The Pen-to-Paper Prescription for Digital Detox

Practice at AllSwell Creative workshops coming up in Montauk and Southampton

Look, there are ton of reasons why you may want to write on actual paper with a pencil or pen. One of them, and a very good one at that, might be that’s it’s one of the few times you aren’t doing something digital with your day. Laura Rubin’s workshops, which you’ll find coast-to-coast and occasionally in Hawaii, are deep-dives into putting pen to paper.

The workshops are a natural activity for Rubin, founder of the journaling company AllSwell Creative. She’s been there and says she’s here to help.

“It’s unrealistic to think that we’re going to opt out of technology,” says Rubin. “Sometimes tech is game-changingly great. Try to do a roadtrip with a map lately? I did and my main takeaway was ‘Thank god for GPS.’ AllSwell is about recalibrating, about taking some time for yourself in a simple, analog and accessible way: putting pen to paper.”

AllSwell is about recalibrating, about taking some time for yourself in a simple, analog and accessible way.

There’s a write way, but also no wrong way.

How? Laura says keeping a journal is good for you: mentally, emotionally and physiologically. There are no judgments. No likes. It’s a meditative practice, one that takes you off the hamster wheel too many of us spend all day spinning. You’re not responding to anything but your own voice.

On the East End, you’ve got two chances to get out of the digital muck and get your headspace into a paper place:

Sunday, August 18 at Montauk Beach House

Thursday, August 22 at Malia Mills in Southampton

Write on.