Shinasa Shahid, a Guwahati-based handwriting analyst.
Handwriting analysis plays a huge role in shaping our personality for the betterment, says Shinasa Shahid, a young graphologist and the founder of The Write Movement. In an interview with Vishwas Ved, the Guwahati-based handwriting analyst, who conducts handwriting analysis workshops in and around her home state of Assam, says graphology can help students manage stress and boost their confidence level. Edited excerpts:
You’re just 27, but you have doing a great job as a handwriting analyst. Please tell us about your journey as a graphologist, and of course your new venture, The Write Movement. How did you get started?
I think I should have done this long back. But I took time getting a deeper understanding of handwriting analysis and I still believe I have much to learn, considering how vast the subject is. As a matter of fact, I learn something new every day, religiously.
I first came to know about graphology about seven years ago, and thought of making people in Guwahati aware of this interesting and new concept. As far as I was concerned, there were no handwriting analysis or graphology institutes anywhere in the NorthEast India.
I was in my graduation year when I had this dream, and therefore I wanted to complete my studies out of Assam and gain as much knowledge as I could. Finally, after eight years I came back home with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement to start The Write Movement in Guwahati.
I realised it long ago how beneficial handwriting analysis is to the education sector. As a psychologist, rising depression, stress, and more importantly, the suicide rates among students are bigger concerns for me. Hence, I began to execute my dream of bringing this beautiful knowledge to Guwahati.
Tell us something about your graphology teachers. I know one of them because he is also my teacher…
Thankfully, I made good friends in my graduation, and they suggested about going for graphology classes. I consider it to be the best decision I have ever taken in my life!
And then I met Mr Mohan Bose, the director of the Kolkata Institute of Graphology. I am sure you know what a charming personality and an amazing teacher he is. I used to eagerly wait for the classes to start. I remember the classes would go on for almost 6 hours and I always wished it went on for a few more.
Post that, you and Bart Baggett have been an important influence on my career and I have been diligently following both of you and the articles written and published by Write Choice International and Handwriting University. A great amount of self-study has also gone into it.
To take up handwriting analysis as a career must have been challenging. Were you parents okay with your career choice, Shinasa?
Shinasa holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology
I have been blessed to have such wonderful parents and I consider it to be a privilege. My parents have been and will always be my greatest support and strength.
Fortunately, the field of psychology is a bonus here because I have learnt to see people beyond their face value. The science of human behaviour and the psychology of handwriting is very well connected and that is where my education has helped me to understand humans and discover their personal characteristics, nature and emotions.
There is a very strong link between the two in the domains of affective, cognitive and behavioural areas. If we see the theories of graphology, we find they are all emerging from psychology.
Initially, I did succumb to self-doubt as to how to execute what I have been wanting to do as far as graphology was concerned. I had no one to look upto in my city with the same profile, but my support system was large and strong enough to stand by me and help me out in each and every possible way. They continuously encourage me and I am immensely thankful to them.
You conduct workshops on handwriting analysis in Guwahati. I have never been there. How receptive are people there of handwriting analysis?
Guwahati as an upcoming metro city is yet to experience so many different kinds of services rendered. People have heard about handwriting analysis, but not about graphology. It comes as a surprise to them that changing the handwriting can actually change a person’s personality. They find it quite surprising to believe this.
I have conducted several workshops in and around Guwahati and outside Assam and they have all been quite successful. People in Guwahati have a positive mindset towards this new field once they fully understand the tremendous amount of help handwriting analysis and graphotherapy offers.
People have a positive approach towards graphology and graphotherapy and it works wonders when combined with the therapies used in counselling. People here have embraced modernity but a few of them still take a back seat when spoken about psychological counselling. Therefore, this has been the most important reason to come back to my hometown and serve my people here and make them aware of the benefits and the importance of a good mental health.
What’s the profile of your clients? Are there more individuals or only corporate houses or both?
The Write Movement is still in its infancy. At present, my clients include mostly students.
Shinasa, what’s the common issue you find in the people whose handwriting samples you analyse?
The most common issues I have found among the handwriting samples I have analysed are low confidence, moderately-high stress levels, resentment, low phases of depression and megalomania.
Handwriting analysis has a deep connection with personality. In what ways can we use it to better our lives?
Handwriting analysis plays a huge role in shaping our personality for the betterment. From personal empowerment such as creating stronger willpower and enthusiasm to professional usage such as good leadership qualities and removing public phobias or even checking the compatibility between two people, handwriting analysis has come a long way in helping people to raise the bar of confidence, remove internal conflicts and associate closely with their dear ones.
Tell us about the most challenging handwriting sample you’ve ever encountered. How you did you deal with it?
The most challenging handwriting sample I have encountered was my very first handwriting sample. It took me over a day’s time to finally interpret with a holistic view of the given sample.
How about a signature change? How does it work?
I find signature analysis very fascinating. Lately, I am also trying to learn it through the forensic perspective. Signature is merely a mirror of the personality one is trying to reveal to the world. It might require a larger size or making it more legible or any other embellishments.
Also, a signature should never be read in isolation but with the written text. Post my graphology class, I myself started making necessary changes in my signature and saw some positive results in a few weeks’ time. I always recommend signature change to people who need it.
Shinasa with the participants of a recent workshop.
What is graphotherapy? Do you believe in it? Do you recommend it your clients?
Graphotherapy is a means to bring about controlled changes in weak areas of the personality after a thorough analysis of the existing handwriting and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the person. Personality can be identified and corrected through this therapy.
I religiously believe in graphotherapy because it enhances the mental ability of a person. It is directly linked with the conscious activities and changes them into good habits. I do recommend graphotherapy to my clients and I have seen considerable changes in them.
Can a person’s handwriting reveal anything about his health or gender?
I am not sure about the gender, but yes through medical graphology we can determine a person’s mental and physical health.
How popular do you think handwriting analysis is in India? Do you think enough is being done to promote handwriting analysis in our country?
‘Handwriting analysis is not just my profession. I have turned my passion into profession and I am happily doing it’
Handwriting analysis in India is still at very developing stage. There are no recognised degree courses in handwriting analysis and it is only studied as a part of forensic science.
Of course there are renowned institutes of graphology but offering only certification or diploma courses. The renowned graphologist and people interested in this field are quite a few in numbers in our country.
Enough is not being done because people are still not aware of its benefits. Changing the handwriting can definitely bring about a lot of changes in one’s personality. I would plead to the people of the country to not shy away from talking about mental health and reach out to people for emotional support.
A lot of young people are attracted to handwriting analysis with an aim to turn it into a source of livelihood. Any advice for them, Shinasa?
I would really urge more and more people to join this community and help and render this service to others. This is an amazing field and will actually help a lot of people overcome most of their insecurities, fears and conflicts. And as far as advices are concerned, I am still at the learner’s stage and require more of them right now.
Tell us about your life beyond handwriting analysis. What do you do when you are not analysing a handwriting sample. Any hobbies?
Handwriting analysis is not just my profession. I have turned my passion into profession and I am happily doing it. Analysing handwriting samples was my hobby. Now that I have turned my hobby into profession, I am more than happy working as a graphologist.
I have been a chess player and enjoy writing articles for newspapers on psychology and graphology. Apart from that, I love to travel, try different cuisines and go for adventure sports.
Any handwriting tips you want to give which everyone can follow in their handwriting?
The English letter ‘t’ reflects several personality traits. A considerably high raised t-bar, clean ovals and a slightly larger-than-the-text signature can help an individual to deal effectively with confidence and honesty.
Disclaimer: One element of handwriting may be analysed at a time, but always look at the entire handwriting sample before arriving at any conclusion.
