People often ask what was behind me becoming
a Graphologist.
A friend had one, tongue in cheek, answer "You're just nosey!". I have
another - I was bored!
Either way, it happened because I occasioned to pick up a book in the library
one day on handwriting analysis, read it from cover to cover and was hooked.
Then I took a certification program, and loved every minute of that too.
As a young mother and homemaker, once I had become a graphologist, I saw my
new skill as a passport to getting out of the house, even just for short
periods of time.
But before I even got deep into the training I found the first benefit it
was to bring me. I am quite shy in social situations, so going to social
events where I don't know many people is a trial for me.
Shortly after starting my handwriting analysis training, I found myself
at one such event. It was a barbecue. In chatting to one person I mentioned
I had started training in becoming a graphologist ... and what happened
after than nothing short of amazed me.
She told someone, who told someone,... you get the picture, and in no time
at all I had people lining up for me to look at their writing at tell them
what I saw in it.
They were tearing up the paper table cloths to write on! Being on lesson 2
of the entire certification course at that time, I am sure I gave a great
many people inaccurate information - but boy, did it get me over the
shyness!
Once I had finished the course and become a graphologist officially, the
first thing I did was to visit my local School Board Continuing Education
Department and offer a basic introductory course for anyone either
interested in becoming a graphologist or just curious as to whether there
was anything in this idea of analyzing handwriting.
My first course wasn’t very creatively named, just “An Introduction to
Handwriting Analysis” which may have accounted for the low registration, as
well as the course cancellation.
However, I asked for the names and phone numbers of those who had
registered, and invited them to take the course in my home. All four of them
accepted, and I got through my first course unscathed, eager to do more. And
in fact, one of my students followed through on
becoming a graphologist
himself.
My next course through the school board registered the required number, and
from there on I taught the introductory course through them.
I once had a legally blind student enroll for the class! I was concerned
that she would miss out on some of the information because, although she
could read the handouts with a strong magnifying glass, she could not read
anything I wrote on the board.
Nevertheless she dutifully turned up
for every class, and seemed to be enjoying herself. Then she would roller
blade home after class!
That taught me a lesson about not giving into ones limitations. Anything is
possible if there is a desire. But I digress...
Obviously, teaching through an organization like this has its pros and cons.
The biggest “pro” is that one gets city-wide advertising for free.
The main
“con” is that no matter how many students enroll, the instructor still
receives only a set hourly fee as opposed to the fee that is normally
charged by a professional analyst.
However, I did that for many years, and had several students go on to become
graphologists themselves.
One of the nice things I have found about teaching through established
learning institutions is the publicity that it offers, beyond just getting
course registrants.
When the media wants to find an expert on some topic, they often go to the
local educational institutions to locate instructors.
Through this, I have been contacted to do many newspaper and magazine
interviews, as well as TV / radio talk shows about
both graphology in general and about becoming a graphologist..
Exposure such as this
generates more business for me.
If, once you have become a graphologist, you enjoy public speaking, there
are endless opportunities with conferences, conventions and even just local
associations meetings. Most of these organizers are looking for something
different and, unless they've had a graphologist recently, a talk on
handwriting analysis usually fits the bill.
I also teach privately and having
a website also generates interest from the
media when they have a story relevant to becoming a graphologist, or when
the police have an interesting piece of writing they publish and the media
want to find out all they can from it.
Not only the media, but law enforcement agencies and others involved in
criminal justice.
One memorable client was a private detective.
Remember the old Colombo TV
show? My PI modeled himself on the appearance of Peter Falk’s character, all
excepting the glass eye.
He would slink into my house with writing samples. He would never leave me
his phone number. Instead he would call me from a pay phone. Then he
would slink in again for the results, paying me in tattered, used bills and
slink out again!
The sad part about that work, from my perspective, was that I just analyzed
the writing and gave my report. I never knew what the case was about, what
the outcome was or any of the fascinating, intriguing details.
If you consider that part of the reason for becoming a graphologist is a
fascination with people and personality, (read "nosey"!!) you can see that not knowing what
the facts of the case were was disappointing and took a great deal of the
interest out of it for me.
Within a month of becoming a graphologist with all the appropriate
qualifications, I was asked to talk to a “spouses' program” at a convention.
This was my first venture into real public speaking. However, I did manage
to stand up in front of the 200 women present, hiding my trembling knees
behind the podium. I took comfort in the knowledge that most of the women
wouldn’t know if I made a mistake or not!
But they were a great group. I came away both with the knowledge that I
could interest people in handwriting analysis, and that I was capable of
public speaking. and in fact thoroughly enjoyed it.
This venture also gave me some of my first analysis clients and, again,
someone who followed through on becoming a graphologist herself.
I’ve since broadened my scope considerably doing analysis, presentations and
courses on a wider variety of applications for handwriting analysis.
I also offer home or small group parties which are very popular, and for
businesses either interactive team building or ice breakers.
You can easily
learn to do these yourself either just for fun, or to make some
extra income.
One of the most popular courses or presentations is on the subject of
finding the perfect mate and I quite frequently speak to singles groups.
I also have material for genealogists, other handwriting analysts, career
changers/ planners, human resource managers, parents, to name but a few.
I have come to the conclusion that there is an application of handwriting
analysis for every group of people. And also that in every group of people
is someone who, once they have been introduced to the topic, will find an
interest in becoming a graphologist themselves.
Just think what is the communal interest of a group, and how handwriting analysis can
target that interest. As a result a new course, presentation or analysis
format is born.
Working part time as a career consultant, I brought
handwriting analysis into that too, and found the two complemented each
other very well.
On “personality day” in my career planning workshop, for example, after we’d
done Myers Briggs, I did a brief analysis of everyone’s handwriting.
(If Myers Briggs interests you, you can't do
better than this...
Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence
)
It turned out to be the most popular part of the course with some students
signing up for the course just to have the handwriting analyzed - but it is
genuinely useful to the career planning process.
I also do full career guidance analysis for private clients, where I may or
may not include looking at their writing as part of the process.
Previously I have worked for human resource managers, which is really just a
twist to the career planning analysis. Here I identify to the employer how
well suited the writer is, instead of identifying it to the writer
themselves (as I would in career planning.)
I also enjoy writing "how-to" books on the topic of graphology. The type of
books I enjoy writing are
light hearted, fun books for people who are not
necessarily deeply interested in graphology for it's own sake, but enjoy "playing" with
it, and getting some insight into how it works.
In Europe and part of the middle east, the majority of employers use
graphology as part of the hiring process and although this number is
considerable lower in North America, I have also have written a book for employers, allowing them to look up all the
major traits they look for in employees, to aid them in the hiring process.
So if you're thinking of becoming a graphologist and going into handwriting
analysis as a career, you can tweak it to go in whatever direction you want
it fits best for you.
Whatever your background and interests, there is an application of
handwriting analysis that you can develop.
My original training was in fashion design. At one point I had worksheets
developed whereby I could suggest clothing styles and colours based on an
analysis of writing.
I repeat, no matter what your background, training and interests, ask
yourself “how can I apply handwriting analysis to this?”
There is always a way.
Becoming a graphologist changed my life, and it enriched it greatly too. If
you are interested in the subject, I encourage you to go farther and
investigate
graphology
training options. It is
totally fascinating, and absorbing. You will never regret having learned it.
Are you ready to go into fully-fledged
training
to become a Graphologist?
This is one of the most popular courses around and comes with many options.
Home Study to become a
Become a Certified Handwriting Analyst
- several
study options
including full certification course
