(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!)
2019 was a busy year for me, and some of my stationery hobbies fell through the cracks. Or tumbled into gaping sinkholes, in some cases. There just wasn't much time to indulge in hobbies. A lot of that business was the good kind, so I can't complain. But my pens can. They feel neglected. 2020 looks to be a far more mellow year, and I'm looking forward to the simple pleasures of calm days. That will mean more time spent with my stationery. To that effect, I've made some resolutions for the new year.
-- I swear I will use that planner. No, really, I mean it this time. I used to journal every day, sometimes quite extensively. I loved it and it brought some mindful peace to my day. Or a purging of vitriol, whatever the day required. Now I'm lucky if I remember to completely fill out the single square of a monthly calendar. I have the Midori weekly planner for 2020, and I want to make good use of it for keeping track of my tasks. And I have a Midori 5-year journal I'd like to use. Even if I sit down just once a week to fill it out reflectively, I know it'll be good for my soul.
-- Yes, pen pals, I promise I'm still alive. Somewhere in this messy office is a stack of the most recent letters I received from my dedicated, tenacious bunch of pen pals. Even they had to give up on me, though. I need to write to them again and make the time to do that more often. I might need to check on their current addresses, though...
-- Clean my office. I don't have a closet of doom. The doom just goes...anywhere. Right now it's teetering a bit and threatening a doomvalanche. Which means it's time to...
-- Offload some of the collection. I'm a pen user, not a collector. I have pens I haven't used in years, so they should probably go to other homes. And make room for whatever new pens I need to try. This offloading needs to include inks, too. I have enough to drown in.
-- Use the pens I love more. This past year I spent all my time publishing and promoting my books, but in 2020, it's going to be all about writing the new books. I have one new novel I'm editing, two novels in draft form, one in planning, and a new series brewing in a proto-idea state. It's time to ink some pens and get these out on paper!
-- And then clean the pens, you monster. I used to be so strict about this. In 2019? I think I only had three pen-cleaning days. Let's not do the math on that one, okay? I'll do better next year. In fact...
-- #WednesdayPensday. Every Wednesday, I'm going to clean and rotate my pen selection, and I'm going to post it on Instagram with that hashtag for accountability. Feel free to join me! Or even poke me, if you see I've skipped one.
Maybe it's silly to have resolutions that center around doing less so that you can do more, but this year of business took a huge toll on my health, and I can't help but think that the quiet meditation of ink and pen and paper has some healing power to it. So that is my ultimate goal for 2020. Well, that and not being buried alive in a stationery doomvalanche. Both are important for one's health.
PS: Please note that none of these resolutions say anything about limiting paper supply. I must leave myself one vice, or I'm doomed to fail.
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!
