There’s No Better Time Than Now to Write a Handwritten Letter

Pen and paper have become something of an adolescent antique. As adults we spend our time typing up robotic emails, text messages, and social media posts. It would appear that electronic communication has surpassed the art of the handwritten letter.

And yet the process of writing by hand is in many ways a more connected experience both for the writer and the recipient. No keyboard or writing application could ever surpass the intensely personal process of crafting a handwritten letter. In times like these, it’s rare to reveal one’s feelings so candidly—but that’s just what the doctor ordered.

Strive for a true connection in the digital age. Here’s why you should pull out your best stationery and send handwritten letters: 

1. A Handwritten Letter is Honest

Beyond the allure of bold and distinct handwriting is the reality that what’s written cannot be taken away. Our computers and phones have made it easier to curate and perfect every letter, every word, and every sentence. We can delete, rearrange, and sometimes change entire phrases with a click of a button.

These targeted messages make the business world go round. Yet something is lost in the process from a personal level. Are these digital messages, revised with software algorithms, a real reflection of who we are and how we think?

Not likely. Like an unrefined sketch, a handwritten letter is an earnest window into the soul. You can’t hit backspace to remove diction or opinions that you would normally hide through a digital medium.

At best, you can scratch away the sentences that trouble you. Yet it’s the appearance of these crossed-out words and lines that speak to the thought put into the letter. Once the truth is written in ink, there’s no taking it back.

2. A Handwritten Letter Expresses Your Dedication

You can send an email or text message during a lunch break or while watching TV. This method of communication doesn’t require the same commitment as a handwritten letter.

When you write by hand, you have to divest yourself of the internet and electronic devices. After all, it takes two hands to write: one to work the pen and the other to steady the paper. This formal style of writing requires your full attention.

And the recipient knows it.

When you sit down to put your thoughts to paper, you’re devoting a significant chunk of your day to this project and nothing else. It’s hard to imagine something more personal or heartfelt. 

3. Writing Can Make You Happier

Most handwritten letters contain expressive writing, recording your own thoughts and feelings onto paper. 

Expressive writing has long been known as a mood booster, enhancing your overall wellbeing. To express your inner feelings, you’ll have to work through them. It’s this process that leads to benefits such as increased happiness, well-being, and reduced stress.

Improving your mood through expressive writing can also lend itself to real-world benefits. When a group of engineers lost their jobs, 52% of those who wrote about their feelings found work within 8 months compared to 19% of those who didn’t.

4. A Handwritten Letter is Forever

Handwritten letters are often seen as rare, intimate, and precious; therefore, their physical presence often stands the test of time. The recipient of a love letter, for example, is likely to hold on to it over the years as a keepsake from a past memory.

Imperfect Ink archives these physical letters to ensure they exist for posterity and provides a safe space for others to connect by sharing their feelings and experiences. People across the world can read handwritten letters, share them with others, and write their own. 

Read the Latest Handwritten Letters

Join Imperfect Ink

There’s something rebellious about constructing a handwritten letter in modern times. But that’s what makes them so unique, memorable, and precious.

Handwriting is a beautiful art form worth commemorating. At the Imperfect Ink, we want to share your creative, personal letters. Submit your handwritten letter and join the movement.