Some people say that writing should be writing and that it doesn’t matter what you write it on. In fact, you should use the crappiest piece of junk you can. Use a pencil and pad. I disagree. I find that what you’re writing on and what you’re writing with can have an impact on your writing. I scrawl in my small Moleskine journal when I need to get those thoughts on paper, little bursts of a couple of words to describe the emotions that I am feeling at that moment, the thoughts and experiences that brought out those feelings…as a result, my small journal is full of ballpoint chicken scratch, some of it barely readable. There are little doodles, to-do lists, notes, lyrics, and small observations. You can see more drama in the large scrawling handwriting as my Parker Jotter struggles to capture the present as quickly and accurately as possible.
On the other hand, my large Moleskine notebook is more refined. In it are long passages leading down the winding path of my mind. There is greater introspection and depth in it. I write in it with an ink pen, a Pilot V5 with rolling ball. The pages are dense with my writing, the words small and compact, organized and thoughtful. It is a journal of the happenings of my life and a discussion of what I was feeling at the time. There are no drawings, no little notes. The notebook is an organized vessel for my thoughts.Soon, I will have the need to take notes yet again. I’d like to use ruled Moleskine notebooks, but they are quite costly at roughly $15 a notebook, give or take a couple of dollars depending on quantity and from whom you purchase them. Sure, I could use a looseleaf binder or a marble notebook…but I take pride in my work. My attention to detail is reflected in my choice of tools. The quality of the paper I write on is an indicator of the quality of work I produce. The precision of my writing instrument is an indicator of the precision of my mind. The ruled pages demand order and organization. It is a representation of the work that I am doing.At first, I was thinking of switching pens and notebooks…I had read from somewhere, I can’t remember for my life just where I did…some fellow’s organizational method using a ledger, stamped page numbers, and pen and paper. I realized that lugging around a ledger in my bag wouldn’t be very efficient. Not only that, but the desks are small and cramped, making it hard to write: the ledger is 8 1/2 by 11 or so. Then I looked back into my Moleskine notebook. Of course, I don’t know if it’s actually worth it to purchase a bunch of these notebooks…then again, I’ve been known to be a habitual spendthrift. I imagine it won’t be too long before I start looking for personalized stationery that I can write on with a nice fountain pen.
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