Pavlov’s Stationery Dog
Analog notetaking provides a tangible trace, a proof, of my life. Like other vestiges of life, a paper note is present; it is mine; it is ephemeral, but carries within it a possibility of future archeology; it can be destroyed or discarded, forgotten and found. An analog notetaking habit is a tool, and also a philosophy. It is an embodied practice.
The sadness of finishing a notebook
The notebook becomes a mirror of self, an extension, an inalienable part of the body - my body of work, my body, my EDC, my thoughts; I do not want to finish it. There is a particular sadness to swapping in a new insert, as if separating from a part of myself which will be filed and available, but will no longer travel with me whenever I go.
Pen frustration, pen magic
Our fountain pens and other stationery items are not just tools. They are artifacts, talismans against an overwhelming and cruel world. Pens can represent self-care and purpose, pens can bring delight and wonder. Pens are magic. That magic can come as a freebie gift, or in shape of a cheap, incredible, damaged antique-store pen.