some of the downstrokes in your y’s and g’s stick-like? These are termed ‘loner strokes’ and indicate you do your best work independently. They also suggest leadership and management capabilities within you; in addition, they suggest you are certainly not a follower!

Analytical ability: Notice your m’s and n’s: Are there v-wedges at the base of the letters? If there are, this indicates your good analytical abilities: You’re not one who accepts existing information, but someone who wants to know ‘why’.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Dynamism in Handwriting Continued

2008-06-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Further to my last two blogs on Dynamism, here are a few more for you to investigate in your own writing. All you need to do if you wish to adopt these qualities into your personality is to incorporate them into your writing! When it becomes natural for you to form your letters using the altered stroke, you have incorporated it into your personality!

Tenacity: Do you have star-shaped t-bars or small hooks at the end of your ‘g’ and ‘y’ downstrokes? If the answer is yes, you are someone who never, ever gives up until every possibility has been explored. You are also someone who, once you achieve, holds on to what was achieved.

Aggressiveness: Do you have v-wedges in some of your y’s and g’s? This indicates your aggressive forward drive to go after what you want. If every one of your y’s and g’s has this v-wedge, you are extremely aggressive! If you would like to cultivate a little aggressive drive in your personality, try forming one or two of your y’s and g’s with a v-wedge within a page of your writing and see how you feel.

Ambition: Do some of the final strokes of your words or letters ‘shoot’ high in the air? If so, you are someone who has a quest to do well: Your ambition will ensure that you do very well no matter what happens!

Passion: How heavy is your pen pressure? Can you feel corrugations on the reverse side of your page of paper? If there are clear corrugations where you have written on the back of your sheet, this indicates your passion (either you give 100% or you give 0%—not 50%), your vitality and your energy. Make sure that you have a good, positive outlet for the great depth of your feelings, either in a creative activity or a physical activity so that your feelings don’t build up inside you.

Further Tendencies Indicating Dynamism In Handwriting

2008-05-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

This continues last week’s exploration, and gives you another opportunity to look at your handwriting to see how dynamic you are. Remember, if you would like to emulate these stroke tendencies in your writing, you will be personally ‘taking on the cloak of dynamism’ that these strokes represent.

Determination: Are your ‘y’ and ‘g’ down strokes straight? If the answer is, yes, you are indicating an excellent level of determination as reflected by your handwriting. If you find your letter ‘y’ has a down stroke that is slightly bent, it indicates your determination will be somewhat ‘go with the flow’, where you have every intention of moving toward a goal, but find things continually intervene. Try straightening this particular stroke and see how you feel!

Willpower: T-bars per se represent willpower. Check your pen pressure on your t-bars. If your pen pressure is firm, it indicates your willpower is similarly firm. If your pen pressure is weaker on your t-bars, it suggests you can be inclined toward the will of others before your own. If your t-bar stands alone and is slightly ‘dished’ like a saucer, you might like to see how you feel by straightening the stroke and perhaps increasing the pen pressure on your t-bar.

Persistence: Do you have tie-loops in your t-bars or in the mid-portion of your letter f’s? If the answer is yes, this means you have a strong persistence as reflected by your writing. You are, therefore, not someone who gives up easily, but someone who will try every possible avenue until you’re sure a course of action has been exhausted.

Some Tendencies Indicating Dynamism In Handwriting

2008-05-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

Now is the time for you to take a look at your own Handwriting to see how dynamic you are. The good news is that if you would like to enhance these qualities in your own Handwriting, all you need to do is to begin to incorporate these strokes.

The process of changing your handwriting to change your life is termed Graphotherapy. Some of you may remember styling your signature throughout your life to reflect your personality the way you wanted others to see you. Changing these individual strokes of your signature is a similar process. Many celebrities style their signatures in a similar manner (remember Liberace’s candelabra and piano within his signature?)

Enthusiasm: If you would like to have your writing reflect enthusiasm, see how you feel by making your stand-alone t-bars longer than it takes to cross your t-stem.

Initiative: Initiative, as reflected in one area of handwriting, is seen by break-away strokes in the mid-portion of the letter ‘h’ or in a letter ‘t’ as it appears at the end of a word. If you notice that you retrace the mid-portions of your letter ‘h’, this suggests you will opt for the tried and true; if you see break-away strokes in your letter ‘h’ it signifies you will on occasion ‘take a risk’.

Optimism: If your lines of writing move upward on your page, you likely hold an optimistic, positive outlook. Having your stand-alone t-bars move upward on your page also reflects your optimism.

