American reams: why a ‘paperless world’ still hasn’t happened | News | The Guardian
Paper has played “an essential role in the development of mankind”. And yet, for decades, civilisation has been trying to develop beyond paper, promoting a paper-free world that will run seamlessly, immaterially on pixels and screens alone. How did paper get here? Where does it go next? For that matter, why is paper – which does its job perfectly well – compelled to keep innovating?
Because it works?
Reasons to keep a personal journal or sketchbook | Boing Boing
So I strongly recommend a paper journal over an app, at least for those looking at journaling as a way to shake free of the spell of life spent constantly reading and writing online. Skip Moleskines, at least the expensive ones, if you’re just starting out. Cheap is the freedom to experiment. You can buy a box of 25 notebooks for about $30 shipped at Amazon.com, and they’re just fine.
How the Index Card Catalogued the World — The Atlantic
I’m not going to quote a single bit of this one because, while I was somewhat aware of the history behind the humble index card, I was unaware of some of the various other things that such a simple invention helped lead to.
patrickrhone / journal » Blog Archive » Journal Day
There are many ways to celebrate or traditions one could keep to mark the day. For instance, this might be the day to take out previous journals and reflect on where you were then versus where you are today. Another tradition may be to let someone you trust read one you have kept and get to know the “real” you. Perhaps gift one to another person in your life who practices or you feel could benefit from doing so. Or, maybe, be so bold as to spend a year keeping a journal for someone else in your life whom you love and spend your days with — write down their day as you saw it or the things you were thinking about them at that time. How wonderful a gift would it be to allow someone close to “see” themselves and their year through your eyes?I think you get the general idea. I would love to see others expand upon it. Let’s make a deal: On or before next December 9th shoot me a note and let me know how you are celebrating Journal Day. I’d love the opportunity to consider making your Journal Day tradition one of mine.
Tomorrow is Journal Day. Are you ready?
‘Handwritten letters belong to you like your DNA’ | Life and style | The Guardian
Emails and texts act like the middleman between the author and recipient, technology even dictates your words by guessing them and filling them in for you. The pen, however, begs to be enslaved; it needs to belong to you.
(via Jeff Kayton)
People often ask how I find the time to write so regularly; whether notes, letters, blogs, op-eds, or even books like this. But the reality is I’m always getting my thoughts down on paper…. It doesn’t matter if you use a notebook and pen like me, or a shiny new tablet like [my daughter] Holly—the key is making writing a welcome habit. But keep a little pad in your back pocket just in case—you never have to charge a notebook.
–Sir Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity
This is a neat project from Matthew Lang. And I’ve always loved the idea that, if what you’re looking for doesn’t exist, you should create it, like Matthew has done here.
Not only did Napoleon possess a traveling library, but when that traveling library proved too cumbersome for his many and varied literary demands, he had a whole new set of not just portable book cases but even more portable books made for him.
This is neat.
Beatrix Rhone reviews the new School Set from Baron Fig.
Our own Patrick Rhone’s daughter stars in this ridiculously cute video review of the new School Set from Baron Fig.