Vacation Writing

Life has been too hectic lately and as often happens, writing has taken a back seat to work and all kinds of busy-ness.

So, for the next three weeks, it is vacation time as hubby and I hit the road for beautiful Rainy Lake on the border of Ontario and Minnesota. 

As excited as I am to see friends and to celebrate a wedding, I am really looking forward to having lots of distraction-free time to write as well. Relaxed writing, that is. The meditative, restorative, not worrying whether it is good or not, writing.

Our home away from home includes a deck and a beach. The water view should help wash away any remnant worries from my mind and make way for inspired writing just for fun and relaxation.

I am packing notebooks and pens but no keyboard. This was an instinctual decision; an effort to slow down, quiet myself and improve concentration I suppose. This prompted researching a few articles on the differences between handwriting and using a keyboard. It turns out there are some interesting benefits of putting pen to paper.

‘7 Ways Writing by Hand Can Save Your Brain’ was written by Yohana Desta and cites research from Dr. Marc Seifer, author of The Definitive Book of Handwriting Analysis.

Dr. Seifer’s findings indicate that handwriting –

• has a calming effect.
• coordinates left brain and right brain.
• boosts creativity.
• improves cognitive skills.
• sharpens aging minds.
• improves memory.
• uses more of your brain.

Hmm, several of these benefits are very relatable.  

A November 2021 article by Swapna Krishna states: ‘Various studies over the past couple of decades have demonstrated that writing by hand makes use of large regions of the brain involved in language, thinking and working memory. So, if your brain is getting more of a workout when using a pen, it’s more likely your creative juices are flowing more generously as well.’

There are no rules for my vacation writing but it would be fun to spark some creativity. Coming away with a few new story ideas or delving in to character development would be a bonus. 

My plan is to simply enjoy the writing and see where it takes me. I hope to experience a refresh and reset, a sort of coming back to myself. Just as all great vacations do for our sense of well-being.

I like the idea of improving my handwriting. Being adept at cursive writing was something one could take pride in years ago but that is no longer the case for me. 

If I practice enough, the chicken scratch notes I take these days may become legible.