Three notebooks

Dispatch from Writing with the Seasons - March 2023

Mar 17

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Three notebooks. I always, always have three notebooks.

A tiny, pocket-sized one for notes made while walking, to chart overheard conversations, gather ideas and remember weird things I did as a child but haven’t thought about in ages.

Then a larger journal for the meandering morning pages I do when I wake. Made of fine, decorative paper or bought from an exhibition, this one often has something beautiful about it.

My third is for a current project. Hardback, substantial and crammed with notes, magazine clippings, doodles, book lists and quotes I love.

My favourite notebook at the moment is from this coastline series by Field Notes. A holographic print marks the edges of land, so the colours shift and change and shimmer in the light. Perfect for writing down springtime plans.⁠

Next week brings the spring equinox. Daylight and night in balance, just for a moment. While the chill in the air continues here in the UK, there’s also daffodils, crocuses and birds singing wildly. During winter, I’ve so enjoyed quiet days wrapped in blankets, reading by candlelight, and I’m wondering how I’ll get moving again. As ever, I think it’s about tuning into nature and the energy rising around me—and opening a new notebook! Writing the date on the top corner and facing a set of blank pages.

What’s your approach to notebooks? I’d love to know! Do you have one, or three, or many more including loads hidden in drawers and handbags?

Explore the wonderful world of Field Notes here. Writing with the Seasons is brought to you by Write & Shine, a programme of morning writing events and online courses. Spring artwork by Lizzy Stewart.