The Health Benefits Of Hand Lettering

Have you ever heard of hand lettering and its health benefits? This is the art of drawing letters, rather than using them as symbols to communicate with. You may not believe it, but it is actually very therapeutic. No, it’s not the same as calligraphy.

Anyone can excel at it, all you need to do is follow some basic rules of manual dexterity, such as writing more often. Moreover, it does not require expensive materials, you just need sufficient motivation to get started. You will see how you quickly become an expert with practice, as it is crucial to learn the technique.

Hand lettering is about making words look beautiful and people are using it everywhere these days. Several health benefits have been attributed to hand lettering, such as anti-stress therapy. Let’s go check it out!

The health benefits of hand lettering

Many believe that it is not worth investing time in mastering the art of hand lettering. However, the truth is that the health and other benefits of hand lettering range from lowering stress levels to generating additional income.

1. Hand lettering enhances creativity

The brain is forced to make decisions when performing this technique. Think of which font and which colors to use, and what the intended composition will eventually look like. It is ideal to enhance one’s creative process, because beauty is the result.

2. You can make money with it

With handlettering you can earn money these days, especially if you have a talent for it. The possibilities range from opening an online store to offer your services to creating customized products. This kind of art attracts a lot of attention, believe it or not!

3. It’s therapeutic

According to a study published by the US National Library of Medicine , calligraphy can relax people with high levels of stress to the point of being comparable to the effects of meditation.

As you can see, hand lettering is a relaxing activity in itself. No wonder videos of this activity are going viral on social networks. This is because they radiate a sense of fun and tranquility and even evoke the desire to try it out.

4. You learn something new

The folks at APeL (Spanish link) suggest that learning something new has social benefits. This is because it is a way to acquire a general culture and meet people with similar interests. It also has benefits on a physical level as it increases the language center in the brain.

5. You share something positive

You never know when you start practicing what impact the words turned into art can have on other people. Many who already master this technique are sharing motivational phrases on social media. So it seems to have a positive influence on the world around you. That’s quite an impact!

6. Hand lettering stimulates motor skills

One of the health benefits of hand lettering is that it improves your motor skills as well as your hand coordination. You have to master the technique. This, combined with the other factors mentioned above, will help you get better and better at it and get incredible results.

So know that this process requires perseverance, especially for beginners. The movement of the wrist is essential, but don’t let that discourage you. Anyone can learn it.

How should you do it?

You may want to practice a little calligraphy to begin with, as it will help you loosen your hand to learn the movement needed to draw letters. You have to master the strokes and characteristics of each letter, depending on the tools you use. The materials needed include:

• Calligraphy marker with brush tip.
• Soft graphite pencil.
• Eraser.
• Special paper for this purpose.
• Ruler.
• Notepad.

You’ll see how you can then add new materials such as colored markers, highlighters, crayons, and anything that you think will perfect your work over time. Don’t be afraid of a blank page, just start writing and don’t stop until you’ve achieved dexterity.

Some of the basic moves

• Perform diagonal and straight, thin upward and downward movements. By varying between thin and thick, you can create the letters B, D, L, P and the like.
• The movement should be thin when going down. The movement should be thick when you make upward lines. This particular type will help you create the V, W, and Y.

• Loops are not easy, but practice will make you an expert. It mainly involves making ascending and descending movements that serve as the basis for the letters F, J, Q and Z.
• Ovals may be one of the hardest moves for beginners to master, but we recommend practicing them. They are useful for the letters A, O, C, D and E.

In fact, after you master these moves, the way to learn how to make letters is practice, practice, and practice. Create alphabets with different shapes, sizes, finishes and colors. There are many video tutorials online that you can use as a guide.

Regular writing is fundamental, so start with a few words. Then start making sentences and even paragraphs using this technique. Find inspiration in topics you are passionate about or in thoughts of past experiences.

You can become a hand lettering professional

You can take some courses to start with and learn the first moves and how to master them. Remember that you can make money with this technique, so consider it an investment.

Something that will help you a lot when it comes to learning hand lettering is that the movement that goes down is always thin and the move that goes up is always thick. This principle applies to all hand lettering, regardless of the font you use. However, don’t be afraid to play with new styles.

Once you have gained some experience, you can add other details to the letters, such as glitter, shadows, tails, colors and ribbons or stripes for extra decoration. There are no limits to creativity in the world of hand lettering. It all depends on you and the results you want to achieve!