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I love stationery. Putting pen to paper is my jam, and I will bury you under recommendations for good writing tools and office supplies. So I'm making a page for them, just because rounding up all my favorites sounds unbelievably fun to me. Of note: I will link to all of these products on JetPens.com because I love them, but none of these are sponsored or affiliate links of any kind. Buy them where you want to (but you will make me sad if you buy them on amazon).

My Current Notebooks

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  • Planner :: Hobonichi Hon A6 :: My planner and daily journal. I've been using a Hobonichi for two full years now, and am on my third. I have written in it every day without fail (except the one time I got so sick I slept through an entire Tuesday). I use it as a reading log, planner, daily journal, mood tracker, and address book. ADHD means that the 'record' button on my brain is often broken, and it's been so so so useful to be able to look back on written memories that my brain is bad at.
  • Brain Dump Journal :: Jetpens Kanso Noto :: Brain dump, morning pages, freewriting... it's one of those things. This is a larger journal where I write when I need to get the words out of my head because they're making too much noise rattling around in there. The notebook itself is nice, but the paper is a tad thinner than I've used before and tends to wrinkle with my wetter fountain pen inks. I haven't decided whether I will stick with this one for the next volume, or go with a different one.
  • Fandom Journal :: Apica Premium C.D. Notebook :: This used to be my daily journal, but I didn't keep up with it. At some point I started using it as a catch-all notebook, but even that didn't stick. The back third of the book has been my "fandom journal" lately, where I make artsy journal spreads about whatever I'm into at the moment. Like a K-Pop journal, except that I don't listen to much K-Pop, so it's TV shows and books and episodes of Critical Role. It's okay, but the paper gets picky about what inks I can use on it without showing through the next page. I think next time I'll go with a Midori notebook instead.
  • Stay On Task notebook :: Off-brand A7 spiral notebook :: Ahh, the ADHD feeling... "Hey who is that actor? I'll pause the movie and look him up on my phone. Whoops, it's two hours later and the movie is still paused." This is a junk notebook where I write thoughts as they occur to me. They're the ones that I know "I'll remember that later" is a lie, but I also don't want to stop what I'm doing to deal with it right now. It allows me to create space between thoughts so they don't become impulses. My to-do lists also live here so I can see how many times I've put off "clear out a drawer". Next time I think I'll go with an A6 size, as the A7 is a little too small for what I need.
  • Commonplace book :: Sunny Light Notebook :: Things that have a longer shelf-life than the junk spiral notebook. This is where recipes go, along with long-term to-do lists, like larger projects that need to be broken down into bits. Sometimes I write down funny things my friends say or quotes from books I've read. I put pretty stickers in this one to keep me wanting to come back to it. This is probably my favorite notebook on this list besides my planner.
  • Zine ideas :: Delfonics Rollbahn Spiral Notebook :: The paper holds up nicely to my fountain pens, so this is where I outline and write out ideas for zines (still haven't completed any) or blog posts I want to write. I need to use this notebook more often.
  • Jes vs Witch Books :: Artist's Loft Dot Journal :: Currently on Volume 4, all using the same type of notebook in different colors. This is where I take extensive notes on whatever witch book I am currently going over with a fine-tooth comb. Each book I read gets a different pen/highlighter/sticker color scheme so I can easily find old notes as I flip through. Also a lot of times the books are really shitty, so having some pretty stickers makes me feel better about suffering through them.
  • The Fancy Grimoire :: handmade :: This is the fucker that got me into stationery. What started off as an art journal where I used markers, printed images, and whatever ballpoint pen was nearby, I quickly found that I wanted to use nicer stationery supplies in it, and ten years later, I'm a stationery snob. Don't look at me.

Pens

↓ Ballpoint
  • Uni Jetstream :: This one is an excellent pen to start with upgrading your stationery game. It is a standard ballpoint pen, so it's the same kind of oil-based waterproof ink that you can hilight over that you would expect from a basic-ass Bic pen, but it's so much nicer. The ink flows more like a gel pen. If you make no other upgrades to your stationery, make this one. It is also gaining popularity in the States, so you may be able to find it at an office supply store near you. I've even seen them occasionally at Barnes & Noble.
Gel Pen
  • Zebra bLen :: This gel pen was designed to be quiet, and have no rattling sounds as you write. But what keeps me reaching for it is that ink. It is unbelievably smooth, and writing with it is such a nice experience that it makes me want to write more. The ink is beautifully dark, so not only is it pleasant to write with, but it's also nice to read back your own writing.
Fountain Pen
  • Pilot Preppy :: [Black ink refill] [Ink converter] :: Look, here's the thing. If you want to get into fountain pens, start here. It is $5.50, and it absolutely keeps pace with the fanciest fountain pens out there. It is cheap enough that it won't be heartbreaking if you lose or break it, but it does not sacrifice any features. Usually fountain pens will dry out if left unused for too long, but the Preppy has a special cap designed to keep it from drying out for a year. My ADHD ass will confirm that you can leave this pen untouched for an entire year, and it will still write as soon as you pick it up. You can still open up the pen and clean it exactly as you would any other fountain pen, so it's also a good one to start teaching you basic fountain pen care. The ink cartridges mean that you can very easily pop in a refill when you just need a pen that writes, but the availability of the converter means that you can also use this pen with bottled inks if you want to expand your horizons beyond the basic colors that Pilot offers.
  • TWSBI Eco :: If you're ready to upgrade to a fancier fountain pen, TWSBI (said "TWIZ-bee") is a great one. Sitting at around $36, it's still in a reasonable price range while still being a nice sturdy pen that will last. You're going to need bottled ink with this pen, but it holds a great deal of ink, which means less refilling. The fine or medium nibs are good ones to start with, keeping in mind that a wider nib means you can't write quite as small but it shows off the subtleties of your bottled ink better than a fine point.