As the world speeds up, I find myself wanting to slow down. Mark Zuckerberg has a famous quote, “Move fast and break things.” And, boy, has he broken things. I don’t agree with him and instead find myself wanting to “Move slow and make things.”
One of the ways that I slow down is to start using typewriters again. It’s not as odd or rare as one might think. I went to an art space late last summer where they had a typewriter on display and let attendees type on it to create an exquisite corpse type poem. I loved it. So much so that I turned to my companions and stated, “I want a typewriter!”. They scoffed, but within a month I found my first typewriter locally for $20. I now have 14. That may be a problem.
With typewriters I also found a community. There is an eclectic group of beautiful people in Eugene who meet regularly to talk about typewriters. We are pen pals and pals in real life. We are various ages but we all appreciate slowing down and being present with these writing tools. There is a cross over with fountain pens, which I am also enjoying.
I journal daily on my typewriters and have started an illustrated journal with my fountain pens. My spelling, penmanship and writing are improving as is my attention span. There are a handful of typewriter shops still in business including one in Portland, called Ace Typewriter. If you are thinking about getting a typewriter, you may be lucky and find one locally in good shape. Or try a shop like Ace where you can get one that has been serviced and will work right away instead of having to tinker with it. If you are in or near Eugene, our group is welcoming of new people who share our passion. We are the Society for the Appreciation of Typewriters.