Leadership professor and writing and consciousness expert, Katie McCleary, MFA, offers the benefits of writing by hand for all ages. Based on more than 25 years of writing with thousands of people, McCleary offers insights into the science of handwriting and how it can easily improve your focus, elevate your thinking, deliver the “sticky factor” to retain new learning, and create more meaningful, resonate connections. So, go ahead, let go of the grammar police, write in your messy unique font, and see what bubbles up when you try slow and write by hand. Katie McCleary is an author, changemaker, professor of leadership and a lover of people. Earning her MFA, in Writing and Consciousness, led to her belief that handwriting is a path to transform the self, communities and the world. She is also the coauthor of Bridge the Gap, which Inc. named 1 of 3 business books to read in 2022. As the founder of the nonprofit, 916 Ink, Katie has helped more than 4500 young people become confident authors who know the power of the pen. Mashable.com named her 1 of 15 “Real Miss Americas” for her career in uplifting communities. She is the host of NPR CapRadio’s leadership podcast, “The Drive.” Katie teaches in the Masters of Nonprofit Leadership at Pacific University. Her work has appeared in Forbes, PBS, Shondaland, Thrive, Apple News, and Hip Mama. She lives with 2 children, 15 chickens, 1 talkative parrot, and other furry creatures in California. She is handwriting her next book: A Biomythography of Our Being: What We Become when We Write. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx