Hi Ebony, fellow academic who follows you on Bluesky. I reluctantly stopped using pencils all the time in grad school, because I kept finding when I'd go back to look at my notes months/years later that my writing was faded and smeared. That was with a 0.7mm mechanical pencil, probably very similar to what you showed initially. I do still enjoy using pencils, but not, as you said, for anything I expect to be archival. I don't know if higher quality graphite has better archival quality. I did recently have a chance to visit the stationery section at a Muji in Tokyo and came home with (among many other things) a 2.0 mm mechanical pencil, which I now use for pattern drafting and modification in my hobby sewing. Love its bold lines. As for your question about planning, I'm a graph or dot-grid person, and I actually mostly prefer blank bound books at the moment, mainly because I have a decent memory for when and where on the page I've written something, so if I date all my entries I can still find things without too much trouble even when they are categorically all mixed up. My first "bullet journal" (I don't know if what I do counts as that, but it's the closest thing) had a plastic stencil in it, which I still use to mark things on the page, especially with all those other pens I got from Muji and elsewhere! I saw your sticker packs on another video and I was very interested in the simpler dots and such... that's a really interesting way to speed up some of my process while still making it useful and pretty. Also I love these showcases and am keeping things in mind for Christmas gifts and my own Christmas list. I do get a little overwhelmed with decision fatigue whenever I try to shop for something like that, though. There are *so* many choices nowadays. I hope it's ok for me to give you a little feedback on your presentation here? I find that your voice audio is soft compared to the music and sound effects you are using. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the music/effects are loud, since I can still hear you fine without changing my volume! Not a big deal when I'm watching with speakers, but with headphones in the difference was enough to make me flinch the first time the music came on. My only AV training is the self-training from when I had to record my own lectures starting in March 2020, so if I had to guess I'd suggest that maybe you should consider compressing your own audio a bit before normalising it when you process it? Or just make all the effects and music a bit softer? I'm really not sure, but still figured you'd want to know about this one data point. I will keep watching your videos. The authenticity really comes through. :) Your manicure is gorgeous, by the way!
Thanks so much for watching, Brooke! I really love hearing all about colleagues' planning and journaling processes. And visiting pen and stationery shops in Japan is certainly on my bucket list! I hear you about decision fatigue! :) I've certainly been there. Also, I really appreciate the positive constructive feedback! I've purchased a new mic and hope to find a good video editor soon. Again, thank you for following me on this journey! :)
I love that they give you a guide to the graphite in the pencil. It's the small details that really make the product pop.
I do too! The guides and details are very nice. The 602 is my fave!
Hi Ebony, fellow academic who follows you on Bluesky. I reluctantly stopped using pencils all the time in grad school, because I kept finding when I'd go back to look at my notes months/years later that my writing was faded and smeared. That was with a 0.7mm mechanical pencil, probably very similar to what you showed initially. I do still enjoy using pencils, but not, as you said, for anything I expect to be archival. I don't know if higher quality graphite has better archival quality. I did recently have a chance to visit the stationery section at a Muji in Tokyo and came home with (among many other things) a 2.0 mm mechanical pencil, which I now use for pattern drafting and modification in my hobby sewing. Love its bold lines. As for your question about planning, I'm a graph or dot-grid person, and I actually mostly prefer blank bound books at the moment, mainly because I have a decent memory for when and where on the page I've written something, so if I date all my entries I can still find things without too much trouble even when they are categorically all mixed up. My first "bullet journal" (I don't know if what I do counts as that, but it's the closest thing) had a plastic stencil in it, which I still use to mark things on the page, especially with all those other pens I got from Muji and elsewhere! I saw your sticker packs on another video and I was very interested in the simpler dots and such... that's a really interesting way to speed up some of my process while still making it useful and pretty. Also I love these showcases and am keeping things in mind for Christmas gifts and my own Christmas list. I do get a little overwhelmed with decision fatigue whenever I try to shop for something like that, though. There are *so* many choices nowadays.
I hope it's ok for me to give you a little feedback on your presentation here? I find that your voice audio is soft compared to the music and sound effects you are using. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the music/effects are loud, since I can still hear you fine without changing my volume! Not a big deal when I'm watching with speakers, but with headphones in the difference was enough to make me flinch the first time the music came on. My only AV training is the self-training from when I had to record my own lectures starting in March 2020, so if I had to guess I'd suggest that maybe you should consider compressing your own audio a bit before normalising it when you process it? Or just make all the effects and music a bit softer? I'm really not sure, but still figured you'd want to know about this one data point. I will keep watching your videos. The authenticity really comes through. :)
Your manicure is gorgeous, by the way!
Thanks so much for watching, Brooke! I really love hearing all about colleagues' planning and journaling processes. And visiting pen and stationery shops in Japan is certainly on my bucket list!
I hear you about decision fatigue! :) I've certainly been there.
Also, I really appreciate the positive constructive feedback! I've purchased a new mic and hope to find a good video editor soon. Again, thank you for following me on this journey! :)
Blackwing pencils are the best
I agree! Thanks for watching!