Digital Journaling with the Surface Family

Excerpt from my 1994 diary

 I have journaled consistently since my 8th birthday- I remember getting my first diary, with a shiny (and later I discovered, purely ornamental) lock on the front. As I later watched my mother casually read through all my private thoughts, I realized I needed a code system and I needed it stat. It was a good observation- and one that served me well for the years I was in boarding school where privacy was a total fallacy. 

In my later teen years I refined my journal codes and incorporated ways of speaking to myself more fluently. Seriously-I read my 1994 diary and recall exactly what I was signaling.

In 2008 I started using Evernote and it has been my staple for the past 12 years. I've blogged extensively about how I've been using it from everything from scanning/storing receipts to packing lists to forwarding emails. But I still wanted to find ways to use digital ink to make richer journal entries. This year, I made major tech changes and swapped out my HP Spectre for a Surface Book 3 and gave up my Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 for the foldable Surface Duo. With that, all my technology had pen input via the Surface Pen. My next step was to figure out how to make it all work together. 

Here is my list of needs/wants for this setup:

1. Each device needed to have ink input with pen options that I loved (calligraphy style if possible). 

2. Have the option to add images to the notes. 

3. Have the option to incorporate templates for wellness journaling and habit tracking. 

4. Dark background

5. Has to sync/transfer to Evernote.

With that in mind, I pored over numerous apps and landed on 2 workflows that I am glad to share:

Android (Surface Duo)- Noteshelf (Free)

Noteshelf required me to think differently. I built a monthly journal and then have each one configured to sync automatically with Evernote. As you make updates in Noteshelf, the changes are magically shared into Evernote. The resulting document is a HTML file that lets you easily view the images and writing as entered. 

I have a few notebooks that I sync into Evernote- Meeting Notes, Jotter (free thinking), October Journal (create a new one for each month) and Goals Log. You can add images, clipart and have tons of pen options.

These notebooks represent the areas that I use my Surface Duo to create handwritten notes. 

Each of these notebooks have multiple pages and sync to Evernote as a single multi-paged note. 

Microsoft Windows (Surface Book 3)- Inkodo (Free, paid extras)

It took me a longer time to find a windows journaling app that sparked joy. The default Evernote app has an Ink option but it isn't fantastic. I stumbled on Inkodo quite by accident and wasn't sure what to expect. What I ended up getting is a rich app that lets images, stickers and maps be incorporated into the note. This app does not directly sync with Evernote so I had to figure out a workaround....

I created a folder to be monitored by Evernote (using the Import Folder) option. Once my page is done, I save it as a jpg into the designated folder and it automatically imports the note into Evernote within seconds. 

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, these might be some options that work for you!