I'm just a girl who can't say no ... to stationery (LINK)
January 5th 2008 07:56
I’m just a sucker for stationery. This is despite the fact that 99.9% of my writing takes place on my laptop. I type faster than I my hands can write using a good old fashioned pen. Once upon a time I had a beautiful handwriting. And I filled journals with it. I had a collection of pens, in purple and pink inks. I had a little flourish I did with my L’s and G’s. Nowadays I can type faster than my brain can think, which is great for productivity not to mention the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Despite my conversion to the virtual world, I still cannot walk past a stationery shop without being lured in by the neat rows of journals with their Japanese print designs or their art nouveau covers. I stand and page through them, the journals, the diaries, the lined and unlined ones. The leather-bound ones, the canvass covered ones, the ones swathed in smooth linen. I feel the paper. I can tell just by touching it, smelling it, whether a fountain pen would bleed or smudge. Whether a ballpoint nib would glide or slip. I have deep instincts about stationery.
Then there’s the collection of pens. The pencils. The erasers. The shiny paperclips that come in spirals, frog and heart-shapes. The post-its in star formation. And I am enraptured by this world designed around putting pen to paper.
Nowadays I have a collection of unused journals I would probably need sixteen lives to fill. And a collection of pens the ink of which will harden in their slender bodies before I ever get to use them.
Is this an illness? A compulsion I have like some women can’t resist shoes? What is it about stationery, which in this day and age is becoming an anachronism, like my granny’s hand-written recipe book that could not accommodate alterations other than by a neat line of her fountain pen?
Perhaps it’s the promise of stories. Stationery holds a space for us to gather ourselves into an ostensible order. It’s a reminder to us of a world gone by when snail mail and not Facebook was the way to invite people to dinner. When thank you letters were scripted, instead of thnx 4 dnr sms-ed. Stationery is sensual, with its opening and shutting of covers, the way it reflects my moods in my choice of pen, the slur or perkiness of my handwriting, in the way that my laptop keyboard can never do.
I never get tired of imagining how I am going to begin a new journal – the one with the hand-made paper with rose-petals blended into it, or the hard-covered pearl-embossed one with the magnetic strip that shuts it, or the red-leather bound one with a sash to tie it all together. They line my shelves, my blank journals (which have you noticed, are more expensive than books as if what is yet to be said is somehow of greater value than what has already been said?) an array of invitations to my sense of what is possible between the head, the hand and the beautiful blank page.
Despite my conversion to the virtual world, I still cannot walk past a stationery shop without being lured in by the neat rows of journals with their Japanese print designs or their art nouveau covers. I stand and page through them, the journals, the diaries, the lined and unlined ones. The leather-bound ones, the canvass covered ones, the ones swathed in smooth linen. I feel the paper. I can tell just by touching it, smelling it, whether a fountain pen would bleed or smudge. Whether a ballpoint nib would glide or slip. I have deep instincts about stationery.
Then there’s the collection of pens. The pencils. The erasers. The shiny paperclips that come in spirals, frog and heart-shapes. The post-its in star formation. And I am enraptured by this world designed around putting pen to paper.
Nowadays I have a collection of unused journals I would probably need sixteen lives to fill. And a collection of pens the ink of which will harden in their slender bodies before I ever get to use them.
Is this an illness? A compulsion I have like some women can’t resist shoes? What is it about stationery, which in this day and age is becoming an anachronism, like my granny’s hand-written recipe book that could not accommodate alterations other than by a neat line of her fountain pen?
Perhaps it’s the promise of stories. Stationery holds a space for us to gather ourselves into an ostensible order. It’s a reminder to us of a world gone by when snail mail and not Facebook was the way to invite people to dinner. When thank you letters were scripted, instead of thnx 4 dnr sms-ed. Stationery is sensual, with its opening and shutting of covers, the way it reflects my moods in my choice of pen, the slur or perkiness of my handwriting, in the way that my laptop keyboard can never do.
I never get tired of imagining how I am going to begin a new journal – the one with the hand-made paper with rose-petals blended into it, or the hard-covered pearl-embossed one with the magnetic strip that shuts it, or the red-leather bound one with a sash to tie it all together. They line my shelves, my blank journals (which have you noticed, are more expensive than books as if what is yet to be said is somehow of greater value than what has already been said?) an array of invitations to my sense of what is possible between the head, the hand and the beautiful blank page.
