inspiration

How to Find Inspiration While Quarantined

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

When COVID-19 heated up and quarantine first started, I was trying to think on the bright side: I could write a ton and work on so many other creative pursuits I wouldn’t otherwise have time for! What I didn’t realize, however, was how difficult it would be to find inspiration and stay motivated to be productive and do these things while trapped in my house with little variation or activity around me. If you’re in a similar spot right now, keep on reading to find out how to get your creative mojo back. These are tips I’ve been using to help me stay inspired while writing, but they’re definitely not writing specific.

  1. Find a slightly different environment to work in.

I understand that we’re all in different situations and might not have as much freedom or the space to have specific workspaces, but just do whatever you can to switch up your surroundings. If you normally work in your room, try working in the kitchen. If you normally work at a desk, try laying everything out on the floor and working there- I actually love working on the floor, believe it or not. Also, try not to work in your bed, as it’s harder to stay productive and maintain a separation between rest and activity in your brain if you’re working in bed.

2. Look at Pinterest.

No matter what you’re trying to get done or what you’re seeking inspiration for, there’s probably oodles of content related to it on Pinterest. Make an inspiration board or just find examples of whatever you hope to make/accomplish. You could even make a collage of pictures you like from Pinterest and set it to your phone or laptop background so you’ll be reminded of it.

3. Be gentle with yourself.

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to be creating content or being productive. This is a difficult and strange time for everyone, and it’s okay to take breaks or just not do anything on some days. Spend time with your family and do other fun things you usually don’t have time to do that don’t require much thought; it might be just the brain break you need to give you a new burst of inspiration.

4. Consider the time.

I couldn’t figure out how to word this better, but this is an event that will go down in history, so if you’re looking for inspiration, draw from what’s going on around you. Who knows? Your interpretation of these current events through art, writing, videography/photography, et cetera could be primary sources as to what was going on in history when people look back on this time. I’m sure we all have a lot of conflicting feelings surrounding how COVID-19 is affecting us and our world, so use that in whatever you’re working on. Embrace it!

5. Try something new.

You have all this time to work on what you love doing, but that also means you have all this time to try other new things that you may fall in love with! If you’re struggling to find inspiration for one thing, get out of your comfort zone and do something completely different. When I had a little case of writer’s block, I tried sketching, something I would never usually gravitate towards since I’m not a good artist. It was actually really fun, and I returned to my writing afterwards. Find a different creative outlet, try it out, and when you’re done use that experience to get inspired in what you were doing previously.

I hope these tips helped you out and inspire you to seek out even more inspiration 🙂 Like I’ve mentioned a million times, these are unprecedented and strange times, but we might as well make the most out of them. Whatever that looks like for you, I hope you find the inspiration you’re looking for and use this time to your advantage. Stay healthy and safe.

Brooke

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My Blogging Goals

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I’ve been blogging on here since June of 2019, and I’d like to think that I’ve made a lot of progress, grown my blog a decent amount (not a ton, but more than I expected!) and come up with a lot of interesting content. That being said, I know this is only the beginning and I plan to keep blogging for a long time, so I thought it might be interesting if I shared my blogging goals with you all. Also, by writing them down and sending them out into the universe, hopefully they’ll come true. If you want to hear my goals for this blog or get inspired to set goals for your own blog, keep on reading!

Goal One: Figure out what my main “purpose” of this blog is, or determine some sort of genre/niche.

I’ve explored many different topics on this blog and tend to write about whatever I want or whatever pops into my head that week, which has been wonderful! It’s a great creative outlet, and I’ve enjoyed getting to see how people respond to the different types of content I’ve posted. However, I feel that as I’ve gained more readers, there may be a split in what people followed/came across my blog for. I don’t want to be disappointing people who came to my blog in search of a certain type of content, and then completely shift away from posting that type of content. Also, many expert bloggers suggest you have a specific niche or topic you blog about in order to connect with your audience. Right now, my blog is kind of just me in blog form, offering up any advice I have and discussing my high school adventures (that’s where the name came from!). I don’t want to limit myself to only writing posts centered around one topic, but I’d like to kind of narrow my focus so it’s easier to connect with you guys and help people find the content they’re looking for.

Goal Two: Make blog friends and find blogs similar to mine.

I’ve come across a few really cool blogs, and I tend to check out a lot of the people who end up liking my posts or following me (and I check out everyone who leaves a comment :)), but I haven’t interacted with other bloggers as much as I’d like to. I’d be interested in possibly doing a guest post exchange with people, and just meeting people who like to write about the same things I do, because that would obviously mean we have some things in common and would get along. Blogging is a form of social media, so I want to make my blog a more, well, social experience.

