Editing The Pen Addict 632/transcript (section)

== Hobonichi's pricing and market changes. ==

* Anyway, I wasn't really pleased with what happened. And then I thought it would just blew over. But two days later, they put out an apology post only on the Chinese side saying that, okay, you know, we apologize for the mistakes. And, you know, we are we are going to we are going to follow the Chinese and like Japanese government regulation and acknowledge that China thinks Taiwan is part of their country. And we are going to be careful moving forward to not make these language mistakes anymore. And what that essentially means to me is that they're never going to include Taiwan as a label on anything anymore. And I mean, sure, business wise, like I feel like that's a very, I guess, the only thing they could do to not like suffer the three million ish, like, you know, market that they have in China. But on a personal level, that just suddenly something my connection to when you just snapped in that moment. And sure, I could no longer feel comfortable moving forward because it's such a it felt like a backstab to my identity, obviously. So this is something that, you know, it's not going to affect anyone's decision to listening to this podcast because you obviously are not in the same, you know, national identity as me. And I still think they're a great company. I still think they're making amazing products. But if I continue using it, and especially since Hobonichi is such a big the system, the notebook is such a big part of my projection of my persona onto a physical notebook. And if you know me and know the things I write in it, and how I basically, you know, I guess this past 10 years, that is a big part of my life. It's too big of an identity conflict. And I feel like a hypocrite to continue using it. Yeah, it's a special ritual. And I just felt tainted to me in some way. Yeah, I get that. And knowing you like I do, and you said it right there at the end, like these notebooks and planners are rituals for you. They're important to you. And they mean a lot to you. And that still doesn't outweigh your personal identity and your personal feelings, right? I like to talk about one of the things when it gets too serious, like some company talking about some other company, Myke and I joke like, oh, like, we're literally talking about pens here. What are we doing? But this is a little bit different. This is different, right? It is a little different. And it hits a little bit. It's very personal and very close to home. And that's why, actually, that's one of the reasons why we all like stationery so much is because this pen or this paper or this notebook is personal to us for reasons that are only important to us. Exactly. And that's how we find these things. And that's how we make these decisions. So I think, like, the decision you made is wonderful, like, for you, right? For me, exactly. Yeah. I used it in – I started using kind of a little context to why it's so special to me, too, if I could kind of elaborate a little bit on it. Sure, sure, sure. So I started using it in 2014. That's when I went through a gap year. Like, I was applying for graduate school. And then I continued to brain dump in it because, to me, like, the Hobonichi is really about sitting with my emotions and capturing my thoughts. Less so creating pretty spread, but more like capturing my life experience on paper over time. Like, I had so many ups and downs in it, like surviving the United States on a work visa, moving across countries, getting married, going through the pandemic. My father passing away last year. Like, it was – it has a lot of things in it. And it felt like a security blanket. And, like, I think people can relate, you know, to a stationery item that's just so precious, it felt. And I think in a way it's like when outside world is so out of control, having this Dear Diary notebook feels like a very stable rock that, like, grounds me. And so it felt like this weighs so much in the part of my life.
* And in a way, I also think Hobonichi has changed a little bit, like, in terms of – I guess it's kind of – they are getting bigger. They have to appeal to a bigger market. But when we first – like, you and I, you know, back in the days when the site crashed, like, when only the niche market knew it. Yeah. They actually had kind of marketed the Hobonichi in a very unique way. That speaks to me. Like, I think it was a 2017 article by Ito Ishige Satosan. He said that Hobonichi is a fishing net, which is really interesting because today people think of it as a planner or as a journal or something like that. Yeah. I'll quote a little bit because I just love this thing so much. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love Ito'i's, like, marketing or, like, copywriting. So he says that, I get the feelings there's never been a container to keep things that surface during unnameable times. Unimportant things that stick with you or things that resonate with you when you don't know why. So I would like the Hobonichi tetro to be a fishing net to catch all the things you think and feel during your unnameable times. And there will be days when you couldn't catch a fish and there will be days you won't fish. But with 360 days in a year, over time, your net will fill with plenty of minnows. And such is the wealth of our thoughts. And, like, it gives me chill even now to read about it because I love it so much. I just love that. They gave me a reason to view this book as something that's not for work, not for planning, not for daily diary, but more for you can document the most unimportant things in your life. And it'll only mean something to you. And he encourages you to do it, not daily, but try, like, 365 days. So just like the other day, I binge-watched a K-drama. I think some people are coming. I binge-watched a K-drama. I had this scene and I was just feeling these tingly feelings from it. And I immediately rushed to my stationery desk, opened my Hovonichi, and jot down that feeling. And, like, that is the most, like, this doesn't matter. This feeling doesn't matter to anyone else but me. But the fact that I put it pen to paper, like, in my book that represents me, it feels like an experience is completed. I know I'm feeling, I'm getting very philosophical and weird about this. No, it's perfect. I'm nodding my head vigorously, yes. Like, it's like that experience is sealed by you writing about it. That's something special to you. And then you can, I feel like, okay, I can move on to the next part of my day now. Like, because I thoroughly gave that thought the time and the weight that it deserves. So, yeah, when I, like, that night when I decided I'm not going to use the Hovonichi anymore, I actually, I was scared. I was so shaken. Like, it's like a foundational core has been moved or debunked. And my thoughts were, oh, no, what do I do now? What do I do in my journaling habit? What other notebook can I use to reliably hold my entire year's thought and, you know, some of the durable space for my inks, my journaling, my stickers, all that stuff. So, it was very traumatic. I'm sorry to use the word traumatic. But to me, it really, it was a breakup. It was a very bad breakup. Yeah. It matters. And I'm glad we're here to be able to talk about it. And from that breakup may become some opportunity, right? A closing of a chapter and moving on to the next one. Exactly.
