After recently refurbishing my Adler Satellite 2001 electric typewriter, I was surprised to learn something interesting from the owner of Mesa Typewriter Exchange.
He shared with me the fact English teachers and writers tell him they and their students are more thoughtful and creative typing on a typewriter as opposed to a computer keyboard.
To me, the typewriter sounds like productivity and creativity. I love the sound of the bell when I come to the end of the line and the speed of the carriage return. The only problem is the jolt of the carriage return moves my dining room table mat about one-eighth inch every time it returns. Therefore, every so often, I have to move everything back into place. There isn’t any spell check or grammar check, so I have to be more careful. Naturally, I can’t bring my typewriter to the coffee shop.
You don’t have to follow the herd. Use technology when it works for you. But there still is a place for paper and pencil and the typewriter. Use what works. If you have an old typewriter sitting in a closet, I encourage you to try it again. See if it doesn’t make you smile.
Nancy Nemitz isn’t always busy typing on her electric typewriter. She works with business owners to find ways to make their work less tiresome and more productive. If you want to ask her advice, call (480) 223-8939, or send an email to nancy@createthespace.com. She would love to hear you have taken up using a typewriter again. Her company is Create the Space, located in Mesa.