Goal Three: Figure out how to optimize my blog’s SEO/get people to be able to see my blog when they search stuff.

I have no idea if I worded this correctly or how to do this, but I know WordPress has tools that can help. I just want this blog to get more exposure since I work really hard on it and have enjoyed the slow, steady growth so far. I’m definitely not doing this to make money or to get famous as I know how unlikely that is and that wasn’t my intention in making a blog; I’ve created this blog as a safe, creative space to share my thoughts and hopefully some helpful advice. That being said, I want to make sure my thoughts and advice get seen, especially by people who are searching for content like mine! I have to figure out how to do this, but I’m sure some online research will do the trick.

Goal Four: Make my blog more aesthetically pleasing and organized, formatting-wise.

I have a basic layout and I haven’t experimented much with the things I can do with my blog page. I’d like to make it represent me and my content a little more. I’d also like to organize the different categories of posts I make better so it’s easier to navigate in case anyone’s confused (I know I would be) by all the different types of content I have on my page. Again, this is something I could probably figure out easily by doing some online research or just reading WordPress’s guides, but I’ve held off just because even once I know how to edit these things, I’m not sure where I want to go with it/how I want to customize my site.

Those are my four main blogging goals at the moment. I hope they inspire you fellow small (or medium, or large!) bloggers out there, or just gave you some insight into what I hope I can do with this blog in the near future. I highly recommend starting a blog even if you don’t know what you want to do with it- that’s what I did at first, and now it’s something I look forward to working on every week.

Brooke

Trying to Improve Your Life? Read This!

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

This is going to be a more random post, as it’s an idea I’ve had in my drafts since October. I figured now was a good time to finally write it, as I knew I (and you guys, too) could use some positivity during these disheartening and crazy times. I’m just going to be sharing with you a few places I’ve found inspiration and helpful words of encouragement, particularly about being successful in certain aspects of life/improving one’s life. If you’re interested, keep on reading!

For general tips:

  • Using the Law of Attraction – I’m not the best person to explain this, but the main principle is that your attitude manifests things into your life because the universe is giving you what aligns with your vibrations. In order to bring good things into your life, you should not only be positive, but think about them as if you already have what you want/being grateful for it. Good resources for learning about the Law of Attraction are thelawofattraction.com, The Secret documentary on Netflix, and YouTube videos if you just look it up (I found Luca Whitaker’s to be simple and helpful).
  • Looking at motivating websites – I’m a sucker for a motivational article. Recently I’ve liked looking at success.com because they have a ton of articles about how to be successful and productive in different areas of your life. Honestly, finding a specific website/publication/magazine that aligns with what you’re currently interested is a great way to improve your current mindset regarding that aspect of your life, whatever it is.
  • Pinterest – I know this seems like a weird thing to recommend, just a straight-out social media platform, but Pinterest is such a good platform when you need motivation or inspiration. I like to look up inspirational quotes and find some that I like, but a lot of people also use the Law of Attraction by making a Pinterest board of things they want to manifest/their dream life.

For improving blogging:

  • The Art of Blogging by Christian Mihai – I don’t have too much experience in seeking out resources for how to blog correctly because I made my blog for fun, but this blog by Christian Mihai here on WordPress taught me a lot about the basics. If you’re looking to turn your blog into a business or trying to get on the track to success, definitely read his posts.

For improving your grades/academic life:

  • ANY book by Cal Newport – I read one of Cal Newport’s books a year ago, and it was so eye opening. He has great, blunt advice about how to succeed in school (both high school and college/grad school) without going insane and burning yourself out, and I just find his advice reassuring in general. I can’t say I’ve put all his advice into practice, but I try to live by most of his advice and it truly is helpful, even if you can’t put it into practice completely either.
  • Studygrams – Looking at YouTubers or Studygram accounts on Instagram (Study for Success is one of my favorites, and she has Instagram and YouTube) motivates me because I see their studying routines and perfect notes, and I want that for myself. You might get some serious handwriting envy 😉 but it’s worth it if it motivates you.
  • Pomodoro method – Get an app that has a Pomodoro timer; it just times your studying/working for 25 minute sections with 5 minute breaks to maximize productivity. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it might work for you!

