Posts filed under Writing

Solace in Pens

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

The news of this week’s mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, TX has left me heartbroken, sad and powerless. Recent headlines of other mass shootings, politics (which I REALLY don’t like talking about), COVID infections ramping up again, the war in Ukraine; the list goes on and on. Sometimes, like right now, it is too much to bear and I feel like I have a heavy weight on my chest. All I want to do is stay in bed, play a mindless game or four on my phone for hours on end, pull the covers over my head and hide. It is during times like these that I really lean on my pens to help me find some semblance of peace, or at least, maybe calm some of the anxiety that keeps growing with every negative event that happens. Here are some of the things that I do when I feel powerless, scared and wound-up inside; maybe some of these may help you too.

Journaling

Ok, I’m starting with something that I actually don’t do, but keep wanting to. I even mentioned it last year as something I want to work on this year. Journaling is basically writing down what’s in your head and in your heart. It can be a beautiful and creative outlet; just take a look at the IG accounts of Catharine Mi-Sook, Aina Kristina Reyes or Erick Gama, for some lovely examples. It can also be a very private place for you to release what’s inside you. You can write just a few lines - there are several notebooks out there for just that purpose like Midori’s 5 Year Diary or Leuchtturm’s A5 Some Lines A Day notebook. You can also write as many pages as you like. Some folks like to share what they write with their significant others or on social media and others never let their journals be seen. The choice is yours and I know some folks do multiple types of journaling.

Copying Songs/Poems/Quotes

If journaling isn’t for you, maybe writing down the lyrics to a favorite song or the verses to a beloved poem is more your thing. Even if you know the words by heart, I find that handwriting them makes me slow down and really feel the meaning behind them. And since I can only remember a few words at a time (so I don’t mess them up), it’s hard for me to think of anything else while I’m writing them out, which is a nice break from the constant stream of thoughts pounding inside my head. It might take some time to figure out what things you want to write and it’s ok if different moods means different content choices.

Letter Writing

I am fortunate to have about 15 or so penpals and a never shrinking reply pile. When I feel the need to talk about what’s been going on, I know that any one of my pen pals would be happy to “hear” me pour my heart out, or to talk about the latest pen acquisition or plans for the summer. It’s like having a conversation with a friend who is a really good listener. No pen pals? If you’re in the Pen Addict slack, there is a Snail Mail channel where you can find penpals. And if you’re not, you can always check out the InCoWriMo website and find some penpals before next February’s International Correspondence Writing Month. If you’re not sure about writing to strangers, send a card or letter to some friends or family you haven’t talked with in a long time. No matter who they are, people love getting mail that aren’t bills or junk mail and it’s cathartic to boot.

Art/Doodling

I’m not an artist. I don’t really draw or paint or anything like that. I will occasionally pick a doodle or pattern from Instagram and see if I could tweak it and make it my own (instead of outright copying it). It is calming and meditative while pushing me outside of my comfort zone. I really like posts from Mario Patterns, for example, to give me inspiration.

Doodles — *A simple, but colorful Japanese seigaiha pattern took several hours to make but it was really relaxing and I enjoyed seeing it come together.*

*You can even make a simple Currently Inked page which is functional and pretty!*

Handwriting/Calligraphy Practice

I have been slowly writing out Marcus Arelius’ book, Meditations, but rather than doing it in cursive or print, I decided to do it in typewriter font. Why? Good question, lol. I had wanted to read this book for a long time and I randomly decided to use that font for the first two pages and then thought, what the heck, why not? 120+ pages in and it is still one of my favorite ways to unwind and relax. This is another one of those times where I can only remember a few words at a time because it takes so much concentration and time to write in this style, but my mind can’t think about anything else during that time. Sometimes I only want to write a few lines and other times, I can finish a whole page (it takes me about 45 minutes to an hour per page) or more, but when I’m done, I feel just a little bit less anxious and I can breathe again. Because of this, I often spend time doing this at night before bed. You don’t have to go to such crazy lengths but maybe copying a book while focusing on your handwriting is more your style, or maybe practicing the strokes of calligraphy hand will work better for you. As with lyrics and poems, you want to be mindful of what you’re copying/writing as reading/writing it might have the opposite effect. After the January 6, 2021 uprising at the Capitol, I really wasn’t in the mood to work on Hamilton lyrics (which also has content about rising up, but against the British). Sometimes you may want to embrace the turmoil and heartache and other times you want to focus on sunshine and unicorns.

*I write out the lyrics to the Hamilton musical when I want to practice handwriting and politics isn’t on my mind.*

*Another book that I’m writing out is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.*

Coloring

I don’t do this nearly as much as the stack of coloring books suggest, but coloring has experienced quite the boom over the past 10+ years. You can find coloring books for pretty much any theme out there - flowers, animals, Star Wars (is anyone surprised that I have a Star Wars coloring book?), biology, yoga poses, swearing, Breaking Bad, etc. I use color pencils but you can also use markers too (I haven’t tried fountain pens or FP ink on them yet).

Swatching Inks

Aside from being a useful and helpful activity for any inkophile, swatching inks is something I enjoy because I end up with an end product that I need and use anyway and it is pretty mindless and repetitive, even with the multiple steps I take. Scribble the name of the ink, swatch on Col-O-Ring cards, rinse the back of the paintbrush, scribble on two Tomoe River books and a Cosmo Air Light notebook. Literally, rinse and repeat. If this is too mindless for you, you can put on some chill music, or watch a favorite show or movie while doing this.