Confidence: If your capital letters are almost twice as high as your lower case letters, you are exhibiting confidence. If your capital letters are as small or even smaller than the tops of your lower case letters, you are more modest. If you would like to reflect more confidence in the paper mirror that is your handwriting, see how you feel by making your capital letters a little taller.

The Sales Personality Through Handwriting

2008-05-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

If you are a dynamic sales person who goes after results, you’ll have many strengths reflected in your writing. You’ll likely have a large script because this reflects people-orientation and big-picture orientation. It also means you’ll likely have a personality that ‘shines’.

Your t-bars might be quite long, indicating your enthusiasm. This enthusiasm gives you extra energy to apply to projects and tasks and, in addition, makes you a natural leader...you get excited about what you do and others just want to be a part of it. Finally, your enthusiasm gives you a good deal of charisma!

Your t-bars may also join to your next letter, and you may well have figure-8 g’s or s’s. This is termed ‘fluidity of mind’: This enhances your communication ability and allows you to ‘flow’ verbally around problems and objections, similar to the way water flows around a rock. This fluidity helps you smooth over difficult situations and/or talk your way into or out of most things. It makes you an excellent troubleshooter, for you can easily change the subject and ease it into ‘smooth waters’ without anyone realizing what you’ve done. Your stand-alone t-bars will likely be in the upper portions of your t-stems, indicating you’re not afraid to stretch out of your ‘comfort zone’.

You may have double loopings in your oval letters: This is a ‘politician’s’ stroke and means you can make a good case for something, even if you’re not entirely sure. If there are hook-like structures in your oval letters, this will have a similar effect within your personality in relation to persuasiveness.

It’s likely that the downstrokes of your y’s and g’s are stick-like, indicating you are a ‘loner’ who does your best work independently. A few of your downstrokes may have wide loops, indicating your love of variety and your ability to juggle three or four tasks at once.

There will likely be a dynamic ‘energy’ throughout your writing that will reflect in the dynamism of your own personality. Your capital letters may well be quite high, reflecting your self-confidence and independence.

The t's that Please

2008-05-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

The letter ‘t’, perhaps more so than any other letter, reveals a wealth of knowledge about you and your personality. Here are some t-s you might like to ‘try on’ to see how you feel!

Would you like more persistence in your life? Work some tie-loops into some of your t-bars, and see how you feel. If you’d like more tenacity (a cousin trait stroke to persistence), see how you feel by making some ‘star-shaped’ t-bars. As I mentioned in my first blog, if you place your stand-alone t-bars in the upper portion of your t-stems, you’re broadcasting to others that you’ll stretch your goals way outside your proverbial comfort zone.

Enthusiasm is a real enhancer of charisma. Do you have enthusiasm within your t-bars? If your t-bars are longer than necessary to cross the t-stem, you are exhibiting enthusiasm. This not only gives you charisma, but makes you a natural leader: You don’t have to do a thing—you get excited by what you do and others want to be a part of it!

Firm t-bars represent firm willpower: If your t-bars are firm all the way through, you are unconsciously stating to others that you have firm, strong willpower.

Do your t-bars move upward on your page of writing? If so, others are ‘picking up’ that you are a positive, optimistic person who just knows that things will work out well.

Do some of your t-bars fly off he tops of your t-stems? If so, this means you are a visionary goal setter who can set long-range goals. When you have a problem, you can cast your mind into the future, see the situation solved in your mind, and, on coming back to the problem in the ‘now’ it doesn’t seem so hard to solve!

As I mentioned in my ‘Welcome Blog’, the magic of handwriting (really brain writing) is that by consciously altering particular letters (a process called Graphotherapy) you are sending different impulses back to your brain and thus altering your personality. This is why it is so important to know what a stroke structure means before you adopt it within your handwriting!

Please e-mail me if you’d like a list of 16 dynamic trait stroke tendencies (in addition to t’s) at hwriting@interlog.com

Callirobics: Handwriting Exercise Program to Music

2008-05-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Do you remember back in school where most of us had to practice circles and loops endlessly in the quiet of the classroom? Do you remember having your pen taken away from you and being told you had to write with a pencil until you got the loops right? Those are my memories of learning cursive writing, and they’re not really ‘yippee skippy’ memories.

