They Didn’t Invent Paper For This Reason, But Here I Am Now
a poem and a writing challenge
While pomodoros keep me focussed, tracking “done” items, using my “ta-da” list has helped me document these little moments of success while recognizing what takes up the most time and energy while producing little in the direction of my goals.
Across the top of this minimalist journal are the months in row 1, days in row 2 listed in ascending order from left to right.
A simple circle, colour coded for day indicates the day that each entry corresponds to.
In pink pen, blue pen, orange pens too, I switch between a light and dark colour to signify the different days rolling forward, allowing me to see, stepping back, blurry vision a birds-eye-view of the things accomplished in each day.
Within each entry I provide a brief description, And on the right, I provide two brief tags: first, the category rest, lab, chores, work, side hustle; then, a symbol… +: recharged me ø: remained neutral -: drained me.
An important thing to note is that even things that I truly love and truly align with my internal mission can still drain me (-)
and sometimes the most mundane of paperwork can rejuvenate me (+)
and intentionally re-arranging so that my energy is managed rather than time given these patterns has been the most powerful use of such a tool.
I think sometimes of how my ancestors invented paper in favour of documenting history, and how in the tiniest of ways I am doing the same as a way of managing the chaos within which I exist.
#WritingPrompt: How has the invention of paper affected you?
Inviting Earl Grey Sea | Maryjo Bautista | Obinna Uruakpa | Synthia Stark | Kim McKinney | Em Unravelling | Assumpta Nalubowa| Azadehruh Alam | Francine Fallara| Bhavna Narula | if you’re up to it and anyone else interested to smash that writer’s block, join in on this tiny challenge and write a response, wherever it takes you! It can be a tiny poem, a shortform piece or an essay — whatever comes into that brain noodle!
Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), and across Cantonese class and Hong Kong dramas, the “four big inventions” from China (Papermaking, printing, gunpowder, compass) roll off the tongue as something to remember simply because of the sheer number of times it’s been repeated to me. I think about how my ancestors meticulously documented everything in history, and I think about how much of this history is then destroyed and rewritten by the victors of that era. I think about how the history I may know may not be the history being written and retold in the near future, and I worry. I think about how this journaling habit of mine feels far too detailed and meticulous for the average person but that I sometimes justify it as “well, it runs in my blood”. I am careful about these words. Words hold weight in the way it helps us heal. Words also weight in how they create waves to wash away what used to be. For some, it will be for the better. For some, it will erase a legacy.
^ by Sharing Randomly
