This is the fourth time I’m posting under this tag. You can see the previous years’ answers on the “start of year” tag page. This idea was originally adapted from Theresa is Dead’s video: OH 2021… | BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS TAG video. The Beauty Resolutions Tag originated with Mel Thompson.
With each year I’ve answered these questions, I’ve found some of them harder to answer. While I originally tried to stick as close to the original makeup version as possible, I need to make some drastic changes to some of these questions. I tried to choose questions that will work for many years moving forward so I don’t have to keep changing them.
1. What is something you do regularly in your pen routine that you will try to stop?
Answer from 2024: I’m pretty happy with my pen routine for now, especially after the changes I made in November. I think I need to come up with a new question for next year. Clearly, there’s nothing to comment on from last year’s answer. Funnily enough, though, I made some major changes this November, too. I’ll try to post about it soon.
1. What is your plan for pen and ink purchases this year?
Answer for 2025: I’d like to keep to under 30 pen acquisitions this year. With ink, I’d like to not buy any bottles without trying a sample first, or at least seeing a swatch in person when it’s not possible to get a sample.
2. What is a brand you will try for the first time?
Answer from 2024: Drewnem Pisane. I’m determined to get one of their pens, as I mentioned in my wish list post. I still!!!!! didn’t get a Drewnem Pisane pen. I really want to, but I’m have a hard time deciding between their “braided” wood and their floral/vegetation materials.
2. Is there a brand you’re hoping to try for the first time?
Answer for 2025: I’m going to stick with Drewnem Pisane. I’m determined to own one of their pens.
3. What is a brand you will let go in 2023?
Answer from 2024: Caran d’Ache. I’m so salty over the special edition 849 Dragon that I don’t want to give them any more of my money. I definitely stuck with this one. I’m still firmly in the “no Caran d’Ache” camp. The Dragon pen is currently decommissioned until I decide if I want to keep it as my only Year of the Dragon pen purchase, or if I want to sell it because it has such negative feelings associated with it.
3. What pen/ink will you prioritize this year because you didn’t get it last year?
Answer for 2025: See #2.
4. What nib would you like to try at least once?
Answer from 2024: I’d like to test a Journaler nib. I’ll have to see if the Kenro table has one at the next pen show I attend. I tested a Journaler at the DC Pen Show, but — to me — it was just another grind. It didn’t compare to the fantastic oblique Gena ground for me.
4. How would you like to change your collection this year?
Answer for 2025: I really need to get rid of some more inks. It’s time to review data and see what I’m not using. Having a lot of inks is fun until you either stick only to your favorites or have so many you can’t use them all.
5. What product will you leave in 2023?
Answer from 2024: Very possibly, bound notebooks. In November, I switched to a ring binder system, away from a bound notebook system. It’s going pretty well so far, so there’s a good chance I won’t go back to bound notebooks. I still haven’t gone back to notebooks. Having figured out a good use for my various binders, I have no desire to go back to a paper system where I can’t print layouts.
5. What general stationery goals do you have for this year?
I want to focus on indie brands. I’d like a majority of my purchases this year to be from indie brands rather than mainstream brands and/or large manufacturers.
6. What product do you want to use more or less than you currently do?
Answer from 2024: Mechanical pencils. All through school, I was a mechanical pencil queen. I hated pens. While, clearly, I’ve let go of my antipathy toward pens, in the past few years, I’ve virtually abandoned pencils. I bought a couple interesting ones last year, and I even found some erasable colored lead. Now to actually use them. I definitely used mechanical pencils more last year. I have 9 currently “leaded up,” each with a different type of lead to address different uses.
Answer for 2025: I want to use my Mini 5 binder more. I’ve set it up as my health binder for this year, so, hopefully, that will get me using it.
7. What is a resolution for your collection?
Answer from 2024: Use ink samples! My ink sample collection keeps growing. I need to go through them and decide if they’re worth buying, if I want to keep them as samples and use them occasionally, or if I want to buy bottles. I’d like to use each ink sample at least once this year, preferably 2 or 3 times. I definitely DID NOT keep to this resolution. I didn’t even manage to use them all once.
7. Do you have a resolution for your pen, ink, or paper collection(s) as a whole?
Answer for 2025: I’m trying this resolution again. Let’s see if I can manage to use every “for use” sample at least once this year. This past weekend, I went through my “for use” samples and culled about 30 to get relegated to the “for dupes” baskets, and I created a swatch notebook for just samples so I can easily see what I have available to use. I think being able to see the swatches will make it easier for me to use them.
8. Do you have any ink or paper resolutions?
Answer from 2024: I’m going to continue my ink battle series to help me pare down inks and to make sure that ink I buy moving forward is unique to my collection. Of course, knowing an ink is or isn’t unique is different than making the correct purchasing decision. So… wish me luck. I did, indeed, continue my ink battle series. Of the 13 ink battles from 2024, 6 resulted in ink being relegated to the “for dupes” samples and/or a bottle finding a new home.
Answer for 2025: I’d like to not buy paper this year until I’m actually running out of what I have. I don’t even know if I can get through my paper in one year.
9. What new pen habit or behavior do you want to adopt this year?
Answer from 2024: I love seeing Inks and Anchors‘ zentangles or Nibs and Flourishes‘ drawings, to name a couple. I’d like to play with inks more. But, I need to get over my intimidation to do so. Hopefully, I can get in on a class at one of the pen shows this year. I did this! Candace’s class at the DC show was a major help. I’d like to do some more ink-slinging à la Azizah, though.
Answer for 2025: I’d like to get into the habit of posting my weekly and long-fill pen rotations on Instagram. I need more pen pics on my feed. I enjoy seeing pen and ink pairings from others, so I think it’s safe to assume they would enjoy seeing mine.
10. Do you have any continuing resolutions?
Answer from 2024: I’m continuing with my goal to only buy pens that I will be happy to own. I’m also going to keep with the resolution I made in the middle of last year to stop buying pretty ink sticks. I’m going to have to figure out if buying collaboration pens from friends — like from Gourmet Pens — count as pretty ink sticks, or if they’re “unique/special” simply for being a collaboration. Or, perhaps the rules go out the window when you’re supporting a friend. I stuck with only buying pens I would be happy to own, and almost kept to the “no pretty ink sticks” rule. I broke that one twice with my purchases of the London Pen Co in Primary Manipulation Warm and the Franklin-Christoph Ascension Wing. One could argue that the Kaweco Apricot Pearl and Benu Euphoria Matcha Latte also broke it. I’ve decided that friend’s collaborations don’t count, by the way.
Answer for 2025: I’m keeping with both resolutions, as they’re serving me well. I’ll only buy pens that I will be happy to own. And, I won’t buy any pretty ink sticks, friends’ collabs excluded.
I realize that having so many new questions can make it a little confusing for someone who wants to answer them. To make it easier, here is the list of questions I answered for 2025:
- What is your plan for pen and ink purchases this year?
- Is there a brand you’re hoping to try for the first time?
- What pen/ink will you prioritize this year because you didn’t get it last year?
- How would you like to change your collection this year?
- What general stationery goals do you have for this year?
- What product do you want to use more or less than you currently do?
- Do you have a resolution for your pen, ink, or paper collection(s) as a whole?
- Do you have any ink or paper resolutions?
- What new pen habit or behavior do you want to adopt this year?
- Do you have any continuing resolutions?
What do you think of my answers? Do you have any pen resolutions? Please consider answering at least one question in the comments, I’d love to see what your resolutions are.
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