Long before I got serious about digital, I fell hard for all things paper. Notebooks, calendars, buckslips… to this day, my heart races when I run my hands over the letterpressed surface of extra-thick card stock (yes, we’re still talking about paper).
Pictured: Wacom Inkling
These days, pen-to-paper isn’t the only way to take notes, make lists, or doodle. My daytimer has given way to calendar and task management apps, since they offer invaluable features that my notebook can’t compete with (sorry notebooks, but you’re not searchable, or backed up in the cloud). Yet, I’m still faster and more likely to retain information when I write it with a Ultra Fine Sharpie on something made from a tree.
Just this morning I was in a meeting and two people apologized to me for bringing notebooks to the table— I guess cause I’m a digital lifestyle expert people think I’ve deemed all paper archaic and I only doodle with a stylus. Nothing could be further from the truth: I believe there’s a time and a place for both paper and pixels, and no one should apologize for loving their notebook.
Thankfully, there are so many new mash-ups of my two loves, combining the effectiveness of handwriting with the resourcefulness of technology. Maybe I won’t have to choose after all! Read about some of my favorites on the Manilla Blog, and let me know how YOU straddle the divide between paper and pixels in the comments.