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Comment by Mal
Mal
U-Turning & Returning to Norm's Blog.
Mal.
Comment by Anonymous
Jo
Comment by Mal
Mal
Mal.
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
A beautifully 'scribed' post Jo, you really touched me but on this topic I am easily persuaded. Love the name of your blog, very clever, so I have found you which is good, glad you took part in the game.
katyzzz
Comment by Anonymous
My blog name is a play on the title of my book Secret Mothers Business, don't know if non-Aussies get the reference, but love the word 'secret' anyway. Do you check out Postsecret ever? It's my one addiction. I love secrets. Other peoples - know what I mean?
And kudos to you on this idea - I have been leaving comments in places like edible flowers for goodness sake. But otherwise, I love the generosity of networking your post invites. Thank U.
Jo
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I also love lead pencils, worship whiteout, savour staplers and stickytape, stencils and stamps...
You're right, there is something beautiful about a blank page.
Unless inspiration has deserted of course! Then it seems to be making a mockery of me!
Great post.
Michaelie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Michaelie
Comment by Anonymous
Love your posts too, and great to make the connection,
Jo
Comment by JD Crew
Casper Blue
So far I have 5 diaries for 2008 in every style you could imagine.
I have also given strict instruction to family that oneday when I die, I want to be cremated with half my ashes sprinkled in Officeworks (preferably under a shelf so that I'm not swept up straight away) and half at sea....hehe.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Don't know whether you saw it, but I left a comment for you on katyzzz's blog - I read your condom post last month or whenever and really liked it, but couldn't find you again. Then you left a comment on my blog and a few others, and I tried to click on you but it wouldn't work.
Anyway I think - but bear in mind I'm hopeless at computer-ish things - that if you type in 'Joanne Fedler' in the Orble tag box when you leave a comment it should come up with the proper links and won't bring you up in notifications as 'Anonymous'. Once on your computer should do it, then it will save the... cookies? See I may have no idea what I'm talking about and you may not care anyway - but just thought I'd tell you!
Michaelie
Comment by Joanne Fedler
Secret Writers Business
Will try to be more solid in my presence and accessibility, and yes, we'll be chatting a lot between now and May. That fact alone has finally made me feel like all this blogging is not some silent banter into the empty ether.
Jo
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
If you felt like it was a bit onesided it could have been because others couldn't find you either, so hopefully that will right itself. Do keep going Jo - I haven't been here long myself but I find it very rewarding so don't give up!
Michaelie
One other thing when you can be bothered - using a picture/photo (doesn't have to be of you if you don't want) will help you get noticed. A lot of people skim over the posts on the Orble page which don't have pics, because they are so often spammy trash, or just low quality Orble blogs. You have a domain - and really great content - so you are at an advantage.
Comment by secretwritersbusiness
This is a bit of an experiment for me - not sure about you, but hoping to find some community, some sense of shared interests in thought and writing, and will I guess, figure things out slowly. Thanks for all your very generous help.
Jo
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Click on My Orble at the top and it will take you to a menu where you can change anything. In one of them (settings?) there is a place to add profile photos. Mine is of me so I didn't have to worry, and others on my posts are credited to the source. If you don't want to use yourself, do you have a photo you've uploaded from digital camera of a flower, or some inanimate object you think appropriate? Anything would do, and is better than Anony tag.
I am here for the same reason as you - not the place to make a living! - and it is definitely worth a go.
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Sleezer's World
Sleepy Cheers, Raven
Pictures aren't the issue, it's getting them to behave and format properly. Now that's a task.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
And damnit I do the same thing. Or would if I had the money. But I USE the notebooks.
Poor man's laptop
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Perhaps it's genetic given Mrs NG and I have also discovered that daughters No.1 and 3 can't wait to get their hands on new stationery.
Officeworks is a dangerous place
Cheers
MNG
Comment by Rose
Comment by secretwritersbusiness
You're right, as far as addictions go - there's no SAA as far as I know (Stationery Addicts Anonymous). I don't know where you can get that little wooden pencil box from, but will keep my eyes open when I next skulk into a stationery shop.
I have a cute tin one in the shape of a taxi my dad gave me and I just adore it.
