Fountain pens aren't new to me. I used them in school when learning how to write, and then I later used them to write multiple page essays. But for whatever reason^[1], when I left school, I didn't use one again. Until very recently, when I purchased a Lamy Safari Fountain Pen ^[2].

I chose this pen because I wanted a reasonably priced fountain pen, that I could use in my daily life at work and at home. Whether it was taking notes during a meeting, sketching out a few writing ideas, or simply to remember things.

What I thought would be a simple upgrade from a typical ballpoint pen, turned out to be a little nudge toward being more intentional. Not just with what I write, but how.

When I use a ballpoint pen, it feels like I should write a quick scrappy note, something that shouldn't live for very long. When I type on a computer or a phone, it feels fast, efficient, but it can be so efficient, that there's no thought behind any of the words.

But pair a nice pen with a little notebook^[3], and it simply feels nice to write. In addition, my natural writing speed means there are little pauses built in, which means I tend to think more as I write.

The permanence of words on paper also has an effect. Not in an extreme perfectionist way. But that if I am spending the time to write something down, I want it to have some thought behind it, honesty, and if possible I want it to be good.

At the same time, it's also a fun experience trying to write neatly again. There's a sense of writing becoming a little "craft" in itself, rather than a means to an end.

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1. I want to place a general blame on society, but who knows. ↩︎

2. Sunset Pink, Medium 0.6mm nib. ↩︎

3. Such as a little Field Notes notebook. ↩ ↩︎