Christmas wish list: Give the beautiful gift of empty pages

This is the last of our festive gift lists. If you’re still looking for presents this time next week, it’ll probably be more of a last minute scramble along the high street. Buying one of these options online is a much better idea. And this week we’re looking at notebooks. But to make it more challenging, we’re not mentioning Moleskine’s. Lovely as they are, I thought it would be better to show you some alternatives you may not have tried.

If you’re looking for more gift ideas, you may want to have a look at our guide to idea-generation cards and our list of recommended books.

But we’re here to talk about blank books. So let’s get started.

(You can click on any of the titles or images to buy any of these beauties online.)

LEUCHTTURM1917 Dotted pad

If you want a more colourful notebook that’s very similar to a Moleskine, the Leuchtturm is probably your thing. But what I love about these pads is that you can get them in dots. The dot-grid texture gives you all the benefit of lines you can write on, squares that guide your diagrams and blank pages that let you go freeform. There are a couple of other great features I like. You’ll find page numbers that you can use to cross-reference. And there are a few perforated pages at the back so you can rip them out without leaving a big mess.

Field Notes

When I asked contributors which notebooks they liked best, the most popular suggestion was Field Notes. They’re lovely little vintage-looking notebooks that fit in your pocket for ideas on-the-go. They also come as a dot-grid option, which makes me happy. The version I’m linking to here is a special expedition edition that has waterproof and tear-proof pages so you can still note down your ideas when you’ve fallen in a muddy river half way up the Matterhorn.

Rhodia

The first time I saw this brand, they were pretty basic notebooks that reminded me of school jotters. That’s cool but it isn’t my thing. They’ve gone all posh now (although they’re still producing those horrible orange jotter things). Their new notebooks look like Moleskines with nicer colour options. And – just to keep me happy – they’re available in a dot-grid format.

Cast Iron Design Notebook

These lovely notebooks are for the environmentally conscious. They were designed by an environmentally responsible design firm in Boulder Colorado. And – obviously – that means they’re also big fans of the dot-grid. Boom! However, if you really are concerned about the environment, you probably won’t want to buy one of these if you’re outside the USA. Because it’ll more than likely cancel out any good you’d be doing by buying one.

Whitelines

I love the idea of these notebooks. Frustrated with dark lines and grids interfering with their notebook scribbles, the folks at WhiteLines turned notebook design on its head. Their pages are very light grey and their grid pattern is white (hence the WhiteLines name). And they have an app that lets you take photos of your efforts, removing the page texture and leaving you with clean sketches. They’re bound in cloth so they’re also classy as hell and will stand out from all the leatherette Moleskines around the meeting room table.

http://openforideas.org/blog/2016/12/15/give-the-beautiful-gift-of-empty-pages/https://i0.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/notebook.jpg?fit=1024%2C576https://i0.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/notebook.jpg?resize=150%2C1502016-12-15T07:15:14+00:00Dave BirssPersonal Creativitycast iron,christmas,field notes,gift,Leuchtturm,moleskine,notebook,present,rhodia,whitelines

This is the last of our festive gift lists. If you’re still looking for presents this time next week, it’ll probably be more of a last minute scramble along the high street. Buying one of these options online is a much better idea. And this week we’re looking at notebooks....

Dave BirssDave Birssdavebirss@gmail.comAdministratorDave is obsessed with creativity. He's been a musician, illustrator, stand-up comedian, poet, radio DJ, television presenter and advertising creative director. He also wrote A User Guide to the Creative Mind. Now he runs Open for Ideas and helps individuals and companies become more creative. You can find him speaking at conferences all over the world. And sharing his thinking in boardrooms, universities and dimly-lit pubs.Open for Ideas

Dave Birss

Founder and Editor at OpenForIdeas.org

Dave is obsessed with creativity. He's been a musician, illustrator, stand-up comedian, poet, radio DJ, television presenter and advertising creative director. He also wrote A User Guide to the Creative Mind.
Now he runs Open for Ideas and helps individuals and companies become more creative.
You can find him speaking at conferences all over the world. And sharing his thinking in boardrooms, universities and dimly-lit pubs.