If you’ve spent much time hanging out around with creative people you’ll notice they frequently have notebooks or sketchbooks lying around. One of my favorite things about visiting studios or other artists, or hanging out around writer types of any type is the way they are quick to whip out a notebook and jot down an idea. Carrying around books or having them beside your bed to catch middle-of-the-night dream inspirations is crucial to making sure you are saving your best ideas so you can shape them and build them and release them upon the world like a swarm of (friendly) bees.

Below is a collection of spiral notebooks and hardcover journals that are for all of the creative people you know (yourself included) that use these humble tools to bring thoughts to life. Everybody from comic book artists to passionate prose writers to perfectionistic graphic designers use notebooks, and this post honors each and every one of them.

1.

Get into the write stuff with this assortment of tools of the trade.

2.

Enjoy a dose of full-frontal motivation with this inspiring notebook.

3.

You won’t look as drawn out as Patricia, you’ll be ready to sketch with this journal.

4.

Bring realist painting to your space with this spot on book.

5.

Never go without your artistic weapon of choice. Corkscrew not included.

6.

Locate your inner Zen artist in a deconstructed landscape.

7.

Paint (and sketch) the town red with this effortless streetscape.

8.

You’ll be safe from all enemies foreign and domestic (meaning people who hate your work and your own self-loathing) once you build up an artist’s armor.

9.

All work and no play makes “Underwood” by Zoe Sadokierski a dull notebook. All work and no play makes “Underwood” by Zoe Sadokierski a dull notebook. All work and no play makes “Underwood” by Zoe Sadokierski a dull notebook. All work and no play makes “Underwood” by Zoe Sadokierski a dull notebook.

10.

Cozy up under one of these with these relaxing and squiggly pencil “trees.”

11.

Always remember to listen to Redbubble resident Steve Leadbeater.

12.

Make a neat, orderly list of all of the rules you’re going to break, you rebel.

For more on sketching, doodling, and notebooks check out this post on How Sketching Helps Grow Your Creative Mind.