Hello, reader! If you don't own a notebook and a nice pen, please do yourself a favor and stop reading this and go out and buy one. Force yourself to use it. Then fall in love with how much easier it is to vet and articulate your design ideas.
We can wait...
"Inspiration is everywhere, whether you’re at Denny’s eating breakfast or sitting on the couch watching TV before bed. Constantly thinking of work can lead to a stress overload but that doesn’t mean that you can’t simply enjoy good design in all its forms. Once you learn the art of design it has a way of latching onto the way you think and screaming out its input whenever possible.
Carrying a notebook, or simply keeping one beside your mousepad if you prefer, can help you immediately capture those fleeting bits of inspiration or unique thought processes. If you’re not much of an artist, don’t worry about it. This process need not lead to detailed drawings. Your notes can be words, doodles, and scribbles of any kind. The point is to have something handy for capturing these ideas as they come and nothing can touch the simplicity and convenience of ye olde pen and paper." — Joshua Johnson
