Daily Logo Challenge has inspired me to have my thoughts on design more during the Covid19 lockdown. I am not working and yet I am… working on my projects and upping my skills. One of the quick thoughts I’d like to share today is on productivity and my love for handwriting notes and to-do lists in small notebooks.
A cute shop with a killer stationery section!
Here in Seattle, we have this cute store named Anko. It is like a mini IKEA with a modern and hip style aesthetic. One day while going through their cute inventory I stumbled upon this notebook set for $4. These little handy notebooks are cheap and super inspiring with their cover designs. I am on my second set as of now.
On the topic of productivity and handwriting. First, I am easily distracted by newsfeeds. If I were to make all my planning and thinking in front of a device then I do not feel confident that I would get much done. I have tried to practice building out a calendar and to-do-list digitally but I have failed again and again to have it be effective.
The other squirrelly piece about using paper is that paper is private. Yes, I am sharing this bit online. I have social media accounts and a blog. I get it. But, there is a part of me that needs to keep things analog. Google, Facebook, and the other analytic marketing streams do not need to know every last thing I am thinking.
The last thought on paper and handwriting is that the craft of handwriting is still a craft and vital to being an artist. I can personally think and prototype faster with paper and pen (or pencil). This speed is half of what my brain can do — my mind is so much faster and my hands are still limited by my talent and skill limitations. Even still, I keep a better pace along with my paper and pen skills and feel like I can work through my thoughts faster.
Digital Art of my notebooks