For improving writing:

  • Keep writing – Yeah, I’m not an expert writer. No one really is. But if you keep doing something, you’re bound to get better at it. Try writing a poem every day, or blocking out a certain amount of time (even if only 15 minutes) everyday to write something.
  • Read – I know, I know, everyone says this. But it’s true! By reading more, I’ve been so inspired to try different things in my writing, and you get to see what works for different genres and styles of writers.
  • Send your writing where it will get feedback – For teens, I recommend submitting your work to Polyphony Lit. You’ll have the chance at getting published, but even if your work is rejected, they have multiple editors (I’m one of them!) whose job is to write a complete set of commentary on each piece, so you’ll get tons of feedback in the end. Otherwise, find fellow writers who are willing to exchange work, or forums (Reddit, maybe?).

I know there are so many aspects of life you might be looking to improve, so I’m sorry that I only specifically addressed a few; however, I thought it made the most sense to just address the 4 main topics I discuss on this blog. I hope this helps you out, and inspires you to try out some of the things I mentioned. Please let me know if any of them end up working out for you.

Brooke

Why Do We Never Feel Good Enough?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As you can probably tell from the title of this post, today I’m going to be discussing the always relevant question of why us lowly humans never feel good enough in society, and why we are such an insecure bunch. Of course there’s both scientific and unscientific reasons for this, but the purpose of me making these posts is just to share my own opinions, so forgive me for the lack of official “research” in this post. I am by no means trying to be a psychology expert or make a claim that applies to everyone, I’m just opening it up as sort of a debatable topic.

People have always been insecure and there’s always been the issue of comparing one’s self to others, but this has all been amplified in the age of social media and everyone curating their lives to showcase their best selves online. It’s especially harmful to teenagers since we’re probably the ones that spend the most time online, and here we have a plethora of all-too-perfect seeming people to compare ourselves to as we grow up and are going through our puberty/awkward stages.

One of the stranger things is that a lot of the people us teens are comparing ourselves to are other teens, specifically influencers that have gone viral over night, usually look way older than they are, and get paid to promote brands and travel. I grew up on YouTube watching the definition of “YouTuber” and “influencer” change, and I’ve always idolized these girls my age who aren’t really doing anything that I couldn’t do, it’s just that they happen to be the ones who did it and got lucky enough to become successful from it.

However, I don’t want to spend this whole post talking about social media. There’s definitely a lot of other reasons why people have low self-esteem or don’t feel good enough. Sometimes it’s a lack of self-love that’s deep-rooted in whatever insecurities one may have, and sometimes it’s just a general feeling of failure. I know lots of times when I don’t feel good enough it’s just because I didn’t reach a goal of mine or do something as well as I wanted. I also put a lot of pressure on myself and I always want to make my parents proud. I hate disappointing people, so if I feel like I am then that will make me feel worse too.

Also, hustle culture has become a huge thing in post-grad life. I’m still in high school so I don’t know much about it, but I’ve seen lots of YouTubers in their twenties or in the end of their college years reference it. There’s this stigma where you always have to be doing something and working towards accomplishments and goals at a young age, when some people don’t really know what they want to be doing and are just trying to find themselves before they have to settle down.

Speaking of that, I’m surprised I didn’t mention the pressure to get into college first. In high school, especially at fairly competitive schools like mine (I can’t even imagine what it’s like at prep schools), there’s definitely the pressure to be in tough classes and performing well and getting high scores on standardized tests and eventually, getting into elite schools. If you’re not keeping up with all this, it can feel disheartening, especially if you still hope to get into an elite school. An important thing to note though is that obviously elite schools aren’t everything, and there’s a lot of people who don’t even go to college and are still successful- it all depends.

I think the reason you may or may not feel good about yourself varies a lot- there’s so many variables and a lot of these groupings/categories of stigmas that I mentioned also depend on your age group/demographic. The point is, there’s always going to be things and people trying to knock you down, so it’s important to know your worth and love yourself for who you are- then, you can’t easily be defined as “good enough” or “not good enough” based on other people’s criteria.

Brooke

How to Deal With Mental Hiccups in Your Day

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’ve been going deep into my drafts for inspiration, and the idea of this post came to me in November. It’s crazy how time has been flying this school year, and there are so many post ideas I had from the end of 2019 that I still haven’t been able to write. It’s kind of fitting that I waited to write this one until now, because I’ve definitely experienced a lot of obstacles and challenges mentally in the past few months, and it’s crazy how much things have changed this year so far. If you’ve been having a rough time lately and are just trying to get through day-to-day life, here’s what’s been helping me lately.

