Posted by Have you been completely immersed into a world of key surfaces and touch screens and maybe forgotten “the pen” and the “the notebook”?
They were showing a commercial just before Christmas, comparing the merits of a well known computer firm’s new little laptop, against the hardback notebook you actually have to physically write in with a pen!
Well what’s so wrong with that?
It’s a new year so give it a go, buy a crisp, clean notebook, it doesn’t have to be a Moleskine, there are some great products at a fraction of the price. A5 is a good size to start, get a loop of wide knicker elastic to keep things secure, a good quality pen (Pilot V5 s are good for writing and drawing) and you are off.
In your new journal you can document your life, sketch, make notes, write stories, and jot down ideas that may one day become the next big thing. If it hasn’t already got them you could make pockets inside the covers for tickets and other keepsakes, such as your “lucky” foil from the top of that San Pellegrino Limonata can you had at that cafe in Rome.
As well as writing the odd ode, you can also stick or tape stuff to the pages, such as wallpaper samples torn from a roll in B&Q to help with the new colour scheme, a fallen leaf, or the strand of hair you found on your shoulder belonging to your new love, as well as the new baby’s hand or foot print.
Perfect for recording important details, and inscribing experiences on paper, your notebook will become a repository of personal glimpses and feelings.
You can also tear pages out (it’s a good idea to start from the back) for shopping lists, reminders, and little maps for giving directions. Why not write a loving message and secretly slip it into your partner’s pocket to be found later, it will beat a text message every time.
Of course we all need to keep up with technology, but in ten years time when you dig out your old journals, blow the dust off, actually touch and read them, you can re-live the excitement and emotions they contain, including the red wine splashes and spaghetti sauce stains. You won’t have to worry about which OS is running, or if the batteries are flat.