What I love about this is that it's a great advertisement for "regular" notebooks. I see so many writers (or aspiring writers) using fancy notebooks, with leather covers and acid-free paper, being so cautious with the way they handle them. But if you look back in history, most of the great writers used regular spiral or composition notebooks or legal pads or whatever. And the notebooks have held up well!
I use composition notebooks (if you want acid-free, the ones by Mead are made that way, I asked) and spiral notebooks. If I buy a fancy notebook I'm rather hesitant to even write in it! Staying with regular notebooks give me some freedom and comfort (and saves money).
I do use those big, old-fashioned hardcover record books, the red and black ones or green ones. But just because of the way they look and their history, not because they're fancy.
Yes! The cost of entry for creativity is really so, so low. I admire those fancy notebooks, but I personally find them stifling. I make my own notebooks, and the material for each one totals around $5.
I love that as well! I’m a sucker for a ´fancy’ aesthetic journal (especially ones made by artists and small businesses) and I’ve gotten better about being less precious with my notebooks—but there is something refreshing about seeing these great artists who used the simplest tools that are available to everyone.
It never ceases to amaze me how my writing is influenced by the journal I pick. And by the pencil or pen! I love the idea of going to the store and thinking "this notebook influenced Butler; this one Basquiat," etc.
That's so interesting! I find that the size of a notebook influences how much I write. The bigger the page, the more I write. Smaller pages force me to be a bit more economical with my words.
This is a very creative and personalized gift idea. Unfortunately, I do not know any notetakers. But, as my children grew up every Christmas I would gift them with a diary, which was placed on the table near their beds. And each of them took to the habit of writing in their diaries starting even before they could skillfully write. If the timing was good I'd offer to transcribe their scribbling; but never do that after the fact because it can be frustrating. They truly believed they were writing and never doubted anyone could read what they wrote. But, for that age another form of entry can be made available such as encouraging drawing or cutting out pictures and gluing them into a diary. I truly think all children should be given a diary starting as toddlers. Leave it at their night table and let them leave the pages blank or filled. It is an idea not demonstrated today whereas before technology it was more common.
I love this so much, Raissa! I wish more people inspired a diary-keeping habit in their children! I kept a diary filled with doodles as early as 5 years old. I'm sure my passion for notes springs from those early experiences.
thank you -- that reminds me actually to gift my niece with one -- had not thought of it before your post -- she is just wrapping up kindergarten -- I have already gifted her the magazine Highlights (which I remember loving so much myself) as well as their quarterly activity sent that she really enjoys -- each has a theme and it is hands on -- my sister sent me a video of her painting her bird house (the theme was birds) and I loved how she went at it with abandonment -- I think she has passion -- each child is so different -- but they show themselves to us immediately -- we should acknowledge it and remind ourselves of that first impression and parent with full acceptance -- let them lead -- there are boundaries to be made for certain but for example although I reigned in all the "wants" upon entering a store -- he seemed to be born with an aptitude for reading and writing so I never every reined in a request for a book or two and books on tape when we were in the local bookstore -- and every other week I took a laundry basket with us to the local library and let him take off unrestrained and put any book that caught his eye into that basket -- then at night we read them -- he was the sort that wanted to have at least four books read -- that was tough but I did it -- my best memories -- if I had more children likely the next would have no interest in books -- that is how it goes -- each one of our children is a fully unique package -- looking back my only guidance would be to accept with unconditional love and let them know it -- I always told him wherever you are no matter how or why if you need help call me -- now as an adult he says the same to me
In the local indie bookstore yesterday, I had a nice chat with a woman and her daughter as we spun the Moleskin rotating shelf around to see the colors and sizes. They liked the tiny notebooks, whereas I needed a larger one. Thanks for the neat gift ideas here!
You quote Basquiat: “I start with a picture and then finish it. I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”
Compare: "One of the things I keep noting is how much athletes talk about not-thinking when they’re at play. 'I have to focus on not thinking,' says Biles. 'If you think about a trick, sometimes it makes it harder,' says skateboarder Minna Stess. 'When I’m skating, the best thing is to not think at all.'" – Austin Kleon
Less directly relevant but interesting: James Salter: “Life passes into pages if it passes into anything."
