About Zenpen
Zenpen is an ever-growing archive of human wisdom, gathered with care to help earthlings slow down, remember, and return to Truth.
In a digital landscape where algorithms speak louder than humans, Zenpen stands as a lighthouse of inspiration, unwavering against the tide of pixelated artificiality. It is that quiet corner of the web where, after the tumult of your day, you may retreat, take a breath, and saunter through quotes that uplift, inspire, and transform.
Unlike other websites of this kind, where the source of quotes are long lost, and authors’ references fade into oblivion, Zenpen aims to point out the exact source. Whether it’s the precise page number of a book being quoted or the actual timestamp of a movie, documentary, or lecture, this helps maintain the credibility of the quote and appropriately attribute the author while at the same time making it easier for you to explore the original and complete source.
In this age of forgetfulness, Zenpen’s mission is to unearth valuable quotes of wisdom and knowledge and honour those who have contributed something genuine through written or spoken words.
God knows, perhaps, in the end, it will be the only human-curated site in a world overtaken by AI’s relentless hum.
Zenpen is kept delightfully simple, eschewing unnecessary flourishes of the visual and moving kind and focusing instead on the near-forgotten craft of typography to give you a pleasant and calm reading experience.
On the technical front, the website is built and maintained on Webflow, the website analytics tracked by Pirsch, and the newsletters sent out by Kit.
On the creative front, the fonts used are Aesthet Nova for headings, and Iowan Old Style for everything else. The watercolor illustrations adorning the website are taken from various free resources on the internet, and some generated with the help of AI.
Behind Zenpen is a solitary curator—Zlatko—who has been shaping pixels since 2008. Driven by a passion for design and a reverence for words, Zlatko embarked on a journey to create a space where meaningful quotes could be shared and celebrated.
Zenpen is more than a hobby project; it‘s a legacy. A testament to the belief that in a world racing towards automation, there's still room for human touch, for intentionality, and for the quiet power of reflection.
While Zenpen is a labor of love, sustaining its growth requires a healthy dose of profit. That’s why Zenpen partnered with reputable affiliates, turning most source links to books and the like into affiliate links.
When you make a purchase through them, a tiny portion of the royalties comes back to Zlatko.If this financial setup helps reach the next level, Zlatko has further ideas for featuring authors who wish to enhance their visibility through Zenpen. But let’s save those for when the time comes. If you are already finding Zenpen valuable, you may consider donating.
Each day, subscribers on the Zenpen‘s newsletter receive an email featuring just one quote per day, to be reflected upon. Occasionally, there might be a quiet recommendation or a thoughtful sponsor, but the heart of each newsletter issue remains the same—a daily drip of one quote at a time.
