Centuries-old art back in vogue

An art of conscious living

The boon of handwriting for boosting people's mental wellbeing is also endorsed by mental health experts.

"Writing with mindfulness is the key to helping people alleviate their anxiety," noted Lin Chaihua, a psychology professor with Beijing Normal University.

Many studies have shown mindfulness can help mitigate stress and anxieties as it means paying attention fully and nonjudgmentally to the present moment, said the professor.

A practice rooted in Buddhism, Taoism, and yoga, mindfulness is described as "an art of conscious living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of the 1994 book Wherever You Go, There You Are, a bestseller which helped catapulted mindfulness into mainstream in the west.

Kabat-Zinn's teacher, Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, also practices calligraphy for mindfulness. Calling calligraphy meditation, he writes English words with a Chinese brush on rice paper, creating works that have been exhibited around the world for mindfulness promotion.

Recent years have also seen modern English-language calligraphy, aka lettering in the West, garner millions of fans, thanks in part to the promotion of Megan, former Duchess of Sussex, whose stunning handwriting has sparked a widespread interest in the dying artform.

The Megan Effect aside, lettering's growing popularity more comes down to its magical healing power.

Some Britons interviewed by the UK newspaper The Daily Mail in 2019 shared that lettering, has helped them wrestle with parenting distress, chronic pain and even borderline personality disorder for guiding them into deep mediation and unlocking their creative side.