On a less positive note: burnout (not the house this time I promise)

I probably should’ve used that pun for a notebook review

Fair warning: this post is not really too related to pens, but it kinda is, and I wanted to bring up something us millennials just expect at this point.

Burnout.

Let’s face it, it happens to us all. One day, you bought your 145th pen, and the next, you wonder if you should have put a down payment on a house instead of investing in fountain pens. And then you feel like anything you’d want to write about has already been written about.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering why anyone would get tired of something that gives them pleasure, and you’d probably end up thinking you need a new hobby. Well, not this time, fellow nerds. Not this time.

You see, fountain pens, unlike other hobbies and hobby subjects, are versatile enough that one doesn’t have to just write about them, or even write with them. Some people collect limited edition Safaris or TWSBIs, the latter of which I absolutely condone. Some people are on a more creative side; I have recently been pointed towards a pretty cool website called fountainpenlove.com and I’m currently trying to figure out why doodling is both fun and super frustrating at the same time. John Bosley seems to know what they’re doing, and here I am drawing myself into a corner!

I’m a big fan of ink washes as well, although my patience is about as long as my hair, and let’s just say I use 0.5mm clippers for the sake of argument.

There are people out there who don’t just write with fountain pens; they draw and make these elaborate spreads that make my jaw hurt from it dropping on the floor. YouTube videos full of colors and breathtaking calligraphy. I have a recent friend who draws fountain pens like there’s no tomorrow (hi Coati!).

Others, like myself, like to use pens as well as tinker with them and play with them and look at them. I’ve noticed that my stress levels go down significantly when I know a pen is coming my way, but I would like to step away from relying on small dopamine hits that become big wallet hits, as that type of relaxation may lead to something completely different¹, but also, I need to know to rely on these beautiful little objects for when all other objects become too much.

My current, very drawn out project is copying my favorite book in a notebook using one ink every page.

For all those people whose handwriting isn’t stunning, whose eye and hand cannot work in harmony to produce pieces of art that galleries would die to own, and writers who have a folder full of rejection letters²: we can at least turn to journaling and enjoying what we have far away from those eyes that pretend they never burnt out.

If nothing of this works for you, it’s also okay to step away from any hobby for any reason and take a deep breath somewhere else. I promise. The pens can wait; your life can’t. Hobby isn’t a hobby if it’s not enjoyable, it’s a chore, and no one likes chores.

I’m not stepping away at this moment, but it took me a bit of time to realize being productive also demands some respite; things only exist in their own opposition, and that’s what I wanted to share today.

1. Please tell me this reference is not outdated.

2. Calling myself out aren’t I