How do two writers, bound by their devotion to beautiful stationery, actually write books?

In this episode, Helen and Rob reveal their individual paths, uncovering the shared foundation of paper-based ideation – the noodling, expanding, and connecting that begins on the page with their beloved notebooks.

Explore their transition to digital tools (Rob's a touch more intricate!), their editing journeys, and their distinct publishing routes – Helen to her website, Rob primarily through self-publishing.

Expect delightful detours into UK National Stationery Week, Rob's exciting new project requiring more notebooks, and Helen's potential planner evolution.

Want to see their cool process diagrams and more? The newsletter is your visual companion. But for the nuanced details and personal insights, tune in to this engaging conversation.

Newsletter is here.

In this episode Helen and Rob talk about whether there was a defining moment, or time, when they became Stationery Freaks.

They start with Stationery Stories:

• Helen has an occasion to break out a new notebook - an Atoms and Astronauts one from Vinted. 
• Rob's been watching too much Parisian Agency on Netflix - so is trying to adopt a Parisian style and coolness with a new Folio packed with a Yellow Legal Pad and a couple of Moleskine Cahiers. 
• Helen introduces the (potentially) new segment of the show called "Stationery Freaks in the Wild", in which she shares a story of a fellow writing retreat stationery freak who rocked up with a yellow legal and a BlackWing pen
• Helen introduces a new concept for fellow Stationery Freaks to try - shop at home!

Becoming a freak

• Helen remembers scented pens and rubbers/erasers as a child
• Helen recalls calligraphy class at school and learning to write using an italic ink pen
• Rob remembers his Chemistry teacher, Dungeon Master, who ensured students had extremely, dangerously, sharp pencils
• Rob remembers Christmas Eve gifts of notebooks and pens
• Both recall gift shops at museums
• Helen explains that she's always needed stationery to control her life, otherwise it would be a catastrophe
• Helen also reveals that she uses stickers to denote which type of bin to put out. Rob just goes on what everyone else is doing. 
• Rob recalls putting tunes on and writing film scripts - and how that positive feeling dwindled when he tried to do it on computers.
• Rob mentions that Domestika has some great tutorials on creating infographics!

Helen speaks about how simply the act of thinking back to early stationery memories was a really positive experience.

Is there a time when you knew you were a stationery freak? What memories do you have about early stationery use?
Let us know - we're on Instagram @stationeryfreaksuk

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode we explore why we both have huge hoards of unused and partially used notebooks, and what makes us crack open a new notebook.

You can find videos, photos and a deeper dive into this topic in the newsletter.

In this episode:

• Helen is still searching for her full collection of mechanical pencils. 
• The Penac Protti goes down well at work, but Rob ends up with pencil all over him at work, and refuses to share his doodles with his work colleagues.  
• Rob describes Helen’s notebook storage unit with remarkable accuracy.
• Helen defines her key purpose for using a new notebook.
• Rob goes down the emotional route for deciding on using a new notebook (Clarity, Excitement, Despair).
• Rob and Helen both commit to doing a video of their notebook stash
• Rob has 12 notebooks on the go, all originally started with a purpose, but they get morphed as he never has the right notebook, in the right place, at the right time. 
• Helen’s least transient work is creative writing - hence her notebook has a clear purpose long term.
• Rob thinks pairing down to one notebook is the answer, but then the stack of spare notebooks taunt him
• Rob finds a fellow freak who loves pens and pencils but has no time for notebooks or paper. 
• Helen realises she will never have enough projects for all of her notebooks
• Rob sees a business opportunity to sell his half-used notebooks
• Helen is off to London with her daughter and visiting a well-known stationery store. 

We mention these other Stationery Freaks casts:

1. Vinted and Stationery
2. Little red notebook mentioned in this cast on goal setting.
3. The dichotomy of minimalism and stationery freakness.
4. Maria Le Van notebooks and London stationery shops.
5. The perfect mechanical pencil.

Find out more in the newsletter. 

Thanks for listening.
Rob & Helen

In this episode we chat about all things pencil related. 

We cover:

• Why Rob has so many notebooks he cannot move his writing desk
• Helen's latest Vinted stationery haul - and a surprise pen
• The lovely folks at Penac sent us some free samples - and they are brilliant
• How we use pencils and paper for getting unstuck, or in Rob's case, for 99% of his writing
• Why the non-permanent nature of pencils lends itself to creative thinking
• Why Rob bought the Rotring 600 pencil but hasn't used it much
• And much more

Get images and links to everything we discuss in the Stationery Freaks newsletter.

