The Case for Paper
I’m a big fan of paper. From books to notebooks to sketchbooks to printed photos… I collect these like no other. Growing up Barnes and Noble was my favorite store, and the local library was a frequent stop. The reason I almost didn’t go into graphic design was because of how much it’s on the computer… which is another story for another time:)
It was sweet to call my younger sister Grace, who is now a junior in high school, and hear her respond to the Longway question with “handwritten notes, paper assignments, and physical books.” I’d like to take credit for raising her so well! We both agree that handwritten notes are so much more effective than typed notes for helping you learn and retain information, and she said she’ll always choose the paper assignment over the assignment on her iPad/ computer. Furthermore, she noted that she’ll always read her physical bible over one on her phone. As a family, we will always be loyal to “physical books over e-books” and local library members for as long as we live.
I know my family members aren’t the only ones who will pay the extra money, time, and storage space for the joy of physical books. For example, my friend Eli specifically noted loving physical books over digital because of the tactile experience of turning the page, combined with the smell… it’s just a whole sensory experience!
Circling back to me… I will always go the “longway” when it comes to paper, and I believe we’ve lost so much to our screens. I agree with Eli – there’s this whole EXPERIENCE that comes with physical books and paper, and after taking a letterpress class my sophomore year of college, I appreciate even more the stories that books tell based on the choices that are made. The weight of the paper, the size of the book, the font of the text, the texture of the cover. Are the pages ragged? How is the book bound?
And then of course there are the stories that well-loved books tell. The dog-eared pages, the coffee stains, the notes in the margins, the sweet note in the inside cover of the person who gifted the book. I love thrifting old books that show signs of the last person who held it and wondering about their life and what the book meant to them – there’s a mysterious and beautiful LIFE to paper and books that is truly found between the lines, that runs deeper than just the words on the page.
All in all, I will always intentionally choose paper – in fact, for my wedding invitations, I spent about 10 minutes per invitation (around 150 total) because I just found the process of making them so JOYFUL! From choosing the paper to tearing the edges to size, to wrapping each invite with ribbon and pressing the seal wax, to intentionally hand lettering each and every guest’s name on the front… it was all done with so much love!
They aren’t perfect edges, it wasn’t cheaper, and it took SO MUCH time (that I definitely could have spent working on my capstone). But this whole spring, as I’ve dwelt on my concept of choosing “the longway”, there wasn’t a clearer example of the joy that comes from choosing to experience and enjoy the long process… and the stories that the end product finally tells.
All to say, I will choose paper again and again, and next on my bucket list is to learn how to make my own!
