Things I Love: Pencils

It’s time for another edition of Things I love. This time, if you can’t tell from the title above, I’m talking about my love for something very simple (yet oh so important): the pencil.

This may seem like an odd choice given how prevalent digital technologies are these days. Heck, even the iPad has a “pencil” now. But for me, nothing can replace the wood and graphite simplicity and usefulness of the pencil.

Writing with a favorite pencil in one of my favorite notebooks is a major part of my creative endeavors. Even if I eventually use a computer (as I’m doing now) everything starts with pencil and paper. The tactile sensations and the connections between brain, hand, pencil and paper greately enhance (and enable) the entire creative process.

I won’t get into pens or notebooks in this article even though I love them both. But don’t worry, those are coming. For now, this is all about the mighty pencil.

Yes, that’s right, pencils. An artifact created in a time before iPads, iPhones, computers and most any other form of technology designed to help you create, remember things or get things done. They’re still in use today and more popular than ever. There’s even a podcast dedicated to them.

The origin of the pencil is generally credited to people such as Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who figured out how to mix…