Gift Ideas: More than Just a Notebook

Yes, I know that, technically, a Moleskine is just a notebook.

To some, its plain-jane cover makes it appear nothing special. The cost seems prohibitive when you can get one at Staples or Target for a buck or two.

But the plain-covered Moleskines are the ultimate in don't judge a book by its cover.

First, the cover boards themselves are solid enough to write against. It's a built-in desk. Second, the notebook itself has some heft; the pages are substantial and the paper is smooth-smooth-smooth. Third, the cover has a tactile smoothness to it that stands up over time.

Once you start, that stark, blank cover belies the creativity unleashed within.

Crack open one of these beauties, and the absence of thought and color eventually gives way . . . to stories spilled out at breakneck pace, artwork scribbled on the fly, layered collages, movies to see, novels to write, pastel'd still lives, dreams for the future, frenzied business plans, grocery lists, quotes, cartoons, the musings of writers for whom this may be their only creative outlet in a day full of corporate rigmarole.

For friends who are stymied regarding how to set their creativity in motion, a fresh notebook can make the greatest gift.

A notebook can be their palette.

Their muse.

Their permission.