On Journal Writing | Wonder Pens – Inspiration for a Writing Life

There are all sorts of reasons for keeping a journal – to help you think and unwind and reflect and re-live the good and the bad, these are probably the most obvious, and I think more than enough reason to do so. To learn from our mistakes and to grieve and celebrate and wonder. To be able to go through life a bit more thoughtfully. I think there are enough online articles that surface and re-surface every once in a while that discuss some of the mental health benefits and boosts to creativity and the inner peace that the reflection of journaling has, which is all well and good, but I think writing in a journal as a regular habit is one of those things you just have to do to understand.

Penciling in a New Passion – Curious Rat

So, here’s to the inky ones. The writers. The sketchers. The Field Notes hoarders. Thank you for your patience and your tutelage. I am grateful and I look forward to passing on what I’ve learned to another who might begin as I had in a state of overwhelming confusion.

Agreed. The resources available and the expert advice on using analog tools — or anything you might be curious about — is in abundance. Make sure to thank those you learn from and pay it forward by passing that knowledge along.

Review: Eva Enveloop — a refined wrap-style pen(cil) case | JohnScullen.com

The Enveloop is a simple, but well designed wrap-style case. The exterior is made from Kurashiki canvas while suede is used for the internal pockets. A leather strap secures the rolled-up case and a leather disc at its end prevents the case from opening unintentionally.

A really nice looking case. I’m a fan of roll cases like this. I have something functionally similar that I always get comments on. I’ll post about that one soon.

Offline Tools – Matthew Lang

There’s a huge number of apps now that try to keep us in a state of being permanently connected to the Internet, but it comes at a cost. Being online means being connected, being connected means being distracted and being distracted is how we fail do the work we intended to do. When it comes to being productive, look for tools that work offline. Turn off your wi-fi and get working.

Pen and Paper are the original “distraction free writing tools”.

Fill a pocket sketchbook, send it, watch it tour the globe – Boing Boing

The Sketchbook Project is a unique Brooklyn-based global arts initiative that’s been operating for the past ten years. Anyone who wants to participate buys one of their pocket sketchbooks. You fill the book up with your art, send it back, they scan it and make it available online. It also goes into their collection (now over 33,000 volumes) which the public can access, and there’s even a mobile museum touring the collection.

I haven’t heard of this before. Really cool project.

The Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen — Tools and ToysTools and Toys

Today, the Lamy 2000 is a piece of history. It fits in the same conversation as Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic lounge chair, Dieter Rams’ Braun wrist watch, and Sori Yanagi’s perfectly weighted flatware — timeless products with an infinite life and a market defining form factor.

Worth checking out for the pictures alone. Stunning.

Moleskine Alternatives — The Pen Addict

Brad provides a few good suggestions in case you are looking for something similar but better.

Writing in Notebooks

Pictures of notebooks, writing in notebooks, people writing in notebooks.

This is a lovely Tumblr site. What we believe in. Beautiful things being beautifully used.

Hybrid — Shawn Blanc

Long-time readers of this site will know that I’ve been a hard and fast OmniFocus userfor almost five years now. However, for more than a year, I’ve actually been using a hybrid system for my task management: combining both digital and analog in my everyday juggling act.

If you’ve been struggling with how to work in both the analog and the digital, Shawn’s post might help.