Feeling the Difference: How Touch Affects Your Space and Mood

Let’s continue our exploration of Denslow Brown’s Processing Modalities. If you need a refresher on this concept, read my previous post Discover Your Unique Modalities and How They Shape Your Perception. Today we look at the tactile modality. This modality involves the act of touching and the feeling of sensation on your skin.

TACTILE: Feeling on the skin

I spent the first 15 years of my professional life as a graphic designer. I was a print designer, meaning I designed things that were printed on paper or other materials. I love printed materials, from vintage food packaging to modern stationery, but the kind of printing I love most is letterpress. A letterpress is an old-fashioned kind of printing press that is worked by hand. When used to print something on thick cotton paper, the immense pressure leaves an imprint that you can see and feel. Here’s an example. (If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the San Francisco Center for the Book for letterpress classes - it’s an amazing place!)

I love the luxurious feel of letterpress printed paper. To me, it feels like tangible beauty. This strong appreciation of tactility is an example of what Brown calls the Processing Modality Strength Continuum, which can range from weak to tolerant to gifted.

Brown explains that in addition to our modality preferences, we have varying strengths with each modality, ranging from weak to competent to gifted.

Not everyone experiences touch in the same way. If someone can’t imagine caring what a letterpress card feels like, this may be an example of hyposensitivity. However,  If you’re someone who must cut all the tags out of their t-shirts, there could be tactile hypersensitivity. These are examples of what Brown refers to as the Processing Modality Sensitivity Continuum, which ranges from hypersensitive (unaware) to competent to hypersensitive (very aware).

We have varying sensitivities across different modalities ranging from hyposensitive (unaware) to tolerant to hypersensitive (very aware).

Think about how your sense of touch influences your interactions with your surroundings. Do you relish writing your to-do list with an ink pen and beautiful paper? Do you need to have a cozy sweater on to settle into reading a book? Are there tactile changes you can make to create a more supportive environment for yourself?

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