The Simple Joy of a Good Pen

It's only fair to tell you, right up front, that I love the act of writing by hand.

I love the feel of the pen moving across the page, the crisp feel and smell of the paper, the art of shaping letters, the way the ink looks as it flows...whether I'm writing this newsletter (yes, I typically hand write them first, on college-ruled paper), or writing a pretty thank-you note, or jotting down a grocery list.

And the more I set up the act of writing to be enjoyable, the more I like it.

But all that enjoyment would come to a screeching halt if I grabbed a pen that didn't feel good in my hand, started writing, and rather than ink flowing effortlessly across the page, the dried-out pen scratched along the paper, or sputtered and leaked, or didn't write at all. Such a simple thing, really, but it can make the difference between a moment of pure enjoyment or a moment (or 2 or 3) of irritation, frustration, and a scramble to find a pen that actually works.

Most households have a mug or two by every phone, crammed full of a hodge-podge of freebie ballpoint pens covered in advertising or slogans, pencils that are worn down to the nub, dried-out markers and highlighters, and a pair of often-dull scissors stuck in for good measure.

So tell me, is that joyful?

And it's really easy to create joy in this simple area of your life. Here's how I do it (and remember that my way may not work for you at all, and that's just fine. The idea is for you to create a way that works for you.)

I keep all of my pens and other writing tools in two places in my home, and two places only: I keep a couple of pens in my purse and the rest go in my desk drawer.

In the top drawer of my desk I have a series of very simple interlocking trays that divide up the drawer into sections: one for post-it notes, one for paper clips, one for scissors and calculator, and so on...and three for writing tools.

One divider is for highlighters, so they are all together. I've tried all the different colors over the years, and have discovered that I greatly prefer using yellow highlighters, so all of my highlighters are now yellow. That's the only color I buy, and the only color I keep in my drawer. Having any other color would be, for me, highlighter clutter.

The second divider is for pencils. Over time, I have also experimented with different kinds of pencils, including nifty mechanical pencils, and it turns out that my favorite kind are the low-tech, sharpen-them-by-hand kind, with a really dark, solid lead. I buy them in packages of 12 which will last me about three years or more, and the brand I like is Dixon Ticonderoga Black #2 (found them at Target). I always keep a number of them finely sharpened, ready to go at any moment. Takes about 20 seconds. And when they get too short to be comfortable to hold, I get rid of them. No pencil clutter in my pencil tray.

And the third tray is for pens. Ahhhhh, pens. I love writing with pens most of all. And again, I've tried a bunch of them, including calligraphy nibs and a really fancy fountain pen that I loved writing with, except that I hated getting refills for it every couple of weeks. And it sometimes leaked on my fingers...didn't like that all that much either. And it was a bit big for my hand, so my hand got tired writing with it. OK, maybe I didn't love that fancy fountain pen as much as I thought I did.

My favorite pens of all time are really simple, not expensive, and last for a long time. I buy them in packages of 12 at Office Max or Staples, and they're the Uni-ball Rollerball, Black, fine (0.7 mm). I like how these pens feel in my hand (they're smooth, not too skinny or too fat, nothing to catch on my fingers or distract me), they're the right size for me, and I love how the ink flows so beautifully. I like a fairly dark, decisive line when writing, and these pen do the trick for me. When they start drying out, they start getting scratchy and drag on the page...so out they go.

And that's it. Super simple. And totally delightful.

Here's what my desk drawer looks like:



You can do the same thing at home.

1. Go through your pens, markers, highlighters, and other writing tools, testing each one to make sure it works. Toss any that are dried out, broken, or don't work the way you want.

2. See what's left. Consider giving yourself the simple gift of finding the kind of pens or pencils you really enjoy writing with...not just those that 'will do.'

3. Find a holder for your pens that you really like: a pretty vase, wicker basket, divider trays for your drawer, a tin with a lid, an antique glass jar tied with ribbon...whatever lights you up.

And then see if you don't enjoy writing a whole lot more.

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