Many people love them. They hearken back to days of youth – pencil fights, chew marks, erasers worn away until paper gets torn by metal… wearing them down until the were precious two-inch instruments of unparalleled creativity. Many people, both great and small have used them. There’s even a blog about pencils. Actually, there are two. Correction, three.
Earnest Hemingway certainly seemed to like them:
Learn about pencil history, trivia, and see how they’re made.
"When you start to write you get all the kick and the reader gets none. So you might as well use a typewriter because it is much easier and you enjoy it that much more. After you learn to write your whole object is to convey everything, every sensation, sight, feeling, place and emotion to the reader. To do this you have to work over what you write. If you write with a pencil you get three different sights at it to see if the reader is getting what you want him to. First when you read it over; then when it is typed you get another chance to improve it, and again in the proof. Writing it first in pencil gives you one-third more chance to improve it. That is .333 which is a damned good average for a hitter. It also keeps it fluid longer so that you can better it easier."
Some thoughts on why some prefer pencils:
Not only can you use them to draw, but they can be art:
Why use pencils?
So many of us are pencil people below the pressure to use pens. “Pencils are for kids,” we’re told. “At least use a mechanical pencil,” we are urged. You can erase them, so you shouldn’t use them, right?
The first and best reason to use pencils is because you like them and enjoy writing/drawing with them. Because you feel better connected to the paper you’re writing on (or the wall, etc.) and the earth from which the clay, the graphite and the wood all came. Because they smell good. Because sharpening them can be a sort of meditative process. Because you can chew on them. Or for reasons we can’t explain.
The point is that it’s best to write with what we like best, no? I’ll admit to enjoying taking notes and writing papers and poems with pencils better than pens. That’s the biggest reason that I use pencils at all.
But there are many others, and they will be seen here soon and regularly.
Pencil lead can even be used to prove Einstein’s theory of relativity!
Quite a remarkable instrument taken far too much for granted in its apparent simplicity! Forbes magazine ranks it as the #4 most important tool of all time.
Be sure to check out this amazing clock that is made by a constant drawing and erasing of numbers. It is very cool!
Here are some thoughts on what the perfect pencil might be like.
More pencil pages here, here, here, here, and here.
Did I mention you can write with them, draw with them and gnaw on them for ideas? What other invention has ever inspired so much creativity?
Remind me to never again take this marvelous little writing instrument for granted!
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