Notebooks: The Student, The Author, The Artist

Notebooks are the vessel through which learning, creating, and storytelling come to life. Notebooks are timeless because these actions are fundamental to the human experience. There is a student, artist, and author in all of us – notebooks help us develop and express these aspects of ourselves.

The student in us wants to organize, color code, mark up, and easily access information. A good notebook for the learner is one that handles multiple mediums well, is durable, and is the right size with an adequate number of pages. The Washington D.C.-based Appointed brand notebooks are a wonderful option for the learner because they handle rollerball, gel, ballpoint, fine liners (modern day felt tips), and highlighters very well. They are also spiral bound, which facilitates writing on the front and back of pages, and a smaller desktop profile than stitch-bound notebooks.

For those who prefer an all-in-one grid, lined, and dot option, the Oasis notebook from Profolio is a wonderful option. Designed to make the decision between page layout easier, the proprietary design by Oasis allows for elevated organization as well as the option to utilize different page rulings throughout one notebook. Made using durable card stock covers and a stitch-bound spine, these true layflat notebooks bring a unique versatility to one's daily routine.

The artist in us wants to experiment and edit along the way to the final product. A notebook recommendation for creators is the Travel collection from Hand Book Journal Co.  Featuring cloth covers, lay-flat stitching, and acid-free art paper, options are available for both the graphite/ink artist and the watercolor artist alike.  The Travelogue watercolor variants offer 60 pages of 200 gsm paper with a cold press finish, natural linen covers, and a variety of sizes and aspect ratios to choose from. The Travel Series sketch line features 128 pages of 130 gsm paper with a toothy surface that works well with pencil, ink, and markers, and comes in multiple sizes and aspect ratios to choose from just like its watercolor counterpart.

Last, but not least, the author in us wants to remember the little things in our lives that make us happy, challenge us, inspire us, and much more. These are notebooks that we cherish because they hold the story of our lives, and some may choose to share the contents with loved ones or pass them down. The Cavallini & Co. Roma Lussa journals are a beautiful option for the storytellers, with leather covers, one-of-a-kind marbled edges, and high-quality paper. The Cavallini & Co. brand is based in the U.S., but works with Italian manufacturers of journals to bring a variety of quality options to America. (...but there's so much more to Cavallini & Co. as well!)

I believe there is a notebook for every occasion and season in life, from travel journals to dream journals, planners, sketching pads, and much more. Finding the perfect paper to match my favorite pens and writing utensils is one of the best parts. I love picking out the perfect notebook and watching as I fill its pages and being able to look back at parts of my life. It brings me joy helping our customers find their perfect match so they can enjoy the whole experience as much as I do. — 🦢 Natalie, Paper Peddler