Paper Requirements
The most vivid moments in my life have been those in which I've had a pen in my hand.
I experience something close to reverence when I'm in a stationery store. I believe the quality of paper and pen alter the way we write.
All that being said, I'm not snobbish about brands. But I know people who are - and I don't blame them for it. Once, when I told someone I'd just bought a new Moleskine (I pronounced it like the skin of an animal), my friend corrected me, "It's molay-skeenay. You know that, right?" Shamefaced, I slipped my hand into my bag and massaged the journal's smooth cover.
The first thing I do when I visit a new place is observe how people in the place write. I observe whether they write or not. And with what. And on what.
For instance, in Paris, I noticed people wrote in leather-bound journals. With plain pens. In Morocco, the pens were cheaper (and harder to obtain), the paper so thin it doubled as toilet paper in a pinch. In Japan, Kokuyo, one of the major paper and stationery makers, frequently sent me into stationery frenzies during which I'd blow my meager earnings in one go. In England I assumed people wrote, I just rarely saw it happen on campus (exception: Cambridge and Oxford). I have spoken of my love affair with MUJI. That affair began in Paris - and lasts to this day - thanks to my years living in Japan.
What follows, after many years of research, are my personal stationery requirements. I have and will continue to use all sorts of paper, writing instruments and sundry bits. But when I'm on the hunt for a new notebook, this is what I'm looking for.
What are your stationery always/nevers?
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I have my friend Brandon White (pictured above with Moleskine's 2010 Day Planner - my paper planner of choice) to credit for these stationery store finds: Felt & Wire, Jet Pens, Hard Graft.
Also, if you're very into paper and beauty, join the Flickr Moleskinerie group.
Finally, I can't recommend Rands' "Sweet Decay" highly enough. If you're a paper lover, you will know you have found a kindred spirit.
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Dig posts on writing the old-fashioned way? Read "How to write non-digital thank you notes."
And look for an upcoming post on creating more creative business cards. Subscribe to get it delivered digitally.
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Join the #best09 Challenge and share your year with us.
Whether digital or paper, thank you for taking some time to read this post and celebrate the world of writing with me.
Edit: Thanks to Liz for sending me on a Moleskine (pronunciation) hunt. This is the best answer I can give you, "So let’s settle this once and for all: in Italian, it’s “mo-leh-SKEE-neh”; in French, it’s “mo-lÉ™-SKEEN”; and in English, it’s “those little notebooks with the oilcloth covers.” Thanks, Joe, for clearing this up for us!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Reader Comments (15)
I was surprised to discover that, while I'm digital for almost everything, my creative writing (screenwriting, poetry) is best started on paper, primarily because it supports non-edited, free flow writing, which is essential in the early stages of writing a piece.
My choice: LEUCHTTURM1917. Similar to Moleskines, but there's something special about their journals that I love. They sell them at Boulder Bookstore if you want to give them a look see:)
-ryan
Why is stationery so lush and why do so many of us love it? I ask myself this question often when I'm on a quest in Paperchase.
Your comment about people not writing a lot in England made me pause for thought. And it's true. I very rarely see anyone writing in a notebook. Maybe I don't frequent the notebook writing places. But generally when I'm in a cafe, I'm the only one writing. Perhaps notebook writing is an underground activity in the UK!
Ryan You know, I have been tempted on several occasions to pick up a LEUCHTTURM1917 - they are the new hipster notebook! But seriously, I'll give it a try as soon as I complete a current notebook (another thing I didn't mention - I'm notorious about giving up on a notebook 3/4 of the way through. What's up with that tendency?).
Nicola You could bring it aboveground. Start a writer's group that goes around writing in public and making a quiet scene? I'd be hard pressed to think of a time I met a fellow writer in England - which is odd, right? The UK has a great reputation (well-deserved) for its writers through the ages. And yet... where are they doing all that writing? In a country home in the Lake District? That'd be my best guess.
I agree with the quality of paper & pens having an effect on you and writing. It's like the character of an environment, sets that mood, tone. Plus some other crazy magic potion stuff blasting off. Real talk Gwen.