In 1991 when I was at a Handwriting convention in the States, I was excited to be part of a presentation by Liora Laufer of Virginia who had developed a Handwriting Exercises program called Callirobics (Calli for ‘caligraphy’ and robics for ‘aerobic’ exercise). These wonderful exercises combine music and graphics of magical graphic formations like cat’s ears, dancing dollies and curly heads that combine with wonderfully upbeat and relaxed music to help children with their fine motor skills, their cursive writing and their confidence. I was so excited by what I saw that I immediately arranged to market and distribute Callirobics in Canada.

Many schools today push the children quite quickly from printing to the computer, not realizing the important brain/mind connections that cursive writing, marshal arts, etc. provide for the children. Handwriting is an important lifelong skill that doesn’t come easily to everyone. To smooth the transition for students, many teachers are using this innovative handwriting exercise program where the children draw patterns of set straight and curved lines while the Callirobics light music plays. Each written exercise has its own music and its own name, and the children learn to recognize what’s coming.

Not only do the children love the exercises, but when the actual letters are introduced as part of the cursive writing program, they can spot the patterns in the letters they learn. Not only do they learn the letters more quickly, but they don’t need a fraction of the remedial work that is usually necessary.

Not only does Callirobics help the children’s concentration, but it lengthens their attention span and boosts their self-esteem. Callirobics eases the way for the children to learn to write easily and with a great deal of fun. The music relaxes the children, gives them a rhythm for their exercises and makes the exercise fun instead of a tedious penmanship chore. It uses all the children’s senses: Those who learn best visually see the exercises and see their work as they do the exercises; those who work best through auditory instead of visual means let the music carry them into and with the exercises. Callirobics makes the children feel their hands are dancing.

Callirobics is excellent for all children, whether learning challenged, average or exceptional. I’ve had so many parents who have children with Downs Syndrome tell me how much their children love the music and how much it has helped them with their writing. Occupational Therapists have found Callirobics helps patients who have experience brain damage from strokes or accidents. They do the exercises on the wall with a flashlight or by moving their hands through the air.

Please e-mail me your address if you’d like a Callirobics information package! (hwriting@interlog.com)

Slant: The ‘Body Language’ of Handwriting

2008-04-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that your handwriting will change at least two or three times a day depending on your mood? It’s usually your slant that changes, and it’s the slant that indicates your mood of the moment.

If the slant of your printing or writing is predominantly vertical, it means you’re projecting objectivity, poise, and outward coolness under pressure. For this slant, picture yourself standing straight, similar to the posture of a soldier. If your slant is vertical, you’ll usually consider situations from a logical, practical standpoint. When you need to appeal to someone with a vertical slant, make sure you’re the voice of reason: Give the person logical points to consider and that person will be on your side.

The more forward your slant, the more your emotions will emerge. If your writing has a gentle forward slant, you’re likely to appear slightly warmer, more friendly and empathetic. While you may not feel ‘warmer’, it will be a little easier for you to show how you feel. You’re likely to be quite pleasant with other without being effusive. You’d also be more inclined to tolerate someone who was a long-winded conversationalist to be polite.

Should your slant tip over slightly more, you’re the type of person who appears extremely empathetic to others; you’d be a natural counselor and others would feel they have an instant rapport with you. There are times when you’ll organize your work with your emotions rather than logically: You’d rather make sure you go out to find your friend’s birthday present than take care of a towering laundry basket.

If your slant is far forward, adjectives such as ‘restless’ and ‘impetuous’ may apply to you. Jumping head-first into activities, you may tend to find yourself exhausted mid-day. You’d rather align yourself with short-term goals and achieve more immediate results. At times you may push ahead with a relationship or a new association without stopping to consider the approach that would work best, even with your heart in the right place. The key for you in certain scenarios would be to pause for just a moment, take a breath and slow down.

As I stated at the outset, the slant of handwriting is analogous to body language. Think of a person leaning backward as he stands at a party talking with you. What is this saying about him? This is the type of person who, no matter how outgoing they appear, will hold you at arm’s length until he or she has time to assess the situation before allowing you to advance too quickly into your world. If you’re seeking closeness with a person who writes with a left slant, let it be on their terms and in their timing! If someone upsets or betrays someone with a left slant, that individual will more than likely have a long, long memory.

Should you meet someone with multiple slants within a sentence or even a word, be aware that you are dealing with someone whose mood changes readily. This type of person can be quite versatile and lively, although the ‘wear’ on their emotional system from pulling back and then jumping forward can make their emotional control a little erratic.

