As a writer, I constantly need to have a pen and some paper handy to capture ideas when they come to me. Honestly, my memory is absolutely terrible for things like that. Which is fine – I have a system so I can write things down and stop worrying about them, rather than trying to keep a gazillion things in my head at the same time.

This year on my travels I discovered Field Notes. I liked the idea of them at first, but was a bit uncertain as to whether they would actually work for me. So I’ve given a few a go…

I think they are the kind of brand that you either love, or really don’t get what all the fuss is about. I love the appearance of them, but I had a few reservations about the practicality. At only 48 pages long, I get through one in about a month, sometimes a few weeks. It makes going back to find something you may have only written last Thursday tricky if it is in a separate notebook. But they are slim enough to fit in a back pocket or pretty much any bag without being too bulky. In my opinion, they look better too once they’ve got used and a bit battered.

I’ve found that working with the grid layout (available in the standard  books and some of the colors editions) is great for using with the bullet journal system. I have to share my personal/writing schedule with one other person and my work schedule with at least three others, so I’ve come to terms with the fact I won’t use the calendar element of the system anyway.

If you can get your hands on one, then I’d give them a go. They don’t sit nicely in the corporate world (with the possible exception of the latest Ambition Edition) but they are fun. Sometimes, having a tool that you want to use and try out is just the encouragement you need to get writing and thinking again after a dry spell.

They won’t be my only pocket notebook of choice for 2015, but they will be a nice break from a Moleskine or Leuchtturm in between.