The little black book that could

I’ve always been searching for the perfect notebook. I constantly carry one with me, creased from being carried in my purse. Everything is a journal entry: notes, grocery lists and snatches of conversation, titles and authors of books I might like to read, recipes, songs I want to listen to, rough sketches of things.

When travelling, I spend a lot of time in local pubs and coffee houses and write postcards or an entry in my notebook. It somehow took we away from the bad habit I had of constantly sightseeing through my camera lens. People can spend their entire trip in one silly posture: arms stretched forward, digital camera in hands, eyes squinting at the tiny screen, not looking at where they are going. (Am I the only one seriously annoyed by this?). Anyway, I would draw the most mundane of things: a plant that grows in the cracks of the sidewalk, a plate of food, a hand holding a cup of coffee, my hotel room, whatever. I started to sketch more seriously when I got my hands on a Moleskine notebook in Lausanne, Switzerland and I’ve incorporated Moleskines into my daily life since then. Keeping a travel journal is one of the best things I've ever done to keep my travel experiences fresh in my mind.

At first I thought that my Moleskine was so beautiful I was afraid to draw in it. After all, they have been used by the likes of Hemingway and Picasso; I just didn't feel moleskine-worthy. After a couple of weeks, I got over it and became hooked. These notebooks are very rugged and will last you through your travels. I left one of mine under the rain once, and the pages were still legible and the penciled drawings were fine (but pages with ink pen were smeared). I like it when my notebooks are less precious looking and more solid (no cutesy flowery cheapo journals for me, thank you very much).

The regular-size Moleskine costs about 30$cdn and will last you several months. The company has started to do a less expensive line called the Cahier line, and they are nice for to-do lists and practicing your drawings. Standard models include a pocket to collect the scraps of your life, and a hard black cover. Caro, I know you will appreciate this piece of info: you can buy them at the Papery on Bank.

Words dazzle and deceive because they are mimed by the face. But black words on a white page are the soul laid bare.— Guy de Maupassant

What are your journal fetishes?