MORE PERSONAL of this, you will put more thought into what you

write and end up with the perfect letter.

A hand written letter is seen as a more
personal form of communication because the Taking the time to gather pen and paper and
sender is personally taking the time out of put your words down without editing tools or
their day to write a letter. Hand written letters spellcheck takes consideration, an effort that is
are not used as often as emails which also
appreciated by the recipient. Your heartfelt
adds more value to them. Think about it,
would you rather receive an email or a hand message in your own handwriting speaks
written letter? I personally like receiving letter. volumes to convey friendship, thanks, sympathy
The article above mentions that through a or congratulations.
hand written letter, the reader can almost feel
Taking the time to send a thoughtful note
their emotion. I agree. If the author were angry
when writing the letter they may have applied shows you cherish a relationship and want to
more pressure on their writing utensil when invest in it. This can not only strengthen a
writing. The authors writing may not be as friendship or a marriage, it’s also a clever way
neat because of anger or frustration. Also, to grow loyalty with clients and business
using a pen or pencil on paper is a cheap way partners.
to communicate with others. Even the postage
stamp is only a few cents! Writing on paper doesn’t only benefit the
recipient! The act of creating a letter, of sitting
Postcards only offer so many square inches, at a desk and taking the time to put pen to
forcing the sender to truly think about the paper, is an exercise in mindfulness. What does
message they want to share and how they want this mean? Simply that, by taking the time to
to phrase it. Unlike with a quick text or write by hand, you will live entirely in the
Facebook message, you only have one chance present moment, not distracted by technology,
when you send a handwritten message, so you thoughts of the past, or fears of the future.
learn just how important it is not to let it go to Writing a letter requires disconnecting from the
waste. world of technological stimuli for a few
Think about the last time you wrote a Facebook moments. You will live only in those thoughts
status. How many words did you change out of you craft for your recipient.
anxiety of what others would think? There is a Writing letters by hand have a very unique and
saying that we have two faces: our public face personal touch to it. While an email is just
and private face. When we write online, we’re another form of electronic communication that
mainly doing it through our public face. The you can only see, the joy of a letter written by
benefits of a handwritten letter are that they hand is palpable. Besides being able to see
allow you to open up your private face to what's written, you can touch the letter, smell it
whoever you write to. There is no pressure and feel it. A letter from a loved one from
from prying eyes, so you can let your prose go foreign shores will have the typical smell of that
free. Be as sincere or romantic as you want! You foreign land. It's like having a piece of the
also don’t have a time limit to worry about, this country your loved one is living in right in your
isn’t a school essay! Besides, you need to take hand. Receiving a letter from a loved one is the
your time and write slowly and deliberately as next best thing to having them visit you in
every single word you write will be a permanent person and having them by your side.
part of the letter.There’s also the added factor
of being able to write full paragraphs whilst not
getting interrupted by anyone else. As a result
A handwritten letter captures you in the
moment the way no email or Facebook status
can. Have you ever heard those old stories of
people keeping love letters in a box under
their bed? There’s a reason for that!

The benefits of writing letters is that they can

preserve a snapshot of you, frozen in time. It
can show you the thoughts and feelings you
had, the things you liked and disliked and the
goals you were striving towards.

If you keep up a letter writing hobby for a long

enough time, the person who you send them
to will eventually end up with an evolving
representation of you.

Some people might argue that Facebook posts

could easily do the same thing. However, the
disadvantage of online writings is that they can
only provide you with words, pictures, and
occasionally sound.

