Taylor Swift proved she was a skilled songwriter when she was still in high school, as one throwback video proved — but some fans were too distracted by the singer’s unusual way of holding a pencil to notice.
In the video, which was filmed in 2006 when Swift was just 16, the future Grammy winner explained how she balanced songwriting with being a student at Hendersonville High School in Tennessee.
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“Usually when I’m at school, a song will just pop into my head,” she explained. “Sitting there in class and getting a melody and lyrics just coming to you…I’ll pull out my cell phone and make a voice memo and people think I’m crazy talking to myself. I feel something, I filter it into a song.”
In the clip, Swift could be seen sitting at a desk in class, jotting down lyrics with a blue pencil, which she held in a somewhat unconventional way (between her index and middle fingers).
@theswiftsource Taylor Swift Writing Songs During Her High School Classes #highschool #taylorswift #tennessee #nashville #hendersonville #sumnercounty #recorddeal #countrymusic #hollywood #songwriter
♬ original sound – The Swift Source
As the Daily Mail reported, fans on Reddit couldn’t get over the pop superstar’s unique way of writing.
“What an odd way to hold a pencil,” one person observed, with somebody adding, “The way she holds that blue pencil is crazy.”
“Who the f–k writes like that!?” another commenter wondered.
“I just want to know who taught her to hold a pencil/pen,” demanded someone else.
“Omg I was thinking the same thing! What an awkward way to hold a pen,” yet another Redditor chimed in.
This particular clip isn’t the only time Swift’s pencil grip has sparked debate amongst fans, with other examples including the music video for “Anti-Hero” and countless pics of the singer signing autographs. Occupational therapist Cheryl Crow weighed in on why Swift might write the way she does in an interview with Slate.
“This grasp that she uses, there’s two main reasons people might use that, typically,” Crow said. “One is that they’re hypermobile, or their joints move too much. And the other one is hand pain, or rheumatoid arthritis, specifically.”
However, in Swift’s case, Crow didn’t think her grip was cause for concern.
“The average schoolteacher, or parent, even, would look at that and be like, ‘Why are you holding your pen like that?’ But actually, I think Taylor Swift is a great example. Obviously, she’s one of the best writers of our generation,” Crow said.
