Midori MD

The right notebook will change how you journal forever.

Journaling is an incredibly important part of the creative process.

It’s how we get our thoughts out. It’s how we create and develop ideas. It’s what helps us succeed in any creative or productive field.

And so although we place so much time and effort into the actual things we’re doing, sometimes a small tweak in a seemingly miscellaneous part of the process can change everything.

The Problem.

For most of my life I’ve enjoyed notebooks and journals in a somewhat infrequent manner. They were something I liked but never got into a consistent rhythm using. I’d always bounce from journal to journal and I saw them more as tools rather than partners in the creative process.

That was, until a year ago.

One year ago I bought my first Midori MD notebook - and from there, everything changed.

Finding a Notebook You Love

What I didn’t understand was how different my life would be simply by having a journal I loved. Although in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Notebooks are something I use every single day of my life. Why not have one that inspires me? - A notebook that I can’t keep my hands off and want to write in every waking moment. I guess I just didn’t know it was possible.

What I love about the Midori MD notebooks are their simplicity. No bells and whistles, just a premium notebook designed for a comfortable writing experience. The binding allows for full layflat functionality - which was something I hated in all other notebooks. No more pressing or holding down the sides of the notebook just to write a thought down. Now perhaps the best thing about these notebooks are the paper itself. MD paper is probably the nicest smoothest and most comfortable paper I’ve written on. And yes, it does make a difference.

So what’s the difference? A typical journal is the same functionality wise but a journal you love you simply can’t keep your hands off of. You want to fill it up with your thoughts, ideas, and you simply love writing in it. When you have something you never get tired of using, you can then enjoy the benefits of notetaking or journaling much easier, without forcing yourself through it.

When you like using something, you use it more.

Compartmentalizing Your Brain

You may have noticed, but I have way more than just one notebook. This was due to a big problem I ran into with journaling before. I used to keep all my thoughts in one notebook - a sort of commonplace book. And I still have one main notebook but I’ve since added a few to my arsenal.

Generally, our thoughts are like an unorganized cloud. And so we use notebooks as a way to level our thoughts and make sense of our minds. Having one notebook is okay, since it does allow us to structure our thoughts but then they’re all lying there in the same place. When I begun spreading things out, I found myself gaining more clarity because now my personal feelings have their own journal, and my knowledge seeking thoughts/notes/information have their own journal, etc, etc. I’ve also found a small pocket notebook extremely useful for quick checklists and bullet journaling. And so the reason why I have multiple notebooks is to better compartmentalize my brain. It makes it easier to send thoughts to and to locate them when needed as well.

So although I do greatly recommend Midori MD notebooks, what you like may be different from what I like. I do however think it’s important to find the right notebook for you - whether it be one of these or simply a basic kraft notebook . It does exist somewhere. And it may change how you journal forever.

Thank you for reading.