Every handwritten word can paint a picture

GETTING a handwritten letter through the post these days is something quite rare. It’s a pleasure to see that someone has taken the trouble to put pen to paper rather than the usual mode of communication – a text or an e-mail.

Recently Hubs and I saw actors Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove, who’ve worked together on a number of things, perhaps most memorable being Judge John Deed. They were starring in Love Letters at the Haymarket. Just the two of them held the audience spellbound as they read out letters written to each other from the time when they grew up in a small American town to becoming a successful senator, in Shaw’s case, and an alcoholic in that of Seagrove. The two exchange words over a lifetime of friendship and it’s a charming and emotive celebration, through words, of their lives apart and together.

“Letters are a way to present yourself in the best possible light to another person,” wrote A.R. Gurney, author of the play. I’m not too sure about that, but I do think we spend a bit more time thinking about what we write with a pen in our hand rather than dashing off a speedy e-mail.

Our kids would sit down at Christmas with a notepad writing down everyone who gave them a letter so that they wouldn’t forget to send them a thank you letter. I’d like to think that they’ve carried on the nicety but can’t vouch for it. Manners Maketh Man and all that, and I think p’s and q’s are very important – a sign of respect.

Tracey Trussell gets far more out of a letter than just the message. She’s one of the UK’s leading graphologists, and her work is fascinating. No one has the same way of writing, and Tracey, who has a degree from the British Institute of Graphology, knows that every word can paint a picture of the writer’s personality and character traits.

Studying people’s handwriting has been acknowledged since Confucious – a little longer than Tracey who has been teaching it for the last 10 years. “Graphology is used all over the world, less so in the UK though, where we are a little cynical about it” she says. “Handwriting is brain writing. You are reflecting everything that comes through your brain when you write.”

Tracey teaches students all over the world to degree level. “The first year is spent analysing at least 80 different styles of writing, measuring letters, seeing the pressure used on the paper, the margin widths, the gaps between words, the punctuation style. The second year is devoted to the psychology behind it – Jung and Freud’s theories lend themselves to graphology very well. Year three puts all the knowledge together.”

When she’s not teaching, Tracey Trussell works with major companies who submit handwriting of potential employees to her, sometimes with a description of the post they’re applying for. “Companies are very pleased to see the strengths and possible weaknesses of candidates and it steers them away from people who might not be suitable” she says.

More fascinating is the work Tracey has done with researchers on cold crime programmes. “I was given the handwriting of a man who has murdered and is coming up for parole. I shuddered at the thought of him being out of jail because his handwriting shows he hasn’t reformed and could well repeat a crime”.

She works with people on every spectrum. From prisoners on death row in American prisons, or people wanting to know if they are in the right job. Others submit handwriting for analyses to see if they are compatible with their partners. “I’m not a psychic,” says Tracey. “I can’t tell if someone is having an affair, though recently someone asked me if their husband was unfaithful. I couldn’t tell that, but I could tell, through his handwriting, that he was a closet homosexual and that helped his wife come to terms with his behaviour.”

I thought about writing this article, based on the play in London. The demise of letter writing made me think about handwriting. Tracey Trussell’s name came up as a leader in the field of graphology so I e-mailed her. She agreed to look at my handwriting and I sent her an A4 sheet of writing, and after a few days got a three-page report back. She had no knowledge about me. “How does she know you so well?” asked a friend who read the analyses. I dunno. All I do know is that this woman has summed me up in the most extraordinary way. She’s got my temperament down to a ‘T’, my strengths, weaknesses (of course there are hardly any of those to mention…!) and even a few things I was apprehensive about. There’s no beating about the bush. It made fascinating reading and I can see how such analysis can be invaluable to employees – or detectives – alike.

“In the 10 years I’ve been doing this,” says Tracey, “I’ve never had anybody contradict my reports. I’m nervous every time I send one off, but I have to say I’ve never had any criticism.” And that, surely, is something to write home about.

For further information, go to www.handright.co.uk

Manners Maketh Man and all that, and I think p’s and q’s are very important – a sign of respect

Our handwriting can tell others a lot about us