Stephanie forwarded a link to this terrific post at A Penchant for Paper about deciding what to do with a new Habana notebook.
Should I just keep it for the future? … Perhaps it would be better suited to a pocket-sized, portable sketchbook? Or perhaps I could use it to write poetry in. Or perhaps to keep notes on the books that I am reading, and lists of books I want to read in the future. Or perhaps…
I often purchase notebooks for specific purposes — a Bloc No. 8 to use as a reporter’s notebook (fits handily into back pockets), a Steno pad to keep on my desk for work-related to-do lists (the red line down the center helps divide essential from inessential tasks). But there’s something really lovely about getting a notebook without a specific task in mind. There’s the sky’s-the-limit joy of speculating about potential uses, and the joy of experimentation, then the joy of discovery when you find the use that fits…
Mind you, I’m not trying to endorse mindless consumerism here (buy now! think later!). I just think it’s nice to be open to possibilities.
4 Comments
Heather
I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find this post quoting from my blog. Thanks very much for the link, and for sharing my post with the readers of your blog.
Laurie
I order Clairefontaine notebooks before I need them, because I don’t live anywhere near a retailer and I like to have new notebooks on hand ready to use whenever I need them. My mail takes 3 weeks to arrive, which is way too long to wait when I’m craving a new notebook!!
B Irwin
I just started a new one strictly for conference notes. I use different colors for different projects and just ordered in bulk from my favorite on line seller who sells them in multi-packs. Differing colors and Brother label makers keep my projects and notes organized.
This must be among the world’s great products!
Tom Hall
I was well into my 30s before I discovered well made, durable notebooks, such as Rhodia and Exacompta. Before then it had been ring binders, spiral notebooks and the ubiquitous legal pad.
When I found notebooks that did not fall apart in hard use, I went off the deep end. My wallet is now a notebook. On a recent trip I took one notebook for my vampire novel, one for a spy novel in the works, one for daily notes, one for a technical book in the works and my Planner 21.
I can no long tease my wife about her love of shoe sales, for she can always point to the way I scour the Web for notebook sales!
Buy them now; they might not be there tomorrow. Besides, the one that dies with the most notebooks wins!