Finding the right tools is kind of like finding those tried and true blue jeans. For instance, I have a couple favorite notebook brands. I love Moleskine and Leuchtturm1917. I suppose since I have used Moleskine notebooks longer than I have used Leuchtturm1917, I seem to favor the Moleskine journals more. I love the the story behind the Moleskines, their versatility and overall feel to them. When I am writing in a Moleskine, I feel like a writer and I somehow feel a slight connection to the legendary authors and artists who apparently used them.

My first Moleskine was the classic black lined journal with a bookmark and an elastic band. I made the mistake of added a round donut Tiger charm to the elastic and of course it was too much. I guess my eagerness to embellish my journal ruled out all rationale. Anyways, this little black journal with a back pocket and a classic style was toted everywhere. I kept it faithfully from 2004-2011, it housed my poetry scraps (usually one-liners or random swatches of ideas, that would eventually become poems). It is well lived in and pretty worn out. The elastic band eventually snapped. The binding needed to be hot glued together. However, my first moleskine still houses my words well. I think showcases my writer’s journey very well.

My second Moleskine was a plain notebook so I could dabble in doodling. I drew some of my first zentangles on its pages. It is a sentimental treasure because I often had it with me when I spent time with my mom. In the back cover you can almost still see where she wrote a question to me in it. I’m not sure why I eventually erased it but at least after all this time I can still see it.

I don’t always invest in a new Moleskine when I am in the market for a new journal. It’s usually because I don’t want to shell out a few extra dollars. Of course this decision catches up with me later! My enthusiasm to write in the journal isn’t as strong. The paper quality can sometimes be lacking. My words don’t feel at home as they would in a Moleskine, either. Before I know it, I wonder why I even bought something other than my go-to journal preference. And I’ll think to myself as I find comfort in opening the plastic wrap of a new journal: “My pen and I are Home!” LOL!

What can I say?! I’m a stationery junkie with a good taste in journals. Currently, my writing hand is scribbling in three Moleskines: Extra small Volant (poetic scraps and other ideas), Cahiers (dabbling with morning pages), and a Two-go journal (a place where I can draw and write my poems in the same space–it helps on the go for sure!*