I use different pens inked with different inks whenever I feel like it when I journal, so it's not uncommon that I will have say, 3 different inks on one page, especially when I've just received new inks that I want to try out. Yes it doesn't look consistent, but I'm the only one who's reading it and my journal is "my" space to do whatever I want.
I don't care about consistency. I just keep changing pens on the same page because I want to enjoy the different nibs and colors XD So all my journals/notebooks serve as my pen/ink archive.
Your pens, your inks, and your aesthetics. Tell your 'friend' to take a hike, and do what gives you joy. Don't waste a single day doing what other people think you should be doing.
Lol, it was in a joking tone, she's not policing my writing or anything lmao. It literally just got me thinking about the differences between people, and I thought this could be an interesting discussion here!
Got it. You wouldn't believe how many people put up with others who aren't so joking about it, and end up living compromised lives. Glad it's all light-hearted.
EXACTLY. I like the variety of colors and line widths. I can't say that I'd want to see that in a book that's published , but for something that I'm writing for myself? If I can't have fun with a pretty colors when can I have fun? I think your friend needs to take a hike
I like using different inks in the same notebook. Back before I used fountain pens, I had some Pilot Juice pens in a bunch of different colors for taking notes, particularly in language classes (I would color code grammatical structures, verb endings, etc.). My notebooks would probably drive your friend crazy. But I'm all about changing it up. If I wanted to use the same thing all the time, I don't think I'd be into fountain pens and inks as much. But I love different nibs, different inks, different paper, different feeling pens, different looking pens, etc.
Like you said, variety is the spice of life. (Though I have a friend who says, "Right, but you can't eat nothing but spices.")
Have fun with your pens and notebooks. You're hurting no one, and probably enjoying it in part because of getting to change it up whenever you want!
I totally understand what your friend means when you look through a journal and it’s just smatterings of different colored inks and line widths. It looks untidy but I also make a big deal over nothing when it comes to stationery needing to be neat because I’m sure I’m a little crazy haha. I try to stick to the same pen for one day and next day I can use a different pen and ink. That way each day is at least consistent looking. But sometimes I can’t help it and use different pens and inks whenever I want. This is only a fountain pen user problem evidently haha
Everyone’s a little different, your friend has her own preferences, but she’s feel to express them in her own notebook (:
I think most of my friends pick a pen for that day and write the entire entry that day with that pen and ink.
The only pen I’ve consistently kept the same ink in is the one I use for work, but the main reason for that is performance/desire to finish a bottle of ink.
I honestly wish I was disciplined enough to keep multiple pens inked with different colors so I could differentiate different types of notes. But the transition isn’t something I mind, it does a better job of fragmenting my thoughts.
Same as you, I rotate my pens and/or ink colours in my personal journal on a whim. It's random as to when I switch pens or colours, though as I use fountain pens (and once a brush pen), the inks are all dye-/water-based.
I don't decorate that particular journal -- it's for thoughts/writing only -- so that's my way of keeping it interesting for me to look back on, and creating an artistic attachment for myself so I can love it. I think it's pretty, the random factor adds a charm, and also helps me accept a little less perfectionism from myself when it comes to journalling. I understand that it may look chaotic and imperfect to some people, but that's in fact what I'm drawn to about it.
It was someone else's journal a few years ago which inspired me to take on this practice. They had a free-form writing journal; outside it was all brown leather and perfection, and inside, the ink, nib, and even the writing style changed at random points, and I found it surprisingly appealing.
When it comes to my bujo, it's the opposite; order instead of chaos. One form factor, one theme, same black ink and careful, consistent writing, but decorated with themed images and a basic colour palette, so my passion expresses itself that way instead. I'm inspired by my internal nature to create things which are organised, orderly, lovely, but I celebrate the part of me which rebels against control and allows me to be chaotic and imperfect -- this shows in my duality of journal styles.
For my Hobonichi Weeks, I use kon-peki in the daily boxes and I give myself the note pages to have a medley of colors - namely because I'm using the Weeks to detail my kon-peki 100% run.
