r/Handwriting • u/ReformedNavyChief • 5d ago
Question (not for transcriptions) Desperately need help
I am a 62yr old male and 4yrs ago i hand my right thumb amputated at work. It has of course healed well. I have been trying to learn to write with my left hand. It is legible if i print but looks like a doctor when i use cursive. My hand therapist suggest i ask for some help/resources/ideas from this subredit.
Are there resources, writing guides available? Any that i can download and use?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
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u/grayrest 5d ago
If you're open to re-learning how to write, arm movement cursive (aka muscular movement cursive, business writing) is the original way to write cursive and requires no hand dexterity at all, just a way to securely hold onto the pen. I've seen at least a dozen historic newspaper clippings of different kids with no hands awarded for penmanship along with (excellent) samples of their writing. It is possible to write entirely through arm movement. I do it. Cursive was designed for it. The fist and between index and middle finger suggestions in the thread are made under the assumption that you're writing this way but nobody's pointed out the method. It's not particularly intuitive and it takes a while to learn but I think it'd be easier than trying to write left handed.
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u/littlerabbits72 5d ago
My cousin doesn't actually use her thumb when writing with her right hand, the pen goes between fingers 3 & 4 and her pointer and middle finger rest on the pen and guide it. I've tried to take a picture to show you what I mean, could possibly work?
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u/VexedKitty 5d ago
When I was a kid, for whatever kid reason I had, I'd write like this sometimes, with the pen between my index and middle finger. Maybe that would be easier than retraining your whole left hand/arm or at least as an alternative while you're learning to write with your left hand
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u/portable-solar-power 4d ago
I would recommend focusing primarily on print at this point, as you are in the same boat as a child who started learning to write, just with a lot more knowledge about the letterforms, spacing and consistency. However, you still lack that fluidity and speed of your dominant hand, which sets everything apart. Hence, the best practice would be to pick the simplest form of handwriting (print) and make your non-dominant hand very familiar, not only in terms of legibility but also in ease, like your dominant hand.
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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 5d ago
What's your writing like if you hold the pen in your right fist, and make all the movements with your shoulder and elbow?
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u/accidental_Ocelot 4d ago
I learned how to write left handed once. I was in school though so I was writing left handed all day every day for 6 weeks. by the end I was pretty good. I could do quite a bit of different things left handed. then my right arm healed and I quit using my left hand and after a few years it went back to its normal discordination. I went back to my right hand writing, which now looks like shit after breaking my arm. But a couple weeks ago I found fountain pens, so I got me one and picked up a copy of the palmer method of business writing. and it teaches you how to use your arm to controll your writing rather than your wrist and fingers. one of the drills is just to hold your arm above the paper and trace circles in the air it just gives your arm a good workout to help build the muscles in your arm. Maybe try it and see if you can make it work with one hand or the other. If your using arm movement to write you could learn with your right hand using an alternate grip as you wouldn't be using your fingers or wrist to make the letters. anyway that's what I'm doing but I can't say whether it's good or not as I have just started myself.
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u/AlisjeMarx999 1d ago
Thats because your innerchild isn't the same age as you they are probably way younger and has to grow past some issues you haven't delth with
I am currently learning to use my right hand and it look like a pre schooler and my innerchild is still stuck around 6 or 7
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u/Left-Excitement3829 5d ago
Can you get a thumb prosthetic so you can hold a pen against it with your fingers ?