  • Breathe. I know it sounds cheesy, but seriously. Taking a few deep breaths takes only a couple seconds, but it can completely calm your body. Having your body physically de-stress and alleviate tension is just as important as doing so mentally.
  • Think about the big picture. Often times I’ll be dreading a certain event or day throughout the week, but the reality is as soon it comes it will be over. If you think this way, you might actually look forward to things you’re dreading (that’s a nice little paradox) because as soon as you have to face them, they’ll be done and over with. And once something’s in the past, you can’t worry about trying to fix or change it, because what’s done is done.
  • Get a good sleep. I know this is challenging depending on your schedule or if you just have trouble sleeping, but it’s crucial and can also shift your mood a lot. I need my sleep or else I’m even more of a hot mess, so staying up late to study and do work usually isn’t worth it. If you feel like you’re falling apart, it’s time to take a little rest, no matter how busy you are- you won’t be productive if you keep working anyways.
  • Treat yourself when you can. This also looks different for every person, but that’s why it’s so great. Depending on what motivates you and what you’re able to do at the moment, find whatever nice little things you can do for yourself. Eat your favorite food, or give yourself ten minutes to read a book or watch your favorite TV show, and then get back to whatever grind you’re on.
  • Talk to someone who can relate. If you’re struggling with a certain challenge such as extreme stress from school or work, family problems, or grieving the loss of a loved one, find support in people who are going through similar things. It’s so therapeutic to talk to someone who actually understands, because you can go more into detail and you won’t feel like you’re annoying the other person because everything is mutual.
  • Talk to someone close to you. The reason I put this as separate from talking to someone who can relate is because often you’ll have to go to more external sources to find someone who can relate, but talking to someone in your inner circle of friends or family is still important. It’s the best when someone who’s seen you struggle and already knows how to cheer you up can listen to you and guide you, and you know they have your best interests at heart.

These are just a few of the easiest and most crucial ways to help yourself get through some tough times in daily life. Obviously they’re not cures for whatever is going on, but it’s important to build your set of coping tools and learn to express your emotions in a healthy way. I am always here if any of you need to talk as well.

Brooke

From 0 Interests to Lots – Find Yours!

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Are you looking for a hobby or a new activity to fill some empty space in your life, but can’t seem to figure out where to even start? Have you always passed your free time without any structure and are looking for something more outside of school or work? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, you’ve found the right place! I was in your shoes not too long ago, and since then I’ve found plenty of hobbies and interests to occupy my time. Here’s my tips on how to figure out what you actually like spending your time doing, and how to get started pursuing it.

  • Think about who you admire. Sometimes, thinking about the people you look up to can remind you of your personal goals. If you’re constantly keeping up with girlboss YouTubers who have their own podcasts, maybe you want to start your own YouTube channel or podcast. If you’re obsessed with certain fashion designers maybe you want to get into making your own clothes. It can be something simple or something complicated, but your idols can say a lot about you.
  • Consider the things you do when you have free time. What do you do when you’re not busy and no one’s telling you what to do? Yes, even TV and scrolling through social media can count. Whatever you generally lean towards doing, find a way to channel that into a hobby. Sometimes, these things actually already are hobbies- I know a lot of people who claim they don’t do anything but are amazing artists who make these beautiful drawings in their free time. That’s definitely a super cool interest/hobby! If you’re looking to do something more with it, you can make a social media account and share your art with the world or do commissions though, for example.
  • Take advantage of opportunities around you. What’s available at your school? Go to club rush, go to interest meetings, pick electives that sound interesting- these all might lead you down a path of something you end up loving. Talk to teachers or your counselor about possible things you might like or activities you should join based on what your favorite subjects in school are, and always look at bulletin boards around your community for opportunities outside of school.
  • Think about your future goals. This only applies if you’ve set long-term goals for yourself, but I know in high school a lot of people have, so I’m hoping it applies to a lot of you. If you’ve always said you want to be a lawyer when you grow up, get involved in debate or mock trial. If you want to be a teacher, start tutoring people or join some other academic groups. Sometimes looking at the big picture can point you in direction of what you want to do now- it’s a win-win because you can test out if you’d actually like to go into that field when you’re older.

These are just a few ways to find some new interests; I know it can be overwhelming. I went from feeling like I wasn’t interested in anything to being interested in so many things I couldn’t commit to joining an activity dedicated to each of them. There really are so many opportunities out there- you just have to find them and take advantage of them, and if they don’t work out you can always make your own. I’m no expert on finding your passion, but I’m always here to help or offer what advice I can, so please let me know if you have any questions.