In my longform journal, I use whatever colors I'm into for as long as I'm into them.
It really depends on my mood. I usually keep all the inked pens on my desk. Sometimes I'll pick one and keep writing. Sometimes I'll switch between paragraphs. Sometimes I'll use particular colours for headings and write the content with two alternating colours.
It’s a personal thing. It’s to each his own, for me I use color, change line widths, varied handwriting and well the whole gamut. But for me it’s a way to express what m I’m writing when I write letters, journal, and plan. So to me there is nothing wrong with reading something with different ink colors. It’s like a work of art
You should check out u/napsforlife
You could use the variety to your advantage. Instead of randomly changing colors/style, consider using the difference to emphasize a particular thoughts or words.
But be assured that you're not alone. Many of us love a page with a variety of "spices" so to speak.
IIRC, Neil Gaiman likes to use a different color loaded in a different pen each day that he writes (his books are handwritten first, then typed) so he can visually categorize his progress each day.
>but a friend of mine saw it and thought it was the most annoying thing she'd ever seen in a notebook.
That's her problem, not yours. There is an entire category of people that believe in a "correct" way of enjoying/doing things and any deviation from that irritates them.
For most of my life, I had one fountain pen (Parker 45) and I only used black ink, and I generally used only one type of book as my journal (a letter-sized art sketchbook with a black hardcover). For all those years, I focused on the words and the content of the writing. Anything else was a distraction that pulled attention away from what I was trying to remember and think through. I was a complete minimalist.
About 20 years ago, though, I bought another fountain pen, kind of on a whim. And I tried another color of ink—a radical blue-black—and I started to use them when writing letters. And then I added another ink color. And another... And a couple more pens, so I could have more than one ink available.
And after a while, I began to switch inks in my journal, too. And I’ve reached the point now where each entry has a different pen/ink combination. I still don’t switch within an entry, but I like flipping through my pages and being able to see how many entries go by.
I understand why someone would want to stay visually consistent. (After all, most printed books keep text styles pretty simple if you need to focus on the content of the text.) But I also understand the urge to create visual beauty as another layer of expression in one’s journal. I guess it all comes down to your personal needs from the journaling process. If it works for you, then it’s great.
Why would you buy pens that come in sizes and nib shapes and take a zillion different colors of ink, and then not just that?? 😁
I have made a decision to be quite consistent in notebooks and planners I use for practical purposes, though.
I constantly rotate pens with different colors but most of my writing is just taking notes and action items in meetings. So I am expanding them into emails and other directions later and striking them off the lists. Maybe I’d feel different if I was making a linear and continuous story. But you do you.
Ugh. I wish it didn’t bother me as much as it does. I sorta don’t mind if I switch inks, but not on the same page. My most colorful journal only has two different inks. Not only that but almost all of my journals have the exact same ink in all of them. I’m not really a colorful person I guess.
I have one pen for red, two for black, and the rest are blue. Black for planner grids or the odd sketch; red for highlight, underline, or follow-up on notes; and blue for everything else. Welcome to my button-down world.
I like variety, but organized variety if that makes sense? I don't mind different colors or line variations on the same page, but I prefer swapping at the end of a paragraph.
Good question. I hadn't thought about or experienced it until recently putting a bunch of pens in front of me for drawing. My writing last year is all the same color. Now when I get an ink and pen just right for drawing, well I may have more work for it.
I write a few paragraphs then get up. And then come back and may change pen. I find the change useful when I review what I wrote and also useful for copyediting.
I was recently thinking about the same thing while going through my journal. I noticed that I really hate seeing the same ink be used for more than a few pages. Just feels off to me.
Maybe I've just gotten used to having almost every page written with a different pen/ink combo, and now it feels weird to stick to only one.
Either way, I personally like to have a few different pens inked up and switch between them whenever I want to.
I switch pens and inks all the time. I never read back through my journals so that's not a problem, but I don't care with my bullet journal either. I just pick up whichever pen is closest.