Are you in Australia? Do you know the Smiggle stationery line? Now call me what you like, but I have to say that despite its commercial success especially with girls my daughters' age (10 and up), I find it totally uninspiring. Every time I walk into that shop I think how much more fabulous they could make it, but I guess it's what appeals to little girls. I spent my childhood collecting erasers - I have hundreds of them still, never used. What is the point, I have to ask myself...?
Thanks for your kind words - am still in 'finding my way around' phase here on Orble, and will assess in a few months time whether it's worth the time and effort,
Take care
Jo
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Great Post!
I have two boxes of these type of critters filled with words now, as I took up keeping dream journals ... and found a use for them. *lol* very satisfying ... however there are still empty ones and I have to agree with all orblers who find officeworks a dangerous place.
My world went into a positive swoon when gel-pens came into existence!
But you are right, becuase the endless typing over writing does not satisfy the same way... and perhaps those empty books and journals are just trying to remind me, that I have many more words to pen, before I'm done?
Lilla ...
Comment by missnomer
My idea of heaven would be an unlimited spending spree at Officeworks....I would have to win a competition though, couldnt be my own money, I walk in there for a ring binder or an ink cartridge and leave at least an hour later with a trolley load of items I cant live without and another dent in the credit card!
Great Post!
Miss Nomer
Comment by Christine
Mind Orgasms
Oh my God I love stationary! Maybe it's a writer's thing. I can smell a W.C. Penfolds a mile away (I like the smaller shops) and I stare lovingly on pen displays wondering if it's silly to want more pen and pencil sets.
Love the blog and this post esp. Thanks for your comment on mine too. I'll definitely tune into your hints and thoughts more often.
Christine
Comment by secretwritersbusiness
We should get Officeworks to advertize on Orble and offer discounts to addicts like us - where you can download a voucher and get 50% off. I'm with both of you. Officeworks is a complete turn-on for me.
Glad to know this is a common condition.
Jo
Comment by secretwritersbusiness
We should get Officeworks to advertize on Orble and offer discounts to addicts like us - where you can download a voucher and get 50% off. I'm with both of you. Officeworks is a complete turn-on for me.
Glad to know this is a common condition.
Jo
Comment by Lynn Smythe
The Pagan Path
Freelance Online Work
I Love Herbs
I can't go to a bookstore without going down the aisles with all the journals. My husband and kids just roll their eyes when I bring home another one. "But you already have 900 of them at home!?!"
I keep a journal for gardening, one for new recipe ideas I'm working on, one for my writing projects, one for retail store ideas (I'm thinking about opening my own craft studio one of these decades), one for North Carolina (we have property their and one year will hopefully move there). I can't freakin' survive without my journals, pens, papers!
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
What funny synchronicity. I was just on my way back from a family weekend thinking about my new 2008 diary and wondering which one I should commit to using. Through kind presents at Christmas, I accrued three, all of them I like, so it’s a bit of a quandary. But as we are meandering though January, it’s time to make a choice.
Also, I thought I was the only one that seemed to hoard empty journals. I don’t think they are ever wasted, as I feel comforted by knowing they are there waiting to be used at the right time. Plus, I love looking at them.
Tracy
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
oh stationery sends my heart into a flutter too! My desk is cluttered with the stuff that I hardly ever use and the drawers hide even more... bits of paper, pens, pencils (I have an addiction to pencils!) and notebooks galore.
I think it started when Crayola first introduced those tiered stationery holders that held every possible colour crayon ever made.
And then those cool flick pens that hold several different colour pens in the one.
And the smell of the paper of a new journal, the way that the page feels when you run your fingers along it`s smooth face.
Yep I`m addicted too! Forget the clothes. Forget the shoes. It`s stationery all the way!
Ash
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
HAPPY NEW YEAR, I have a similar quandry and just a thought on how I usually solve my problem.
One diary by the bed, used as a quick dream journal of the prominant symbols I remember on waking.
One diary as a Gratitude Journal, where I write five things I am grateful for down each day.
One diary for the day to day lists that we all need to remember who we are and where we are trying to go *laughs* not always easy...
Anyeeway, just my thoughts on making use of these gifts.
Lilla ...
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Wonderful post.... I am kind of sitting in it like a perfectly drawn bath,,,,, Very enjoyable
Mis