Spill the Ink

Spill the Ink

Finding cheaper alternatives to trendy stationery in a product-packed world

Scrolling through endless posts of journaling spreads with “It is unnecessary to buy so many things and have them sitting flawless lighting and perfect handwriting, finding creators around.” that aren’t using mainstream stationery is almost impossi- However, much of the fun behind journaling as an art form is ble. With the repeated display of select pens, markers and washi in finding new supplies to use to enhance creative spread ideas. tapes from pricey stationery brands—including Zebra, Tombow Yau suggests artists find a balance between buying products to and Sarasa—wanting to buy those same supplies is often an in- align with trends and using products that actually enhance their evitable feeling. However, despite the exclusive promotion of creativity. specific products appearing to be harmless, the effects of statio- “It is important to buy with a purpose,” Yau said. “If you nery consumerism last long after are going to buy something, you the ink has dried. should make sure you have a

Paly junior Hannah Yau need for it, otherwise it can get was inspired to start journal- out of control.” ing because of its presence on Another way to limit imher social media feeds. “I have “It is important to buy pulse purchases is finding difseen people on YouTube and Instagram with journaling ac- with a purpose. If you ferent ways to use supplies you already own, such as blending counts, and one [influencer] is Amanda Rach Lee,” Yau said. are going to buy someinks from water-based markers to create a new color or recy“I saw her videos and I thought I might try bullet journaling, thing, you should make cling scraps of paper. Like Yau, Christy Du, a Paly so I ended up joining the bul- sure you have a need for sophomore and artist, watched let journaling club [at Paly] in YouTubers to get an idea of sophomore year.” In February it, otherwise it can get what equipment to use when of 2020, Yau combined her she first started making her art. love for Korean-pop music with out of control.” The videos compared the qualher newfound hobby of bullet journaling and started a K-pop -Hannah Yau ity of cheaper materials compared to their more expensive journaling Instagram account. counterparts. After a few years

The impact of social media of testing out products herself, has influenced Yau’s journaling Du found she prefers Muji pens experience beyond motivating her start but also the stationery over other brands because of their quality. products she utilizes. “As I have seen people journal on Insta- “If you buy one Muji pen, then you can use it for five years, gram, I noticed that I will see stickers or some kind of stationery but if you buy a cheaper pen, it doesn’t last as long,” Du said. that other people will use and I think ‘maybe I should go buy High quality products can certainly enable artists to create that so I can use it,’” Yau said. beautiful art pieces, but ultimately creating art comes from the

Being constantly bombarded with new products often makes artist’s passion and the technique they channel into their work artists feel obligated to conform their art to standards that are and not the price tag of a product. constructed in our consumerist society rather than allowing Letting your art control what supplies you use and not vice their art to remain unique to their own style. To mitigate this versa is how journalers and artists can keep their work unique tendency, Yau suggests journalers remind themselves of the cre- amongst an online community that is steadily growing. “It is ative ways they can use the supplies they already own. “There tough [when there is] pressure to buy all the stationery products seems to be so many things [influencers] do not use, which is that you see,” Yau said. “But you can still create, and you can one reason why I do not have much [stationery],” Yau said. still journal with limited supplies—with whatever you have.”

Text and design by DUNYA MOSTAGHIMI and CAITLYN ODA Art by KIMI LILLIOS

Zebra Mildliners + Daiso highlighters

Possibly the most popular stationery product on the market, Zebra pen mildliners are a double ended highlighter with a chisel and a bullet tip. Sold in packs of 5 or as an entire set, the highlighters grew in popularity among the studyblr and journaling communities due to their aesthetic minimalistic packaging and muted colors that differ greatly from the normal selection of neon pastel hues typical for highlighters. Daiso Highlighters, although offered in a smaller color range selection, offer a chisel tip similar to the Zebra pen, and their more opaque ink bleeds less through most paper types than Zebra pens.

Tombow Dual Brush Pens + Crayola Super Tip marker

Coming in a large selection of colors, the Tombow Dual Brush pen is a double ended art marker with a flexible brush tip and fine tip. These brush pens are popular in the journaling community as they create beautiful faux calligraphy headings—a hallmark of excellence, but they run a high price and are often difficult for beginners to use because of the flexibility of the brush tip. A more affordable alternative that also comes in a wide array of colors is the Crayola Super Tip marker. Although without the fine tip end, Super Tips have a less flexible tip that is easier to handle but still can create thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes needed for faux calligraphy. Super Tips also fare as mildliners and coloring book markers.

Sarasa clip pens + Muji pens

The Sarasa clip pens are popular among the journaling community for their water-based ink flow and the pigment payoff of different colors. Their unique ink formula allows for streak free writing over white-out and less bleeding when highlighted over. Similarly, Muji pens offer a wide range of colors and pen tip sizes. Known for their minimalistic packaging and name brand stickers, these pens have a relatively long lifespan and create limited ink bleedthrough onto the next page compared to the Sarasa clip. The Sarasa clip pens run for around $4, with collaboration exclusive designs selling for higher, while their cheaper counterpart retails for only $1.50.