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Posted By: Lisa LowCarb Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/05/09 06:32 AM
I have eight colors of ink by my bed now, which you guys in the forum encouraged me to do. I really like it!

However despite my best efforts I just cannot bring myself to write with red. It seems angry, hostile, and it makes me think of blood. I've tried to write with it, and I always put it down.

Have you guys tried writing with red?
Originally Posted By: Lisa Low Carb Ed
I have eight colors of ink by my bed now, which you guys in the forum encouraged me to do. I really like it!

However despite my best efforts I just cannot bring myself to write with red. It seems angry, hostile, and it makes me think of blood. I've tried to write with it, and I always put it down.

Have you guys tried writing with red?


When I am ANGRY and planning to burn the letter/journal post. :-)
The red pen, evocative of grammar school---where the wrong answers bore an angry red mark when the papers were handed back---is a tool that is still used by editors to massage manuscripts. Red is used in publishing to arouse interest and excitement for the product. Red ink is used in bookkeeping to denote a negative balance. Red lights mean stop. Red signs mean danger.

Red is simply a color. It's a beautiful color. How about using it to write about love?
Posted By: sara1955 Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/05/09 10:15 PM
I love red! Yes, it was the color my papers were corrected with in school, however, it is the color I love to use to IMPROVE my previously written stuff ... improve, not correct .... improve, yep. smile
Yes, that's the spirit. What about the Red Hat Society? Redheads? Red sky at night, sailor's delight? Yes, it is much more in the spirit of the thing to use the red marks on our compositions to improve our work rather than to see red and get blue about a red mark on our permanent record.
Posted By: sara1955 Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/06/09 04:23 AM
This is what comes from having a super positive mom and being a cancer survivor! Take whatever you have and make it good! grin
Posted By: Lisa LowCarb Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/09/09 11:52 PM
I was really trying the "positive thinking" method, saying it was the color of love and romance, but then when I started writing with it it just seemed angry and upset. It would upset me to write with it!

Maybe I have to save that pen for when I'm already upset smile
Posted By: leahmullen Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/11/09 09:51 PM
Right now I'm using these markers my daughter bought home and never used. The color I'm using this week is orange. It doesn't matter to me what the color is as long as the pen doesn't skip. I find that ball point pens don't work as well for me as markers. Fine tipped markers that don't bleed through the page.
Posted By: Lisa LowCarb Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 05/12/09 08:14 AM
I haven't tried writing with markers Leah - I should give that a try. I think I'd worry that the tip was too fat, but maybe my markers are just fat-tip ones smile

I definitely agree about ball point pens. They were the only kind I'd ever written with and I thought it was just writing that was a chore for me. Now I realize it's those pens that were a real pain for me to use and I can write SO much better with gel pens. I should have discovered these things YEARS ago. You guys were the ones who inspired me to look!
I still can't write in red - I agree that it may be a hold over from school days. Most any other color will do, but must fairly dark - no light blue, green, yellow.

This discussion thread prompts me to go buy new pens!

Posted By: IH8FMS Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 07/10/09 04:56 AM
I am loving this topic and I'll tell ya why. Every one seems to have a different opinion... and they are ALL the right one! I think that's super! I never wanted to use red for my regular entries, but I did use it for emphasis or decoration, and I find that I am the same way in my computer journaling. Oh, and one caveat about using ballpoint ink. It is oil-based, and over time some ballpoint inks will disintegrate, making them hard to read on the paper becaue the oil will sink through, kind of like a grease spot on paper. Some of my ancient journals (30 years +) are nearly illegible. DON'T use a ballpoint!
Posted By: Lisa LowCarb Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 07/10/09 05:45 AM
I just looked up gel ink because I've been curious about it. In fact it appears gel ink is much stronger than other inks on the market, and longer lasting! From one sales page:

"Retractable gel ink pen with specially formulated water-resistant ink that helps prevent �check washing�. Check washing is a common form of check fraud where criminals steal checks from the mail and erase the ink on checks using common household cleaning solutions. Criminals can then re-write the check to themselves for any amount. The refillable pen includes a latex free grip for added writing comfort."
Posted By: Lisa LowCarb Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 07/10/09 05:48 AM
Also if you look at Wikipedia on gel pens, they say that gel inks can't be analyzed by the Secret Service because the pigments don't dissolve. So that's bad for them but it seems really good for us!
Posted By: IH8FMS Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 07/10/09 09:45 PM
Another warning about ballpoint ink... NEVER write on the back of a photograph with a ballpoint! None of your "Me and Whatsisname, the Hamptons, 1983" in ballpoint ink. It WILL ruin your picture, for the reason(s) I stated above. Which is too bad because I really do love the feel of a good ballpoint pen, the smoothness of it.
Posted By: Nancy Roussy Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 10/23/15 06:25 PM
I have never looked at that color being negative in any way.
Posted By: Mona - Astronomy Re: Writing a Journal in Red Ink - 10/24/15 04:10 AM
Just thinking about reading a journal in red makes my eyes water. I find red ink hard to read, though it's good for emphasis. I like using red for editing. Because of the way it stands out I don't miss changes in punctuation.
I found this post interesting because I have had the same reluctance to practice meditations involving the Goddess Kali. Her iconography scares me. Strangely enough, I was 'tricked' into a meditation to Her at Yoga Journal Live - the meditation involved her under a different name (the Hindu Blue Tara). I was amazed at how much I received from the experience. I've since read more about Kali and am endeavoring to not block this from my path any more.

So (to bring the discussion back to red ink), perhaps trying it will release some block within you. Or perhaps you might work with why you don't want to work with red (if that makes sense at all)?
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