You Need 10 Different Pens

And they are these.

OK, computer-having modern human: you don’t feel like you really need a pen at all. Maybe one, if someone wants you to sign a document; but even then, wouldn’t they bring a pen, since this “ink signature” is so important to them? And hey, man, I get it: I like the clickety-clack of the computer keyboard too. I’m really relishing in it right now, actually. The words are appearing almost as quickly as I can think them. I can’t do that with a pen.

But that’s kind of the point of pen. A pen slows you down. It invites presence. You use a pen on a piece of paper or other non-digital media, and you’ll notice that the paper can’t alert you about text messages or emails or distract you with seductive ideas about how you need to “do some research first.” A pen is like, “It’s time to write. And I’m going to make you think about Every. Single. Word.”

There are many proven psychological benefits to writing by hand. Lynda Barry said she couldn’t write her second book until she sat down and started writing it by hand. Julia Cameron insists that your three daily morning pages need to be done by hand in a drab notebook. And I say that writing by hand just kind of feels good sometimes. It can remind you that writing is active and kinetic. It can bring you back to the things you loved about writing in the first place.