Editing The Pen Addict 289/transcript (section)

== Stationery Resolutions ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. Well, this rolls right in nicely to our next topic, which is 2018 stationary resolutions. And we do this every year, if nothing else, to say that we don't really do resolutions. You and I, like, on a personal level, that's just not our thing. But we're all for, like, making conscious changes and being intentional and, you know, working on things. But, you know, they're not necessarily set in stone, hard, fast resolutions, right? So one of the things that I've seen, you know, thrown around, you know, a word thrown around with my friends online and that I've used for 2018 is the word refinement. And I think that's a really good way to look at things from where I'm at personally, like in pen collecting and fountain pen use and any stationary usage. You know, as the more things I get, the more and the more I use them, the more I figure out what are my favorite things. So those things I use most often kind of get separated from the things I don't. So that's refining what I use. So the things that I don't use as much, I should do something with that because sitting there is not good for anybody. You know, having things sitting around that go unused is unnecessary. And you could put, you know, either the money that you sell those things for and do something that you really want, or you can donate things to other people, you know, which is great to help out others. Like I just sent like a 10 pound box of notebooks to a preschool class. You know, I'm just I you couldn't even see the dent that I left in my in my closet. That's how scary, you know, it is right now. So I want to refine what I use and then move on from the things that I don't because then it's just clutter and I don't like clutter. So one of the things that I wouldn't put down as a resolution that I'm really going for, but an idea that I came up with yesterday is can I finish the year of 2018 with fewer high dollar pens than I started with? Because there's a lot that I don't use and I could put the money in from selling those into something I will use more, you know, that might be something that could be a goal of mine because I'm not really seeing anything on the market that I have to have right now. Like I put a few things in the list that I want to buy.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So that might be a goal for 2018. It's not a, you know, a firm resolution saying I'm going to have this because I'm not that dead set on it, but I could see that happening just by the nature of things happening this year.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Other thing in 2018 is I want to share more, you know, whether it's on Twitter or Instagram, you know, I've been putting out some of my sketches, you know, which I just goof off. Like I'm not like an artist, but I like to doodle and draw and sketch. I'm going to take pictures of those and share them.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I also feel like I turned a personal corner at the end of 2017. And kind of have a renewed vision of what I want to be in this community and what I can do for the community and how the community as a whole can grow and lift everyone up. I think I left a lot on the table last year. I think I could have done more. I think I could have done better. And I don't want to have that regret again this year. So that's one of my, if you want to call that a resolution, that's fine. But I just think, you know, my actions this year are going to be like very uplifting, very supportive, very sharing and caring. And I just want the positivity of this community to continue to grow because that's what this community is. It's very different than most other communities and online. And we can't get sucked up into some of the negativity and that I was a part of. I can see a clear path out of that. Not that it was ever really bad. But the excitement I have for 2018 is hopefully contagious and infectious because I'm pumped. I know that I'm going to do better this year on a personal level. And I hope, you know, I can share that with other people. And, you know, I hope that we can continue to spread, you know, the awesomeness of this community and continue to grow and just be the community that we all want to be a part of. Right. So that's something I thought a lot about in the past month or two. And that's why normally I don't really care about, you know, specific numbers or days to make a change. You make a change anytime. It doesn't have to be on a certain number or a certain day. But this one felt a little bit different. Like turning that calendar to 2018, you know, I've been anxious to get here because I want to see, like, the excitement of this community, like, continue to shine through. And I'm pumped. So those are kind of my not so much resolutions, but my thoughts on what I can do in 2018. I think it's going to be the best year ever. And I'm not saying that, you know, in any kind of hyperbolic way. I just, I feel like I can do more and I'm going to do it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I think that's the best kind of approach because you learn some things in 2017 and you're applying them going forward. Like, it's not necessarily, I mean, it's not even really a 2018 resolution as such. It's just how the timing ended up working out that it's like, yeah, now that you've realized some of this sort of stuff anyway. Like, especially that last point. And so, you know, it's a thread that has been going through for the last few weeks. So I think that they sound great, Brad. And I think that you should be proud of those.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. And that's the thing is like when the end of the year hits, I want to be proud. But I want to be proud every day too, right? That's the way I got to look at it. Every day, make myself proud of what I've done for the community today. And go from there, you know, do good every day. And, you know, raise up everyone in the community and come from a place of positivity. And that's just how it's going to be. And I'm there. I'm ready. It's on. So let's talk about spending my money. Great. I do have a few things on the 2018 list that I am shopping for. I think we'll see a theme throughout the year that I will probably buy less pens this year than any other year before. I already, I just feel that ever since the end of last year. Since pen show season ended last year, I haven't really wanted to buy anything. Especially at the high dollar level. I haven't wanted to spend any type of money.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' But there are a couple things, just so we can talk about some products for a second. On my shopping list, I want to get a vintage and or probably both new Pelican M101. So the link I have in the show notes, you'll see what style I'm talking about when I reference this. It's an older vintage style with, it's a shorter model pen. It has a different clip than most Pelicans, different cap shape.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I really don't like that cap and clip. Yeah, see, I love it. Basically, the clip is like a relatively standard in a way that it pops out and goes down. You know, like they have that kind of, the bill, right? The Pelican's bill, which is their clip. But instead of it starting at the top of the pen, where there's maybe like half a centimeter between the very top of the pen and the start of the clip, it's like one and a half centimeters down. So it's like a quarter of the way down the cap.

'''Myke Hurley:''' That's not for me.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. And on a full size pen, I wouldn't like that. But this is a short pen. So it looks a little bit different.

'''Myke Hurley:''' There are some models where they incorporate it into the design and it looks nicer. So like that all of the cap above the clip is a different color. But like on the red one, I really don't like how it looks on the red one. Because like, again, there'll be a link in the show notes so you can click and see what we're talking about. But there's a cap where like it's all red and the cap is gold. And I don't like that. But the ones where it kind of breaks up the color a little bit is a bit better.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. So I don't know. I really like that design. I think it's kind of cool. So I'm going to figure out which one of these I'm going to get. There's still a current model 101. Like it's got this red and orange kind of acrylic that I've had in my cart like once or twice. And I just haven't wanted to spend the money because the new ones are very expensive. They're like 400 and something dollars. I don't feel that they're necessarily worth that much. So that's why I haven't pulled the trigger. So maybe I can get a vintage one that I like for, you know, between a one and $200. We'll see. But that's not something that's hard for me to find. Like you go to any pen show, you'll have your choice of plenty of these. Um, but that's one on my, that's been on my radar for a while. And this is the year I'll probably get one. The second one is I want to get a Fagionato pen and I've reviewed them on the blog or I've had them. Susan's reviewed them. I've seen them at pen shows. I've liked their style. It's never been at the top of my list, but I think since my list is very short right now, it's time for me to pick one of these up for my own use. They have really nice acrylics and celluloids. Um, Fagionato is out of France and, uh, I know Papier Plume has started to carry them in the U S. So that's one I'm going to keep an eye on and I'll probably pick one of those up. They're reasonably priced. They're not cheap. They're not expensive. They're just kind of in the middle there. So that's probably one just because I like the shape and style of the pen.