Who knew my other hand wasn’t just along for the ride?

FOR AS long as I can remember, I’ve had an interest in art, especially sketching. I remember the other newborns in the maternity ward avoiding me because, even though we all looked like prunes at the time, art was all I would talk about.

They’d call me nasty names like Rembrandt the Raisin or Van Go to Hell.

That passion hasn’t faded. Just the other day, I was watching an artist on a video streaming channel doing a sketch – and it turns out he was ambidextrous. I was so impressed, it felt as if my brain went out of joint.

“WHAAAAT?? Two hands to draw with? That’s amazing,” I thought.

Naturally, my mind wandered to a potential column on training your lazy hand – you know, for emergencies. Like when your dominant hand is injured and you need to do something as basic as brushing your teeth. That’s when you realise just how dependent you are on that one overworked limb.

Yes, using your non-dominant hand is awkward, but I’ve heard it brings surprising benefits. It can boost brain function, co-ordination, and creativity – and some studies even link it to reduced symptoms of depression. That’s because it activates the opposite hemisphere of the brain, improving neuroplasticity, enhancing motor skills, and even strengthening focus and mindfulness.

And that’s the good news I’ve been clinging to, because – wouldn’t you know it – shortly after being wowed by that ambidextrous artist, I started feeling discomfort in my dominant hand.

So, I’ve been doing everything with my left hand for over a week now. By rights, I should be smarter. And maybe even slightly more content.

My physio – whom I’ve dubbed Attila the Unkind – suspects the pain is due to overwork. That made it easy to trace the cause: I’d been using my smart device way too much.

But these days, reading a news article isn’t just a simple scroll. You’re constantly holding your phone while winding your eyes around adverts, dodging flashing banners, and batting away pop-ups. It’s almost a physical workout.

Recently, someone asked where to find the best deal on a tablet – no, not a pill, a smart tablet. I spent about 40 minutes searching online. Since then, I’ve been buried in ads for tablets on every website I visit.

Now, only about 30% of my screen is actual content. The rest is marketing mayhem. And that means more time holding the phone... and more pain in my poor wrist.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not calling for an end to advertising. It’s been around forever, ever since Grog first discovered the knop-kierie and convinced his tribe to upgrade from gathering to hunting.

Before the internet, it was door-to-door salesmen – and people hated them too. Remember the old comedy skits where someone tries to slam the door on a persistent salesman, but he jams his foot in the way?

In fact, I once heard this old story:

A woman opens her front door, only to find a travelling salesman. She’s in a foul mood and immediately tries to slam the door in his face – but it bounces back open. She tries again. Same result.

Now furious, she prepares to give it one almighty slam.

But just before she does, the salesman calmly says, “Ma’am, before you do that, I’d advise moving your cat.”