Brooke

How to Pick Up New Skills & Why It’s Hard

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I’ve tried a lot of new things this school year, and I’m glad I have. That being said, every time I would go to try something new, a little voice in my head would hope this would be my “thing”, the thing I was good at from the get-go, the thing that came naturally to me. I know it’s important to start new activities with an open mind because it takes practice and hard work to perfect a skill, but I couldn’t help wishing I had some sort of specific talent or activity I was known for being good at.

If you’re trying to pick up some new skills of your own, you’re in the right place. It’s definitely challenging to dive into something new, but I’m here to help you guys out. I’ve definitely been there, and I still am constantly trying to master new skills, so we’re all in this together!

  • Be open-minded – I know, it’s basic, but it’s so important. Keeping an open mind is crucial because you’re never sure if you’re actually going to like something or be good at it until you try and put in an honest effort! Even if something seems difficult, give it a full shot before you write it off as not being for you.
  • Put the work in – As I mentioned before, you don’t have to be a superstar at the first practice/meeting/whatever it is that you’re doing. Make sure you’re giving your best efforts and don’t complain or get discouraged based on your beginning skill level. Be willing to try it out a few times/for a while if possible.
  • Think about what you like the best – What do you genuinely enjoy doing? Find activities or pastimes that would serve those interests- you’ll probably end up being better at these things anyways.
  • Make time for it – If your activity is kind of an afterthought and you’re always rushing through it, you can’t expect to be fully proud of the results. Don’t commit to something unless you know you have the time for it, and make sure you can fit it into your schedule.
  • Enjoy it!! – Have a positive attitude towards whatever new thing you’re doing. It will most likely make it at least twice as fun and you’ll have an easier time picking up the skill and mastering it. Don’t see everything you do as something to conquer- enjoy the experience while you’re there, and be grateful for the learning opportunities you have.

I hope this helps you guys out if you’re intimidated by getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things. I was always like that in middle school and even freshman year, but this year I pushed myself out of my little bubble and tried so many new things, and it’s been the best thing for me. Every experience you have contributes to your overall learning experience, so don’t worry about being an expert at everything you do! That being said, picking up new skills is wonderful and useful, so I wish you all the best in doing so 🙂

Brooke

Volunteer Project Inspiration – No-Sew Blankets

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I have something a little different to share with you all. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you would know that I volunteer a lot through a variety of organizations and groups both inside and outside of school. For one of the volunteer groups I’m in outside of school, we often make no-sew fleece blankets. We volunteer these blankets to a variety of charities and groups of people in need; the most recent batch was donated to a local charity that works with foster kids.

It’s a super easy way to give back, and the only supplies you need are fleece from a fabric store and scissors. You choose a length and width of the strips and cut the piece of fleece on all sides, and then you tie every two pieces together into any knot of your choosing. It took me about 10-15 minutes per blanket, and I’ve made dozens over the course of all the meetings where my volunteer group worked on them. The one thing I would say to be careful of is to not make the knots too tight, since the fabric will start to bunch up and make weird rounded corners if you do.

It’s an easy and rewarding project. If you’re looking to get involved in your community or start your own volunteering, try getting a group of friends together and making a big batch of these blankets, then finding a worthy cause to donate them to. I would recommend trying to find coupons and deals for whatever fabric store you buy the fleece from it, because it can be a little pricey if you buy large amounts at a time.

I found this picture off of Google Images (credit: Virginia Club of New York) but it’s basically what the blankets should look like when tied.

I hope you consider taking on this project! It’s always nice to give back to people in your community and even though the winter’s almost over, it’s still chilly and there are always people who are looking to stay warm. I know I felt good whenever I turned some blankets in or folded up a stack I had made and saw the impact my volunteer group would have on these kids being able to stay warm.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed hearing about this fun way to give back. I love to volunteer in any way that I can, and I just wanted to pass an idea along for others to do the same. Let me know if you end up trying it, and how it goes!

Brooke

Starting New Projects and Expectations

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

This is going to be a little positive affirmation and advice to any teens out there who have an idea for a project they want to execute but are scared to start. I was in your shoes before I started this blog, and I’m still in your shoes because I have tons of other ideas I would love to make a reality but am slightly scared of them failing. I know it’s hard, and that’s why I’m here to tell you it’s possible, and not nearly as scary as we think at first.

