True motivations, revisited
I revisit an old post from Anthony Newman’s blog to discuss motivations. Is it even possible to know what is an intrinsic motivation to acquire a pen, and what is peer modeling, or peer pressure?
Love in the long arc
As my years in the hobby progressed and my likes and passions became more refined, I began to notice a reluctance to let go of certain pens — even when I used them less than I wanted to. I’ve been curious, and often frustrated, with the friction between wanting to keep these pens and my self-imposed 20-ish pen guardrail.
Minimalism by any other name
I haven’t yet found the right word to describe my approach to collecting. It’s more of a vibe than principle.
Tariffs, a vibe
Many people wrote about going on a buying hiatus, or starting a low buy. I don’t know if people will actually slow down or stop buying, but the vibe has definitely soured.
Wanting and having
Pens are tools, but wanting them is about the life of emotions, the ebb and flow of mood and absence, the keen unspeakable discrepancy between the internal music and the cacophony of everyday. But what if that perfect depth of feeling is already in the pen box?
A Portable Sanctuary
When I leave home, even for a short while, the five or six fountain pens in their case become my portable sanctuary, a physical manifestation of respite, endeavor, and dream.
Reconnecting with my Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle
This post is about reconnecting with my Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle. This was my first grail. At various points since March 2021, I said that I should sell it; yet I did not. There is no other pen in the Gathering which I wanted as much, which has meant as much, which caused me this much trouble. Kind of like my writing career.
What are we looking for?
What are we looking for? I am infinitely curious about what collecting reveals about the humans we are, what makes us feel deeply the way nothing else can. For this post, I discuss some broad categories of experience that lead us to collect writing instruments.
The Gathering and the Menagerie
Over the years, I have gathered quite a few animal figurines; and just as my fountain pens are the Gathering, the animal figurines are the Menagerie.