Travel can really help change your perspective so it a good idea to bring a pen and write down some things. It can give you the clarity you need to solve a problem that may be plaguing you. If you are a creative type it’s a great time to come up with ideas. A change in environment can be a real shot in the arm to the creative process. At the very least you can just write a few lines every day for you to reflect on at a later date. It certainly beats making a slide show of your vacation.

So when you’re packing your hiking boots and your swimsuit, make sure to also take a sailor pen and some paper. Vacation may be just the inspiration you need.

If you know someone who is graduating high school, getting them a quality pen for college is a good idea. They will need something to take notes with, after all. Although they will be doing most of their work on the computer having a fine pen will serve them handy when peer editing, test taking, and in other areas.

College graduates also appreciate pens. A quality pen will defiantly come in handy during their first job. Or if they plan to strike it out on their own as a writer then you can give them the pen to do it with.

There are a lot of pen varieties to choose from. Astronaut pens write in any condition and are ideal for people on the go. A traditional fountain pen is ideal for someone doing a lot of name signing. Finding the right pen for the grad in your life in should not be hard.

That is why I am a big fan of Fisher pens, specifically their astronaut pens. Astronaut pens have pressurized ink (they originally developed for writing on space missions as the name implies) so they can write upside down, at odd angles, in intense temperature or extreme humidity. That means if you are lying in bed, on the go, or in a less than ideal situation you can still jot down an idea. You will never have to fumble attempting to render a ballpoint pen functional again. A few seconds may not seem like much but when inspiration strikes it can be the difference between recording a million dollar idea and having it evaporate into the ether forever.

Astronaut style Fisher pens are ideal for those who work onsite and may not always be at a desk.

I’m sure you can remember someone who had a positive impact on your education and now it’s time that you become that person to someone else. Giving a Sailor pen validates a young writer. You can also give them the pen and encourage them to use it to enter writing competition. Even if they don’t win, these competitions are a great experience and fun way to meet other academically minded youth. There are youth writing competitions for all forms of prose and poetry so you will easily be able to find a genre and skill level of comfort for your mentee.

Even if the young person in your life hasn’t show any interest in writing they can still benefit from a pen. Journals are a great way for shy kids to organize their emotions and can often lead to more openness.

Having a few color pens when editing is always smart, whether editing an academic paper, press release or business document. Red usually means a mistake like a typo, grammatical error or spelling mistake. You can use other colors to indicate other things; blue for suggestions, green for reorganization and expansions and so forth. It makes the editing process a lot faster and allows the person re-writing to do a more comprehensive edit.

You can also use colored pens for more creative or less formal ventures. Invites, notes to loved ones, and doodles can all be done in color. It adds a personal touch and shows that you went the extra mile when sitting down to write. You can take your creativity one step further and do a little illustration. It’s a fun way to pass the time and if you like to draw you will probably enjoy it.

Tombow pens offer many colored selections and other brands like Aurora pens have colored refills for their various models.

It is scientifically proven that simply writing something down makes you remember it better, regardless of whether you reference the sheet you wrote on. Getting into the habit of writing things down also boosts your overall memory skills. Try writing things down for a few months, even if the habit doesn’t stick, your memory will be improved.

Writing things down also helps you stay organized. Making to do lists, although a bit annoying does make your more organized. It also helps you record your brilliant, flash in the pan, ideas. You never know when inspiration will strike so having an Aurora pen handy is a good idea. Since inspiration leaves as quickly as it strikes, you need to strike (or write) while the iron is hot.

The fact of the matter is, everyone uses a pen. Whether they are trying to pen their life story or just sign a check, they have to write with something. If you give someone a pen, every time they reach for it they will think of you. This can be a particular useful evocation if the recipient of the pen is a business acquaintance.  Pens make great gifts for students, too. Although a lot of school work is done by computers certain things, like writing in the margins or test taking, are still done in ink.

A pen is an accessory of sorts so make sure you choose the right match for the recipient. Will they be elegantly pulling it from their purse? Madly scribbling into the night over a work book? There is a right pen for everyone. Now you just have to find it!

There’s just something wonderfully pleasant about the feeling that a Parker rollerball has as it rolls across the blank page. It’s full of possibilities. Characters, sentences, and stories are all contained in one great pen.

You may think that pen and paper writing is a thing of the past, but you’d be absolutely wrong. Some of the best selling authors of our time still use this time honored method of writing. JK Rowling for example still writes on everything from notebooks to napkins. She even wrote some of the Harry Potter series on an airline sick bag!

It’s not uncommon. Many authors say that with technology getting more and more advanced that writing often gets rushed and hurried onto the page. You write too much too fast and things like plot get jumbled. By writing with a pen, you get a little time to breathe and think.

The loss of cursive is a bad thing. Learning cursive improves hand-eye coordination and general writing ability. Much like Asian cultures have calligraphy, script writing was the Anglican version of text as both art and information. Love notes just aren’t as romantic written in block lettering. Sonnets are not as sweet unless they are written in the elegant loops and swoops of cursive.

Since script has fallen out of favor in the classroom it’s up to parents to teach it to their kids. Make sure to use a high quality pen like a Parker rollerball or Watermen rollerball. A good pen makes the smooth motions of cursive easier. You can have your child practice by writing out the script alphabet. Once they have the basics down encourage them to write friends, family, local government, and other in cursive.

Whether for a recent graduate, close friend or co-workers Watermen pens make great gifts. It could be that extra encouragement someone needs to finally start writing that book they have been talking about. If they are going on a long trip it could the instrument they use to stay in contact with you. It is a lot more personal then email and phone. If they write by mail they can also include pictures and souvenirs of their trip. A quality Watermen pen is of particular importance if you are giving it to someone who is about to travel because you know it will not break down like a laptop or lesser quality pen.

A pen is also great for someone who is entering school again. Granted they will probably be using a computer to complete most of their assignments they will still need to take notes and keep a date book. They will also be taking the time to write to you. Every time they scribble anything down with their new pen they will be thinking of you. This is important of you want to make sure your kids keep in touch through their college years.