Carol Burnett magnanimously bestowed credit for her Scarlett O'Hara in velvet drapes sequence (which earned an Emmy) to Bob Mackie, saying he was the genius behind several of her characters. Her charming anecdotes underlined Mackie's enormous talent and mastery of his craft.

I was fortunate enough to capture many handwriting samples that evening, but one left me speechless - the electrifying script of Angelica Huston. The sheer power and strength of her writing, coupled with stokes of individuality and ingenuity, leave no doubt this Academy Award winner can claim the high ground on either side of the camera, as both director and actress.

Her writing reflects a mind that wraps itself around a problem, to study it from all angles, while never losing sight of the whole. Like a karate master sizing up an opponent, she is simultaneously alert and on fire, while remaining methodically cool and focused. It's almost as though you're witnessing the eye of the storm wrapped in the unspeakable calm which precedes it.

I've analyzed handwriting for over two decades, and encounter complexity and brilliance like this rarely. Recalling other masters from my archives, Huston's writing contains qualities of Stravinsky, Linus Pauling, and Katharine Hepburn, while infused with her own unique character. Most remarkable to me, is the fact that genius handwritings are often coupled with an intimidating, or egotistical personality. Somehow, Huston tempers her strength with a kindness and approachability most becoming.

True, she can be impatient, but her intolerance stems not from ego, but from boredom. Even if she finds you maddening, frustrating, obdurate, selfish, etc., you may still hold her interest if you intrigue her intellectually. She loves a mental challenge. Huston has a genuine thirst for learning, and was probably the proverbial twenty-question kid, never satisfied with a pat answer, exploring until she proved things for herself.

She possesses tremendous fluidity of thought, and can assimilate and correlate ideas from different disciplines (art, music, science, literature, etc.) synthesizing them into a new amalgam for her own purposes. Those who possess this talent for "cross-over" thinking can often hold patents for inventions. Many breakthroughs in science have come from the arts and vice-versa. She may not be aware of this skill on a conscious level, but it's operating just the same.

The length and formation of her lower loops reveal a need for solitude, to replenish energy reserves and regain perspective. I'm sure those in the industry will admonish, "Well of course she craves privacy. Don't you know anyone successful in this industry lives in a fishbowl?"

Even if Huston could occupy a world of anonymity, she would still crave solitude. She needs the expansiveness a quiet space provides, as her active imagination crowds her mind, spilling over in an endless stream of new ideas (as revealed in the many hook formations in the upper zone). Some of us need others to bounce our ideas off of; Huston has trouble keeping her mind quiet long enough to selectively screen one idea at a time. Her creativity clamors for her attention.

Although a loner by nature, the large size of her writing tells us she has increased her comfort zone and adapted to visibility, handling the limelight with aplomb. When privacy is needed, like Alice in Wonderland's Cheshire cat, she's simply, silently gone.

The unique first and last name connection symbolize strong ties to family influence, hardly surprising, considering the genius and force of both her grandfather (Walter) and father (John). The numerous tie strokes throughout indicate dogged persistence, and an ability to complete tasks. The subliminal star formation within the last name reinforce her ability to handle star status.

The many thrusts into the upper zone underscore her thirst for learning, as well, as fascination with the future, the untried. Rather than dismiss unproven theories or suppositions, she's forever open to the "what if9" world of possibilities. Add to this the clear, definitive printing and numerals in the address, and you have a woman confident, poised, determined, and able to embrace the unknown with assurance. All in all, a power to be reckoned with.

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