I turn to large capacity pens when my work load grows extensive. A deep well of ink in-hand is comforting, especially as my mental energy dwindles amongst balancing multiple simultaneous tasks. A comfort arising from shifting the immediacy of tracking ink levels to next week. Thou shall not run out of ink whilst feeling strapped for time.

My latest currently inked is a study of triplets. A change-up to six new pen-and-ink combinations.

Egging myself on is a reliable way to ensure I delve deeply into the ideas my intentional self wants to think through. I’m prone to short, targeted bouts of writing otherwise — especially during weeks off from teaching. The perks of embracing the wider side of stationery life.

One of the perks of having a sizable pen collection is rediscovering what I enjoy about pens I already own. A dopamine kick without a new purchase. That feeling of “oh now I recall why I really like this” that follows escaping my rut of choosing the same pens over and again.