Punch Your Laptop in the Neck

The Art of Manliness had a post recently on doing some writing physically instead of digitally, although one still uses the fingers with a pencil (is this mic on? anyone?). It’s obvious that it’s a post to chat-up some sponsors’ products — we all do it — but the Manliness’ penchant for the traditional and old-school to monetize on the Mad Men demo is charming, if not “gassed up past the cap” at times, if you know what I mean.

One of the products featured was a small, weatherproof notebook. I had a post way back when about an old notebook I got off of ebay that I carry around to write down thoughts or story ideas. I have a handheld voice recorder but I’m not going to be caught dead being one of those guys dictating profound, stupid ideas in public. I have too much introversion and not the proper hat for it. The journal is more of a keepsake for me to pass down to show how unremarkable my penmanship was, but it still serves a practical service in the now.

My next step, after filling up the current notebook with nonsense, is to get an unlined notebook, to start my graphic sensibilities into fluster. Exit question: do digital writing tablets achieve the same “personal” touch that handwriting does, or is it a lesser facsimile of the real thing?

2 Comments

  • Johanna says:

    Unlined notebooks are the way to go. i switched to un-lined in 04 and haven’t gone back since 🙂

    • Jay says:

      I was inspired by that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where he bumped into Hitler and got his autograph in the dad’s diary. I don’t know if it was unlined but in my memory it was.

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