Editing The Pen Addict 326/transcript (section)

== Product Discussion Shift ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' I want to flip the script. All right. Let's stop. We're going to stop talking about products so I can talk about more products, Myke. Except this product is one that's causing me a problem, and it's my notebook situation. Okay. So I've talked about notebook storage as one of the general frustrations that I have. That's not what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about half-used, partially-used notebooks, notebooks that I've reviewed that have filled my desk into a point where I don't want to open the desk drawer where they're stored anymore. So this past weekend, I declared notebook bankruptcy at my desk, ripped every partially-used notebook out of there because I was completely tired of looking at them. Like, I have all these notebooks there with these grand plans of, well, after I review them, I obviously enjoy them, and I want to keep using them because I don't want to be wasteful. And they're nice paper and nice to use and a cool style and things that I like. And then it goes into the stash, and then the stash keeps growing every week because there's another notebook. And at some point, I just, like, I hated opening the drawer. I'd open the drawer, look at this stack of notebooks. There's probably about 15 notebooks. And I'd just shake my head, and I'd shut the drawer back. And I'd go, I'd just been using, like, one notebook, you know, during this time for the most part. And it's been a super frustrating thing. So I said, screw it, and emptied the drawer. I saved one notebook out of that whole thing that I use regularly.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So what kind of notebooks were in the drawer? Were they stuff that had been sent to you, stuff you'd bought, or was it just a complete mix of everything?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Both, both. Stuff that had been, I'd say majority stuff that had been sent to me, some stuff that I bought, all of it was either used for reviews, like paper testing for, like, inks and different pens. So testing on different papers. So a lot of them just have, like, test pages done.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And, you know, then they weren't getting used otherwise. And I've, like, I know this is, like, a woe is me problem. And this is a very, like, specific and privileged problem that I have. But it's, like, I just wanted to light it on fire. Like, I just wanted them to go because they were making me mad. And I don't know what to do with them. So I thought about this a little bit. Like, I don't know that this is, this is obviously not an issue. It's, like, this is, like, the worst first world problem. But it was bugging me. So I figured out, I cleaned them all out. I saved one notebook that, out of that entire stack that I actually do use regularly. And just for the record, it's the CW pencils, the little flap jotter that they used, like a checklist pad that they used, that they made it with right notepads. It's a really nice pencil notebook. So I use it a lot. Everything else is gone. And I decided that I'm going to go through those notebooks. I'm going to find anything interesting in them. I'm going to cut it out or tear it out, put them in my visual journal that I've been building. Like, anything that I want to keep that I found interesting that I want to keep, I can tear it out and tape it in my visual journal. And then I'm going to take the rest of those notebooks and I'm going to essentially cut them all to where they're just loose sheets and have, like, a stack of paper. Right? That way, I don't have to commit to the full notebook. I'll just can grab a sheet of something if I want to goof off or if I want to try something or I want to test something where I don't have to commit to the whole notebook. Side topic, and this is, and we'll talk about this later, I think this is why I like index cards so much. Right? Because they're that stack of sheets of paper that you don't have to commit to. So I clearly have commitment problems. So that doesn't solve the collection of this group of notebooks in my desk. Yep. Because it's going to happen again starting tomorrow, you know, theoretically, right?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, you're only going to get more stuff in the mail.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. So I don't know how to solve that. I don't know if I'm going about it the right way. I don't know if I'm just being a whiny head, which I'd say that's highly likely.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' From my personal use, I've only been using two notebooks. Like, I use the Nock notebook, the pocket notebook. That's my favorite. And then I use the Apica CD notebook that I've used for a long time. That's a hardcover A5. And then the Nock is the 3x5 pocket notebook. So, like, I'm trying to stick to that. And this is leading into something we're going to talk about later this year when we're talking about our plans for 2019. I'm going to try to stick to, like, those two things. Like, it doesn't have to be those two specific things, but, like, one pocket notebook, one desk notebook. I still have to review stuff. What am I going to do with the partially used notebooks? And if anyone has any suggestions, I kind of like my ideas, and I want to hear more because I've just kind of thought about, like, I can't just stick a notebook that has three pages used in the closet to collect dust or, heaven forbid, throw it away. But I think if I destroy them a little bit more, I will actually use them more, if that makes sense. I don't know. That's the way my brain's thinking right now. Do you have any thoughts?

