When I’d Rather Use A Pencil
A recent Wall Street Journal article quoted Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, chief executive of Faber-Castell, as referring to paperless, entirely digital classrooms and offices as “wishful thinking.” This quote has been sticking with me, and it has made me wonder: is that really what is being wished for? And by whom? Are there people out there who only use pencils when there is absolutely no way to avoid it? If you’re out there, I’d love to hear your take in the comments. For now, I’d like to share with you all a few times when I would genuinely rather use a pencil than a keyboard/tablet/smart phone/etc.
1. When I’m taking notes about something I have to remember.
If I can have a piece of paper with me to remind me of the information, I have no problem typing it out. If I have to remember something without assistance, I’ve got to use a pencil. Handwriting things forces you to slow down, and the slower you go, the more time you have to focus on the information in front of you, and the better you’ll retain in.
2. When I’m making a mess.
Any time I need to write something while messy, it’s a pencil I crave, not a pricey piece of easily-damaged technology. When I’m baking and need to jot down a note on the recipe, when I’m eating something messy and suddenly remember something I shouldn’t forget again – even when I’m riding the El and need to make a note and don’t feel like touching my smart phone with my germy hands because I don’t want to touch a germy phone to my face later – all of these times are pencil-friendly.
3. When someone else is doing it.
Once upon a time, a new friend was entering her number into my cousin’s iPhone, and dropped it. My cousin lived with that shattered iPhone for over a year. When I’m photographing an event and it’s loud and I need to make sure I have peoples’ names spelled correctly, I hand them my notebook, not my phone. When they drop my pencil, I can fix the broken tip with a pencil sharpener. Fixing an iPhone screen is sadly not within my skill set.
4. When I’m outside.
Even with those screen protectors that claim to allow you to see your screen in bright sunlight, I still find it’s easier and more comfortable to write by hand. On beautiful days when studying and homework simply could not take place inside, it was notebooks and pens we took to the Sunken Field, not laptops and tablets.
5. When I’m in a hurry.
I’m a busy lady with places to go and people to see. When I want to make a quick note, I don’t want to have to press ten different buttons, I want to open my notebook and write. When I need to dash off a quick list of important things, I don’t want to worry about pressing the wrong button accidentally and deleting it, or saving it in a location I’ll never find again.
Are there times when you prefer a pencil? Let me know if we have some in common, or if you have your own list!
I use a good pencil all the time when I make my all my customer notes since it would be rude to sit there and type in front of them. Writing is faster and I can erase in my day timer which is small and I don’t have the space to cross out and rewrite.
To me you missed the most important one of all, preparing to start your day. Every morning I write 3 pages in cursive with a pencil to paper in my notebook. I clear out my ‘monkey-brain’, all those niggly things that will pop into your head and distract you throughout the day, perhaps things you need to think through in a more focused way. If you are an ‘Artist Way’ person ( a book by Julia Cameron) then you call these your Morning Pages. It is not a journal per se, usually I don’t even go back and read them. It helps me start my day more clearly and more creatively. There is a meditative, thought-provoking response to writing your thoughts out the old-fashioned way.