Write here, write now

When was the last time you put pen to paper? Properly?

Today? Yesterday? Last week? Can't remember?

Was it to rush off a shopping list? Update your diary? Scribble your name in a card?

I don't think we write as much as we should. Scrap that, I KNOW we don't.

Technology is great. Information at our fingertips. A way to keep all contacts and communications together in one place.

But do you get as excited by opening an email as you do when opening a posted letter that isn't a bill or junk mail?

Probably not.

There must be something to the 'put pen to paper' thing as the greetings card industry is still going strong as we still want to send our wishes to people in a real, tangible way (as well as posting a message on Facebook, just to cover all bases and be on the safe side!).

As much as I love using my iPad and phone for my daily needs - social media, checking emails, setting reminders - my diary is one of my most beloved and used possessions. I just love writing things down.

Post-it notes, diary dates, to do lists. 

Even though my handwriting is appalling (always has been but certainly not helped by a job that sees me on a laptop most days and a having a phone that's always within reach), 'keeping it real' is something I really enjoy.

Just look at the possibilities a blank sheet holds...

I remember reading this article in The Telegraph about the joy of stationery and how women seem to go crazy over it. Yep, I hear that!

The article includes quotes from blogger Lucy from Capture By Lucy and theorises that it probably stems from childhood, as many of us enjoyed having the freedom to spend pocket money on items for school before term began, and it also suggests how stationery is our way of bringing order to our busy lives. 

Another fellow blogger and stationery addict, Jocelyn, regularly posts about the joy of paper and pens with her #BringBackPaper feature over at her blog, The Reading Residence, and throughout April, she's been encouraging people with her #30daysofpaper Instagram daily photo challenge.

I've really enjoyed seeing what people have been posting as I'm always excited by new stationery so if you want some inspiration to put pen to paper yourself, this is a great place to start.

As is having a beautiful pen and a blank pad to use, like this Sheaffer pen. That's a pen meant for important things.

Is there any better feeling when you're a geek like me? I think not.

National Stationery Week is all about celebrating the power of the written word and is less than a week away (27th April - 3rd May). I'll be sharing my top tips for getting your life in order - with the help of stationery, of course - and be sure to check out how you can get involved if you want to go old school and use a real pen for a change.