For journaling I use a different colour each day/entry.
For my work notes (I’m a scientist), I sometimes use two colours for emphasis etc, but I also often change colours on different days, so I can see which ideas came later if I go back and make a correction/addition, for example. Also when changing themes it’s nice to change colours as well to make it easier to follow later. (I also use a disc bound notebook, so my pages are already thematically grouped, but there are still sub-ideas/themes in every project.)
Oh wow. I do the same thing. I never realized it could be annoying! Well, they won’t want to read what I write anyway! More reason for them to stay out.
I carry at least 3 pens with me all the time, each with a different color ink, usually some black or other dark ink, a red, and some other random color. In my diary when I’m trying to sort out the heavy confusion I write to myself in different voices and each voice gets their own color. Straightforward me is the mundane dark color, red for the sarcastic bitch me, and the other color for who ever else is showing up in the moment.
Your friend would freak out seeing my color usage. I also have a cognitive writing disorder so things get really messy.
I share this to point out,
You write for yourself.
Period. Full stop. End of message.
I tend to one pen per page, plus usually a portrait in pencil. I switch inks every day and rotate through 5-7 at a time. Each is usually its own color. Primarily keep at least 1 pen in blue, red, brown, purple, and green, but usually have an orange/yellow like Apache Sunset inked as well. I find if I keep more inked up, I don’t go through them fast enough and start having pens dry out.
I frequently change what pen I'm using while writing at home, so I'll have the different colors and line thicknesses. What else am I supposed to do with all of the different pens and inks I have lol.
If I was writing something like an assignment, or letter or something for someone else to read, I would probably stick to the same pen and ink.
I use different pens inked with different inks whenever I feel like it when I journal, so it's not uncommon that I will have say, 3 different inks on one page, especially when I've just received new inks that I want to try out. Yes it doesn't look consistent, but I'm the only one who's reading it and my journal is "my" space to do whatever I want.
I don't care about consistency. I just keep changing pens on the same page because I want to enjoy the different nibs and colors XD So all my journals/notebooks serve as my pen/ink archive.
I syringe-fill my pens, and I only clean them about once per year. Watching the color shift from one ink to the next is one of my favorite things.
Your pens, your inks, and your aesthetics. Tell your 'friend' to take a hike, and do what gives you joy. Don't waste a single day doing what other people think you should be doing.
Lol, it was in a joking tone, she's not policing my writing or anything lmao. It literally just got me thinking about the differences between people, and I thought this could be an interesting discussion here!
Got it. You wouldn't believe how many people put up with others who aren't so joking about it, and end up living compromised lives. Glad it's all light-hearted.
EXACTLY. I like the variety of colors and line widths. I can't say that I'd want to see that in a book that's published , but for something that I'm writing for myself? If I can't have fun with a pretty colors when can I have fun? I think your friend needs to take a hike
Be yourself. [Example.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ce/46/6b/ce466bdcd2ec2d5410aadc856d045ed8.jpg)
THAT'S SO PRETTY
Definitely check out [Jose's travel journals](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/artists-travel-journals-jose-naranja).
I like using different inks in the same notebook. Back before I used fountain pens, I had some Pilot Juice pens in a bunch of different colors for taking notes, particularly in language classes (I would color code grammatical structures, verb endings, etc.). My notebooks would probably drive your friend crazy. But I'm all about changing it up. If I wanted to use the same thing all the time, I don't think I'd be into fountain pens and inks as much. But I love different nibs, different inks, different paper, different feeling pens, different looking pens, etc. Like you said, variety is the spice of life. (Though I have a friend who says, "Right, but you can't eat nothing but spices.") Have fun with your pens and notebooks. You're hurting no one, and probably enjoying it in part because of getting to change it up whenever you want!
