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9 Easy Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting

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Today we will finally be talking about improving probably the most accessible type of Bullet Journal lettering – your handwriting. 

Are you still writing your grocery list with chicken scratch? Do you worry that people can’t understand what you’ve written when they pick up one of your notes? Or maybe you just want your Bullet Journal pages to have Instagram-worthy handwriting.

You’re not alone!

Many adults have poor handwriting (myself included), but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few tips and tricks and some practice, you can learn how to improve your handwriting.

In this post, we’ll look at 9 easy ways anyone can use right away to write more legibly and beautifully.

There is still hope for us all! Improving handwriting is probably the easiest type of lettering to master, and you can practice every day without even trying to find extra time – when you take a note, you are practicing!

Having good handwriting is so important; it’ll make you stand out from the scribbly crowd. Not only does neat handwriting make reading notes a breeze, but it also adds a touch of personalization and professionalism to your written communication.

Plus, if you’re a Bullet Journaling enthusiast like myself, you know that consistency and clarity is key when it comes to jotting down your daily tasks and goals.

Pretty handwriting can be a great decoration for your Bullet Journal pages itself.

Aesthetic Handwriting by @bujowithbeth | Masha Plans
Credit: @bujowithbeth

However, let’s be honest – we probably haven’t been writing much lately. Our modern world doesn’t require us to write that much anymore (let’s not consider the little scribbles we take during work meetings).

This means that our muscle memory is kind of gone, and the letters that come from under the pen can barely be called letters.

This is what happened when I started a Bullet Journal. My biggest issue was trying to understand what I wrote.

Especially since when I was in school, I was using a Cyrillic alphabet, and, well, my Latin letters were absolutely unreadable, probably something like a 5-year-old would scribble.

But thankfully, there is still hope for us all! Here are some awesome tricks to help you rebuild your writing skills and create your own unique and beautiful handwriting.

Because handwriting is just training your muscle memory, you can do it with just a few simple tweaks and, of course, lots of practice.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting | Masha Plans

Be sure to scroll until the end to get some more resources and a freebie to help you with handwriting and so much more.

9 Easy Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting

Even if your handwriting has improved over time, sometimes we all need a refresher on how to make it even better. And I’ve got just the thing for you!

Here are 9 easy tricks to help improve your handwriting that won’t take up too much of your precious time.

Whether you want to brush up on some skills or start fresh with better technique, these invaluable tips will get you writing in no time

Create A Comfortable Writing Space

The first tip is to create a comfortable writing space. After all, if you’re not comfortable, you’re more likely to rush and scribble, resulting in less-than-spectacular handwriting.

When you start working on your handwriting, be sure you have a comfortable workplace. Let it be a large desk so you have enough space for your paper, and your elbows aren’t hanging.

Be sure to sit comfortably with your feet on the floor, your back straight, and your hand and arm relaxed.

You will do better if you sit straight and your forearm rests on the table, so your arm moves the fingers, not your wrist.

Make sure you don’t forget good lighting, and maybe you need a fun pen or a colorful notebook to get you in the writing mood. But more about supplies next!

Choose The Right Pen

Before you start writing, though, be sure to choose the right pen.

What’s the right pen? Well, that depends on you; choose the pen you feel comfortable writing with.

It could be a gel pen or maybe a fountain pen – just choose the one you like writing and feel comfortable writing with. So better to have a good grip on it.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, choose best pen | Masha Plans

Choose a pen that suits your handwriting style. If your script tends to be on the larger side, opt for a medium to thick point pen.

If it’s on the smaller size, a fine point pen will be your friend. Don’t be afraid to test out different pens until you find the one that feels right.

A grip is also an important thing to consider; if you’ll be writing a lot, you’ll definitely need something with a comfortable grip.

For myself, I also often find that I’m more excited to start writing if I have a pretty pen, so maybe get one as well to feel more motivated to work on your handwriting.

Pick The Right Handwriting Paper

The right paper for practicing your handwriting is the one with a grid.

Having a grid will help you to form your letters better and write straighter.

Just make sure your grid isn’t too small so you still have space to pay attention to each letter.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, choose the right grid | Masha Plans

You can start from a paper you used at school to practice your handwriting – lined with space to form the letters correctly.

I also like using the dot grid since that’s also the grid I use in my Bullet Journal. But I must be honest – my letters on lined paper are much better looking, so I think it’s a better place to start.

Look for paper that has a smooth, even texture, and that’s thick enough to prevent ink from bleeding through. And don’t be afraid to get creative with some fun notebook designs to make your practice more fun!

Adjust Your Grip

The right grip is the one where not a single muscle of your hand is overly flexed, and you aren’t holding your pen as if your life depends on it.