That's from the Hirsch interview with Salter: “These homemade workbooks are dense with notes—the author’s instructions to himself, quotations from other writers, entries that have been color-coded for the place where they might be used. “Life passes into pages if it passes into anything,” Salter has written, and to read through these notes is to reconfirm what one knew all along: how meticulously each of his pages is written, how scrupulously each of his chapters constructed. Everything is checked and rechecked, written and revised and then revised again until the prose shimmers, radiant and indestructible.” https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1930/the-art-of-fiction-no-133-james-salter
I really appreciated your historical take on notebooks. These are all great notebooks if you write with a ballpoint pen or a pencil. None of them would work with my fountain pens.
Love this! I constantly write in notebooks of all kinds. When they're filled I have trouble throwing them out because it's a record of my process no matter how messy. Though I doubt anyone else would be interested in them. ha! Also, love this from your piece, " Just remember this: the magic isn’t in the notebook. The magic is in you."
I love seeing these notebooks as the tools that artists, musicians, and writers use. I have never walked into a bookstore or office supply and not spent an uncomfortable amount of time perusing the selection. Notebooks seem to possess almost a magical feeling. You don't need a high end notebook, you just need paper to take the ink and maybe some glue, stitching, or coils to hold those thoughts together. Beautiful piece.
I read this Substack issue with my stack of used notebooks on a shelf next to me. I'm a notebook lover, and I have to be a lover of this issue. Thanks for sharing.
What I love about this is that it's a great advertisement for "regular" notebooks. I see so many writers (or aspiring writers) using fancy notebooks, with leather covers and acid-free paper, being so cautious with the way they handle them. But if you look back in history, most of the great writers used regular spiral or composition notebooks or legal pads or whatever. And the notebooks have held up well!
I use composition notebooks (if you want acid-free, the ones by Mead are made that way, I asked) and spiral notebooks. If I buy a fancy notebook I'm rather hesitant to even write in it! Staying with regular notebooks give me some freedom and comfort (and saves money).
I do use those big, old-fashioned hardcover record books, the red and black ones or green ones. But just because of the way they look and their history, not because they're fancy.
Yes! The cost of entry for creativity is really so, so low. I admire those fancy notebooks, but I personally find them stifling. I make my own notebooks, and the material for each one totals around $5.
I love that as well! I’m a sucker for a ´fancy’ aesthetic journal (especially ones made by artists and small businesses) and I’ve gotten better about being less precious with my notebooks—but there is something refreshing about seeing these great artists who used the simplest tools that are available to everyone.
An artist-made notebook is totally worth the splurge. I just never want to write in them!
It never ceases to amaze me how my writing is influenced by the journal I pick. And by the pencil or pen! I love the idea of going to the store and thinking "this notebook influenced Butler; this one Basquiat," etc.
That's so interesting! I find that the size of a notebook influences how much I write. The bigger the page, the more I write. Smaller pages force me to be a bit more economical with my words.
Love that @jillian - “I went to buy coffee beans…and then found myself in the notebooks” so true for so many of us!
Glad I'm not the only one!
This is a very creative and personalized gift idea. Unfortunately, I do not know any notetakers. But, as my children grew up every Christmas I would gift them with a diary, which was placed on the table near their beds. And each of them took to the habit of writing in their diaries starting even before they could skillfully write. If the timing was good I'd offer to transcribe their scribbling; but never do that after the fact because it can be frustrating. They truly believed they were writing and never doubted anyone could read what they wrote. But, for that age another form of entry can be made available such as encouraging drawing or cutting out pictures and gluing them into a diary. I truly think all children should be given a diary starting as toddlers. Leave it at their night table and let them leave the pages blank or filled. It is an idea not demonstrated today whereas before technology it was more common.
