I love notebooks. I may have already mentioned this. I wasn’t entirely telling the whole story though.
It’s true, I do love a nice Moleskine notebook. And I *do* have a stash of them, and there *is* one in my bag.
Truth is though, my beloved notebooks are all too often left unblemished by pen or ink. I suspect I’m not alone in this – a fresh, pristine notebook is all too immaculate to actually spoil by writing in it. Moleskines feel like they should contain Great Thoughts of Great Importance, not random scribbles like ‘2 pints of milk, some cheese and a loaf of bread’. They should contain beautiful handwriting, delicate sketches of Venetian architecture…
Oh, of course they shouldn’t. They’re a notebook, just like any other. So why is it that I find it so hard to actually *use* one?
A friend, many years ago, got Wreck This Journal
I need to do that, to exorcise my notebook demons. So I’m going to take one of my unused Moleskines and whilst not *wreck* it per se, certainly *use* it. I’ll make notes, try my hand at sketching and maybe write a bit of my own as-yet-unwritten novel.
How about you, dear reader? Do you use notebooks? Do you suffer from the same problem when it comes to starting a new one?
espresso coco 
I know what you mean, but I’m over it now. Think of using your notebook as making memories, which will be good to look back on…
Good idea, thanks Maria
Yes! My tastes aren’t as fancy as moleskine, but I did make myself a photo-notebook on Photobox with a collage of photos of my kids as a returning-to-work-after-maternity-leave pressie to myself. Two years ago. And I’ve only just finished it! I tried to save ot for Important Things, so barely used it ;^) Trouble is, by the time I started giving it any serious use, the photos were waaay out of date!
Have just treated myself to a new one though with up to date pics (in fact it should arrive today!) and I have resolved to use it straight away!
I go though notebooks at work at a fair rate, it’s just my own personal ones I find hard to use 🙂
I’ve never bought a moleskine on the basis that I’d be too precious with it. I like sketchbooks/notebooks to have that lived-in look. Just get stuck in – start with anything, fave poem, song lyrics – just dive in and make your mark 🙂
I know. Crazy, isn’t it? Spend all that money on a notebook and never use it.
Perhaps I should start a weekly blog series “what’s in my notebook?”, which might encourage me to actually use it!
Sounds like a good idea. I did a daily drawing for a while which helped kickstart the creative juices. The price of moleskine books has always put me off. I like the look of the American Field Notes books – may try some at some point. But, yes, go for the daily notebook thing. Be nice to see what you come up with.
I like the style of the Field Notes books and keep meaning to try one out. Then realise that I’ve got all these other notebooks (not just Moleskines) which I’ve yet to use! OK. Daily scribble/drawing/writing. If I get halfway through this one, I’ll treat myself to a Field Notes book.
Haha – I think my diagnosis is that you love buying stationery! I’ve suffered from this ailment for years. Just use the books you have. Another way round the precious thing is to write/doodle on scap paper/envelopes and glue them into the notebook – I do this quite a lot.
or give it to my daughter. She’ll soon turn it into a used notebook!
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 9:41 AM, espresso coco
My daughter knows how to use up paper too.
ha! You can tell where Lily has been by the trail of art materials. She’s a crafting whirlwind. One day she’ll learn how to tidy up (I hope…)
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 9:53 AM, espresso coco
Haha – that sounds so familiar. Never happier than when she is using scissors, glue, cellotape etc
Straight out of uni a friend and I created a collection of 8 notebooks. I will bring one in for you.
Personally I use mine for anything from ideas, notes, and just plain somewhere to put my thoughts. I even have a page that shows the name of every woman I have ever….*ahem*
I’m intrigued by this notebook collection of yours…
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 1:19 PM, espresso coco
Notebooks… I just wander bookstores to touch them, sniff them, hold them, thinking that I don’t have one like that or like this. Moleskine are the best, the pages turn and hold perfectly while you write. Since, I too don’t want to “wreck” them with writing, I buy cheap one to write in them.
But I have one, the greatest piece of my collection. The cover is made of leather crafted in Italy. I almost fainted in the store when I saw it.
But I loved them less than writing…:P
With great respect! A
same here. Mmm, notebooks. I was very restrained at the weekend in Hay-on-Wye, one bookshop had a lovely bright orange one…