Handwritten letters give you the opportunity

to include more of the five senses. Smudges of
lipstick, scents of perfume; even an accidental
coffee stain! There’s something about this that
makes your messages seem more human and
more you.
SPARKS CREATIVITY write with can also give your message more
meaning.
Taking to pen and paper utilizes the visual,
motor and cognitive brain processes differently Colour psychology states that different colours
than when we recruit technology to help us out. can have different effects on a person’s mood.
It is also by nature more labor-intensive, For example, if you write with a red inked pen,
requiring us to slow down and connect the you can conjure feelings of warmth, excitement,
mind with the hand, one word at a time. and love in the reader. Cooler colours like blue
Together these factors can make the sensory or green can instill feelings of calmness and
experience of writing just what you need to get tranquility.
those creative juices flowing.
Then you have the types of pens you use. An
Letters are customizable! elegant fountain pen is perfect for a formal
letter, but glittery gel pens can make your
Before we had emojis and different fonts,
writing more fun to read. It’s up to you to
handwritten letters allowed us to express our
decide!
individuality. Sure, writing a letter takes more
time than writing an email, but a handwritten If you want to create a letter that has a strong
letter possesses more personal aesthetics that impact on the reader, consider what pen you’re
are unique to the writer himself/herself. going to use!

So what’s the benefit of this? Letter and Envelopes

It allows you to make your own unique mark in Have you ever felt that excitement of opening a
each letter. There are so many ways you can do uniquely made letter? Perhaps it was the
this. We’ve listed them below so you can check strange shape or a bright colour that caught
them out. your eye. The benefits of writing letters means
that you can decide how it is sent to the reader.
Handwriting
When choosing a letter to write on, don’t think
One of the benefits of writing letters, above
you have to settle for a piece of bland paper.
everything else, is that it allows you to show off
The surface you write on can be practically
your unique handwriting style. It can also give
anything: cardboard, tissue paper, even fabric.
you the chance to try out handwriting art styles
like calligraphy. Be creative!

This beautifully written form can be used for Envelopes can be purchased in a variety of
anything: love letters, messages to beloved shapes and colours as well, giving you the room
family members or close friends. There are to come up with just anything you want.
thousands of ways to write, and it’s a much
Postcards
more personal way to send a message than just
typing. What better way to show off your journey than
with a postcard? The best thing about postcards
Pen
is that they are easily accessible. No matter
There is a saying which states that the pen is where you are, they can be purchased
mightier than the sword. While it refers to the anywhere in the world.
power the written word has, the implement you
The picture on the postcard can also show off If you have been bowled over by the
your personality to whoever you send it to. Are advantages of writing a letter by hand over
you more of a scenery person or a “cute animal emails and other forms of electronic
doing funny things” person? You can buy a communication, hear our one more fantastic
postcard with a relevant photo attached to benefit. You can make writing letters your
express your unique love. hobby and a craft that you can pursue
passionately.
But you don’t have to work with already made
designs. Aficionados of handwritten letters will tell you
that writing a letter is just like any other art.
If you’re struggling to choose a good one, you
Hardcore fans take letter writing to a whole
can even make your own postcard!
new level with wax seals, letter openers,
What’s more, there are specialty sites like fountain pens, different types of ink, rustic
MyPostcard which can assist you in creating paper, hand engraved envelopes, pen stands,
your own unique postcard designs! Just send desk holders and much more.
them a digital photo you’ve taken and they will
You too can stock up on some of these and have
turn it into your very own real-life postcard!
your very own corner in the house where you
Stamps can grab a hot cuppa, sit back and write a
beautiful and warm hand written letter to a
There is a reason why stamps are such popular loved one in a distant land.
collectibles. Each design is specially made, and
they can express so many different things such The value of the handwritten letter lies within
where you are and what time of the year it is. this language of time and care. Writing to
There are even rare commemoration stamps someone, taking the time to craft each letter, to
you can only get only once! buy a stamp, to select an envelope, to travel to
the post office—none of this goes unnoticed. A
So when it comes time to send your letter or letter, before the content is even read, has
postcard off consider what stamp you’ll be already said, “I care about you. You’re someone
sticking on. special.” And that is a message that all enjoy.
While typing can be mindless, studies show that Hand written letters are fun and unique
writing integrates three brain processes: visual,
motor and cognitive skills. You see the paper Emails are just another document that you will
and your words, you use your fine motor skills read on your computer screen, tablet, iPad,
to form the words, and you stimulate your brain smart phone or any other mobile device. On the
to remember the shapes of each letter as you other hand, no two letters that have been
write. It’s exercise for the brain. written by hand are likely to be the same.

