Paper Notes In A Digital World

Many people love the idea of writing, the idea of being a writer, but when it comes to sitting down to write, well, that’s a different story. That describes most people who write at least some of the time, but it describes a trait for many that has the potential of crushing any aspirations to write anything at all. It is usually simply another manifestation of fear. As with many things in life, fear prevents us from moving forward and sometimes from taking the single step necessary to move forward. In writing, we may fear actually putting anything on paper because to put it on paper means we may have (God forbid) written something bad. We may be judged! Without moving forward and acting on our desires to write we can always be “getting ready” to write that novel, play, or short-story. That’s why a journal, that nobody else will read, is a great starting project for any would-be or “stuck” writer. With a journal, there’s no need to worry about anything other than getting words on paper.

At some point everyone who wants to truly write – must write. Many find the fear of not being able to express ourselves “properly,” can be immobilizing. This is where my favorite writing book of all-time comes in. If you are just beginning to write, beginning to want to write, or have written before but enjoy reading about writing – here’s a can’t miss book: If You Can Talk, You Can Write by Joel Saltzman. The premise of the book is as the title says, if you can adequately talk in a casual or social setting, you can write! The idea is to get the words on paper. Talk on paper. Believe it or not, some very accomplished writers find their voice by writing their novels as if they were writing a letter and telling a story to a friend. In fact, that’s exactly what you should be doing – just talking on paper. There is a saying, “Compose first and worry later.” Beautiful. If you want to write, you must write, and remember that if you can talk, you can indeed write!

Update July, 2010: The book is out of print, but available from many sellers – used – at Amazon.

More and more people are beginning to realize that technology holds only part of the answer to our future. A lot of the future will mean returning to our past.

Since this blog is new, I give myself permission to reach back a month or so for this excellent post by Douglas Johnston of DIY Planner in a guest column for Dave Gray’s Communication Nation.

Dave has mentioned the back-to-paper revolution here, and he’s right. Strangely enough, it’s mainly a revolt of tech lovers against their favourite toys, junkies eschewing their drug of choice. It’s painful, it’s heart-wrenching, it flies in the face of our own self-identities, and it makes all our high-tech podium-thumping and evangelising suddenly look hollow.

Trading away the handhelds, tablet PCs and online productivity tools for pens, planners, cards and Moleskines is a leap of faith, like toppling a regime in the hope that the next one will somehow be more benevolent, more attuned to your needs, and offer greater opportunities. It may not, and you may find yourself before the firing line, remembering with fondness the evils of yesterday.

I’m overstating the case, of course, and the metaphor too. But to a techie, the sudden wild thrust into the world of analog is a revolution, both exhilirating and frightening. It’s the thrill of learning new skills and gear and approaches, but it’s also the abandonment of many addictive tools you know so well. But why bother?

The rest – and it’s worth the read – is here:
Why techies are leading the back-to-paper movement

Most of us who love paper and keep and store our journals, our family letters, etc. eventually must ask ourselves how we are going to preserve all of the material in a way that keeps it all safe from deterioration. There’s a lot more to it than, “just look for acid-free.” Just ask Don Williams. Williams is a Senior Conservator at the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE) and the co-author of Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions.

While the book covers a little of everything from furniture heirlooms to baseball card collections, there is a lot of good information on the preservation of paper items. The resource section in the back of the book alone is worth the price of the book.

This book is for people who feel that simply having a digital copy of something just won’t cut it. We feel the digital copy is nice, but to preserve the original piece of paper is a trust that was placed in our hands. This book will help us do that so that all of the “stuff” survives for future generations to enjoy.

There is an excellent audio interview from Minnesota Public Radio that is worth a listen if preservation is of interest to you. They spend the better part of an hour talking to Don Williams about the book and things related. I found it very interesting listening and a great compliment to the book. It is in RealAudio here.

Just a quick thank-you to Armand Frasco who runs one of my favorite blogs, Moleskinerie. I am honored that he found Paper Notes worth mentioning on his site. Thanks Armand!

Journaling means so many different things to different people. To some, it is simply a log of what we do with our lives; what is usually thought of as a diary. To others, journaling is a longer-form method of writing our thoughts, feelings, reactions, etc. It is used as actual therapy for some. To others, a “journal” is really what is usually thought of as a “notebook” with not only formal entries, but lists of books that need to be read, movies to watch, things to pick up at the store, etc.

For me, I suppose I keep all three – but all in a different format. When I refer to my “journal” I am usually talking about my long-form entries that are personal and for me, something I use to think through the deeper things of life. I keep a month-at-a-glance type of planner for my “diary,” which is where I write down what I did on a particular day, and rarely in complete sentences. Finally, I almost always have my Moleskine Cahier in my back pocket for listmaking, random thoughts, favorite quotes I read or pick up from others, rough sketches for project planning – a little of everything. What does a “journal” mean to you? What method do you use? It’s always interesting to learn of others journaling ideas and techniques.