Ann’s magic of handwriting

Kerala girl Ann Mariya Biju, who won first prize in the ‘artistic handwriting’ category at the World Handwriting Contest in 2021, talks about calligraphy and the importance of good handwriting, on the occasion of the Handwriting Day

She has a dream! To be a medical doctor and make sure everybody is able to read her prescription! When Kerala girl Ann Mariya Biju, who won first prize in the ‘artistic handwriting’ category at the World Handwriting Contest in 2021, shares her dream, she is sharing her career ambition as well.

As usual, it was the boredom of sitting alone in home, depending on the online classes in the wake of Covid-19, which prompted her to chisel her talent in calligraphy.

“I used to write beautifully even as a primary school student and my teachers would appreciate me,” she says. As she grew up, she got attracted to calligraphy though she did not have any professional trainer.

“I started improving myself and learned the art of calligraphy by watching various online channels, which brought me closer to the world of calligraphy,” says Ann Maria, a plus-one student of Chemberi Nirmala Higher Secondary school, in the interiors of Kannur district in Kerala. When she saw the advertisement of the world handwriting competition by World Handwriting for Humanity based in New York, she felt she should try her luck. So she further improved her skills and submitted her entry.

“I regularly practised and when I won the first prize in the competition under the artistic handwriting category, it was a real inspiration for me,” says the teenager. She won the prize in the category of students aged between 13 and 19 years. “While submitting the entry, I never expected that I would win but when I won the prize, it boosted my confidence,” says Ann Maria.

Now she writes in over ten different fonts and it is almost like the printed letters.

“Regular practise has helped me learn more about this art, which is yet to gain prominence in India,” says Ann who has studied a lot about this art. In the West, many people use calligraphy to write invitation, greetings and decorating wine bottles with tags, but here such a possibility is yet to evolve professionally, she says. However, now she gets some assignments to write.

“When I won the world prize, actor Dulquer Salmaan wrote about it in his social media platform and it was a great inspiration for me,” says Ann. Later, somebody wanted her to write a greeting on the occasion of the wedding anniversary of the actor. In calligraphy, the letters take the form of art and it should be promoted as an art form, she says. However, she is not keen about taking it as a profession, because her ambition is to become a medical doctor.

“But I want to do calligraphy regularly, because it relaxes and freshens the thoughts,” she says. In order to improve your handwriting you should start practicing writing in four-line copy book and practise regularly, according to her. When the teachers see your handwriting they will be impressed and also good handwriting improves our confidence, according to her. In the primary school, some of the teachers rectified the problems with her handwriting, which further chiselled her talent, thus leading to the global recognition.

“In order to have good handwriting, you need not be a calligrapher, because calligraphy is a time-consuming process and you cannot use it your examination,” she advises. “In exams I make sure to write fast at the same time maintain the legibility and beauty of writing.”

According to studies, handwriting develops the health of the brain and it improves the cognitive processes, thus strengthening the capacity to retain knowledge, recall facts and concepts, and provide a more in-depth comprehension of the subject. According to research conducted at Indiana University, the act of writing by hand stimulates creativity that is not easily accessible in any other manner. As opposed to taking notes on a gadget, using pen and paper helps activate cognitive processes in a better manner, according to studies.

When it comes to calligraphy, the biggest problem is to get different calligraphic pens. While they are costly, many varieties are not available in India, she says. “It is with the help of my aunts abroad that I get the pens,” says Ann, who has a collection of calligraphic pens.

In her creative journey, her father Biju Jose and mother Swapna Francis provide her all support and now she has a Youtube channel and Instagram account.

“I manage my time without affecting my studies and make sure every Friday evening I post a video on my Youtube channel, and this has got good response,” she adds. Apart from writing, she also finds time to write poetry.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of National Handwriting Day, which recognizes the art of handwriting, and also commemorates the birthday of America’s famous scribe, John Hancock, she has only one advise to the students:  “Writing is the best way to memorise things and it also improves your confidence, so just take the pen and start writing something, as if you are meditating, and this way your handwriting will also improve.”