Editing The Pen Addict 157/transcript (section)

== Hashtag Decision ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. So ask, ask TPA. That looks like the leader in the clubhouse. I just want to get this started because I really like the, um, I really like the, uh, thought of doing this and the way it can just kind of continue to roll in, you know, as we go. Uh, it'll be very helpful for me, uh, in particular. So yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' All right. I'm going to set it up. I'm going to set up ask TPA, ASK TPA. Um, and then if we have to change it because it doesn't work, then we'll, we'll change it. But if you have any followup, if you have any feedback, questions, topic ideas for us from now until hopefully forever, you can use the hashtag. So just tweet with the hashtag ask TPA. You don't even need to add Dowdyism or add iMike with it. You just tweeted that hashtag. It will go into a Google spreadsheet that we will see, and then we'll be able to, to look at that and use that in the future. So if you have any from here on out, if you, if it's a, it's a great way, if you ever ask us a question on Twitter or a suggestion or anything like that, if you just throw that hashtag in there, um, then we might be able to talk about it on the show as well, which is, so it's very, very useful for us in a way to just make sure that we're collecting stuff that's interesting and also talking about the things that you guys and gals want us to be talking about. So hashtag ask TPA, and we're going to, um, we're going to bring that in to, to other things into the future.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, good. I like this business, Myke, man. You just, you're like, I'm making a decision and I'm making it now.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Well, you gotta, cause otherwise you'll dilly dally.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. You know, don't, don't dilly dally.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Don't dilly dally on the way.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. That Edwin Collins?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Something like that.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. I have, um, we don't have a ton of follow-up today, so I have time for what I like to call email story time. And I still want to, um, I still want to soundboard for this, Myke, you know, that, that masterpiece theater thing. You know, when it's, when I have story time, you know, once every couple months, I get a really long email I like to share with the readers. So this is definitely a, a kickback, grab a drink, uh, email, but this is, uh, this was really well done by Ryan who sent this in to me last week. So I want to read this all to y'all and, uh, I think anyone who listens to this show will relate. So this email came in. The email is titled Addicted. Addicted. My wife calls it a midlife crisis. This all began on February 20th when my brother sent me this link regarding the advantage to learning and memory when writing versus typing. I had just convinced him to try a stylist to take notes on the iPad instead of typing. I actually purchased my first Black Wings while watching the video. I quickly began reading pencil reviews, a thing most believe does not exist, and quickly became familiar with pencils.com and blogs like Pencil Revolution. Through that blog, I learned about the Erasable podcast and began listening. My small apartment quickly began to be littered with pencils, sharpeners, and beautiful shavings. I had also purchased How to Sharpen Pencils by David Reese and was learning the craft. I abandoned pens for several weeks until in one podcast, the pencil triad mentioned you and your podcast. I was curious, but stayed the course faithfully. However, once you appeared on their podcast as a guest, I just had to listen to the pen addict. Wanting to do it properly, I began in episode one. This was around the beginning of April. I followed your journey on a much quicker path since I listened to several episodes a day at 1.5 speed. That road leads straight to jetpens.com, and I quickly found myself surrounded by high-tech seas, Sino-151s, jet streams, and the like. I loved them all and was still unworried as the purchases were still very pencil-like as far as my bank account could tell. Ah, but there you went into the fountain pen world, and now quite attached to you and Myke, I followed. Jumped forward to Platinum Preppies, Pilot Petit for the Wife, a Metropolitan, and I was hooked as well. Pens alone aren't any good course, so I then jumped into Goulet's Ink Drop and began playing with colors. This requires more paper, and by now I also had a decent stack of field notes, barren figs, and some rhodia. Add a Pilot Plumix to try italic nibs and a Noodler's Creeper for a flex option. By now my wife had become accustomed to my problem and volunteers to contribute a vanishing point on our anniversary, the blue carbon-esque model. All the while, my brother is following along my purchase path and also has his inky fingers wrapped around his own vanishing point, a limited edition copper from 2014, along with a TWSBI 580, Pilot Pereira, Lamy Safari, and some others. We're both passing around pens, pencils, and paper like sacred gifts to our confused friends and family. As of this morning, I am now caught up on the current episode, having listened to you, Myke, and guests nearly daily for two months. I've really enjoyed the hyperspeed version of your move into doing what you love as a business, and I'm eager to hear what happens next. By the way, the Hightower has been out of stock for a good while, and it's the case my brother and I both need a little help. Many thanks for your show. Maybe it's a crisis. I just turned 41. Maybe it's an addiction. But whatever it is, it's a heap of fun. I may never afford a Nakaya, but the joy I get from putting pen, ink, and paper together again like we did before digital, that is a greater return on my invested than I ever expected. Thanks to you and Myke. Ryan. How cool is that?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I love that stuff, man.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's like the creed of the pen addict listener. We've heard this story lots of times, but Ryan laid it out there so well I had to do it. And boy, the pace that he went in like two months, he went off the deep end. It's pretty amazing.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Oh, man. That's, you know, I didn't quite go as far as he went in two months, but I guess we contribute to that in a good way.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I hope so.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' His wife might disagree. But I thought that was well worth sharing. I love getting those emails, so continue to send those in. And I thought he did an awesome job there. So well done, Ryan, and welcome to the podcast. You are definitely one of us.