An interesting discovery I found today: the smoothness of my pen actually affected my creativity when I was writing an essay for school. I don't know if this is based on any scientific facts, but I could definitely write more and make more sense when using a black pen which is very smooth (although a little too dark).<p>Does anyone have the same experience as I do?
Yes! The smoother a pen writes, the less your brain has to be engaged with the physical action of writing (constantly modifying the motion of your hand to accommodate changing friction depending on the part of the paper, direction of the stroke, etc.).<p>This is one of the many reasons I only write with fountain pens. They write smoother than other pens (rollerballs, ballpoints, gel, etc.), require less pressure, and are less expensive in the long term due to the low cost of bottled ink and the longevity of even mid-range pens.
I'm absurd, but I am constantly on the hunt for pens with a good flow that don't smudge the second you accidentally rub your hand against what you just wrote. I love the uni-ball pens, but unfortunately my handwriting is completely illegible with these :/
It's a mental thing - I feel like my hand is an extension of my mind and I can't tell you how many times I write code on paper before typing it up. It just helps me organize.
I always found this to be true as well and I actually got really into zebra pens because I like the way they feel and I found that I tend to write more when I have a good pen. I also find that I'm more creative when I type on a good keyboard... which plays in to the theory that working against a crappy pen is distracting.