Let’s get one thing straight: I love my Moleskine notebooks. I’ve tried brand after brand after brand, not really caring about the cost (heck, Moleskines aren’t exactly cheap) but I’ve yet to encounter something that can match them. The one thing I’ve yet to give a go is Field Notes, which I will as soon as I get my shit together and actually order them.

Moleskine notebooks have one serious flaw, however.

Or two, to be precise.

The paper. It might be acid free and awesome to write on, but if you like me love gel pens then it isn’t thick enough. The ink can go through the paper, definitely be seen through, and it will take too long to dry. Annoying, but I’ve learned to live with it, in fact I used to have a thick sheet of paper cut to the size of a page in the notebook which I put between the pages. These days I just don’t give a shit though, so I threw it away.

Which brings me to the real problem: Moleskine notebooks are too damn nice. People, by which I mean me and everyone else with the same stellar taste and thoughts, tend to not want to ruin them. As in don’t write something ugly, mundane or plain boring in them. No shopping list, no scribbled phone numbers, and for heaven’s sake don’t you dare rip a page out!

You know what, that sucks.

Notebooks should be used, that’s what they are there for. This is plain paper, put something on it and turn the page. It doesn’t matter if it is “Buy milk” or the solution to all the problems in the world, just put some ink on the pages. Otherwise they will cry, feel left out, and then that will seep on over to you in the form of the curse of the blank page, starring you and your inability to actually produce anything of value.

Don’t care for your Moleskine notebook, don’t value it too high. Value what’s in it instead, by which I mean to say that you actually need to fill the book’s pages to make it worth anything. Even if it is just your shopping list.