May 5, 2005 Under Your Skin Do you remember what your handwriting looks like? If not, it might be time to put down the keyboard and return to the simple art of writing. Don't fret over your ugly script. No one will ever notice it if you choose your writing materials carefully. Start with a simple Moleskine (pronounced mol-a-skeen-a). Choose a sketch book. Or maybe a book of grid paper. What they lack in embellishment they make up for in quality. Tightly bound oilcloth covers, the trademark wrap-around elastic band, acid free paper inside. Maybe you haven't journaled since junior high. Maybe your little black book became a little black cell phone years ago. What use could you have for something so ... analog? The answer lies in data input vs. creative output. Skip the Moleskin phone book -- but embrace the note and sketch books. There's even a music notebook with bars and a story board notebook with frames. Get creative on the go. Don't take our word for it; check out some of the fan sites out there. Several are devoted exclusively to Moleskin hacks — simple tricks like numbering your pages with the story you're working on for writers who skip around. And when you're done hacking or writing or drawing or whatevering, wrap the elastic band around it, and no one has to know how bad your handwriting really is. Moleskine products are available from Pulp at 456 South La Brea Avenue and Flax at 1078 Gayley Ave in Westwood.