It’s odd… I’ve often lamented the fact that the best ideas come to me when I can’t write them… in the shower, in the dentist’s chair, while I’m rototilling the back yard… never really thought that the fact that I was busy might be *the reason* the ideas could flow at those times. Not quite sure how to use this realization yet, but it certainly is interesting.
As is the whole concept of writing by hand. I do it “when I am forced to” but I avoid it like the plague because my handwriting is simply awful. It’s not worth even a cheap fancy pen, as I can barely read the handwriting myself. That said, you and Tony have convinced me that I should or at least *can* consider it as another tool in my arsenal for getting past blocks.
Rob, I’m going to agree with Tony. This post stands as evidence that my handwriting is nothing to be proud of. But with a ballpoint, or even a gel rollerball, it is significantly worse. With those pens I have to grip and press, which makes loops random and angular. My hand tires easily because I’m stressing my hand muscles. By comparison, with a fountain pen you hold, not grip, and you don’t press the pen into the paper.
A basic, but surprisingly smooth and hassle-free, pen is the Lamy Safari (plastic) or its Aluminum sibling, the Lamy Al-Star. This pen, plus a converter (so you can use bottled ink) and a bottle of Noodler’s Ink (which at 3oz. will refill your pen about 50 times), with a little judicious shopping can be had for about $50.
And…it’s better for the environment. At the end of your bottle of ink, you can reuse or recycle the bottle, instead of throwing 25 pens into the trash. 😉
Rob – you might be surprised at the difference in legibility a decent pen might engender. A cheap ballpoint might require you to press hard to get the ink to flow, which is wearying for the hand. A good pen costs less than a restaurant dinner, and will provide much more lasting pleasure. Good pen with good ink on good paper makes handwriting a joy.
Besides, even if your skittery chicken scratches ARE hard to read later, it might be a silver lining in disguise. You re-read your writing and think, “Now, what was I trying to say here?”
Dale Challener Roe :
And…it’s better for the environment. At the end of your bottle of ink, you can reuse or recycle the bottle, instead of throwing 25 pens into the trash.
Well… now that you mention the environment… I’m definitely going to have to look into this.
Where Is My Spot? 
It’s odd… I’ve often lamented the fact that the best ideas come to me when I can’t write them… in the shower, in the dentist’s chair, while I’m rototilling the back yard… never really thought that the fact that I was busy might be *the reason* the ideas could flow at those times. Not quite sure how to use this realization yet, but it certainly is interesting.
As is the whole concept of writing by hand. I do it “when I am forced to” but I avoid it like the plague because my handwriting is simply awful. It’s not worth even a cheap fancy pen, as I can barely read the handwriting myself. That said, you and Tony have convinced me that I should or at least *can* consider it as another tool in my arsenal for getting past blocks.
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Rob, I’m going to agree with Tony. This post stands as evidence that my handwriting is nothing to be proud of. But with a ballpoint, or even a gel rollerball, it is significantly worse. With those pens I have to grip and press, which makes loops random and angular. My hand tires easily because I’m stressing my hand muscles. By comparison, with a fountain pen you hold, not grip, and you don’t press the pen into the paper.
A basic, but surprisingly smooth and hassle-free, pen is the Lamy Safari (plastic) or its Aluminum sibling, the Lamy Al-Star. This pen, plus a converter (so you can use bottled ink) and a bottle of Noodler’s Ink (which at 3oz. will refill your pen about 50 times), with a little judicious shopping can be had for about $50.
And…it’s better for the environment. At the end of your bottle of ink, you can reuse or recycle the bottle, instead of throwing 25 pens into the trash. 😉
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Dale – great minds think alike. 😉
Rob – you might be surprised at the difference in legibility a decent pen might engender. A cheap ballpoint might require you to press hard to get the ink to flow, which is wearying for the hand. A good pen costs less than a restaurant dinner, and will provide much more lasting pleasure. Good pen with good ink on good paper makes handwriting a joy.
Besides, even if your skittery chicken scratches ARE hard to read later, it might be a silver lining in disguise. You re-read your writing and think, “Now, what was I trying to say here?”
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My hand hurts just looking at all that writing. Yes, it’s Zen, but oh man it’s a pain getting older.
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Well… now that you mention the environment… I’m definitely going to have to look into this.
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The art of the right pen – the pen for the write art –
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