In this episode Helen shares how she’s getting on with her Hobonichi system, a year after making the switch from Bullet Journaling. 

We did an episode on this switch in early 2024 - you can listen to that episode here, where Helen shared why switching over the New Year was a bad idea. 

And so, a year later, we revisited this topic to hear how Helen is getting on, what’s adapted and whether she still needs a suitcase to carry around her growing sticker collection. 

I ask Helen about the Hobonichi system, how it differs from Bullet Journaling, how she organises her stickers, whether Helen then keeps each notebook and how her system works. 

Helen shares more about the Hobonichi eco-system, bulldog clips & paper clips and how she’s had to retire her massive collection of Washi tape.

We also talk about or mention:

• Mark and Fold stationers & our chat on the show with founder Amy.
• Atoms to Astronauts notebooks
• Lamy Fountain Pens (aff link)
• Our interview with Fountain Pen legend, Urban Hafner
• And lovely kind comments left on Rob’s video from fellow stationery freaks

(Some images of Helen's planner are shared in the newsletter).

In this episode we chat about why we've been missing for a few months, our stationery purchases and how we're always in pursuit of the perfect structure.

You can find images, links and other insights that accompany this podcast on our newsletter - https://stationeryfreaks.substack.com/

We cover, amongst other topics:

1. A YouTube video comment that led Rob to a new pencil purchase
2. Helen talks about her Hobonichi and how she's still loving it - although struggling to find time for buying stickers
3. Rob talks about keeping a ledger as a life audit
4. Helen talks about her writing habit and how she uses digital and analogue in combination
5. Rob talks about his shipping forecasts and how this was supposed to be the perfect structure
6. Helen goes down a Rabbit Hole of creating the perfect podcast structure

And more. Products and links mentioned in this episode:

• Toad in the hole is a British dish made with sausages and batter - Toad in the Hole
• Rob's Collins Ledger
• Our previous episode about Hobonichi Planners
• Rob buys a rOtring 600 mechanical pencil
• Helens studying creative writing
• Martha Brook's advent calendar
• Business cards as stickers
• Episode 1 of our previous advent calendar of stationery freaks goodness

In this episode Rob introduces his new productivity system of coloured military-style print out. Rob and Helen ponder why it's hard to find a system that works. And that maybe, they've (well, Rob) has been searching in the wrong place.

Maybe, when we try to find a streamlined, slick, frictionless productivity system we're not actually getting much reward. And maybe, just maybe, higher friction system (bullet journaling, Rob's new method, Hobonichi etc) give a more meaningful reward. And maybe even, the reward is in the friction itself.

Much to ponder.

Find our newsletter that accompanies this here.

In this episode we chat about the magic of whiteboards.

We cover:

How we used them at work
How Helen's daughter uses them for learning and revision
How Rob's son uses them for doodling
The ephemeral nature of whiteboard content
Long running whiteboard content - and why "do not wipe" is important

If you'd like to see the images we talk about in this session, head to the newsletter.

In this episode Helen and Rob chat about buying stationery hauls from Vinted (other platforms and services are available).

We cover:

1. Our surprise at the variety of stationery on vinted
2. The bargains to be had
3. Helen's stationery haul for an upcoming workshop
4. Rob's stationery haul for no reason other than some bargain Moleskines and a notepad with Yorkshire written on the front
5. How Rob makes offers and Helen pays full price
6. What stuff they found on Vinted. 

Note: We have no affiliation with Vinted - we just thought you'd like to hear about the stationery goodness. 
Note: We believe Vinted is available in many countries - but double check and if not, no doubt there is an alternative - let us know!

Thanks
Rob and Helen

In this episode Rob and Helen explore the world of Domestika, an online learning platform for creatives.

Note: We are not affiliated with Domestika, but Rob is addicted to it.

* Rob explains what Domestika is and how it works
* Helen is addicted to stickers - and may jump in to Domestika to learn more about calligraphy
* Rob explains how he sometimes just watches the "materials" video on each Domestika course to geek out on stationery
* Rob is building a list of Domestika tutors to interview for the Stationery Freaks podcast
* Helen is intrigued by what's on Rob's watch list (see the full list on the newsletter)
* Rob explains that Domestika is addictive so go carefully

Find out more about Domestika here.

Subscribe to the Stationery Freaks newsletter here. 

Thanks
Rob and Helen