this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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Pen & Paper

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This community is all about using pen and paper as a deliberate choice — because handwriting helps memory, deepens learning, sharpens focus, and unlocks creativity in ways screens often can’t. Whether you’re sketching ideas, drafting a to‑do list, or mapping out a semester, the physical act of writing slows things down just enough for the thoughts to really land.

All notebook and calendar types are welcome here: plain bound notebooks, bullet journals, Filofax systems, ring‑ and disc‑bound setups, sticky notes, legal pads, or whatever you throw together.

Privacy matters. With paper you keep control as your notes aren’t tracked, used to train algorithms or so. That sense of ownership makes paper a safe place for brainstorming, personal plans, and messy drafts that you don’t want floating in the cloud.

This is a place to share practical tips, clever layouts, before‑and‑after spreads, and what you’ve learned about staying organized (or unorganized) offline. Post pictures, ask for feedback, swap templates, or just brag about a perfect page.

Come as you are: Neat planner nerds, scrapbookers, list lovers, or anyone curious about slowing down. Bring your spreads, hacks, inserts, index systems, and the little rituals that make your setup work.

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Ohai! Welcome everyone to the Pen & Paper community! I am the one who created this community.

I'm 30, live in Sweden and I've recently started to use pen and paper more, which is part of me starting this community. I've liked the idea of having neat notebooks for a looong time but never truly had a reason more than "just because" so I never got started despite getting multiple filofaxes, even a handmade one (in pictures here), calendar inserts and other fancy stuff.

Oh well. I used to love computers and technology (still do tbh) but I hate what it's becoming with all the surveillance, selling our data, what AI is doing, social media, screen addiction and just enshittification everywhere. SO I'm moving away, slow and steady.


So, I mostly use my handmade A5 ringbound planner/notebook a la filofax style. I started with what I call a 'rolling todo list', something I learned when working as an electrician at an iron industry. So, you have a regular list of todos, as they get done you draw a line over and add new todo items at the bottom.
When you get to the bottom of the page and need to add a new todo, you simply write all the ones you haven't done yet on the new page.
I like to give those a squiggly line on the previous page, but this is not necessary.


I also want to practice my writing-skill, my spelling has become terrible (I don't even use autocorrect) and I used to love writing as a teen, Swedish was always my strongest topic in school. So, I decided to start writing down my dreams as an ease-in to writing. I just jot down the date and start writing.


I also have a section for mixed notes that is honestly just whatever I feel like. Both important notes, creative stuff, scribbles, ideas, notes from a call etc. Everything. This section is a part of keeping it simple. I don't see a clear category for these things.. yet!


For last, I have some maps, a page for cards and a note from those who made the filofax-styled notebook/planner.


The thing I like the most with writing by hand is the freedom, I can write however I like, whatever direction, add a little sketch. The only limitation is my imagination! And also all the benefits of using something physical, better memory, having a sense of where things are etc.

I plan on adding a section for reading-notes as the book I'm currently reading makes me write a lot of notes in it. So I think after finishing it I'll go over it all again and jot in down in my note-book.

Well, that's all from me for this time. So long, and thanks for all the fish!

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[–] foliumcreations@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Love the fact that It is handmade. Do you have any favourite pens? I love fountain pens, unfortunately they are not all that practical to carry around, tried it. Could have been the quality of the fountain pen but it leaked and such.

[–] CoffeeTails@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It's nice to have something unique, and the fact that it's real leather makes it durable!

I have a few pens I really like, but I mostly use the Poly Matic from Faber-Castell, 0.7mm at the top of the image below. I have a ballpoint pen I got from a store, soooo smooth to write with, and lastly a regular pencil that is slightly soft, HB, great for sketches. Although I don't do a lot of sketching now a days.

Oh no, I'm so sorry the fountain pen leaked.. They seems to be nice to write with once you've mastered them!

[–] foliumcreations@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

0.7 is the truely the most all around size.

[–] CoffeeTails@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Yes! I've only heard about 0.5 and 0.7, and thought 0.7 would be a bit easier to both write with and then read.