In the past, links have coalesced into a sort of hive mind of the pen community. Sometimes this hive behavior is due to the release of a new product but, sometimes it seems more random. This week, the feed seemed filled with a collection of posts single-handedly targeted for my particular needs right now.
If you have heard the news this week, employment at my day job is on shaky ground. I won’t know how it will all shake out until mid-February. So posts like 50 Creative Companies to Work For in 2020 down in Other Interesting Things is definitely getting bookmarked… just in case.
But to bolster my spirits, and yours, in the bleakness of winter, the blog reader gods also gave us some gems. The Art & Creativity section is chock full of inspiration so if one of your goals for 2020 is to draw, paint or make more, than maybe this will inspire you.
In Pens, Susan over at The Pen Addict evaluated her pen collection which is something I’ve been considering for some time. Have you ever done this? I think I would be shocked and appalled if I ever did the Marie Kondo “dump all my pens on the bed” method like she recommends with clothes.
In Pencils, Jet Pens Blog pulled together their recommendations for best pencils which is timely since my internal pendulum has swung back to pencils recently.
There was also a secret peek into what I love when I’m not obsessing over pens… Bernadette Banner! Bernadette is an Edwardian-inspired fashion costumer and everyday wearer of antique style clothes. And she’s not alone! As a result of watching her YouTube channel I’ve found a bunch of other people making period clothing on Instagram. She was featured on Hyperallergenic this week but I am a follower of hers on YouTube.
Finally, I love the browser extension that helps to choose the library over Amazon. My house is chock full of books and, should I find myself considerably more cash poor, checking books our from the library, either virtually or manually, is a much better alternative.
While I wish kismet was all happiness, these grains of advice, direction and inspiration feel like something, however small, to take us all on the journey that will be 2020.
Pens:
- Penventory 2020: Reassessing My Pen Collection (via The Pen Addict)
- A comparison of old and new Esterbrook fountain pens (via Write eXperience)
- Comparative Overview: Montblanc Meisterstück 146 & 149 (via Scrively)
- Esterbrook Nib Numbers and Writing Samples (via Fountain Pen Love)
Ink:
- Toucan Scarlet Ink Review (via Gourmet Pens)
- troublemaker inks petrichor (via Ink Sharks)
- Robert Oster Mudpack Set (via Mountain of Ink)
Pencils:
- Pencil Review: Staedtler Noris (HB) (via Polar Pencil Pusher)
- The 18 Best Pencils for 2020 (via JetPens)
Notebooks & Paper:
- Empty Bottle and a One Day Deal (via Field Notes Blog)
- Note cards the size of a credit card – usem note cards (via The Cramped)
- Pocket Size Notebooks and Planners from Nanami Paper (via Notebook Stories)
- Tomoe River Notebooks to Try in 2020 (via Rediscover Analog)
- Notebook Hack (Attempt): Moleskine + Stillman & Birn (via Notebook Stories)
- Moleskine Spring-Summer 2020 Catalog (via Writing at Large)
- The Endless Recorder Notebook Review (via The Poor Penman)
- Colorful & Meticulous Hand-Drawn Travel Notebooks (via Kottke.org)
Art & Creativity:
- ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, 4th Edition’ by Betty Edwards (via Tools and Toys)
- Physical Therapy for Your Art Practice (via RozWoundUp)
- How to Add Color to Your “Day in the Life” Sketchbook Layout (via The Postman’s Knock)
- Dry-on-Wet with Watercolor Pencils (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
- Are Fountain Pens Necessary for Watercolour Sketching? (via Parka Blogs)
- Book Review: Qu Draws A Year (via Parka Blogs)
- Learn About the Embroidery of Sarah K. Benning With This Exquisite Book (via My Modern Met)
- Sketching Buildings: A 20 minute sketching session (via Liz Steel)
- I Test the Ultra-fine Tipped Pentel Artists Brush Sign Pen (via RozWoundUp)
- What’s your creative resolution? A round-up of entries to our Insta brief (via It’s Nice That)
Other Interesting Things:
- The Ten Most Influential Stationery Products of the Past Decade (via The Gentleman Stationer)
- A brief appreciation of John Baldessari (via Austin Kleon)
- January 2020 digital wallpapers for all your moods (via Think.Make.Share.)
- Tokyo 2020 official art posters by Chris Ofili, Viviane Sassen and Naoki Urasawa unveiled (via It’s Nice That)
- A New Browser Extension Encourages You to Choose Your Local Library Over Amazon (via Hyperallergenic)
- The Dots lists top 50 creative companies to work for in 2020 (via It’s Nice That)
- Learning Mindfulness From the Art of Victorian Dressmaking (via Hyperallergenic)
- NASA: How We’re Going (Back) to the Moon (via Kottke.org)
- Persephone Books publishes forgotten female writers (via Flow Magazine)
Sorry to hear your day job is on shaky ground. Fingers crossed it all works out for you. Thanks for all the great links on inspiration for 2020 ! I know when I do something creative I just feel better.
Hi Ana, I saw that Hallmark was cutting 400 jobs in the KC Star. I immediately thought of you.
I know you’ve been through this before. It cannot be easy. I hope that you will be among the 3000 and not the 400. But gosh, it is awful to see that amount of jobs cut.
I hope you can come to pen club this evening.
Sorry I missed pen club last night! I hope everyone had a good time. And thanks for thinking of me. Hopefully, I can make it next month.
I hope all goes well for you. Such mixed economic messages. Many folks have to work more than one job which in the not to recent past one job sufficed. I’ll stop the rant right there. All the best.
Our job worlds are changing and it’s scary. Thanks for the support. The crazy thing? If you count this blog and the Col-o-ring/Col-o-dex I already work three jobs!
Oh, I hadn’t heard about the Hallmark layoffs! How agonizing to have to wait till next month. I hope all goes well for you. Pens dumped on the bed would be a bit disturbing, but colored pencils dumped on the bed??! I would need two beds. Mari Kondo is staying out of my house.
LOL. I have considered Marie Kondo-ing my art supplies many times but I never have the heart to do it. Even the cheap ones. Sometimes I give them to the neighbor kids though.
I think I heard on Public Radio, ten years ago or so, that having two or three jobs would become normal. I scoffed at the time. I still don’t see it as tenable for people.
I’m proud of you Ana (and Bob) for seeing a gap in paper testing, and putting in the work to make a product. It must be satisfying to see it available at more and more online stores.
Father Joseph attended pen club. It’s the first time I’ve seen him. But let’s see, I think I started attending in January 2017.