Handwriting: Motivational Speaking at its Finest

2008-04-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Motivational Speaker “Something Different”

Meeting Planners these days are searching for ‘Something Different’ in their Keynote Speaker. They know they want a Team Building connection and perhaps a Customer Service connection, but they also want a ‘slant’ that is unique and they want something that is personal to each guest.

“The Power of the Pen” fits the bill absolutely! Handwriting is something you and I use every day whether in notes we write to ourselves, lists, messages we write to others, or hand-written fax cover sheets, or notes we write at Seminars. How wonderful to have everyone enjoying, laughing, learning, and, in addition for each person to receive a one-page ‘Handwriting Sketch’ highlighting the positive aspects of their personality! To add further icing on the proverbial cake, when you invite me to your Group, you have an Entertainer who begins at the cocktail hour and continues entertaining until the last guest has left the room!

In choosing to invite me to Keynote your Group, you are choosing a speaker who is not only positive, humorous , fun and interactive, but who can bring a unique personalized gift to each person in the audience. When the gift takes the form of a personal handwriting analysis or personality profile, this value-added feature will boost your buzz and totally personalize the message for each individual.

My keynote presentations are anything but ordinary. Refreshingly informative and highly entertaining, the sessions are fast-paced, eye-opening and full of laughs. “Power of the Pen” programs appeal to everyone. And they’re tailored to audience members who want to learn something valuable while they enjoy a great time. With a keen sense of humor and a wealth of information, I deliver a message that’s packed with ongoing benefits.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.elainecharal.com!

Handwriting: Entertainment at Events

2008-04-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

Parties and Corporate Events are wonderful opportunities to get to know co-workers, friends and family on a deeper level. The wise event-holder or party-giver knows, however, that during the talking, eating and drinking the guests will be looking for something fun to do and to discuss.

Individual Handwriting Analyses for your guests is definitely your best Entertainment choice. It’s a great way to generate new conversation, especially for those who come to a corporate event and don’t feel totally comfortable with socializing beyond ‘talking shop’. Elaine makes personal notes on each Analysis so that everyone can share and discuss their results—this makes Handwriting an excellent ice-breaking activity.

The fun of Handwriting Analysis is the self-improvement aspect, where people learn the keys to improving existing strengths through slightly modifying their handwriting (a process called Graphotherapy). As mentioned in last week’s Blog, just by raising the height of some of your stand-alone t-bars to above the mid-point in the t-stem, you can enhance your goals!

Elaine’s “Power of the Pen” talk is also a great hit at both corporate events and private functions. Guests learn how to get to know ‘secrets’ about themselves and others through knowing what the strokes of handwriting mean. This enhances their communication abilities with their clients, their co-workers, their friends and their family. “The Power of the Pen” is guaranteed to have everyone laughing.

Here are some tips: Do you want to enhance your initiative? Try consciously making a break-away stroke in the centre portion of your ‘h’ or ‘k’. How about raising your enthusiasm? See how you feel by making your stand-alone t-bars longer than necessary to cross the t-stem. Try strengthening your willpower by making sure all your t-bars are firm.

Handwriting: The Secret Behind the Secret

2008-04-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Many of you in blogger land have heard of The Secret (The Law of Attraction), whether you’ve seen the movie or read the book. I believe one of the real ‘secrets behind the secret’ is at your very fingertips: Your Handwriting! Just as your strokes of writing are a reflection of the impulses the brain is sending down to your hand, if you consciously alter your handwriting, then those same impulses go back up to the brain and change the brain. It’s not a one-way street. It’s not only the impulses coming down to your hand; it is when your hand changes what it does to the strokes that sends the impulses of that change up to your brain. When you think about it, that’s got to be exciting to you!

Changing your handwriting can be pivotal for you to change your life. There’s even a name for this process: Graphotherapy. What a revolutionary idea that not only can the traits connected to the strokes of your writing can come from your brain to your hand, but when you consciously choose to make a different stroke, that impulse goes back to your brain and changes your brain chemistry, thus changing what you think about yourself!

Here’s one exercise you can try: Check the height of your t-bars on your t-stems. T-bars represent willpower: The height of a stand-alone t-bar can indicate the height of your goals. If your stand-alone t-bar is crossed in the lower portion of your t-stems, this suggests you can underestimate your goals to make sure you don’t disappoint yourself or others. Try placing some of your t-bars higher on your t-stems consciously and see how you feel. When you consciously place your t-bars higher on your stem, you’ll begin to perceive some subtle shifts in your ability to ‘shoot higher’ for your goals.