7 stages of Moleskine

Stage 1: Moleskine Pre-ownership
The people who you look up to have one with them at all times. You cannot understand it. But you can't deny it looks cool. You look for alternatives. There are none. If only you had a good enough reason to buy one.

Like: I'm a ____________ (writer, artist, musician, designer, thinker, etc. ) and all ____________ have one.

Stage 2: Moleskine Selection

Hard cover or soft cover? Reporter or classic? Large or small? Dairy, which one? Cahiers? Sketchbook with thicker paper? Watercolour Notebook with even thicker paper? Choosing the right moleskine for you is a difficult process. But with time and careful practice, you will find 'the one'

Stage 3: Moleskine Community

You're now part of something bigger than yourself. A culture. A club. Your thoughts are suddenly more valuable, so are the things you say. Even your blogging has improved. When you see another moleskine owner, you give each other a nod of approval. Good thing she doesn't know that you haven't written a word yet.

Stage 4: Starting a Moleskine

You peel off the thin plastic protection film. The crackling sound fills you with excitement. You feel the oilskin cover for the first time. You snap open the elastic band a flip through the pages. your future flashes before your eyes. Your dreams waiting to burst out onto the blank pages. You bookmark an empty page, and snap the moleskine shut again. And you wait for the right moment to start.

Stage 5: Moleskine History

In the pocket of your new moleskine is a small leaflet that brings you into the world o moleskine and shares it's legendary story from it's Italian roots, the the plain notebook you now hole in your hands. You are the next part of that history.

Stage 6: Moleskine Inspiration

The pages are too perfect. It's difficult to start. "what shall I write or draw" at first there is no answer. And then, inspiration strikes. It happens more quickly for some, and slowly for others. But once inspiration strikes. You start taking notes..and you never look back.

Stage 7: Moleskine Legacy.

Finishing a moleskine feels you with a sense of satisfaction but it also makes you feel vulnerable, naked. Suddenly your ideas don't have a home. The good thing is, that wherever you are, you know you can pick up a moleskine, a notebook of the exact same quality and size from any good book or stationary store. Once you become part of the moleskine story, it's hard to imagine using any other notebook.

By Ming of the artmaker blog for CZipLee

[Thanks Alvin!]

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Comments

[Gilles]

[…] shares it's legendary story from it's Italian roots
 
The original Moleskine was made in Tours (France) for more than a century until about 1985, when the name was taken by Modo & Modo, which was bought by the Société Générale in 2006. Thus I don't think the roots were italian.

See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleskine and http://www.moleskine.com/eng/_interni/storia/default.htm

[Chris Meisenzahl]

LOL, I enjoyed that, thanks. ;-)

[Becky]

I recognize this too well... I'm certainly an addict!

[Sophie Brown]

Step 8: Moleskine notebooks are gratefully a permanent luxury in your life. You no longer moon over the fictional inserts or nod at others who have them, but like a great car, your affection for it deepens.

Thanks for this! It was exactly like that.

[Laura]

I would add 4.5: The moment - to be repeated often -- when you open the fresh new moleskine, bring it up to you face and inhale deeply. The subtle yet distinctive fragrance, which fades over time, is part of the satisfaction.

[Sophie Brown]

And I really love this picture.

[Mhairi]

I've always had trouble getting deep into a moleskine (I guess you could call it step 6a). I get inspired for a while,and then I feel like those ideas that I wrote down are nonsense, so I shove the notebook away somewhere, only to buy a new one a week or two later. Is there a moleskine inspiration thread here? Thanks!

[Blithe]

Erm... at Stage 5 "...you now hole in your hands." :O hole or hold?

[Aime Lopez]

You almost make me cry!!! :(

I need a new one, I hope I can get it soon!!!

It´s part of my life, always, I´m addicted to it!!

Happy writings.... :)