Oh, the humble pencil. As time has gone on you've been replaced by the keyboard and then the touchscreen on our phones. When we first started elementary school we had to use the fat version of you on those lined sheets. Then we graduated to regular sized pencils, but they made us use you to write in cursive. The teachers always said, "when you get to middle school you only write in cursive". Yeah right. That was one of the biggest lies I heard in school. Middle school teachers didn't give a flip as long as they could read what you wrote. But, I digress. We would break you on purpose to have an excuse to get up and go to the pencil sharpener so we didn't have to sit anymore. We had to use you on those scanton sheets, but only if you were a #2. Like anyone ever had a pencil other than #2. I don't think I've ever even seen a #1 or #3.
Then when we got to high school and we thought we were too cool for you. How could you be as permanent as the pen? How could I write on those stupid paper book covers and not have you come off. A girl couldn't write her number on your hand in pencil like the pen could. Full disclosure here, I never had an experience where a girl wrote her number on my hand anyway. I think that's just movie stuff. Don't feel sorry for me though I got the girl in the end. But, college brought you right back and now I use you every day.
As a graphic designer the only way I enjoy sketching is with a pencil. I like that you aren't permanent and I can constantly erase and make changes. And to be honest my handwriting sucks when I use a pen so the next logical choice is the humble pencil anyway. You've been upgraded though, to the mechanical version, 0.7mm lead all the way. So, grab your favorite pencil and doodle a little bit. According to the Huffpost it helps you concentrate. Check out the article by Anna Almendrala here.
P.S. sorry to all the lefties out there who get pencil lead all over their hands when they write. Life is hard enough I hear being left-handed even without the pencil lead on your hand.
See the instagram post here