Coming back to paper

I have tried plenty of organisational tools but I always come back to paper.

It would be heinous not to use my pens, my beloved tools that I have carefully collected and curated, pens placed in convenient locations around me (my bag, my drawers, desk, bedside…) for those specific purposes for which that specific pen would be just perfect for.

I have to use my discbound notebooks - they are a joy to handle. Turning the pages on those smooth discs, running my fingers along the metallic curves and soft grain of the hardback covers. I find reasons to use these books. The evolution of my life and self is reflected in those papers, the ageing books express time passed. The design, the layouts, the tool I selected for each note, the effort I was willing to put in during that moment… All of these are recorded in the scribbles and the blank spaces.

The action of writing down an appointment or task list reinforces my memory of each item. Having a notebook is a reminder that I have things to do. Having a list of things I have crossed off is a reminder of my achievements and a motivation to keep going. I slip old lists onto the binding discs of my journals - maybe one day, looking back, I will remind myself of these feelings... Give myself something to write about.

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Credit: Photograph by Ron Dyar