Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to make a career change? Or maybe it’s a new relationship – is that person really your soul mate? For most of us, only time will tell the true story.
Shawn Young, a graphologist who lives in our neighborhood, says there’s a faster way to uncover clues.
“It’s all about personality,” says Young, who makes a living pinpointing personality traits by looking at people’s handwriting.
Want to know if a person has good listening skills? “Look at the ‘e’s,” Young says. “Are they open or closed? The roundness of ‘a’s and ‘o’s also indicates communication skills.”
According to Young, how a person dots an “i” shows attention to detail. Or the way one makes a “t” shows whether a person is goal oriented.
Here’s another hint: The slant of words indicates how a person shows emotion, whether an introvert or extrovert, Young says. Are the “m’s” and “n’s” pointed or round? Graphologists believe such details indicate whether one is a quick learner.
Young became an expert in handwriting analysis after studying the art of graphology at the Texas Institute of Graphological Science, where she received a degree in 1991. Originally, she wanted a four-year degree in Questioned Documentation, which would allow her to work in forensic science. But after studying for a while, working with the court systems didn’t seem as appealing as working with the public.
Instead, Young opted for a two-year degree and began a business in graphological analysis in 1993. Today, she spends much of her time appearing at corporate events, birthday parties, teas and other events.
While she works with a variety of people and businesses, one recent appearance sticks with her.
This promotional event was for Mont Blanc at Penwright, located at Lovers Lane near Inwood in Dallas. Pen collectors gathered to discuss their treasures of antique and unusual fountain pens.
“It was interesting to see the collections of beautiful antique pens, some dating back to the beginning of the century,” Young says. “Some collectors brought attaché cases full of pens of all types – a wide range of beautiful, exquisite pens that people had acquired.
“I’ve also worked for several years at the Dallas Bar Association’s Inaugural Ball in conjunction with Mont Blanc and Bachendorf’s, which is always quite fun.
“Every year, the Ball is attended by attorneys, judges and their spouses in Dallas County. The handwriting analysis event is always very popular and keeps me busy the entire evening,” she says.
In addition, Young has worked at events sponsored by schools, private businesses and civic organizations.
“I’ve even done several compatibility analysis for couples about to me married. It helps them to see if they really know each other or if there are issues that may need to be addressed.”
Young also works with marketing and sales groups in an effort to give insight to business relationships.
“I find that many times, people on a sales team write very much alike, because they have many of the same qualities in their personality that make them successful,” she says.
“In Europe, close to 80 percent of businesses use handwriting analysis in conjunction with other traditional methods for screening people applying for jobs, being promoted to new positions or transferring to other departments.”
