Open up a printed notebook. You can have a subtle want to write, draw, or make a grocery list next to a big thought. There is a smell and a weight to paper. Digital notes can’t quite fake this. You can feel memory foam for your thoughts.

Do you remember how you used to play with the edges of a fresh notebook in school? The pages were as crisp as leaves in the fall. Every initial page is exciting and scary at the same time. Hey, blank page. Goodbye, putting things off—at least for five minutes.

Printed notebooks keep fingerprints from life. Stains from coffee? Doodling happy kittens by accident during dull meetings? Proof that you were here, your mind wandering while your hands labored. The silly ink blots, heart doodles, and cheeky sticky notes that are adhered between the pages can’t be erased.

There is now a kind for every person who writes. Little pocket notebooks fit in the pockets of jeans. Thick, cream-colored sheets in journals want you to write down your biggest ideas. Wire-bound squares that beg for grocery lists or plans of action. Designers have gone crazy, mixing together covers that are as fancy as tapestry and as plain as old cardboard.

Have you ever tried bullet journaling? Some people say it feels like a mix of a diary, a planner, and therapy. Some people think it’s a great way to look organized while drawing whatever comes to mind. Everyone plays out their stories on the ruled or dotted terrain. The only limit is how long your favorite pen can last (or how patient you are).

There is something strange about the pleasure of writing on paper. The pencil’s pull. The delicate scratch of a pen. It keeps you grounded, keeps your hands busy, and makes your thoughts less scattered. Who hasn’t happily crossed off a job that was done? Words that have been crossed out are taller than words that have been removed.

Give someone a notebook, and they might write a book, make a business strategy, or just doodle and dream for a week. Even the empty ones feel strangely personal. Some people treat these books like treasures, keeping a whole shelf full of them without ever opening them. Some people bring worn-out copies to the store, full of ticket stubs, shopping lists, and drawings of kids who are bored.

Flipping back is a little bit naughty. Writing that isn’t even, old to-do lists, and love notes penned when no one was looking. One ink mark at a time, tracing your life. Notebooks that are printed don’t judge. They don’t fix your spelling mistakes or provide you reminders. They just sit there and wait.

There will always be clouds, apps, and screens. But what about paper? It holds secrets and keeps the laughter in every margin. Put one in your bag. Or let a stack of papers sit dangerously close to your desk. Knowing that you’re only a page away from your next great idea or a very satisfying scribbling might be comforting.