Most of us spent hours in school practicing our Handwriting, type of paper, type of envelope,
printing and cursive; but now that we’re type of postcard and many other things make
“grownups,” we never get to show off our skills! every letter unique. You can even doodle along
For you talented calligraphers, handwritten the sides of a letter while you write or stick tiny
letters are your 15 minutes of fame. Or, if stickers or other personalizes items to make
you’re like me, writing letters gives you a your letter extra unique and extra special.
chance to improve your lovable scribbling.
To sum it up - doodling, stickers, designs,
postcards, picture postcards, whacky
handwriting, ramblings, colorful paper, cute relatives know how to text, they still love slicing
envelopes and a lot more make handwritten open a handwritten letter.
letters a lot of fun.
Letters are emotionally very heavy and bearing
BEAUTIFUL GIFT

In the days of oversimplified communication,

Why are hand written letters emotionally very
receiving a "just to say hi" email can feel like a
heavy? You can hold them close to your heart,
big deal. So imagine the powerful message you
literally. The mere fact that a loved one has sent
convey when you actually write out your
you a letter written by his/her own hands and it
thoughts for another person by hand, purchase
is something that you can physically touch, has
a stamp, physically deliver your note to a
a lot of emotional bearing.
mailbox and wait days for your special someone
to receive it. Their beaming smile at your If you have never experienced the emotional
thoughtfulness will say it all. bearing of a letter, try digging out an old love
letter or a letter bearing sad news, grab a nice
A thoughtful letter can be treasured for years.
hot cuppa and read the letter while relaxing on
Visit just about any history museum and you’ll
a rocking chair, hammock or a bean bag.
be struck by the impact a letter can have.
Countless possessions throughout history have You are likely to be overcome with a gush of
decayed into dust, but fragile pieces of paper emotions that may even leave you in a state of
have been protected for generations because trance, thinking about the person who sent the
powerful words are worth reading again and letter and the happy times you spent with
again. them.
Taking the time to send a thoughtful note Do you remember how you felt the last time
shows you cherish a relationship and want to you got a handwritten letter? Maybe you were
invest in it. This can not only strengthen a overcome with happiness or perhaps you simply
friendship or a marriage, it’s also a clever way felt relief over not receiving another bill? Now
to grow loyalty with clients and business imagine that same feeling being given to a
partners. partner or a family member.
6. It creates a wonderful surprise. One of the many benefits of writing letters is
that they are a beautiful, timeless gift. You can
Remember when getting mail was fun? You
write a love letter or a message of support to
never knew what you might find. Now, it’s
someone who might be having a bad day and
mostly a pile of bills and junk. You can be the
they will cherish it forever. They can put it on
girl who rescues her friends from the drudgery
the fridge, keep it on their desk or even frame it
of modern mail! Put something fun in their
and hang it up in their home!
mailbox and you just might make their day.
The person you have sent it to will be touched
8. It speaks to older friends and relatives in a
by the amount of effort you’ve put in to write
medium they cherish.
them an actual letter. The more personal you
To some young people, mail can seem outdated make it, the better. Use a colored pen, write in
or boring; but for mature generations, it’s a your own font on a beautiful personalized
tradition rich in sentiment. Even if your older postcard and maybe add a lipstick mark or
thumbprint on it!
But a letter is arresting. It’s a thing blown
forward in time, often surprising and
commanding the entire attention of the reader.
It connects readers to the past, conjuring
images of lovers separated by continents, gas
lanterns, and adventure. To read, one must sit
down and pay attention for a few moments,
eschewing the technological world for this
corner of the archaic. This is a particularly lovely
gesture for a significant other, where a
handwritten letter, perhaps, means the most.
Write to the one you love, and they’ll not only
be arrested by your words, but will feel deeply
cared for, and pulled into a world of fantastical
romance.

