For many years now, I have made a point of using the computer for things even when it seemed it would be quicker and more convenient to just get out a pad of paper and a pencil. It had actually been a very long time since I used paper for much of anything, going back to when I was a harried medical student and writing patient care notes on a Newton Message Pad and then a Psion Series 5.
I found that using technology, even if it felt like more trouble than dashing out a quick sketch or note, had a lot of hidden advantages.
- having everything I do be electronic meant that things were far less likely to get lost, as I have a comprehensive backup system that includes off-site and archival backups
- things frequently needed revisions, even when that seemed unlikely at the outset; revisions were much easier with electronic versions
- security, privacy, and integrity were much better preserved (for many years, I have made a habit of having most of the documents I create digitally signed and timestamped by an independent third party, and I have always stored documents using strong encryption and another layer of encryption at rest)
- filing was much simpler and the archive files didn’t take up space in a cabinet or atop my desk; more important, stacks of electronic documents don’t fall over or get re-filed by the cat
- forcing myself to use the computer improved my skills with the computerized tools
Lately, however, I find that I’m again reaching for my pencil and pad. I am not 100% sure why, but I can say that I’ve missed the tactility of ink (or graphite) and paper, and now that I’m retired it is far less likely that my notes are going to end up needing to be sent electronically to someone else, be requested by patients, or subpoenaed by lawyers.
So when it came time to design the deck for the pavilion, I grabbed a stiff-backed pad of graph paper and went to work.
Before HA left for her trip, she wanted to walk around the compound with me and show me which new plants would need extra attention and watering. I realized that I would be much slower — and much more likely to lose information — if I tried to enter things into my phone. The pad again was called into use, and so far I haven’t killed any plants through neglect in spite of interruptions in the water supply.
Of course, even my hand-made drawings can be scanned and stored electronically, but I’m enjoying my re-connection with paper.
—2p