For the initial many years (4), after being released from the hospital, I could not hand-write legibly at all. As a result, I became unmotivated to try.
At first I was, but as the profound loss of my unique physical art form, coupled with the doubt that I could ever reclaim it, settled in, my motivation weighed. Particularly when the years of practice, didn’t result in much progression.
I thought that perhaps this skill (the physical beauty inherent in my hand-writing art) had permenantly abandoned me, as a result of my Severe brain injury.
I was mighty frustrated, in part, because I didn’t understand why the muscles within my right (writing) hand, weren’t listening to my brain’s direction.
My counselor (as she’s reliably adept at doing) greatly pacified me, by sharing (in response to the outrage I expressed, instigated by my right hand’s disobedience) that handwriting is an incredibly difficult skill for all survivors to reclaim, as so many muscles must act in coordination, after intaking and interpreting instruction from the brain.
She also encouraged me to keep practicing, as like all else, repetition, as well as healing time, was & is necessary for the reclamation of hand-writing.
Essentially = I should not give up hope.
And, sure enough, I now, can see my handwriting returning, with the loops and swirls it’s always possessed!
My natural handwriting isn’t incredibly legible, (as you may have inferred & if you’ve ever received a card from me, you know this to be undoubtedly true), but it is my physical art form. It’s really not intended for the intricacies of the statement to be understood. Rather, for the feeling with which I wrote it to be ingested.
After all, typing, is the how I facilitate cognitive clarity.
Each form of presenting words, has its own purpose, and I am now enabled to practice both forms successfully once again!
As is the final sentiment of many of my blogs = further practice is needed.
Now, however, I’ve re-claimed my fuel for hand-writing practice!