Ink Swatching — *There’s something satisfying and calming about swatching inks.*

Take a break

Pens and stationery and all of that are great but sometimes it can create added stress or be too overwhelming trying to figure out what to do when you’re not in the mood to write/draw/etc. It’s ok to step away from pens or any other hobbies for a while. It doesn’t mean you no longer love pens; it just means you need to take a break and take care of yourself, which you should do in good times and bad. The pens will be there for you when you’re ready for them.

These are just some of the things I’ve had to do myself over the past couple of years, especially in the past several months, and again this week. I hope this helps those of you who need a little peace and comfort in your life. Take care of yourself, hang in there, and hug your loved ones just a little bit tighter.

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Journal, Writing.

Enough is Too Many is Just Right

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

We Pen Addicts spend a lot of time talking about finding the right notebook and paper to best use our nice pens. But there are days when I think what I'm really doing is searching for the right pens to use for my tower of notebooks. I'm just as enchanted by a nice notebook as I am by a nice pen, and I love a plain and simple notebook as much as an ornate one. It's very possible that I own too many notebooks. I'm not even sure how many there are... But it's also true that I use them. A lot of them. Constantly. Here's what I'm using right now.

This stack is just what I'm using on a weekly/daily basis right now. There's a separate stack for ones I'm using slightly less often.

The Lineup:

A hardcover Cognitive Surplus notebook with their insect pattern that I'm using to outline and research a new novel. These are gorgeous notebooks. The recycled paper is not the best for fountain pens, but they are still among my favorites. You just can't beat the cover designs.

A Barnes & Noble Italian Leather notebook that contains the draft of the novel I'm currently writing. These are my go-to novel books because they have lots of pages, durable but flexible covers, and the paper is thick and great for fountain pens.

A Field Notes Dime Novel edition that contains the outlines and research for the above novel.

A Graphilo slim notebook that contains the research, outlines, and notes for the novel that is finished, but which I am currently editing.

A huge notebook cover system that holds four slim notebooks (one Midori MD, two Kunisawa, and a Kawachiya) that I use for school. One is for general notes, two for class notes, and one for career planning/course schedules, etc. There's also a Field Notes pocket notebook in the back pocket of this notebook cover that I didn't even remember was there. It has random notes in it.

A Midori MD A5 daily planner that started off the year as my planner but has become my commonplace book where I make random lists, take meeting notes, and write down everything that needs to be written down. It follows me around everywhere I go.

My Seven Seas Writer that is my short story notebook. It has just enough pages left in it for one more story, then it will be time for a fresh story notebook. I'm extremely excited to pick out what notebook to use next.

My Hobonichi Techo that has become my day planner. I've found that I can't have my planner be my commonplace book because I need my plans to stay simple and organized, and my commonplace book must endure utter chaos. No one who looked inside the two notebooks would think that they belong to the same person.

A Doane Paper Grid + Lines spiral book. This lives on my desk as scrap paper. Everything gets scribbled here, like doctor's appointments that need to be transferred into the planner, grocery lists, reminders, lists of which fish I still need to catch in Stardew Valley. Things that get written here are either transferred into another notebook later, or thrown away.

A Traveler's Company notebook system in passport size. This is where I jot down new story ideas, the starting lines of new drafts, or outlines before they get written into the Seven Seas. It's also where I take notes when my writer's group critiques my stories. It serves the same function as my novel planning notebooks, but for stories.

It's a lot, right? Maybe too many, but maybe not. It's a system that has evolved over decades and reflects my need to keep different areas of my life organized and compartmentalized. It also allows me to try lots of different notebooks so I can pass my thoughts onto all of you. I really do put all these through the wringer. You can even see some of them are starting to fall apart. But most of all, and most importantly, using this many notebooks lets me justify buying more notebooks.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Notebooks, Writing.

How to Get the Most Out of a One-Day Writing Escape

If I could hide away from the world and write all weekend every weekend, I probably would (more often than not. Beach weekends need to happen, too). That's not how most writers' lives work, alas. We write when we can. But every now and then you get a day that's a gift--or even just half a day--where you can set your imagination free. How do you seize that day?

# How to Get the Most Out of a One-Day Writing Escape

1) Unplug. If you're reading this blog, you're probably already all about the analog life, but take that up a notch. Put a focus app on your phone and make good use of it. Or give your devices to a friend for the day. Part ways with the things that might distract you. Bonus: You can bring your favorite pens and notebooks and spend some quality time with them.

2) Take care of your body. Dress comfortably so you can settle in. Have water and a snack nearby. Don't give yourself reasons to get up once you've hunkered down to write. If you know you'll get restless, take a long walk before you sit down. It will get your endorphins going, work out your fidgets, and you'll be grateful to sit down and focus.

3) Pick a good setting. I like to be close to nature when I write and I like to be able to rest my eyes on a nice view when I'm between thoughts. You might prefer a city skyline, or a bustling cafe. Organized writers' retreats are a wonderful place to escape for the purpose of writing. But be careful to ...

4) Set social boundaries. When you are around other writers, it's natural to want to talk about writing. And that's good! Take a break from the isolation of the write life. But make sure you have work time set aside and stick to it.

5) Underpack. It's tempting to want to bring lots of projects, or all of them--everything you want to work on. But if you only have one day, just bring one project. Only one. Set an achievable goal for yourself. Focus on that one goal. You'll be more likely to hit the finish line if your efforts aren't divided between your goals.

Having a day to write is such a rare, precious thing. So savor it and make the most of the time. I was lucky enough to get such a day this week. It was wonderful, even though I did break a few of my own rules. I socialized a bit more than I'd intended, but we've all been a little too isolated this past year, so I forgive myself. And I brought two projects: The haunted house story I need to write on a deadline, and this blog post. I'll let you figure out which one I actually got done.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!