Read more at
https://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/the-
value-of-the-handwritten-
letter.aspx#BczShyid414UYHom.99
TIMELESS powerful words are worth reading again and
again.
Studies have revealed an association between
writing by hand and brain development and 3. It confirms the importance of a relationship.
cognition, increasing neural activity more than
Taking the time to send a thoughtful note
typing can. Just as learning by handwriting
shows you cherish a relationship and want to
notecards and study guides proves more
invest in it. This can not only strengthen a
effective for students, the moments you
friendship or a marriage, it’s also a clever way
commit to paper for others are more likely to
to grow loyalty with clients and business
stay stored in your own memory as well,
partners.
allowing you both to reflect back and
appreciate them again in the future. Handwritten letters can be stored easily and the
gush of nostalgia that you get when you go
"A letter always seemed to me like immortality
through a touchy handwritten letter is one of
because it is the mind alone without corporeal
the little pleasures of life that make life worth
friend." -- Emily Dickinson
living.
Long after they are written and sent (and even
You will actually go back to the time and
after their senders and receivers are gone),
moment when you first read the letter and soon
letters and postcards remain to be read,
old memories will unfold right in front of your
appreciated and preserved. Whether displayed
eyes. It's magical! You can assign one folder,
on museum shelves honoring famous historical
file, cardboard box or better yet, a drawer for
figures or saved in a scrapbook between two
all your letters.
old friends, letters protect the memories of
lives lived in a way that technological Letters are tangible. The crisp sounds of the
communication cannot. They are tangible, unfolding, the slight indentations where you
personal and real, in every sense of the word. pressed a bit harder with the pen, and the smell
of paper all contribute to not just a message,
More often than not, the person you are writing
but an experience. A handwritten letter is a
to will keep your letter nearby; something they
tangible thing—something that engages our
are not likely to do with an email. Letters can be
senses in a way that technology currently
kept for years and re-read over and over again,
cannot. The recipient can tuck the letter into a
which brings your thoughtfulness to mind
book or slide it into a drawer. They can display
frequently. “Letters are among the most
it on a shelf or keep it on the nightstand. It is a
significant memorial a person can leave behind
physical reminder of the writer, their thoughts
them,” said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
forever etched onto a physical object. Your
1. It’s a memorable way to touch the people reader will not soon forget you.
you love.

A thoughtful letter can be treasured for years.

Visit just about any history museum and you’ll
be struck by the impact a letter can have.
Countless possessions throughout history have
decayed into dust, but fragile pieces of paper
have been protected for generations because
PERMANENT RECORD Certainly letters carry an aura of privacy,
Handwritten letters can be stored and archived especially when we hear of the
for later viewing surveillance capabilities of the NSA to
gather electronic information. Former
While email aficionados may argue that emails president Carter revealed that he
can be archived and stored in different folders, communicates by writing letters. He
diehard fans of handwritten letters will tell you either types them or he pens them in
how amazingly surreal it feels to pull out an old longhand. He explained that he puts the
rustic letter sent by a loved one. letters he writes in envelopes, puts stamps
on them and mails them himself. Why?
Handwritten letters can be stored easily and the Because he feels that “my telephone calls
gush of nostalgia that you get when you go and my email are being monitored, and
through a touchy handwritten letter is one of there are some things I just don't want
the little pleasures of life that make life worth anybody to know." Clearly, he sees a
privacy advantage to sending a letter in
living.
the mail.
You will actually go back to the time and
moment when you first read the letter and soon Is a letter really and truly private?
old memories will unfold right in front of your Certainly it is more private than an email
or text message that the NSA can capture
eyes. It's magical! You can assign one folder,
electronically. Even so, a letter can be
file, cardboard box or better yet, a drawer for copied or read by others.
all your letters.

