Hello Reader,
Are you critical of your handwriting?
I tend to write faster than I should, trying to make my hand keep up with my thoughts. This results in incomplete letterforms (especially the last couple of letters in a word) to the point of illegibility to everyone except me.
In some respects, keeping my personal, handwritten notes somewhat indecipherable makes me feel safer. In that my full thoughts are not completely on display. That I maintain my introversion and privacy.
I'd love to have beautiful, effortless handwriting—but I know that the sort of handwriting I admire is not easy at all, but takes years (a lifetime?) of practice and dedication.
From a graphic design perspective, when I handwrite something to share—like the lettering on the cover of the Jot mockup, or a wordmark for the "Participation by Post" open call—it takes numerous attempts before something I feel like sharing makes it onto the paper. I often play with various pens in order to find the right "personality." (This is a bit like selecting from fonts on a computer, I suppose, but these are my handwriting styles influenced by the pen's nib and quality of the paper.)
So, after many attempts and a quick doodle of an envelope and postcard, here's my graphic, pieced together from scans of scribbles on paper:
As announced yesterday, I will feature some readers' letters and postcards in the Jot book and use the submissions to design one of the signature dust jackets for the Encyclopedia of Inspiration. Submissions might also be posted in an online gallery or in the UPPERCASE newsletter.
1) Write a Letter
Write a letter about why jotting down your thoughts, feelings and ideas on paper is meaningful and important to you.
2) Send a Postcard
Pretend you’re sending a message from the past about what we need to know now (and in the future) about handwriting, correspondence and/or personal connection.
I look forward to receiving your mailed-in letters and postcards over the next couple of months!
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Janine Vangool
UPPERCASE magazine publisher / editor / designer
(and customer service, too!)
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Finished books ARE planned for December 2026
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