#historyofwriting

[think-otb]

Explore the fascinating evolution of writing in this comprehensive video! From the earliest pictographs and cuneiform tablets to the development of modern alphabetic scripts, we trace the journey of how humans have recorded language and ideas across millennia.

Discover the origins of writing in ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt, the invention of paper, and the printing press that revolutionized communication. Learn about the different writing systems used throughout history, including hieroglyphics, Chinese characters, and the Latin alphabet, and how they shaped cultures and societies around the world.

Join us as we dive into the history of writing, examining how this powerful tool has connected civilizations, preserved knowledge, and transformed human communication.

[federflug-calligraphy]

The Brause 361 nib is a nib I like to recommend for beginners and I use it regularly in my workshops. It’s sturdy but still gives nice hairlines, lasts quite a while and will work well with a wide variety of inks (including gouache and metallics). Also you can get pretty thick swell strokes without it being too difficult for the more heavy-handed! It made me smile when I first heard this nib called a »Blue Pumpkin« in English! Probably because its blue dye and round and rather big form? :: Did you know that another name for the nib in German is »Steno Feder«? Stenography or Shorthand is used to write quicker than with regular script – using abbreviated signs and / or symbols. Some can be written more than 10 times faster than writing alphabetically, so people in court for example are able to record someone’s speech in real time! I did some online research, it’s a fascinating topic – alone in Germany existed over the centuries about 800 to 900 different shorthand systems! The first ones were used already in Antique Greece, and also many non-Western writing systems have their shorthands – on the Wikipedia entry you’ll find (among others) pictures of Hebrew and Chinese shorthands (I’m attaching here German, Hebrew, English and Chinese examples). :: Back to my humble Brause Steno nib – the reason it’s a flexible nib is because line pressure indicates meaning in the German shorthand it is meant to be used for. Apparently most modern day practitioners use pencils to make these pressured strokes – but isn’t it nice we can use this practical nib to write calligraphy too ☺️? :: #calligraphy #kalligraphie #kalligrafie #caligrafia #nib #feder #brausefeder #stenofeder #brausenib #bluepumpkin #shorthandnib #historyofwriting #stenografie #shorthand #stenography #calligraphytools #handwerkszeug #flourishforum #federflugcalligraphy https://www.instagram.com/p/CO7sDaAgp81/?igshid=6myfp7huxaqr

[anunlikelysoul]

1. Writing

Without a certain reason, I came up with this topic today. It's pretty weird to think about this directly but today I kind of had to. We all write, whether it be texting or working on an essay, probably every day. It's daily routine for every person that is able to do so. However, we never even take a second to see what we are really doing, right? What is this activity that we call "writing"? And what does it actually mean to us?

According to Wikipedia, "[w]riting is a medium of human communication that represents language and emotion with signs and symbols." Alright, that sounds fairly confusing for a simple definition, doesn't it? Basically, writing is one of the most common ways of us to communicate. We use it to exchange feelings, messages, information and so much more. It is an essential part of our life. Some people might write texts more often because they are in school, university or it is necessary for their job. Despite that, nowadays, almost everyone uses smartphones for instance. Or at least normal mobile phones. This simply implies that we use technology to convey our usually spoken words into text messages. Some write emails, others use messenger apps or SMS. It doesn't matter which way one prefers, we all spend a lot of time writing messages. The interesting thing is, that we don't even notice that. We are already used to it, not seeming to realize what writing actually can make some people feel. Or how special it is to several humans. For most of us, it is simply a way to put our words into a new and converted form. It is quite sad to think about how the significance of writing is slowly being forgotten as time passes on even though it is part of our every day life.

In my opinion this might've started a while ago, when humans began to find more new ways to convey our words in useful ways. Take the typewriter for example. The first typewriters were officially introduced to us in 1874. Back then, it was revolutionary, making us all desire the machines. For us humans, it was a great way to simplify our work. This was where it the whole issue started. In the 1880s typewriters were used in offices, slowly integrating themselves into our daily lives. People first started using them as a support during their jobs but just like it is with all inventions, humans started looking for a new way to make our lives more easy, eventually leaving the typewriter, which used to be only existent for business, behind. One day, we discovered computers for ourselves. We continued developing new things, and here we are today: This is the era of smartphones. However, I don't intend to talk about technology in this essay. No, this is about writing. So where exactly is the connection to what I said before?

As I already explained, typewriters were used for people's work, already making writing seem more casual for all of us. With every time we invented something new, it was to simplify our lives, making the importance of writing fade away step by step. It has become too regular. Remember when people were writing all those dramas and poems a few centuries ago? I personally think back then, everyone probably knew that there was something more to writing itself. It wasn't just there for work. Not everyone was capable of writing books, or simple texts. I don't intend to say that it is bad that we can all do that today. No, that is great. However, we don't focus that much on writing itself anymore. We have forgotten about it. Of course, there are still many authors today but let's be honest: Most of us don't have second thoughts when writing something, don't we?

The whole problem I have with this is, that I think we should value writing as more than a way of communication. Or simply treasure it in general. It makes me sad to think about how some people don't care a bit about writing itself. They just use it, as long as it makes life easier for them. But there is so much more behind all of this than just a plain tool.

It may sound stupid to some of you, however, writing is a way to free my soul. I mean, I am doing it right now, aren't I? It helps me express my feelings in such a different way than just saying them out loud. Writing is a way for me to escape reality, letting me be the creator of my own world. It calms me down whenever I'm stressed out or just sad. I am able to process so many things because I can write. I was able to discover my hobby, writing stories, letting all of my fantasies come alive. It is like a second reality for someone like me. I'm sure I'm not the only one to think that way. Realizing that, makes me quite happy. For me, writing is irreplaceable. I am glad to have been gifted this beautiful way of conveying words into written sentences. Yes, it is still an essential part of my life because of work as well but I treasure it for being making me happy. Letting me be the person, I decided to be. Why should I be the only one to feel this way? Why shouldn't you feel this way? Maybe you will realize one day, that writing is helping us create new worlds. That it opens doors to different dimensions. You can do so much with writing, why let all of that go to waste?

Go ahead and

free your mind.

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Sources I used:

[paulantonio]

We'll scope part of our lecture about the history of the alphabet in half an hour. see periscope@pascribe #periscope #alphabet #historyofwriting #montananarkers (at Acqua su Marte)