Variation Venus

I am a fan of still writing on paper because it allows me to slow down my thoughts and organize my ideas. So that is why I have writing and drawing pads near my desk, or sometimes I carry a small 5in x 8in note pad.

It makes me aware that the space I have on a page is almost relative to what I can realistically achieve. If I write on a regular word processor, then the infinite page makes me feel like I can keep going, which distorts my concept of time.  It helps me stay focused.

Writing analog forces me to stay focused on one thing, whereas if I write digitally, I often start to switch between different apps, and then I end up on distracting websites and apps. Sometimes the same writing apps cause some of my distractions. Somehow, the spell-checking red squiggly line or auto-correct slows down my thought process.

I often find myself stopping to fix the word or correcting auto-correct, and my brain goes on a tangent, and I forget my final thought. 

When I am writing on a paper pad, it’s to plan and organize using drawings, diagrams, and scribbles of words that only mean or are legible to me. It isn’t necessary to brainstorm elsewhere. 

The other reason why I like a writing pad is that it often doubles as a drawing pad or doodle pad as well. Most of my notes have drawings or sketches that complement the thought process from being linear to abstract, so I don’t get bogged down in the details. 

Some of my sketches get details for the opposite reason because I am trying to get a clear picture of my concept. Some of these Ideas are for stories, comics, organizing my life, and planning my daily schedules around my responsibilities and fun activities. 

So I always have a writing pad and a drawing pad on hand near me for those reasons. 

This was written for Stream of Consciousness Saturday.