The LEUCHTTURM1917 notebooks look awesome, good find thanks Ryan.
Ok, so if I find a notebook that I'm ok with and buy it and it doesn't fit my needs; I'm compelled to buy another. It's like I just cannot possibly be forced to use such a crappy notebook when I know something better is out there waiting for me. And don't get me started on pens; they can make or break my day. I love my moleskine notebooks (what I write in if I'm not near a laptop and suddenly find that I have a most brilliant idea) and my moleskine planner. I love uniball pens. Ok now that that's all said and done, I am off to buy a new notebook.
Hmmm, my paper requirements are as follows:
The journal must be line-free. I like to sketch and doodle and make pictures with my words.
It must fit in my purse, but it can not be microscopic either.
The paper has to have a good weight to it. Especially if I decide to paint on my pages.
Pocket. While I don't use it that often, it is nice to have just in case.
Closure. I did not realize how important this was to me until I started sticking crap in my journals. Being able to close it keeps all the goodness inside.
Reasonably priced. I love a good journal, but I refuse to go broke over paper. No matter how pretty it is. This coming from an artist...can you believe that?!
Wow! A post about paper that's got both love AND logic - I'm blown away. I'm going to browse on over to those links from your friend Brandon - whom I will personally (and wrongfully) blame if I spend two fortunes in those shops.
And Gwen, me too with the mole skin pronunciation (and REALLY - that pronunciation was creepy - lol - made me wonder about what, exactly, the notebooks were made of - blech). My daughter gave me the correct pronunciation before I went out and embarrassed myself asking for one.
Great post as usual Gwen. I have used a Moleskine for my last several notebooks because I like the handy size, hard covers and elastic band. However, I am always on the look-out for something new and have used multiple types in the past including a spiral or two (never again).
My struggle is that I go back and forth between wanting to keep everything I write about in one single notebook and having multiple notebooks for various purposes. For example, I keep a gardening notebook, and a separate notebook for any major learning projects I am doing, and then I have a sort of all purpose journal, which has everything from diary entries to quotes from books, to ideas for articles and blog posts.
I usually use lined paper but that is only because I am lousy at drawing, that is something I am working on though, so perhaps an unlined journals is in my future.
@Gwen lol, yeah, I've done that sooooo many times before. This might be the first notebook that I actually fill front to back. I think it's the temptation of the new, for me:P Definitely give LEUCHTTURM1917 a whirl and let me know what you think:)
@Glenn welcome! there's something very classy about them I dig.
I typically use a graphed moleskin. I'd use the lined one if they made them with smaller spaces between the lines. I write very small, so there's so much unused space when I used a lined one, it reminds me of handwriting paper from kindergarten. That German notebook (too lazy to scroll up to see the spelling) looks neat. I'll have to check it out when I head up to Boulder (thanks for the note). I also can't write with any pen other than a Zebra F-301. I wouldn't mind a more expensive/stylish number, and have even bought one, but I always go back to the F-301.
In searching for notebooks mentioned in this post I came across a fantastic site called Journaling Arts. You may have heard of it, but I never had. here's the link: http://www.journalingarts.com/
It would be VERY easy to spend way too much money there.
Great, now all I want to do is go buy more journals with my non-existent paycheck. THANKS GWEN.
I've always heard it pronounced mole-skeen, that's what I'm sticking with. Though molayskinay has a certain ring to it ( :
While I rarely remember to reply this way when being corrected on pronunciation, I am of the opinion that the best response is: "Oh, well, I've heard it both ways."
This post didn't just call out to me, it sang! I've been a notebook and pen gal from way back, and nothing signifies a new year like a new notebook ready to receive ideas.
Until I blindly began my career in Print Media I never thought much about it.
Any (lined) notepad would do, although I always found that something nicely bound was rather intimidating and while I'd purchase beautiful notepads I'd never write anything in them.
I was always just waiting until I had something really great, really important to write.
Something I still have difficulty getting over, even now.
The amazing thing about being in Print Media is this appreciation I've acquired.
Appreciation for well made stationary, beautifully bound things, correctly printed jobs.