No More Saving the Nice Notebooks: Embracing the Present in Your Writing Journey

I used to save my nice notebooks. You know the ones—the beautiful ones with thick paper, soft leather covers, or embossed designs—the elegant notebooks with buttery pages and a weight that makes them feel meant for something important. 

I told myself I’d use them when I had something important to say, when my words felt worthy of the page. Until then, they sat on my shelf, waiting.

Then, five years ago, the world went quiet. 

I started keeping a diary, writing in a Venetian red leather-bound journal I had purchased in Venice. It was a fitting choice for that time spent in quarantine. The word quarantine originated in Venice—from the forty-day waiting period ships were submitted to before docking. 

A pandemic, it turned out, was what it took for me to finally use one of my special notebooks. Since then, I’ve stopped saving notebooks. I’ve filled the journals I once tucked away and no longer worry if my words are “good enough” for pristine pages. Because really, why was I waiting? For a perfect idea? Better words? A more polished version of myself?

Why wait?

We do this in so many ways—saving the good silverware for guests, the expensive outfit for special occasions, or the beautiful notebook for when we’ll write something worthy of it. But life isn’t waiting for us to be ready. Life is here. The pages are here. We just have to fill them.

Do you have a notebook you’re still waiting to use?

on notebooks:

If you're looking for a new favorite notebook, though maybe I shouldn’t encourage the habit…

I have fallen in love with Midori Notebooks. Made in Japan, these notebooks are stitched to lie flat and the cream color paper quality is so good — no bleeding through to the other page even when using a fountain pen. They come plain, lined or dotted. I use all three but right now have started journaling in the lined version.

You can get a matching paper or clear plastic cover to keep them clean as well. Useful if you take your notebook everywhere (I do).

The only thing I don’t love about this notebook is that the lined version has one darker line running through the middle of the page. It is useful if one writes short entries (I don’t) or if the intended use is for organizing by category. I am ignoring the line and just writing through it.

It is a fairly affordable notebook for the quality and is definitely a notebook the previous me would never have used because it is so nice. But no more saving the nice ones!

Let me know if you try one out.