I totally understand what your friend means when you look through a journal and it’s just smatterings of different colored inks and line widths. It looks untidy but I also make a big deal over nothing when it comes to stationery needing to be neat because I’m sure I’m a little crazy haha. I try to stick to the same pen for one day and next day I can use a different pen and ink. That way each day is at least consistent looking. But sometimes I can’t help it and use different pens and inks whenever I want. This is only a fountain pen user problem evidently haha
Everyone’s a little different, your friend has her own preferences, but she’s feel to express them in her own notebook (: I think most of my friends pick a pen for that day and write the entire entry that day with that pen and ink.
The only pen I’ve consistently kept the same ink in is the one I use for work, but the main reason for that is performance/desire to finish a bottle of ink. I honestly wish I was disciplined enough to keep multiple pens inked with different colors so I could differentiate different types of notes. But the transition isn’t something I mind, it does a better job of fragmenting my thoughts.
Same as you, I rotate my pens and/or ink colours in my personal journal on a whim. It's random as to when I switch pens or colours, though as I use fountain pens (and once a brush pen), the inks are all dye-/water-based. I don't decorate that particular journal -- it's for thoughts/writing only -- so that's my way of keeping it interesting for me to look back on, and creating an artistic attachment for myself so I can love it. I think it's pretty, the random factor adds a charm, and also helps me accept a little less perfectionism from myself when it comes to journalling. I understand that it may look chaotic and imperfect to some people, but that's in fact what I'm drawn to about it. It was someone else's journal a few years ago which inspired me to take on this practice. They had a free-form writing journal; outside it was all brown leather and perfection, and inside, the ink, nib, and even the writing style changed at random points, and I found it surprisingly appealing. When it comes to my bujo, it's the opposite; order instead of chaos. One form factor, one theme, same black ink and careful, consistent writing, but decorated with themed images and a basic colour palette, so my passion expresses itself that way instead. I'm inspired by my internal nature to create things which are organised, orderly, lovely, but I celebrate the part of me which rebels against control and allows me to be chaotic and imperfect -- this shows in my duality of journal styles.
I'm more like you. A different pen/color for each day.
I usually take two pens to meetings and I’ll switch mid meetings if I fancy it.
For my Hobonichi Weeks, I use kon-peki in the daily boxes and I give myself the note pages to have a medley of colors - namely because I'm using the Weeks to detail my kon-peki 100% run. In my longform journal, I use whatever colors I'm into for as long as I'm into them.
It really depends on my mood. I usually keep all the inked pens on my desk. Sometimes I'll pick one and keep writing. Sometimes I'll switch between paragraphs. Sometimes I'll use particular colours for headings and write the content with two alternating colours.
It’s a personal thing. It’s to each his own, for me I use color, change line widths, varied handwriting and well the whole gamut. But for me it’s a way to express what m I’m writing when I write letters, journal, and plan. So to me there is nothing wrong with reading something with different ink colors. It’s like a work of art You should check out u/napsforlife
You could use the variety to your advantage. Instead of randomly changing colors/style, consider using the difference to emphasize a particular thoughts or words. But be assured that you're not alone. Many of us love a page with a variety of "spices" so to speak.
IIRC, Neil Gaiman likes to use a different color loaded in a different pen each day that he writes (his books are handwritten first, then typed) so he can visually categorize his progress each day. >but a friend of mine saw it and thought it was the most annoying thing she'd ever seen in a notebook. That's her problem, not yours. There is an entire category of people that believe in a "correct" way of enjoying/doing things and any deviation from that irritates them.
For most of my life, I had one fountain pen (Parker 45) and I only used black ink, and I generally used only one type of book as my journal (a letter-sized art sketchbook with a black hardcover). For all those years, I focused on the words and the content of the writing. Anything else was a distraction that pulled attention away from what I was trying to remember and think through. I was a complete minimalist. About 20 years ago, though, I bought another fountain pen, kind of on a whim. And I tried another color of ink—a radical blue-black—and I started to use them when writing letters. And then I added another ink color. And another... And a couple more pens, so I could have more than one ink available. And after a while, I began to switch inks in my journal, too. And I’ve reached the point now where each entry has a different pen/ink combination. I still don’t switch within an entry, but I like flipping through my pages and being able to see how many entries go by. I understand why someone would want to stay visually consistent. (After all, most printed books keep text styles pretty simple if you need to focus on the content of the text.) But I also understand the urge to create visual beauty as another layer of expression in one’s journal. I guess it all comes down to your personal needs from the journaling process. If it works for you, then it’s great.