* Yeah. So, you know, I don't want to, you know, jump forward too much. But, you know, I'm sure once you've figured out that, hey, I'm no longer moving forward, did you start thinking about other things you were going to use? Were you just going to, you know, use what you have? Were you trying to find, like, an actual replacement for what you were missing going forward? Oh, yeah, absolutely. It went from, like, panicky to trying to be logical. And then doing some research, you know, hitting up all those different books that kind of has, like, a similar size. Because even though I'm throwing away the security blanket, it's too much to switch completely to a different thing. I kind of still want a size that I'm familiar with that I can move forward to. So I think I researched Sterling Inc., which kind of had a similar layout.
* But do I share what I ended up deciding on? Yeah, if you've already figured out what you're doing, yeah. So I'm diving into the system that I actually used years before when it first came out. And it's called Take a Note. Take a Note Planner is made by a Taiwanese creator.
* And actually, I know that that person was a fan, like, probably still a fan, but used the Hobonichi at the very beginning. But she collaborated with – she's, like, a product designer, and she collaborated with National Taiwan University to come out with a planner-type thing for really, like, professional and, like, scheduling. But also incorporating the Asian kind of culture of, like, the Techo thing together. So it's also A5 size, Sanzen TRP, but 68 GSM instead of Hobonichi's 47, which they changed to. That I did learn this year. Yeah. Me too. I didn't realize it was down to 47. Yep. Yep. And then it has, like, the monthly layout. It has all the – it has 365 days. But instead of one day, one page, it's two days per page. And actually, this – after I thought about it, it's actually going to work out so well because my lifestyle has changed. I got so much busier this past year. I rarely have time to journal. And this year is the year I have the most empty pages in my Hobonichi. So I figure, you know, like, maybe I don't need a whole full page to journal my thoughts anymore because of how sporadic my schedule is. Like, I travel and I go to do things. And I feel bad, too, you know, with the empty pages. And maybe half a page is sufficient. So take a note is definitely a welcoming change. And, like, in that flustered moment, I was trying to calm myself down. Like, I was trying to not panic. Like, April, there are other books you can use out there. The Hobonichi doesn't define you. It's you who do the thing. Okay, April? So, you know, and, you know, I realize it's the connection and, like, what came out of this journaling habit that defines me. So I should be able to do this in any book I want. I've reached stationery Nirvana. There's your episode title. I find that interesting because I agree completely with you. And I wonder if I'm on the initial stages of that myself because I've been having my own conversations in my own head. I saw, yeah. Which we all do. Just about how I use things, how those things have changed over the years, how much more interested I am right now in capturing ideas on paper, writing. And just putting things on paper, even more so than, like, grabbing a pen or, like, looking at pens. Like, I'm really, I don't know, I'm having this paper transition right now. And that doesn't mean that I think that I've, like, solved for pens on my end. Like, there's always going to be new pens and things like that. But I'm super content, right? And I'm super lucky to have all these great things that I enjoy using. Try to use as many of them as I can. And I won't profess to have hit stationery Nirvana yet. But I'm having these different, over, like, the last year, I've had these different thoughts about how I use things. And I'm actually using the things more. Yes. Which I am, it's weird that I'm, like, having to come to terms with this as someone who literally does this all day, every day. That now, all of a sudden, after, like, 10 or 15 years, I feel like I'm using things more. Like, and because I'm really happy with the things that I have. Like, I don't know. It's an interesting, so I'm going to, I am going to make this the show title. But it's actually kind of thrown me for a loop because now I'm thinking about, okay, where's my position on the path? You're still on the journey there. Yeah, I'm still on the journey. Maybe to be specific, Planner Nirvana, you know, like they say Planner Peace. I've, like, ascended that. And I'm in Nirvana. I feel good about myself right now. Yeah. I think just on the technical side of things, I think the two day per page is probably an interesting layout. I do, I'm going to go browse around, take a note. When they started, back years ago, they sent me a huge amount of their notebooks. That was when they were doing the, they were doing the traveler style layout. The record series? I can't even remember. But it was literally, it came with a build your own notebook folder. Like, I had to build, I remember building this. It was probably in one of my reviews or I did a video. Or maybe one of their covers, I think. Yeah, it was a cover, but it was out of cardboard. But it came flat. And you had to build it and then put all your notebooks in it and stuff like that. She's super innovative with the kind of things she's trying to do for Take a Note. And next year is actually their 10th year anniversary. So just perfect. You know, I just ended my 10th year anniversary of Hobonichi. Jumping on to the next. I'm just really happy about everything. So I think that's going to be fun. So yeah, I'm going to have to go browse through. We'll make sure I put