New constellation identified: Fishorgon

Universe is full of magic. Therefore there is an invitation to scientific and cultural interpretations. We know almost nothing but we can have fun with that little part.

Stellarium (excellent free software) helped me to go back in time and see how was the sky in my birthday, initial condition, t=0. After joining dots and training my eyes I could see a new constellation which looks like a fish, scorpion and dragon. Let's name it as Fishorgon.

Since it includes also planets, that configuration was seen during certain time only, that's worth because I can say the sky drew a Fishorgon to say welcome to me. Then it vanished.

Now, decades later, it comes to my notebook and exists again. Welcome Fishorgon!

The importance of making your own notebook

I've imagined many times my dream notebook. Too much thinking but doing nothing. However I had clear each detail in my mind: Size, thickness, leather cover, verge paper, full flat when open, etc.

Some reasons to encourage you to do your own notebook:

1. It's the only way to have it as you want. It's almost impossible to find your perfect notebook in a shop. Fortunately nowadays stores shows plenty of books with a number of brands never seen before. Most of them contain paper with non acceptable quality. If you like the paper but maybe not the cover, you get it and time later you realize it's not your perfect jewel because you see only the mistakes.

2. It's made with love. No industrial process. Everything takes energy and it's not the same if it was been created by a salaryman without any care than done with your own hands with passion. See how bookbinding is done here: http://josenaranja.blogspot.com.es/2015/07/about-bookbinding.html

3. A strong link is created with your notebook. This is the key. A mystical relation which will boost the creativity and will appear in each letter and drawing. Fountain pens note these details, you know, right?

The result can only be a beauty because it's in touch with reality.

Notebooks breathing

So many memories kept inside.
Notebooks are time machine and experiences vaults.
They are alive therefore they need to breath.

The wheel center

Big coincidence here. 

My last notebook is a mandala. Pages are connected in different ways. Some links are visible and some hidden but all of them contribute to create a new being.

The centre of the notebook is the centre of the wheel, The Wheel of Fortune. I had no idea what to draw in this singular point, too much thinking blocked me and I left this special page for the end.

The solution came in a mystical way: The universe sent me the proper information. First I drew just a circle, then I modified it into a egg shape (the egg of the creation). Suddenly it changed into a brain. Inside the brain I thought to set a big eye or a big vagina. Or a man in lotto position. 7 chakras was next natural association. Then I visited Mr. Google to check the right colors and I read "chakras" means "wheel". 

Everything goes to the same point!

Why worry too much about perfection?

An old topic. Trying to reach a level of perfection is not a good approach. Doing things fast and with a minimum of care if a disaster or, better I could say, it's random: Sometimes the result is amazing and most of the times it's not. What's the solution? There is not solution but experience helps. It will say if something works or not. To improve that superpower experiments are needed.

Perfection is not possible and not recommended. Excellence is the right way.

Here the test page, one of the last pages on every notebook I keep there to try inks and effects without any care. Now I realize it's so great and it has a touch of freedom. And it's much better than other pages.

Last tests for The Orange Manuscript: HAPPY & POSITIVE!

Good news. Last tests in a professional printing office gave amazing results. It makes me happy after so many attempts and loops looking for the best quality.

A big step in the manuscript adventure!

Teapots

Teapots are good teachers. Herman Hesse wrote a nice tale where a couch could be a teacher for eyes which are ready to learn. It shows the light, perspective and colors.

Teapots can do that too. In top of that they can talk.

Not forget to mention the power of a pencil plus empty paper. They ensure fun and a door to creativity. Accessible to everyone and everywhere. This in an important point.

Fountain pens party

My fountain pens in chronological order from left to right.

Treasure box. ALERT: Do NOT use these boxes for archival conditions

I was happy to include the last notebook together with his parents, grandparents and more. The family grows. I used to keep then inside a fireproof and waterproof box since they are treasures. I always remember the fire in Peter Beard's house and the lost of many years of notebooks. Tragedy.

However while trying to protect my notebooks I was putting them into a high risk. I know now these kind of fireproof boxes are not recommendable for humidity reasons. Indeed, I did some tests tracking the moisture inside and... surprise! The humidity increases even when it's empty and filled with room air (to discard the possibility of humidity caused by the items). It comes from the wall box, materials which contain water or something similar. Fortunately I keep a silica gel bag inside and the damage was not so bad, I hope.

It looks like keeping the notebooks safe from fire will have to wait until I discover a solution.