Tools
Earlier this year I was in a dark place. It was the end of a very intense project, and I was physically and mentally exhausted. To recover, I’ve decided to take two weeks off from work and to travel. I also felt the urge to start journaling.
Although most of my work is done at the computer, pen and paper are still my favourite tools for thinking. Over the years, the tools evolved to maximise the pleasure of this process. (Because deep thinking hard it already taxing enough, no?)
I’ve graduated from using pencils to Rotring fineliners and more recently to Lamy fountain pens. Simultaneously, I’ve switched from using any random piece of paper to plain white sheets to Moleskine and eventually Leuchtturm1917 notebooks.
When I set out to start journaling, it was clear that I needed to use tools that I love. For journaling to become part of my daily routine, it had to be a pleasurable experience — both mentally as well as physically.
I’ve quickly settled on a fountain pen and a black hard-cover pocket-sized notebook. Now, every morning and every night I look forward to holding the notebook in my hands, to open it, browse it, and — most importantly — to write into it. I love the small format. I get so much pleasure from filling a page while sipping my morning coffee or before going to bed.
There are many other tools that I’ve chosen just for the pleasure of using them: this blog (wink-wink), my bicycle, programming languages, etc. Because, in the end, the best tools are the tools that you actually use.