a link in the show notes for the Take a Note. So everyone can go take a look. And now you're going to have people going, oh, maybe I can use a two day per page. If you think one day, one page is too big. Two days per page might be a good solution. That's why I always enjoyed that either the travelers one week per two page, the Hobonichi weeks, and then the plotter narrow the way the planner pages work. Those are all generally the same concept where you have seven days on the left and then information on the right. I don't know. Maybe two day per page is something I need to look at. You should. And they have it in A6 size, an A5 size, and one in B6. I don't know. I'm like, we'll go look at them. I'm touting them now. I know. I don't know. All right. I'm not done talking about stationery and notebooks with you. But real quick, I want to thank our second sponsor today. And that's our good friends over at Enigma Stationery. Enigma Stationery offers unique items made from in-house designs along with top brands and hard to find imports. The time has come. Get ready for the Enigma InkVent 2024 by pre-ordering now. Each InkVent set includes 25 ink samples, a scratch-off sheet to reveal each day's ink name, vial labels for storage provided in a sealed envelope to avoid spoilers, and a brand new gift designed with ink lovers in mind. The ink samples are all new selections for 2024, and each set will include a mix of currently available and hard to find inks across several different brands. Enigma InkVent sets introduce a redesigned stand in your choice of eight colors, and if you don't need a stand, they'll swap it out for a mystery item. Enigma InkVent sets are just $130 and include free shipping in the U.S. for orders and discounted flat-rate shipping for international orders. Only 50 sets will be made, so act fast. They will ship in November to make sure that they arrive ready and in time for December 1st.
* Enigma Stationery is also a proud fundraiser for the Relay for St. Jude campaign. From now through September 30th, when you donate on the Enigma Stationery fundraising page, you have an option to select giveaway entries that give you a chance to win the following exclusive rewards. An Enigma sticker pack, including the exclusive Relay 10 London bus sticker, a set of two exclusive Venta inks, including the sold-out 2022 Purple Sea Star, a psychedelic desk mat, a special edition PDX fountain pen, a sold-out exclusive Studio Neat Mark I Enigma edition pen, an Enigma Narwhal Nautilus Brilliant pen, a Brilliant Bunny fountain pen with the 14K gold nib. So go check out all this for yourself by going to enigmastationery.com slash penaddict. From there, you can select the St. Jude fundraiser to find out more, and also pre-order your Enigma Inkvent set before October 18th. That's enigmastationery.com slash penaddict. Our thanks to Enigma Stationery for their support of this show.
* All right, so I was watching a little bit of your Hobonichi D stash on Instagram, and then I was reading a post on the Penguin Post, and I started wondering if April had a Closet of Doom situation herself. So just for reference, for those who don't know my personal lingo, I keep this closet in my household with all the stationery items I have, and they just get stashed in there. And it's come to be known as the Closet of Doom, because it's one of those doors you have to be careful opening, because if you go in there at the wrong time, you might not return, right? The shelves might come crashing down on you. And, you know, the kids, you know, the wife may not know you're in there. Toby would probably find me. He would probably be looking for me. I don't know if anyone else would be looking for me. My dog, Toby. I just get sucked into it. Yeah, but do you have a situation where you have, like, a mad stash of stationery that's at risk of the tumbling? I don't have a full closet, but I have containers of hope,
* Tower of Terror of Stamps, like Valley of Unused Notebooks. I do have a lot of these.
* Elliot, my husband Elliot is really into car, and he always tells me the garage is full. Like, my studio is the garage, and refuses to let me buy more shelving to organize things. And I'm like, no, I need to take these stuff off the floor, put them on a shelf. And then he said, but then you'll buy more. I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about.
* Yep, yep. I know. We get more storage to solve our problems, and that just allows us to put a few things away so we can fill it up with more stuff later. I think that's generally how it goes. Yeah, I know. Yeah, hoarding. We're not exactly hoarding. Everything we buy is something that we love and connect with. So, you know, my personal attitude, I'm like, honestly, the worst person to talk about about consumerism is because it's a bad thing, of course, in capitalism. But my attitude is if you can afford it, and if it's within your means, that's the most important thing. Like, then after that, if the item connects with you on an emotional level and, like, makes you happy, you know, the world is a horrible place. Life is short. Just do it. Like, you can sell it later. Yeah, exactly. So that's kind of why I have, I'm surrounded with things I love right now. Yeah, I know. My, yeah, for sure. Like, my philosophy is, will I use it? Like, number one, right? I'm not going to buy something that is going to sit. And then two, can I afford it, right? So, like, I do it a little, that's pretty high on the list. You know, is it like, you know, am I making a good purchasing decision? To be a stationery lover, you have to be a responsible person financially. Please, please be financially responsible. Yes.
* All right. So let's be financially unresponsible real quick.