Imperfect

analog versus digital

Inspired by Dustroy's My discontent with analog and Digital note taking.

Here are some quick wins that come to mind:

As for comparing analog and digital note taking, I find they work well both with and without each other.

My analog notebooks act as scratchpads for stream of consciousness writing or topic exploration. While I don't revisit them as often as I'd like to, they're within reach. Sometimes, seeing where I end up is more important than the process or the outcome.

My digital notebooks cover what remains. Features like search, hyperlinks to web content, links between notes, and incremental editing fit this writing mode well. Compared to my my analog notebooks, these are much more revisited and connective in nature.

Redundancy across mediums means enjoying differing journeys between handwriting and typing. Applying a set of thoughts to different media can yield strikingly different results. Yes, technique can bridge gaps between tools, but there can be more to art than just technique.

Some days, I type up what comes to mind, and then see how it plays out on paper. It's a blessing and a curse that I can incorporate so much less in my journal than I can on my computer and vice versa. Constraints breed creativity, but so does tapping into undiscovered abundance.

Simpler and/or less decisions can induce focusing on the work itself. One journal in use at all times makes it obvious where to continue. One notebook program housing multiple digital notebooks indicate prioritized categories, notes most recently edited, and search features to find where to continue.

Set aside system dysfunction for system functionality. Every system is broken beyond some threshold. Messy notes show conscientious thought and the opportunity for connections to be made. Clean notes show neat organization and the opportunity to make a mess again.

Focus on (how to maximize) acceptable returns to get you where you want to be.

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