I do not like lined notebooks.
They make me feel restricted. So many lines. So many grey lines. Of course you can write neatly with lines, nice and straight, but I like it when my words and lines are a bit wonky. This is actually quite strange considering I crave neatness and order like my life depends on it. Sometimes I really think it does. Sometimes I think I will explode if I cannot harness the chaos and squish it into a nice neat box.
Sometimes notebooks without lines are called ‘unruled’. That’s how they were always labelled in WHSmith where we’d go to get our back to school supplies. Ruled or unruled, the label would say.
Maybe this is the problem. I am too UNRULY.
Do you know how hard it is to find a good, unruled notebook? One that is just the size you want, with lots of pages, made using recycled paper, that doesn’t have an awful cover and doesn’t require you to go into debt to buy it?
I can tell you something about this. It is hard.
Maybe this is the problem. I am just too FUSSY.
I recently needed a new notebook and was going through this whole dilemma, again, when I had an epiphany – I could make my own!
So I did. I made myself a notebook. And I love it. There is not a single line in sight.
And it got me thinking about all the things we might want or need but can’t find or afford and how empowering it is to take back the use of our own brains and hands and creativity and learn how to do it for ourselves.
Because we live in a world in which it’s now normal to buy everything, readymade. Everything is done for us. Not only that but it’s also driven into us that you need to be a trained professional to do things that once upon a time, regular people knew how to do themselves. Sometimes it feels like you need a four-year certification just to get out of bed in the morning.
Do you know how amazing it is that we exist? By some crazy, mysterious miracle, we exist! We have hearts and eyes and hands and feet and legs and brains and thoughts and feelings and intelligence. And yet every day we pretend like we’re capable of hardly anything at all.
Let’s not do that to ourselves. Let’s remind ourselves that we can do things. Let’s remind ourselves that it’s good to have a go, even if we don’t get it quite right. Even if it’s not perfect. I mean, probably don’t try to rewire your own house. And personally I wouldn’t go anywhere near a chainsaw. But otherwise, let’s be UNRULY. And thank our lucky stars that we’re not in France, where notebooks are filled with squares and dots.
Just kidding – I much prefer squares and dots to lines.
Here’s to you and everything you’re capable of.
Love and COURAGE,
Leah
Indira Dey
We can write or draw anything we want without any edge or boundaries keeping in mind. That’s something we always need- it’s some kind of freedom, we always cherish. Thanks Leah! It’s you who can help to find out so many important aspects of life in many different ways.
Thanks again, Leah!
I’m so thankful to get to know your thoughts through the email, which helps me a lot.
Leah Cox
My pleasure, Indira. And thank you! I love hearing your reflections and I love what you said about it being some kind of freedom which we always cherish. Hope you’ve arrived safely home if your travels are over for now.
Francesca
I’ve had a go writing on squared paper, and it reminds me of school Maths books ( discovered I was dyscalculate a few years ago!)
I had a go at writing on lines of dots, and found I just wanted to join the dots!
As for lined notebooks…… forget it, I just want to break the rules!
……………………………………………◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️
So like you dear Leah, I hunt for plain page notebook, at a reasonable price!
I did make my own book, and sewed the signatures together with a special stitch. Designed and printed the cover…… and then couldn’t write in it because I loved it so much I didn’t want to “ spoil “ it!
📕📗📘📙📖📚📕📗📘📙📖📚📒📓📔
Then of course there is the writing instrument. Ideally it was my green fountain pen, until it finally broke. Then the actual paper ( ink sometimes soaks through to the other side).
So then it’s THIS. Typing onto a plain/blank/unruled screen with my middle finger of my left hand. Don’t get me started on the whole left-handed business.
🏁 Saying that I LOVED having and writing in my left handed NatWest chequebook. However, when was the last time I wrote a cheque?
Cheque books involved lines to write on, and boxes to put numbers in…. which brings me back full circle I don’t like lines and I am dyscalculate!
1234567890
[] [][][][]. [ ] …………………………………
__________________________
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Oooooooooooo nooooooooo!!!!!
Leah Cox
I always LOVE your reflections and sharing Francesca and this really made me smile! Ahh, maths notebooks, yes, I remember the squares too! And I can totally imagine a compulsion to join dots if they are presented to you in a notebook 🙂 Also relate to loving something so much that you don’t want to ‘spoil’ it. I’m sorry about your green fountain pen – you can never quite replace your favourite fountain pen. Somehow it fits you like a glove. I don’t remember the last time I wrote a cheque either…
Loads of love xxx