Pens, planners, and friends! Oh my!

Hi, fellow pen and stationery lovers! I’m SuperPlannerGirl (feel free to call me SPG), and as you can tell by my handle, I’m a lover of planners and all things planner-related—whether it’s pens, paper, washi tape, stickers, ink, or whatever else, you can count me in. Today I’d like to share with you how planners and stationery have enriched my life and brought me into contact with new people and new experiences!

Planners: the early years

My love for planners goes back as far as I can remember. As early as 3^rd grade or so, I started to find the value in using a planner to help me keep track of my assignments. I continued to use them all the way through my high school and college years.

When I became a high school English teacher, my lesson planner also became an invaluable tool. In 2011, shortly after my daughter was born, I started using an Erin Condren Life Planner. This opened me up to a new level of stationery game! I started going down the rabbit hole with stickers, washi tape, matching stationery cards, personalized planner covers—you name it, I used it!

Discovering fountain pens

During these years of my pen and planner journey, a friend and I discovered the beauty of fountain pens through a planner that we had in common, the Inkwell Press Planner. The planner company's owner recommended a Kaweco Sport—and I decided to start with a mint blue one. It was adorable, affordable, had a fine nib that put down a nice thin line—and of course, it worked perfectly in my planner.

The next stop in my pen journey was a TWSBI Classic in Turquoise! It was also a great pen, and I started opening up to new ink colors and properties along with broader nibs. It wasn’t long before this pen was joined by more, including my beloved Sailors. I will save the details of my pen collection for another time, but it currently sits at ten pens! I am grateful to own these special writing instruments. I am thankful to have found a writing instrument that decreases my hand pain, allows me to connect with friends I would not have otherwise met, and generally adds joy to my life through writing!

Other fountain pen users exist?

Around this time, I joined r/fountainpens on Reddit. I have always loved sharing photos and ideas with others who have similar hobbies. This community made me feel welcome, and for me it was an abundant source of ideas and knowledge. As I discovered wider nibs and more fascinating inks, I found that my existing planner could no longer accommodate my pen life, as the paper was not designed for heavier use of broad nib fountain pen nibs. I embarked on the search for a new planner that would be more fountain-pen-friendly.

In summer 2020, I purchased my first Hobonichi Avec planner (A5) based on the recommendations of my fellow pen enthusiasts. Since then I have continued to use the Hobonichi system. I occasionally get shiny object syndrome and look at other planners, but I've always landed back with the Hobonichi. The Hobonichi system feels like the perfect match for my brain, allowing me to see the months and the weeks ahead, along with daily pages for journaling and notes. To me, it is a perfect all-in-one planner system.

Pens and inks

My fountain pens are truly a joy to write with. My preferred pen is a Sailor Pro Gear with a Medium or Broad nib. I have experienced a significant amount of hand and wrist pain in the past. I'm still healing, but using fountain pens has helped to make my pain more manageable during this process.

I also have some hand-turned pens in my collection that are very special to me. One of them I acquired at my first pen show, the Atlanta Pen Show 2024. The other two were hand-turned by my husband with help from a friend who makes fountain pens/resins. They are beautiful and even more special since they were made with love by someone who is very important to me.

I also love fountain pen inks. The sheen! The shimmer! The shading! Where else can you get all of this?? To me, this is part of what makes using fountain pens a truly special experience. I enjoy changing ink colors to make my writing experiences more fun and unique, and I've even participated in ink sample swaps! I have used fountain pen inks for various art projects, too. I always love the fact that in regard to inks, there is so much more to discover!

Use what you love!

Using my pens in my planner brings a sense of joy and security to my life. I am now a stay-at-home mom, and sometimes I don’t feel like my life is worthy of keeping a detailed planner. I struggle with a chronic health condition, and a lot of times, my “to-do list” is either small or repetitive. However, the planner helps me keep up with appointments, my teen daughter’s activities, and details of my daily life. Sometimes it functions as a tool, and sometimes it works merely as a journal and memory keeper.

But above all, I enjoy using it. It’s something that's uniquely mine, and it helps me feel confident in keeping up with the small details of my life. And the completed planner is a fun and interesting memento to look back on. As time goes by, small details can be hard to recall! I’m of the opinion that no matter where you are in life, you should embrace the things that bring you joy, even if they’re seemingly small or insignificant. It’s a lot easier to feel that joy if you can pull a book off the shelf and remember moments and details that you might not be able to otherwise.

The power of friendship

Using pens and planners bring me joy—but nothing could replace the fact that the pen and stationery communities have been a pathway to friendships that will surely outlast any material item. I started connecting with pen pals a few years ago via Reddit. I love writing letters—another reason to use my pens and stationery! I enjoy the anticipation of a return letter arriving, and the joy when I receive it.

A few of these people have become trusted, valuable friends—you guys know who you are! Though I have yet to meet them “IRL”, I text with them, bounce life ideas off them, and enjoy sharing parts of my life that are not related to stationery (yes, those exist, too!!). They have encouraged me, cheered me on during hard times, shared my love for pens when no one else ‘gets it’, and all around have made life brighter and better. They’re also handy for helping me track down that impossible-to-find Sailor or region-exclusive ink!

I appreciate these friends greatly and I hope that I have also been a good friend to them. As I continue down this journey, I hope to pass on the love of pen and paper to more people in my life. I look forward to discovering new insights and building new friendships, one planner at a time! Feel free to reach out to me with any planner-related questions, I’m always happy to help and share my love of this fascinating world!