BECOMING AMBIDEXTROUS
learning to write with my left hand
In this experiment i trained myself every couple of days, over a time period of 32 days, to write a paragraph that incorporates all the letters in the alphabet and a total of 111 words. I repeated this process until it became more natural and efficient to write using my left hand, and soon enough it would become a habit that I could do without thinking twice. Due to muscle memory and repetition of practices, I could teach my muscles in my left hand to write nearly as well as i do with my other hand.
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Below is a time-lapse of me writing with my left hand once i have completed the month long practice, compared with a time-lapse of my natural, right hand. This shows my progress in learning and mastering this skill and how muscle memory is extremely useful and effective in controlling your abilities and pushing your bodies limits.
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To see my progress and my step by step work towards this goal look scroll down this page and find evidence of my practices and my reflections i took after each sitting.
29 - 07 - 2020
Reflection
The beginning of writing this paragraph was extremely uncomfortable and felt completely unnatural. I had to go very slowly to get through the paragraph which was very tedious, but as time went on it became somewhat easier, but it was still very unnatural and difficult to control.
31 - 07 - 2020
Reflection
I noticed that today it is better if i go slower and steadier because then i can practice my form rather than just focusing on not getting too wobbly. It has been taking a while to do barely a sentence because of how hard it is to control my left hand, but IÂ know that it is the best way to move forward so that it starts too become more natural and i can do it quicker.
02 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
I am beginning to slowly feel like it is becoming less unsteady when I write. It is not yet natural but I can already feel an improvement from the first time I tried to write with my left hand.
03 - 08 2020
Reflection
I am fining it increasingly more noticeable how taking it slow and rounding out my letters is really training my muscles to write easier and more efficiently with my left hand.
05 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today i really found that it has stopped looking sloppy, but instead like someone with bad handwriting. It isn't scribbled everywhere and some of the words are becoming normal looking because my left hand muscles are training to form them properly. It is becoming easier and more natural and i am excited to see my progress is already showing.
07 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Althoug i am still shaky on the stick parts of letters like the lines in ys, d's, t's, l's, etc. my word formation is becoming much easier and actually somewhat comfortable, unlike earlier on when it felt like i was completely misusing my muscles. Now it feels just a little funky, but all i need is a little more practise.
08 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
I can finally feel myself picking up my speed, it used to take me maybe ten to twenty minutes to write one paragraph, which now seems absurd only taking me five to ten minutes maximum. It is still important that I don't rush because that's when I become sloppy and it looks bad, but I a able to write things without focusing too intensely and can feel myself becoming more and more comfortable.
10 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
I have mixed feelings about todays practice because it is not as neat as i would hope it could have been, however i can see that it is really starting to come together and i just need to focus and not let myself get too carried away with my improvement and rush through my working otherwise my muscles will not train to form words neatly and properly.
12Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today i did the same thing as yesterday where i rushed into it and lost momentum, but half way through, i noticed my mistake and tried to focus on taking it slow and make sure to keep my form still, because i am no longer shaking or wobbling when i write and i have control over my hand but it is still not completely easy and is still difficult to form words quickly and efficiently.
13Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today i have found myself speeding up, and although it does seem more sloppy when I go faster, if i practice increasing my speed, then at the same time I will also improve
16Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today i took it slow, but not too slow to the point of it becoming tedious and unnatural, but i just made sure to focus on what i was writing and i found that i gained a lot of control and neater handwriting this way.
18Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today felt good and i felt more and more control over what i was writing. I can feel it becoming second nature to me.
19Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
On the straight lines i have found that i usually get a bit shaky on them so i want to practice more on taking it steadily when writing the more angular letters.
21 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
My hand was not as controlled as i felt it should be today, but as time went on and i figured out a comfortable position for my hand, it became a lot easier to write.
23Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
My speed has been gaining and i can feel myself gaining control with my left hand much more.
24Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
It is amazing me how much progress i have made because writing with my non-dominant hand is starting to feel natural and not like it is not in control.
27Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
Today was not my best day because i felt my hand cramping up over and over again and it was difficult to maintain a steady hand.
28Â - 08 - 2020
Reflection
I felt that today was the best in feeling that i have had so far because it felt natural and not like i wasn't supposed to be using that hand at all.
30 - 08 - 2020
Reflection
My final left handed writing session! It felt just as natural as writing with my left hand, the only critique I have is how neat it is. It feels comfortable, but with more practice than just from this month I know I will be able to have my left hand exactly as my dominant right hand is.
RIGHT HAND COMPARISON
Reflection
I found after writing this paragraph with my left hand for so long i felt like i was only progressing slowly, but now that I compare this months work with my dominant hands paragraph, i have noticed that my left hand has improved a lot and there is not that great of a difference between my final left handed attempt, and the attempt with my right hand.