I love this so much, Raissa! I wish more people inspired a diary-keeping habit in their children! I kept a diary filled with doodles as early as 5 years old. I'm sure my passion for notes springs from those early experiences.
thank you -- that reminds me actually to gift my niece with one -- had not thought of it before your post -- she is just wrapping up kindergarten -- I have already gifted her the magazine Highlights (which I remember loving so much myself) as well as their quarterly activity sent that she really enjoys -- each has a theme and it is hands on -- my sister sent me a video of her painting her bird house (the theme was birds) and I loved how she went at it with abandonment -- I think she has passion -- each child is so different -- but they show themselves to us immediately -- we should acknowledge it and remind ourselves of that first impression and parent with full acceptance -- let them lead -- there are boundaries to be made for certain but for example although I reigned in all the "wants" upon entering a store -- he seemed to be born with an aptitude for reading and writing so I never every reined in a request for a book or two and books on tape when we were in the local bookstore -- and every other week I took a laundry basket with us to the local library and let him take off unrestrained and put any book that caught his eye into that basket -- then at night we read them -- he was the sort that wanted to have at least four books read -- that was tough but I did it -- my best memories -- if I had more children likely the next would have no interest in books -- that is how it goes -- each one of our children is a fully unique package -- looking back my only guidance would be to accept with unconditional love and let them know it -- I always told him wherever you are no matter how or why if you need help call me -- now as an adult he says the same to me
In the local indie bookstore yesterday, I had a nice chat with a woman and her daughter as we spun the Moleskin rotating shelf around to see the colors and sizes. They liked the tiny notebooks, whereas I needed a larger one. Thanks for the neat gift ideas here!
I love bonding over notebooks! Sounds like a lovely chat.
Paraphrasing Jerry Maguire, "you had me at hello". (the title of the post)
Ha! I love it!
Very clever gift ideas!
You quote Basquiat: “I start with a picture and then finish it. I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”
Compare: "One of the things I keep noting is how much athletes talk about not-thinking when they’re at play. 'I have to focus on not thinking,' says Biles. 'If you think about a trick, sometimes it makes it harder,' says skateboarder Minna Stess. 'When I’m skating, the best thing is to not think at all.'" – Austin Kleon
Less directly relevant but interesting: James Salter: “Life passes into pages if it passes into anything."
That's from the Hirsch interview with Salter: “These homemade workbooks are dense with notes—the author’s instructions to himself, quotations from other writers, entries that have been color-coded for the place where they might be used. “Life passes into pages if it passes into anything,” Salter has written, and to read through these notes is to reconfirm what one knew all along: how meticulously each of his pages is written, how scrupulously each of his chapters constructed. Everything is checked and rechecked, written and revised and then revised again until the prose shimmers, radiant and indestructible.” https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1930/the-art-of-fiction-no-133-james-salter
Thank you for all these delicious quotes!
Perfect gift idea, Jillian 📕 📓
Oh, thank you, Jolene!
Me with posted notes 🗒️
I was just thinking about how many (unused) notebooks I had, but how I still always desire more
I really appreciated your historical take on notebooks. These are all great notebooks if you write with a ballpoint pen or a pencil. None of them would work with my fountain pens.
Love this! I constantly write in notebooks of all kinds. When they're filled I have trouble throwing them out because it's a record of my process no matter how messy. Though I doubt anyone else would be interested in them. ha! Also, love this from your piece, " Just remember this: the magic isn’t in the notebook. The magic is in you."
I love seeing these notebooks as the tools that artists, musicians, and writers use. I have never walked into a bookstore or office supply and not spent an uncomfortable amount of time perusing the selection. Notebooks seem to possess almost a magical feeling. You don't need a high end notebook, you just need paper to take the ink and maybe some glue, stitching, or coils to hold those thoughts together. Beautiful piece.
I love your exploration of these various notebooks. I am like you in that I immediately gravitate to that section in a store or online shop. I admit to splurging on these at Levenger because my favorite author Gail Godwin says she writes in them. https://www.levenger.com/collections/journals/products/notabilia-notebooks-1-4-ruled-set-of-2?variant=42547676610709
I read this Substack issue with my stack of used notebooks on a shelf next to me. I'm a notebook lover, and I have to be a lover of this issue. Thanks for sharing.
That's so wonderful, Riccardo!