"Hi. I am a loyal Moleskine user and a frequent reader of your site….
I am also a former gadget geek. I thought I always needed the most recent
PDA, and planning application to meet all my needs. I threw away lots of money
and carried a lot of electronics around, till one day I realized that the stuff
I was using was merely toys, not serious organizational tools. It was at that
time I had my analog revolution. I gave up the digital for a purely analog
solution. At first I tried Franklin Covey paper systems, but I found them too
confining. They are design to meet the needs of corporate flunkies, not
non-profit street level stuff. It was then that I stumbled upon the simple
black notebooks and designed a system that has been perfect for my needs.
PDA, and planning application to meet all my needs. I threw away lots of money
and carried a lot of electronics around, till one day I realized that the stuff
I was using was merely toys, not serious organizational tools. It was at that
time I had my analog revolution. I gave up the digital for a purely analog
solution. At first I tried Franklin Covey paper systems, but I found them too
confining. They are design to meet the needs of corporate flunkies, not
non-profit street level stuff. It was then that I stumbled upon the simple
black notebooks and designed a system that has been perfect for my needs.
I use a large black cahier to track projects and necessary next steps and
tasks, a large moleskine daily planner to record appointments and day specific
info, and finally I am never without a small graph paper moleskine (turned
sideways) to capture the daily thoughts and ideas. For the first time I have a
self-designed system that meets all my needs, and I can see a noticeable
difference in my productivity.
tasks, a large moleskine daily planner to record appointments and day specific
info, and finally I am never without a small graph paper moleskine (turned
sideways) to capture the daily thoughts and ideas. For the first time I have a
self-designed system that meets all my needs, and I can see a noticeable
difference in my productivity.
Since my analog revolution I am becoming obsessed with curiosity about what
other areas of my life I need to simplify. One day while staring at the
Moleskine history card inside a freshly unwrapped book, I begun to ask myself
what else besides the notebook would Hemmingway use? What other high quality
consumable items of classic nature are out there waiting to be discovered? Now
that I have been introduced to the small utilitarian black notebooks, I am on
the look out for other classic utilitarian high quality staples of daily life.
Is there a moleskine equivalent in the world of clothes, furniture, stationary,
etc etc.
other areas of my life I need to simplify. One day while staring at the
Moleskine history card inside a freshly unwrapped book, I begun to ask myself
what else besides the notebook would Hemmingway use? What other high quality
consumable items of classic nature are out there waiting to be discovered? Now
that I have been introduced to the small utilitarian black notebooks, I am on
the look out for other classic utilitarian high quality staples of daily life.
Is there a moleskine equivalent in the world of clothes, furniture, stationary,
etc etc.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jake L.
Image: "Coffee Journal" by Mills 1983 @ Moleskinerie/FLICKR.
Some rights reserved.
I’m sure there are equivalents–especially if you follow the dictum of William Morris:
‘Have nothing in your home you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’
I just rediscovered beeswax candles. They are goooood.
Don’t forget the good ol’ #2 pencil (a tool I’m sure Hemingway and other writers used frequently). Check out the Pencil Revolution site:
http://www.pencilrevolution.com/
As for the “aesthetics of base utility,” as I call it, I think I’m the only homeowner on my block who hasn’t bought himself an electric screwdriver.
zippo lighter is a must
>what else besides the notebook would Hemmingway use?
Booze. Lots of booze.
I like this lapdesk…
http://dave-beach.tripod.com/thomas_jefferson_lap_desk.htm
Rifle cartridges, pistol cartridges, shotgun cartridges…
Fishhooks. Photos of fellow authors, for dartboard use.
But did he REALLY use a moleskine? Or even a moleskin?