I now feel silly that I was so scared to start up my blog, because it was actually so simple! It’s pretty small so it’s not that big of a deal to maintain, but I was still so scared just because everyone makes you think that starting something on your own is scary. Yes, some things are scarier than others- starting a business or anything that’s more high-risk would definitely be a lot more work than me deciding to start this blog, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

It’s so important to have people that support you and help you get through the first couple steps. Once you do that, it’s really not that hard to keep going! You’ll learn so much from the process of being a self-starter, and hopefully you’ll have some tangible results that you can look at and be proud of.

Another misconception I see a lot is people thinking that starting your own club, business, nonprofit, social media presence, etc. is either a total success or total failure. They might be scared it’s going to fail at first, but if it works out, they have super high expectations of it growing to be huge and famous. These high expectations can completely come true with the right mindset, work ethic, and timing, but things aren’t so black and white. There’s definitely an in between- you can have a YouTube channel with a few thousand subscribers that’s successful but not huge, and you can have a business that’s profiting but is only local. It shouldn’t make you unhappy with your progress if you’re trucking along but not an overnight viral success.

It can be really hard to get yourself out of that slump of feeling like your accomplishments aren’t big enough, and you’re not succeeding at the level you would like to, but don’t let yourself get discouraged. Remaining positive and working to grow your idea in the future will lead you to reach those goals eventually. Don’t lose hope or faith in yourself 🙂

I believe that each and every one of you has the potential to launch a project that can help people in your community in some way. If you find yourself wanting to make a difference, don’t be afraid to start!

Brooke

My Stationary & Writing Essentials

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

As you all know, I love to write. Between blogging, my creative writing, and schoolwork, I do a lot of it. Therefore, I’ve learned a lot about what writing utensils I like best and what other things I like to have to make my writing process go smoother. I know there’s a ton of stationary addicts and studygrams out there, so I thought this would be an interesting post to do. I’m not too much of a stationary enthusiast beyond studygram stalking on Instagram, but I do enjoy having nice pens and such, so keep reading if you want to see what I use.

Before I go into my list, I wanted to clarify that none of these are actual “essentials.” Although I prefer to use these items when I have a more formal and organized set-up while working, when ideas flow I will write with whatever I have, just trying to get my thoughts out on paper. You obviously don’t have to buy expensive stationary or have a perfect desk set-up to be organized and write well, so don’t take this post as me saying that 🙂

  • Pilot G-2 pens (0.38 mm) – These are my all-time favorite pens for taking notes and doing school work. I’ll use the 0.5 or 0.7 mm versions as well, but the 0.38 is my favorite because it’s easier to write small.
  • PaperMate Flair pens – I mainly use these for school projects and notes, but I like having so many color options in a thicker pen. I don’t like using these outside of school purposes though, because then their thickness becomes inconvenient.
  • PaperMate ClearPoint mechanical pencils (0.5 mm) – I do not like writing in pencil, but if I am, it’s with one of these. I’ll use the 0.7 mm but I like the 0.5 mm better. I like that these take a pretty long time to go through lead, and they just don’t get as dull as other mechanical pencils.
  • Post-It note mini tabs – I don’t know if this is really stationary, but it’s another main thing I use for school work and organizing paper at home. What I mean by “mini tabs” is the ones that are super small and you can stick out of a book or a notebook just to mark your place- I do this in my school books when there’s an important quote or to separate sections of the book for easy flip-throughs.
  • Zebra Mildliners – I finally hopped on the bandwagon by asking for these for Christmas, and I love them. They’re really fun to practice calligraphy with once you get the hang of it as well. I kind of just use them for fun and my creative projects, but they would definitely be great for school notes too.
  • Zebra Sarasa pens – My mom accidentally ordered these instead of the Mildliners at first, but she ended up keeping them because she liked them. They write smoothly and I have a whole pack so there’s a lot of color choices- I’ve enjoyed them thus far.
  • Rocketbook reusable notebook – I’ve talked about this quite a few times on my blog and I have a full-blown review that you should go check out if you haven’t already, but it’s a super convenient way for me to write down to-do lists and other things I don’t intend on keeping without wasting paper. I also like to do creative writing in here sometimes.

I will say I also have a 3-pack of the beloved Muji pens (0.38 mm) that I got for Christmas, but I haven’t used them on a daily basis so I’m not sure what I think of them yet. I’m sure I’ll love them based on how much everyone else does though. I know I’m no stationary expert, but I do know what I like, and I enjoy trying out new pens and other cute things.

I know all of these things are pretty basic in the stationary world, but it’s genuinely what I like to use. Let me know if there’s any less-basic pens you think I need to try, as I would love recommendations 🙂

Brooke