51–60 of 92 posts
Feel free to check it out, it might help you too: https://ulysses.sonnet.io
Another tool that I find helpful: iPad Pro + Concepts for doodling/ad hoc notes.
> It's all too easy these days to have a clear intention only to be sidetracked by the whirlpool of apps and services clawing for our attention on our devices. I have to admit I'm a bit baffled by these remarks. It is very easy to have a "apps and services"-free experience: just kill notifications. Why would the paper make a difference? It's not like your "attention-clawing" misconfigured device is not still at your…
Absolutely true, this article is generally a reminder for people (like myself) who can struggle with attention and are a little too easily pulled into things once I'm engaged with a screen.
I try to keep my notifications groomed appropriately, but I also have many allowed through thanks to work. I can groom all I want, but a computer is always going to offer more distractions than paper.
I prefer typing, writing is so slow. And there is also very important aspect to me: when I type I cannot draw anything and that's great because usually I can't decipher drawings I made while writing with pen and paper.
> writing is so slow. This is the core idea of stopping and writing. Forcing your brain to slow down to a certain speed so, it focuses whether it likes it or not. I do the exact same thing as the article suggests and my coworkers sometimes ask why am I doing this. My brain's brakes malfunction sometimes and this is an external brake to stop and restart gracefully. It works wonders.
I've ditched pen and paper in the past because it was too slow for me. Over time I've realized that desire to "go fast" can be good in some contexts, and bad in others. Slowing down with pen and paper does a much better job of clarifying and directing my thoughts.
The article does not explain what the value of pen and paper has over a digital note pad. It just declares it has one. However, I can sympathize. I teach drawing and design. Of course, most of my students were raised on digital media. For some, their first experience drawing was digital! I have a lot of trouble explaining to them the value of pencil and paper. In “Personal Dynamic Media.” (1977) Kay, Alan and Goldber…
The advantage is being clear from potential distractions. A lack of "features" providing a direct line of focus on what you're writing.
Apologies if that wasn't clear from the article!
I love a fullscreen, empty text editor.
I prefer to learn to focus instead of forcing myself to focus. Putting my editor in fullscreen is against visual clutter, but I don't have to shut down my laptop not to read HN instead (or do I? excuse: was not doing a deep focus task right now, but waiting for slack replies. Waiting makes me jump to other apps right away... So glad I don't have build times in my job).
do people use whiteboards at home?
You meant, there are people who do have whiteboards at home? ;-) Earlier I used to have a massive one in the bedroom, because my brain starts kicking in its last ounce of ideas and gotchas just as I'm falling asleep. My wife soon got rid of that and now I have it in my study room. I love pen/paper, whiteboards, and writing.
do people use whiteboards at home?