2021 Analogue System
I realize it’s not December yet, but I’ve already finalized my 2021 lineup of analogue tools! I’m carrying over a few things, and trying a few new things - like any other year, you might say, but I’m feeling a lot more grounded about this approach compared to last year.
Work
I’ll be using the same planner in 2021 as I did this year - the Jibun Techo Biz in the A5 slim size. This planner is what gets used the most out of my entire lineup. I have it open on my desk for work five days a week, plus sometimes on weekends if I have specific to-dos. Follow-ups that I need to complete after a meeting? They go in here. Chores that I can no longer put off, or even social media posts? They go in here. It’s truly my brain on paper.
I keep it purely functional, which means I only use a few pens in it - namely the Zebra Sarasa Mark-ON (0.4mm) and a series of Mildliners. I have a loose color coding system (red for my main area of responsibility at work, green for another area of work, yellow for anything related to my team, etc.) and I’m surprised to see that the Mildliners are still going strong after seeing everyday use for so long. All my daily writing utensils sit in a pen and wallet case that I bought from Wonder Pens (handmade by The Superior Labor).
I’ll also be housing it in the same cover as before, which I purchased from Baum-kuchen (BK). This natural leather cover was created in collaboration between BK and The Superior Labor, and it has aged wonderfully over time from a light shade to a gorgeous caramel shade. It brings me joy every time I pick it up from my desk and I can’t wait to see how it changes again over another year of regular use. (If you’re curious to see what it used to look like, check out my 2020 Analogue System post for pictures).
Memory-keeping
I love memory-keeping because it allows me to decorate a weekly spread and write more about my day-to-day. Weekly spreads have been a staple in my analogue journey this year in the Midori MD diary in the B6 slim size, but I’ve found that the size is too small for me to incorporate all of the ephemera that I’d like to place in it. This dilemma led me to pick up the Jiyu notebook from Baum-kuchen and to pair it with their Grid notebook that BK created in collaboration with Traveler’s Company.
I adore the minimal and clean look of both notebooks, and I feel the simple layouts will help contain my thoughts better. The Jiyu notebook will directly replace the Midori MD diary as a decorative memory-keeping book, whereas the Grid will serve as a brainstorming area for creative ideas. I haven’t been as structured with blog posts this year and a big reason is the lack of intentional creativity, so I hope to bring more interesting content for you to read next year through this method.
On a different note, I’m thrilled to incorporate this brown To & Fro traveler’s notebook to my regular lineup. I designated my TNs for travel, art and such this year, but didn’t do any traveling to stay safe from the pandemic. And so my TNs sat around for most of the year, not knowing their purpose. When I decided to use this size again, a small part of it was because I missed using TNs so much.
Everything Else
I purchased this Cafe Note (B6 slim) from Nanami Paper in mid-January because I missed writing for the sake of writing. When I feel like venting, I found that one of the best ways to cope with frustration (or daydreaming brain) is to write it all out without stopping. I realize this method doesn’t work for everyone - I know that there’s a part of the analogue community that chooses to focus on the positives instead, which I also think is a wonderful option - but it helps me figure out why I’m feeling a certain way, and how to channel my energy afterwards.
I’ve written in this journal consistently this entire year and I’m only about a fourth of the way through it. The Tomoe River paper is great to write on as usual and I really enjoy the simple grid layout (there’s a theme here, can you tell?). This journal is housed in a Sojourner cover in the Gedi leather, with a natural leather scoop pocket.
I first used an A6 size notebook back in 2017 when I picked up the Hobonichi Techo. Nowadays, I use this handmade notebook from my dear pen pal Alyx to keep track of snail mail correspondence. When I started sending mail to pen pals and friends, I sometimes couldn’t remember what I had sent them before from my stationery stash - the purpose of this notebook was born out of the hope that by jotting down outgoing items, I wouldn’t accidentally send duplicates.
The cover is the newest addition to my leather cover collection, and it comes from Bujoplanner with black and platinum leather. I’ve said this before, but the platinum leather can be quite difficult to photograph because of how it reflects light. It catches light in the most beautiful way and is an amazing contrast to the darker leather.
I didn’t use passport TNs much this year, either. I’ve had this particular quotes insert for a while now and I’ve switched it up depending on how I feel, using it for virtual meetups and such. I’ll keep this blue passport TN around for this purpose, as well as other special projects that pop up throughout the year (like December Daily, for example).
I have two other covers that were not pictured in this post:
Olive regular TN, which houses my engagement journal: I’m chronicling my engagement to marriage journey in a custom journal made by Faded Chronicle (unboxing video here). This one is much more personal and I’m not sure how much of it I’ll share online, but I’m really loving the process so far, as it helps me relive some of the best memories in my life.
Camel passport TN, which is being used as a wallet: nothing fancy to see here, just your everyday wallet with essential cards and cash.
In all, I will have two analogue systems in regular use (Jibun Techo for work and TN for memory-keeping) and the others listed in the “Everything Else” category will come and go as needed. I’ve really enjoyed simplifying my list of analogue tools over the years, and I’m happy to have found a planner that works so well for me that I’ll be using it for two years in a row(!). I’m sure this lineup will see more changes throughout the different phases of my life, but one thing is for sure - I’m grateful to be able to rely on these notebooks and document life in an increasingly fast-paced world.
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