The Tools of Excellence

Number 13: Blackboard Paint

This paint will transform any wall into a canvas for thought. Two coats of blackboard paint-matte black, slightly textured-and suddenly you have unlimited space for ideas, lists, diagrams, quotes, and calculations.

Quality chalk on that black density feels satisfying in a way that dry-erase markers never do. The slight resistance as you write, the clean lines, it’s visceral. And unlike those whiteboard pens that dry out, squeak annoyingly, or leave ghost images, chalk is simple: it writes, or it doesn’t. When it’s done, you grab another piece.

The blackboard wall becomes your external brain. Priorities are captured, executed, and erased. Project timelines span a metre of wall space. Brainstorming sessions are filled with possibilities. Inspirational quotes stay up for weeks. Shopping lists can be started. I love a blackboard wall. Most surfaces will take the paint, and the ability to think big is liberating. I can list, mind-map, sketch, timeline or create a matrix. All my writing starts here.

Unlike small whiteboards, a painted wall gives you room to think big. Ideas spread out, connect, breathe. You can step back and see the whole picture.

Productivity made visible. Creativity given space. Immediate overview.

The other sixty-nine tools of excellence are here.