The last few weeks have been busy at the Knight's Writing Company office. Summer is always a quiet time for retail. This gives us the perfect opportunity to tie up some loose ends and prepare for the Fall and cooler weather.
Much of this preparation occurs on a computer, filling numerous spreadsheets with calculations on products and prices, exchange rates, shipping rates and other calculable items. When the spreadsheets are not being updated then the payment system or bookkeeping software always seems to make an appearance. Word, excel, and more. Clattering on the keyboard, scraping with the mouse. Computers are a wonderful productivity tool.
And when the computer isn’t in use the cell phone always seems to be pinned to an ear or thumbs and fingers move frantically to reply to an email or a text message. There is always someone to talk to or an answer to be given.
Knight’s Writing Company has been online since April and sales have been growing at a steady pace. Our product listing is currently small, but we have had to restock a number of products that have proven to be popular. In the coming months we are increasing our range of pens and inks and paper as well!
The notebook (not the electronic variety) is my sanctuary. It’s a place where I can spend time away from the hustle and bustle of computers, and where I capture my innermost thoughts.
Most of these thoughts are in the form of to-do lists, hand drawn check boxes and other signs that mean something to me but no one else. Three stars… super-important. Circles and triangles next to a paragraph take on another secret meaning. There isn’t an app for what I want and it wouldn’t be as much fun. Fountain pen on the paper, enjoying every curve of every letter as I write.
The digital age has brought utility, instant results, and lots of boredom. Fonts are bland and scribbling a diagram in a word document is a challenge. But drawing a picture of a troll or a flower in a notebook is easy.
When our first order of A5 Leuchtturm1917 notebooks came in last week, I stole one to try. Sure enough I have two hundred and fifty pages of private sanctuary to have my adventures in. There is no re-charging when batteries run low and there is no cloud… except the one I draw.