This morning I was working my way through the first pages of the second chapter in our workbook. Reading about the importance of notebooks, and the ways in which they could aid in writing stories, I wondered about when I first started using them. As it seems it was a bare necessity, a temporary memory serving as a backup for my own brain. Back in 2003, after returning from a Moloko-concert which had left me dumbfounded, I felt the urge to write down why and how this event had 'touched' me. So in view of keeping as much of the initial feeling into the story I set about to write it down during the wee hours of the night. Eventually I had to cave in and went to bed, the story yet unfinished. It was already quite late the following day when I was able to pick up where I'd left the night before and somehow finish the story. Reading it again and again I realized that not every little bit was present anymore. I did still manage to get the overal feeling but somehow felt some bits were missing now.
Some time later I purchased my first little notebook. Nowadays I prefer those small black bound notebooks; equiped with an inside pocket to collect stuff and a nice ribbon to track back where you left of, but at the time I just bought very inexpensive little colorful books.The kind you'd see a young boy or girl running around with, not some boring adult like myself. However, noting down what I saw and or felt during a concert not only made it easy for me to recollect stuff when I reread the notes. I quickly noticed that I was able to remember more of it without even opening the notebook and finding the quote.
So at that moment I realized that whenever you note something down, in whatever way you choose, you engrave it in your memory, and it will be available to you much more easily.