The proper utensil

In another post I shared the methods I use to stay on top of my handwriting. Well that is only half of the battle.

Have you heard the story about the old man and the young man competing to see who can chop down a tree the fastest? The young man uses a lot of sweat equity and doesn't  even take a break to get the tree down. On the contrary, the older man spends a significant amount of time sharpening his ax. The traditional takeaway is to work smarter, not harder.

But there's another wise takeaway: tools matter.

I've learned to apply this principle to my journaling, which is why I exclusively use a fountain pen. Good bye pencils and cheaper pens because they don't do the trick. Here are some of my favorite benefits of using a fountain pen for journaling.

Encourages intentionality

Slower speed is required when using a fountain pen so that the ink can properly flow through the pen to the nib and onto the page. And since I'm writing slower, my handwriting is more legible. Which is great - but takes more time, so I must be wise with my word choices to prevent hand cramps and impatience.

Even ink

Have you ever had a pen fade? I find that very irritating. Thankfully the liquid ink coupled with the nib of a fountain pen produces an even flow on the page - which is a writing and reading benefit.

Experience is satisfying

Overall the experience of using a fountain pen is very satisfying. I feel like a craftsman every time I write and I feel like I'm reading a masterpiece when I reflect on my entries.