'''Myke Hurley:''' So you're trying to turn them into, like, tactile things? Right. You're more likely to use it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. So, like, I could actually use, say, I take a Write Notepads book and a Rhodia book, and these are all small page notebooks, small, thin, like, pocket-sized, or smaller than A5-style notebooks. Take them out, like, cut them in half and have individual loose sheets, basically sheets of index cards, if you will, and then just have that stack of paper for things I want to use. And that way, it's kind of mixed up. I get the pleasure of using something different, because there'll be lots of different papers in this stack. And I would also be using it on top of that, even though I wouldn't be using it in the traditional sense as a singular entity. Right? So, I don't know. Interesting. I'm having trouble with it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, I wish I had an answer for you, because I have, like, two huge drawers full of notebooks that I just know I'm never going to use them. And at some point, I need to do something about it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. I actually just shipped off some notebooks to a friend. You know, like, I need to do that more.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I've done some of that, too.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' The unused stuff, I'm okay with, because I'll just, you know, find a use for it or give it away. Like, I'm actually okay with stacks of unused stuff. I'll figure out something with that. Well... It's the partially used stuff that's kicking my butt.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Something you could do. I mean, this is really just inefficient. But, like, if you have a book that, you know, you want to give away or whatever, like, you know, you're not going to want it. You want to give it away. What you're using it, you could just make that dedicated to the person that you're giving it to. So, when they receive it, you don't have to cut it out or whatever. Like, it just arrives and it's just got that in there and it's for them. Right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But that's super artisanal.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Super artisanal. You know me. Anyway, this is, like, this is, like, the epitome of the first world stationary problems. Like, you know, a lot of this stuff, you know, I got for free or, you know, just used. And I don't know. I guess I have some guilt on seeing unused notebooks that have been started. You know? Like, I'm totally cool with unused notebooks that are brand new and still packaged or never been touched. I can deal with that. But it's the partials that are just driving me bonkers at my desk recently. So, my desk is a mess again. I get so frustrated.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, I understand.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Take a break. Yes. Today's show is brought to you by Squarespace. Make your next move with Squarespace because they will let you easily create a website for your next idea or project. You can grab a unique domain name, take advantage of award-winning templates, and be safe in the knowledge that there's 24-7 customer support in case you need it. Whether you want to create an online store, a portfolio, a site for your business, a site for your restaurant, a site for your band, maybe something for an upcoming event like a wedding, or you just want to create a blog. It doesn't matter what type of website you want to make. Squarespace have the tools to help you do it. It's an all-in-one platform. Everything's drag-and-drop and wonderfully customizable, and there's nothing to install or patch or upgrade. They take care of all of that stuff, so you don't have to. You can sign up for a trial today. Just go to squarespace.com slash penaddict, and you can play around with everything there, which is super simple to do. And their plans start at just $12 a month when you decide you want to sign up. So just go to squarespace.com slash penaddict and use the offer code penaddict to check out. This will get you 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain and show you support for this show. Once more, that's squarespace.com slash penaddict and the code penaddict for 10% off your first purchase. We thank Squarespace for their continued support of this show. Squarespace, make your next move, make your next website.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Did you know on the Squarespace commerce platform you can schedule a launch of a product? Didn't know that. Yep, so we do that at Nock, and we have the Hightower back in stock, the Coffee and Violet Hightower. And tomorrow, I think tomorrow, say for example, say maybe tomorrow, if I wanted to launch it at 10 a.m., I can build out my product, have it inventoried and skewed and photographed and everything set up, and click the button and say, at 10 o'clock, make this product live. So that's pretty cool. Hashtag features. Shout out before we get to the other hashtag we do, hashtag Ask TPA. Got a shout out to the Melbourne Pen Show. So we shout them out every year. They always do such a good job. And they are having the site be slow coming up. There it is.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So the Malvin Town Hall in Glen Ferry Road, Malvin, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 25th of November 2018. The admission is $10, but it's free for students under 18.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So they have lots of pictures from last year's show. It looks like a fun event. I have always gotten some really good stories from people emailing me that they've attended the show. And I know some of my Australian friends will post on their blogs about going to the show. So yeah, if you are in the area, which you should be. I mean, it's Australia. Who doesn't want to be in the area? So head to Melbourne on November 25th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be there.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Come on, Melbourne. Fly us out.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's right. We're there. Let me check my calendar. All right. We have some digital STPA, Myke, in that we received them on the Twitter machine. But after these, we have the special edition of P.O. Box Handwritten Letter STPA. So let's see what the digital version has for us first. Shawnee B. Good asks, hypothetical, Montegrappa has called you up and asked you to help design a pen. Your name will not be associated with the pen. And that's a key point, Myke. What kind of insanity do you make? You go first because I still don't have an answer for this. I've been thinking about this since yesterday.