Category Archives: productivity

Finishing a Work Notebook

Back in July 2021, I wrote about how I’d just transitioned to a new work notebook, a Mnemosyne notebook from Maruman. When I wrote that post, I wasn’t happy with the size and dot grid and how those were working vs. my desktop space and the size of my handwriting. But I ended up sticking … Continue reading Finishing a Work Notebook

Techo Kaigi

I was reminded of this phrase by a marketing email from Plotter, linking to this post. Techo Kaigi means “notebook meeting,” and the idea is that you should have a meeting with yourself to contemplate your notebooking methods and make sure they are right for you. This is generally done in the fall, when planners … Continue reading Techo Kaigi

Filofax Pocket Chelsea, Two Ways

As noted recently, I’ve been revisiting some of my old Filofaxes, which feel like time capsules from the late 1990s. One of my favorites from that time was the Filofax Pocket Chelsea. I liked it so much, I bought two! They are actually slightly different, though no distinction was made in the model name. Both … Continue reading Filofax Pocket Chelsea, Two Ways

How I Use My Nolty Planner

I’ve written various reviews of Nolty planners and notebooks, but I don’t think I’ve gone into too much detail about how I use my Nolty planner. These lovely Japanese diaries have some features that make planning, habit tracking, and list-keeping very convenient for me. The Nolty Efficiency Notebook has various page layouts. It starts with … Continue reading How I Use My Nolty Planner

My Messy Cooking Notebook

I shared a photo of this notebook on Instagram recently and a lot of people seemed to love it. I realized it’s quite unusual for me to show off a notebook that is this beat-up and battered! Most of my notebooks are pocket size journals and sketchbooks. I tend to go through them fairly fast, … Continue reading My Messy Cooking Notebook

Notebook Addict of the Week: John Rogers

I found this week’s notebook addict via a blog post by our previous addict, Warren Ellis. He linked to this Twitter thread , where screenwriter John Rogers talks about methods for notebook-keeping, and shared the photo below: It accompanies his first principle of notebook-keeping: First, a dedicated notebook for every project. This notenbook is creative … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: John Rogers

Notebook Addict of the Week: Warren Ellis

This week’s addict is a writer of graphic novels and creator of the Netflix series Castlevania, among other creative ventures. On his website, he talks about his shift away from digital tools to capturing all this thoughts in notebooks like these: I almost exclusively think on paper these days. The first page of each notebook … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Warren Ellis

Notebook Addict of the Week: Dave Gauer

I found this week’s addict via a link at The Cramped, and there’s just so much to love! First, 96 notebooks all in a row! I am always impressed by this level of commitment to a single notebook type/brand. Then there’s the red dots on the spines so you can see at a glance how … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Dave Gauer

My Latest Work Notebooks

I’ve almost always had a sharp disparity between my preferred notebooks for personal use and my preferred work notebooks. My personal notebooks are always pocket sized, with plain, dotted, or grid pages, usually hardcover. But my work notebooks are usually none of those things. I’ve written about some of my work notebooks before. In my … Continue reading My Latest Work Notebooks

New Job, New Notebook

Over the last couple of years, I haven’t had a full time job. But when I did have one, my life was full of meetings where I took notes in notebooks, calls during which I doodled in notebooks, and responsibilities that forced me to write long to-do lists in notebooks. I tended to use larger … Continue reading New Job, New Notebook