Is handwriting and calligraphy still necessary in a world where everything is typed?

I am a calligrapher, so you can consider that I have a bias in that direction. I am older, so I have another bias in that I have spent most of my life writing things down before keyboards were ubiquitous. My third bias is that I practice taijiquan (tai chi) and qi gong, so I am aware of the flow of energy through our bodies.

Is calligraphy, handwriting and lettering still necessary?

Interestingly enough, I make a living as a calligrapher. That means that there are enough people out there who feel that handwritten material is significant enough to pay for it. I also have students. These are people who are willing to put in the time and effort to improve their ability to write by hand.

I suppose you could set up your life so that you never had to write anything down, but this means you are totally dependent on technological devices. Sometimes it is just easier to write down my shopping list than to type it into a cell phone or tablet. If you never write anything by hand, then I guess that for you handwriting is not strictly necessary. But should the moment arise when you need to communicate to another person via the handwritten note, I hope you still have the skill to write legibly.

My point of view (remember my three biases, above) is that life is about more than strict necessity. Calligraphy adds beauty to the world. It reminds us that the written word carries significance and emotion. Calligraphy is also a mindfulness practice. It brings me into the moment. In order to achieve the lines and forms of the writing, I have to both concentrate and relax.

To put this into perspective, I feel like this question is like asking if playing an instrument or singing is still necessary in a world where we can listen to any recording, or simply ask an AI assistant to manifest the music we wish to compose or to play or to hear. For me, writing is like music. It has its practical aspects, but it is also an exercise in form and rhythm and the projection of my own humanity. The world would be a poorer place without it.

This is my Sanskrit calligraphy, in Devanagari script, of the phrase “All One in Music”

This is my calligraphy, in Persian (Farsi) of the phrase Illumination is in the depths of shadows — روشنایی در اعماق سایه هاست

This is my calligraphy, in English, titled “Peace Reflections”