Remember as a school kid the thrill of a new Number 2 pencil?  Unsharpened.  A full eraser.  Bright yellow.

We did most all of our early learning with a pencil.  Then graduated to a ballpoint pen for spelling tests and other important works.

Today kids pound away on laptop computers and text on cellphones.  The act of writing is slowly slipping away.  Why should that matter?

According to Tom Wasylyk, president of Universal Publishing in Waymart, Pa., and a master penman who has written scores of penmanship instructional books, research shows that the act of writing stimulates the creativity portion of the brain.  However, when keystroking, that part of the brain remains quiet.  Not surprisingly, people tend to remember things they write more than things they key in.

Imagine that.  The simple act of holding a pencil or pen and dragging it over a piece of paper to create letters or symbols stimulates the creative center in the brain. 

Most who read this blog are all creative types.  We’re in professions where the daily act of being creative can make or break the business.  Whether writing advertising copy, white papers, or doing graphic design with the latest computer program, our creative ideas are what differentiate our work.

Wouldn’t you like to have an advantage over your competitors?  It might be as simple as taking a pencil or pen in hand when shaping your ideas.

I have to admit, I’m writing this blog on a computer – keystroking every word.  How much more creative could I be if I were to write it out longhand?  I’m going to try that on my next entry.

In the meantime, I’ll be passing out Number 2 pencils at our next staff meeting. 

– Ralph Yearick