3 New Ways We're Using Stationery

Those of us who are drawn to the beautiful things in life are often mesmerized by stationary. New notebooks, jotter pads, pens, Washi tape, journals, it’s all enough to fulfill our Pinterest board dreams.

There is just one problem with accumulating so much stationary - often we don’t use it to its fullest potential before tossing it aside for the latest and greatest iteration. (Who else here has a stack of unused notebooks sitting in a drawer, waiting to be filled with dreams and ideas?!)

In 2020, when so much of our lives and avenues to communication became digital, we found ourselves gravitating back to these paper goods. This time though, we’re determined to use stationary consistently and with purpose. Here are the three new ways we’re using stationary, guaranteed to keep you from stacking empty notebooks in drawers for years to come.

Affirmations

We’ve been forced to do more self-reflection this year than normal, forced to sit with our own thoughts and wax poetic on our lives and the future that we envision. Some of those thoughts have been positive, others wind us up into negative self talk. Starting an affirmation practice has helped us maintain a level of optimism. We either write out lists of our own affirmations, or choose a card from this affirmation deck and do a bit of journaling in response. By focusing our thoughts on the positive aspects of ourselves, we can create the “future us” that we now only dream of.

Gratitude Journaling

Even in the midst of a difficult year, there is so much to be thankful for. Like the affirmation list we mentioned above, we’ve also put our stationary to good use this year by writing “stream of consciousness style” about all of the things that we are grateful for. It’s really put this entire year into perspective. Some of the things we write about: the health of our families, the continuing strength of Dune and the Stoughton small business community, the progress our world is making toward social justice, the support of our friends and family, and more. After writing out our gratitude lists, it’s easier to put aside the day’s worries and focus in on what matters.

Pen Pal Paper

Has there ever been a better time to bring back pen pals? This school age trend should be cool again in our opinion. When we write on physical paper (on beautiful stationary no less), we spend more time formulating our words, often ending up with far more thoughtful correspondence than we’d experience over a quick text or a meandering FaceTime. Committing to becoming a pen pal for someone you know, or someone who may be lonely, perhaps an elderly man or woman or a healthcare worker stuck in quarantine, is a worthy use of your time and effort. Bonus: sending letters through the mail supports the post office, which is a pillar of nearly every local and small business out there.

If you’re anything like us, you have a stack of empty notebooks just waiting to be filled. Use the ideas above to make good use of them (or treat yourself with a new jotter - we won’t tell), and develop habits that will set you up for an incredible new year.