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Start with pen and paper

sethetter.com

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Re: Start with pen and paper

#81

Post by jakeva »

rpastuszak wrote: post #51

I wrote an app which I use for exactly the same purpose and it's served me quite well so far. I've been writing almost every day for a year. I keep it on a separate screen and jot down my thoughts if I feel that I lack focus (more info here https://sonnet.io/posts/ulysses ). 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/a…

I was confused and thought you were talking about Ulysses the iOS and macOS app https://ulysses.app/

Re: Start with pen and paper

#82

Post by oneshoe »

jeppesen-io wrote: post #76

As someone who recently got a remarkable tablet for work, i wholeheartedly agree Not the same technically, but effectively is for me

I really want one of these because I the pen and paper process (wholeheartedly agree with the authors statements)

Is it worth it? Is it better than just having a whiteboard next to me? I feel like most the time I use the whiteboard it is temporary things that kick me off before moving to Visio or JIRA. The price tag seems so high for its single use. But, still itching to buy it.

Re: Start with pen and paper

#83

Post by kuhzaam »

jeppesen-io wrote: post #77
kissgyorgy wrote: post #23

This is the hole point why they created reMarkable, to basically disconnect you from the constant interruptions from today's world. You can read about this on their blog: https://blog.remarkable.com/ I got reMarkable 2 and it really works! Now I'm even making notes when I'm in front of my computer, it's way better feeling than typing.

Yes, i got one too. Biggest boost in productivity in years

Do you mind expanding a little bit on what you use it for? I am thinking about getting one myself.

Re: Start with pen and paper

#84

Post by sethetter »

mdparker89 wrote: post #75
Daub wrote: post #14

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…

One benefit of the ethereal nature of digital is that editing is really easy which is part of what makes digital so appealing. The downside is that it makes it hard to silence your inner editor. Often the editor takes over before you even get to create.

Well said!

Re: Start with pen and paper

#85

Post by Daub »

bachmeier wrote: post #64
Daub wrote: post #14

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 article does not explain what the value of pen and paper has over a digital note pad. It just declares it has one. From the article, at the very beginning: "Nothing will provide focus like pen and paper."

Yes, but why? I am not being a pedant. My task is to convince students to use pencil and paper from having been raised on a lifetime of digital. They require more than a simple (and true) observation. What is it about pen and paper that provides more focus? What is the mechanism at play?

Re: Start with pen and paper

#86

Post by Daub »

sethetter wrote: post #54
Daub wrote: post #14

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 article does not explain what the value of pen and paper has over a digital note pad. It just declares it has one. 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!

Nice article. Thanks. It is certainly something that a lot of us here are naturally interested in. But With respect, I don't think that your observations constitute a mechanism. Digital Apps that are deliberately feature-restricted do not hold the same attraction. I believe that there must be some further mechanism at play.

Perhaps as animals were are primed for the tactile, and everything else feels ghostly. I don't know. All I know is that no expand I can come to will convince my young students of the value of analogue.

Re: Start with pen and paper

#87

Post by mikhailfranco »

kjleitz wrote: post #50

I'm sure it isn't, but this sounds like GPT-3.

There seems to be a flurry of these articles posted to HN, which are vague, loquacious, superficial, obtuse, poorly punctuated, occasionally excessively poly-syllabic, repetitive, colloquial and plausible, yet ultimately nonsensical.

We need a new adjective for what it is to be like GPT-3 ...

disgenerative?

misformational?

cyberblathering?

babble streaming?

thesaurus gargling?

Re: Start with pen and paper

#88

Post by Brajeshwar »

pjmorris wrote: post #58
Brajeshwar wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I'm contemplating a whiteboard at home. How is handling cleanup from the inevitable marker dust?

It is a very common practice in India to have maids come in everyday and clean the homes. It is also dusty enough in India that we need to clean our floors everyday. That includes any excess generated by the Whiteboard.

Re: Start with pen and paper

#89

Post by rpastuszak »

jakeva wrote: post #81
rpastuszak wrote: post #51

I wrote an app which I use for exactly the same purpose and it's served me quite well so far. I've been writing almost every day for a year. I keep it on a separate screen and jot down my thoughts if I feel that I lack focus (more info here https://sonnet.io/posts/ulysses ). 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/a…

I was confused and thought you were talking about Ulysses the iOS and macOS app https://ulysses.app/

Yeah, I need to change the name at some point.

I should've expected that when I used "Ulysses" for an app about writing as a stream of consciousness. ;/

I might change it to Homer—he is/was believed to be blind.

Re: Start with pen and paper

#90

Post by bayindirh »

sethetter wrote: post #53
bayindirh wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

This! There's also plenty of research backing up the idea that writing with a pen commits the information to memory more effectively than typing. It makes sense if you consider the extra time and effort being dedicated to what you're writing. 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…

All of the research I've read connects this effect to paraphrasing but, it doesn't have to be, at least for me.

When I get the pen in my hand, everything changes, incl. the way I think.

Also while unrelated, if I'm working on something in English, my whole data processing pipeline switches to English. Everything returns to my native language when I finish. Strange and fascinating.

> I've ditched pen and paper in the past because it was too slow for me....

Same for me. I've gone through that phase too. Tried to be too efficient but found out that excessive speed kills (concentration, in-depth thinking and the broad perspective). Then I've returned to my old ways for thinking.

However, getting used to something like Evernote and Trello for longer term planning complemented writing and supercharged both, at least for me.

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