I feel an urge to check in with what’s working and what’s proved challenging to use in my Hobonichi Day-Free planner when the calendar turns to July. July is halfway through the year and so a window into how half my year has gone. With plenty of time left to re-leverage my Hobonichi Day-Free to better serve my day-to-day adventures.

Visual interest keeps my attention. I need consistent attention if I’m to design a brand new full year course for September. I’ll need nibs that draw me into uncapping my pens for bouts of curricular sketching.

The allure of beautiful ink bottles and box art is powerful. But the freedom to try ink with only a minimal commitment? That’s fun. It’s also why I now own a bottle of Diamine’s Celadon Cat.