The Analog Anchor: Why I Still Use Pen and Paper
I went paperless! For years, my life was purely digital.
If it wasn’t on a screen, it didn’t exist. My notes were in the cloud. My tasks were in an app. My communication was in a browser. I had optimized the friction out of my life.
But I had also optimized the creativity out of it.
Then, in 2025, I started a new hobby: Dungeons & Dragons.
It sounds ridiculous to say that a fantasy game changed my business workflow, but it did. D&D requires you to sit at a table with physical dice, a physical character sheet, and a pencil.
There is no “Control-Z.”
There is no “Backspace.”
When you write something down, it is there.
The Spark
Something happened when I started writing with a physical pen again. The pace of my thinking changed.
On a keyboard, I type as fast as I think. This is great for speed, but bad for depth. I can type a bad idea before I have realized it is bad.
With a pen, I am slower. The friction of the paper forces me to process the thought before I commit it to the page.
That tactile friction sparked something. It re-wired the creative circuit that had gone dormant.
The initial concept for VengaDragon, this entire magazine architecture, wasn’t prompted into an AI. It wasn’t typed into a Google Doc.
It was scribbled in the margins of a character sheet during a campaign.
The Forge is Physical
This column is called The Forge. Usually, we will talk about high-tech hardware and software.
But the most important tool in my forge right now is a €1 notebook and a cheap ballpoint pen.
I use the AI to execute. I use the computer to publish. But I use the paper to think.
If you are feeling stuck, close the laptop. Pick up a pen.
Roll the dice.
Venga!
The Ask
Status Update: As of this morning (Nov 29), we are at 13 subscribers. (Yes, thirteen. We could all fit in a minivan).
The Mission: I have a wildly ambitious goal to hit 500 by January 1st.
I am building this in public, starting from zero. No ads, no tricks. Just this lab report.
The Ask: I don’t want your money today. I want your network. If you believe this project has legs, please forward this to just one person who would vibe with it.
If we double the minivan today, we fill a bus tomorrow.