Podcasting, inkflow pens and sophisticated stationery
A return to podcasting, duck races and more
Hey fellow Stationery Freaks - we hope you are doing very well indeed.
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In this edition:
Back to the podcasting
Helen muses about Rollerball ink pens and learning Arabic
Rob steals Helen’s stationery
Rob buys stationery to make him look more sophisticated - it didn’t work
Quantified Health - an analogue success story
Returning to writing bereaus
Stationery Freaks Finds and Purchases - stuff we like and stuff we’re buying
Back to podcasting
We’re pleased to announce we’ve got a new podcast out for you! The topic this time is mindmapping; how a duck racing competition inspired Rob to start using them, what they are, how we use them, why Rob chooses analogue over digital and the notebook Rob uses. Find the podcast here!
We tend to record a couple at a time and we also have another one out in a couple of weeks about The Trinity of Career Development!
Brush pens and learning Arabic
Helen is learning Arabic. So, this clearly required the purchase of a new notebook and a good use of her existing brush pens. Which she did. And she’s now obsessed with using these brush pens in this pursuit of learning. Spot on. How cool is to have a hobby, objective or release of potential that lives and breathes in a special notebook?
Let us know. Do you have special notebooks for certain tasks, topics or ideas?
Stealing Helen’s stationery
I (Rob), stole some of Helen’s stationery this week. Well, steal is a strong word. I was looking after three boxes of stationery / workshop material from when we worked together. These boxes were super helpful. When we ran a workshop (which we ran many) - we would grab these boxes and be armed with game cards, pens, index cards, dice and more.
The thing is, when we finished working in that company, I took the boxes home to look after for Helen - they were Helen’s after all. That was 3 years ago. So, I believe they now belong to me. And Helen was cool with that.
Here’s a little IG reel of me stealing the contents.
Sophisticated Planner
I (Rob) have moved from system to system, notebook to notebook looking for the perfect way to organise my disparate projects and chaotic mind. It’s been infuriating to not settle on any one thing.
But I think I’ve found the system. Well, let’s see how long this one lasts. And the side-effect of this is that the planner I am using makes me look more sophisticated - or so someone said. I’m not sure.
It’s an academic planner - and a cheapy one at that from Amazon. It was around £8 and it’s cracking. Really nice cover and feel to it. The paper is good. No bleed…yet. But it’s the layout that wins for me.
Yearly view - I’ve started crossing off each day on the yearly view to remind me how fast time is flying….and how long I have left in this year.
Monthly View - I use this to plan the month - editorial, events, meetings, activities - I still use an electronic calendar with my wife and family but this allows a very visual look of the month. I am using pencil mostly so I can edit anything that shifts.
Weekly View - Nice week view where I can include more detail, add tasks down the special task sidebar - and I’m also using this to journal. It’s interesting as a journal because there is a natural constraint to how much I can include in each daily box. It would have been nice to have had bigger real-estate for the weekends though. It does mean I don’t have a lot of room for including prints from my new Vretti printer (aff) and it won’t replace my Mark and Fold everyday notebook that I am using for longer journaling. But it’s nice to document the day leaving my “thoughts” for the Mark and Fold.
Overall, nice. And someone said it made me look more sophisticated - I’ll take that. Academic Planner on Amazon (affiliate link).
Quantified Self - Analogue Style
For years Helen kept a log of her exercises, gains and the way she felt during those exercises. That was until the pandemic and a frozen shoulder also! Now, she’s back in the gym. She’s now using her quantified self workout log to show the Personal Trainer what she was capable of. “Get me back to that” was her comment in our podcast!
Of course, digital tools can do this also - and often with reduced friction, but the reward from writing it all down, comes from being with your thoughts, putting pen the paper and logging your progress by hand. Go Helen.
Writing Bereaus
I (Rob) am looking to create an analogue corner in my studio. At the moment there’s just a desk there, a book stand and some pens. I feel I need something more practical to store the 2 million notebooks I have but also something more cosy and condusive to creativity, learning and journaling. Hence, I am looking around at old-school writing bureaus.
It got me intrigued as to when bereaus were invented, why and the history of them. So, I got lost in many many web pages. Here are some of the best.
An entire site dedicated to antique desks - good read on the history of them
Burrells antiques on the history of them - some amazing desks on here.
Stationery Freaks Finds and Purchases
Key :
(af) means the link is an affiliate link.
(window shopping) means we haven’t actually used the product - we’re just obsessing over it.
(bought) means we have bought it!
Helen’s obsessed with Spooky Yeti’s stickers - we mention Spooky Yeti on the next podcast coming out early Nov. (bought)
Love the stationery on Archer and Olive. They have a brilliant mission to help and support mental health through creativity. These B5 dot grids look amazing. (window shopping) Archer and Olive on IG.
5 reasons you need a meal planner in your life - and their stationery products look great too! Motive Stationery on IG.
Blown away with the Doodle House and this amazing video of them doodling up their entire house. Rumour has it that it took them 2 years to finish the house and this video. That is analogue dedication.
Oldish post but solid show of the potential stationery can bring - a look into the sketchbooks of artists. Anyone else obsessed with seeing inside other people’s notebooks?
Aaron Draplin, from Draplin Design and part of the force behind fieldnotes, is always good value in IG. But he also designs products - and these winter mittens look epic (window shopping). Definately consider giving him a follow on IG for a mixed bag of digital, analogue and product releases. His book Pretty Much Everything is most excellent also with plenty of it dedicated to the Field Notes brand.
Until next time
Rob & Helen
Unleash your potential.
Thanks for taking the time to read this edition. We hope you find it useful and helpful.
Rob & Helen @ Stationery Freaks