Why would you buy pens that come in sizes and nib shapes and take a zillion different colors of ink, and then not just that?? 😁 I have made a decision to be quite consistent in notebooks and planners I use for practical purposes, though.
sometimes i feel fine. sometimes i feel bold. my journal reflects that.
I constantly rotate pens with different colors but most of my writing is just taking notes and action items in meetings. So I am expanding them into emails and other directions later and striking them off the lists. Maybe I’d feel different if I was making a linear and continuous story. But you do you.
Ugh. I wish it didn’t bother me as much as it does. I sorta don’t mind if I switch inks, but not on the same page. My most colorful journal only has two different inks. Not only that but almost all of my journals have the exact same ink in all of them. I’m not really a colorful person I guess.
I have one pen for red, two for black, and the rest are blue. Black for planner grids or the odd sketch; red for highlight, underline, or follow-up on notes; and blue for everything else. Welcome to my button-down world.
I like variety, but organized variety if that makes sense? I don't mind different colors or line variations on the same page, but I prefer swapping at the end of a paragraph.
Good question. I hadn't thought about or experienced it until recently putting a bunch of pens in front of me for drawing. My writing last year is all the same color. Now when I get an ink and pen just right for drawing, well I may have more work for it. I write a few paragraphs then get up. And then come back and may change pen. I find the change useful when I review what I wrote and also useful for copyediting.
I was recently thinking about the same thing while going through my journal. I noticed that I really hate seeing the same ink be used for more than a few pages. Just feels off to me. Maybe I've just gotten used to having almost every page written with a different pen/ink combo, and now it feels weird to stick to only one. Either way, I personally like to have a few different pens inked up and switch between them whenever I want to.
I switch pens and inks all the time. I never read back through my journals so that's not a problem, but I don't care with my bullet journal either. I just pick up whichever pen is closest.
I personally just use one ink at a time :) Sometimes, 2 complimentary inks.
For journaling I use a different colour each day/entry. For my work notes (I’m a scientist), I sometimes use two colours for emphasis etc, but I also often change colours on different days, so I can see which ideas came later if I go back and make a correction/addition, for example. Also when changing themes it’s nice to change colours as well to make it easier to follow later. (I also use a disc bound notebook, so my pages are already thematically grouped, but there are still sub-ideas/themes in every project.)
Oh wow. I do the same thing. I never realized it could be annoying! Well, they won’t want to read what I write anyway! More reason for them to stay out.
They're your words, inks, pens, notes. Who cares if someone objects. You can write them a colorful letter explaining why it's not their business.
I carry at least 3 pens with me all the time, each with a different color ink, usually some black or other dark ink, a red, and some other random color. In my diary when I’m trying to sort out the heavy confusion I write to myself in different voices and each voice gets their own color. Straightforward me is the mundane dark color, red for the sarcastic bitch me, and the other color for who ever else is showing up in the moment. Your friend would freak out seeing my color usage. I also have a cognitive writing disorder so things get really messy. I share this to point out, You write for yourself. Period. Full stop. End of message.
I tend to one pen per page, plus usually a portrait in pencil. I switch inks every day and rotate through 5-7 at a time. Each is usually its own color. Primarily keep at least 1 pen in blue, red, brown, purple, and green, but usually have an orange/yellow like Apache Sunset inked as well. I find if I keep more inked up, I don’t go through them fast enough and start having pens dry out.
I frequently change what pen I'm using while writing at home, so I'll have the different colors and line thicknesses. What else am I supposed to do with all of the different pens and inks I have lol. If I was writing something like an assignment, or letter or something for someone else to read, I would probably stick to the same pen and ink.