Letters are tangible. The crisp sounds of the One of the real benefits of a handwritten
letter is the personal touch it conveys,
unfolding, the slight indentations where you
which comes from the effort to handwrite
pressed a bit harder with the pen, and the smell or type the message. That message on
of paper all contribute to not just a message, paper says to the recipient, “You are
but an experience. A handwritten letter is a important to me” in a way that an email
tangible thing—something that engages our does not. When that message arrives in
senses in a way that technology currently the mail, it stands out from all the other
cannot. The recipient can tuck the letter into a bills and junk mail that are also delivered.
book or slide it into a drawer. They can display Once opened and read, it remains as a
it on a shelf or keep it on the nightstand. It is a visible reminder of the sender for hours,
days, or even weeks. Rarely, is it crumpled
physical reminder of the writer, their thoughts
into a ball and tossed. Yet, in effect, that is
forever etched onto a physical object. Your
exactly what happens to an electronic
reader will not soon forget you. message. Once read, if it is read at all, it is
ENSURES PRIVACY closed and deleted or superseded by all
the other messages that come in after it. It
is tossed.
A recent interview I saw that the
Associated Press conducted with former
In this day and age, while the privacy a
president Jimmy Carter got me to
mailed letter may enjoy is increasingly
thinking: Just what is the benefit of a
important, the personal touch of a
handwritten letter sent through the mail
handwritten letter, especially when so
versus an electronic communication such
much is sent electronically, is what makes
as an email or text message?
it a really valuable way to communicate.
Permanent record: The documents of
written communication act as a
permanent record. When it is needed,
important information can be easily
collected from the preserved documents.
HONOR TRADITIONS The rustic old world charm of writing letters – A
simple pleasure of life
There's something sacred (and romantic, in the
broadest sense) about communicating in the Writing a letter by hand has a very rustic and
way generations before us once did. We've all old world feeling to it. You feel as if you have
heard the stories: It's how your parents travelled back in time and in some way, writing
communicated with Santa Claus, it's how a letter reminds you of the simple pleasures and
grandma and grandpa kept their love alive joys of life in the now fast paced world.
during wartime, it's how immigrant families and
It reminds you of how we have taken some of
friends separated by their respective moves
the very things that we use on a daily basis for
shared written snapshots of their new lives.
granted. Did everyone have email in the early
Computers and smartphones may prove more
nineties? Did everyone have Twitter and
efficient, but they can never take the place of
Facebook in the nineties? Could we instantly
this kind of sentimental history.
update all our best friends with our pictures and
Up until the 1990s, people used letters instead other stories in mere seconds, a little more than
of emails to correspond. They cherished the a decade back? The answer is no.
arrival of a letter that shared news, conveyed
Writing a letter is one of the simple pleasures of
affection or sealed a deal. We lost a piece of
life that we have overlooked and sidelined as
history when we stopped writing letters.
technology and innovation has paved the way
Letters are tangible and tactile. They last, while for forms of communication that are very cold,
electronic communications do not. With your as compared to the warm feeling of a
letter, you will follow centuries of tradition and handwritten letter.
create a memoir to be treasured long after it is
Handwriting that which we do not wish to
written and sent.
forget is also a very effective method of
Handwriting a letter may take a little more remembering. Do you remember how our
time, but the effort will reap benefits many brains love novelty? The same reason your
times over. It is a tool worth nurturing for your reader will not soon forget your message also
business success. means that you, as the writer, will be more
likely to remember your own words. Writing
7. It’s a tried and true tradition.
activates those areas of the brain responsible
When you send handwritten letters, you’re for assessing new things as either threat or
participating in one of history’s finest rituals. useful, and when this happens, what we
Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letter From a experience is more indelibly stored in our
Birmingham Jail” captured the spirit of the memories.
American Civil Rights Movement. Major Sullivan
Ballou’s letter to Sarah revealed the conflicted
emotions of a soldier who loved his country and While writing may be faster with a keyboard,
a husband who loved his wife. It’s even said handwriting notes actually helps students retain
that a letter from a young girl convinced U.S. more the information they learn. Researchers
President Abraham Lincoln to grow his iconic have found that college students remember
beard. Our ancestors recognized the more facts when they write, as opposed to
importance of writing letters, and so should we. when they use their laptops. The hand-writers
were more likely to summarize and think about
what they were writing rather than simply
mindlessly transcribing everything in a verbatim
fashion, which the laptop users did. “There is
something about ink and paper,” says an
Association for Psychological Science blog post
on the subject, “that prompts students to go
beyond merely hearing and recording new
information”.

Writing by hand has wonderful benefits for

both the writer and for the recipient, and is a
seldom-used communication tool that will make
you stand out from the crowd. Whether you
wish to woo that special someone, stand out
after a job interview, or simply work out your
thoughts and feelings with a friend,
handwritten letters can be an unexpected gift
from the past.

So why not set pen to paper?