Putting that much pressure on your grip will lead to lines looking constrained, and you will get tired of writing pretty soon.

So be sure you have a relaxed grip and allow your pen to flow on your pages.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, adjust your grip | Masha Plans

I know my grip on this picture doesn’t look that relaxed, and that’s mostly because it isn’t. Adjusting the grip is something I struggle with a lot!

Somehow ever since I was a kid, the only way I could write was with my full weight behind it, gripping the pen as if my life depended on it.

Can anyone else relate?

Play With Paper Rotation

I don’t know about you, but when I was at school, you were supposed to hold your paper at 45 degrees. 

This might be the best option for when you write cursive, but it’s not the only one, and it might not work for another handwriting style you’re trying to achieve. 

By changing the angle at which you hold your paper, you’ll be able to experiment with how your writing looks on the page. You might even discover a new favorite angle that feels more comfortable and natural.

So let’s forget all the constraints we had at school and just experiment. Try to angle your paper differently and find that perfect position for your handwriting..

Do The Drills

I bet you thought drills were only for brush lettering! Well, at least I thought so, but I absolutely was wrong.

Improving your handwriting also means doing drills, like telephone wires. Use these as a little warm-up before you start writing.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, do the drills | Masha Plans

It may sound tedious, but trust me, it’s worth it. Think of it as an exercise for your writing muscles. Focus on consistency and precision.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see improvement right away. Keep up with the drills and watch your handwriting transform into something legible and beautiful.

Slow Down

Here is the secret to aesthetic handwriting – you have to slow down. It does feel pretty annoying when it takes you minutes to write a sentence, but it’s what you need to do when you practice.

The slower you go, the more time you spend writing each letter, and the better they will look.

Here is the trick, though – once you develop the muscle memory and your hand knows how exactly to move to create those pretty letters – you’ll be able to speed back up.

Just be sure you’re going slow while setting your basics, and you’ll see the reward later.

Analyze Your Handwriting

The best way to improve your handwriting is not to invent a new one but correct your existing style. So analyzing your current writing is pretty important.

Start by writing down the alphabet and analyze that. What letters do you like, and which ones you’d like to change? Take note of how you’d like for your letters to look and if the new look you like will fit with the others.

For example that the curved parts of a, o, b, and d are similar – similar circles or oval, depending on what style you like.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, analyse your letters| Masha Plans

The next stage is to write a paragraph and analyze your general writing.

Which letters jump out? Do you have a similar amount of space between the letters, or are some of them too close or too far? Are all your lines angled the same?

Determine what your flaws are and what areas you have to work on.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, analyse your letters| Masha Plans

How To Improve Handwriting: 5 Simple Tips

For everyone who is more of a video learner, I found this tutorial by JetPens, where they share their own tips to improve handwriting.

It’s a great addition to something we’ve already discussed.

Not only are their tips practical, but they also make writing fun again. Now, you can say goodbye to those illegible notes and hello to a newfound appreciation for handwriting.

Trust me, your future self will thank you for taking the time to improve your penmanship.

This post may contain affiliate links. They will be of no extra expense for you, but I receive a small credit. Please see my Disclosure for more details. Thank you for supporting Masha Plans!

Handwriting Supplies

Finding the right supplies is an important part of working on your handwriting, so I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites.

  • Grid notepad. You need paper to practice on, of course. A journal would work, but if you prefer to keep yours for journaling, try using something like this Rhodia notepad. Or, you can always practice your handwriting by doing daily diary entries.
  • A thin pen. For smaller handwriting, you’ll need a thin pen, and I recommend Muji Gel Pen; I love it, and that’s the pen I always use in my BuJo. The only drawback of those is that the grip is not necessarily very comfortable.
  • A thick pen. if your letters are larger, you might try a different pen, like Pilot G2. The ink flow is smooth, and the lines are nice and thick. Plus, it has a very comfortable grip.
  • A fountain pen. I’m not a big fan of fountain pens, but if you want to try them, I recommend a Lamy Fountain Pen. It’s a wonderful pen, and the brand is famous for its fountain pens.

Free Lettering Resources

Whether you want to learn brush lettering or improve your handwriting, I’ve got you covered.

Sign up in the form below to get access to 4 exclusive freebies and get more resources delivered straight to your inbox.

More Resources

Want to know more about different types of lettering? You’re in the right place.

Here are just a few more blog posts that you should check out next:

I’d say you’re not fully equipped to create your dream handwriting!

What tricks work for you the best when you practice your handwriting?

Share with us in the comments!

I hope this post was interesting. If you find it so, please share! If you enjoy my content and want to show your appreciation, please consider supporting me with a cup of coffee.

And remember: Keep Bullet Journaling, and Don’t Be A Blob.

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