study to succeed

Pang Jiun (Taiwanese, b. 1936) Watery Wonder - Li River 2016 Oil on canvas 72 x 90 cm

When you’re trying to make a difficult decision, bear the following points in mind:

1. Ask yourself if you will look back and feel proud of yourself in a month, a year, or 10 years from now. That should influence the choice you make.

2. Think about the strategies you used when making decisions in the past. What worked and what didn’t? Apply that information to your current decision.

3. Try and quieten the voices around you and listen to your heart.

4. Take your time. Rushed decisions are rarely good decisions. Don’t act in haste.

5. Think about the impact it will have on others, especially those who are closest to you.

6. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Few decisions are irrevocable – and living without risk is a life half lived. If nothing else, we can always learn from our mistakes.

7. Talk it over with people who know you well – and are willing to be honest and speak the truth (and who won’t only say what you want to hear.)

8. Ask yourself: What’s the worst thing that could happen? What are the chances it will happen? And can I survive if it all falls apart?

9. Get as much information as possible. Try to see the problem from every angle, and think about every possible outcome and effect.

10. Take time out and walk away from the decision. Opting for some space usually brings a new, and more objective, perspective.

11. Be brutally honest with yourself. Don’t sugar coat the truth, or try to kid yourself.

to folks who might not know, moleskine is extremely famous AND infamous. they are hardcover notebooks with elastic enclosures. they are expensive, and sold everywhere from pharmacies to bookstores, and does collaborations with a variety of brands including james bond and pokemon. moleskine has tried to establish itself as a luxury notebook, which it technically is.

as long as you do not write in it.

moleskine paper is wholeheartedly shit. it is complete fucking garbage. you might wonder, what makes good paper? well the first thing is how well it can be written on. good paper can handle ink well. good ink handling means clear, solid lines without any feathering (fuzzy spreading), not bleeding through the page, and not ghosting. basically, you want paper that can do crisp lines with a variety of different inks and be used on both sides.

moleskine does not do that. anything more than a ballpoint or pencil will look fuzzy and gross and bleed right through the fucking page. the paper is shit. and that makes people think their pen is shit. and ballpoint pens can be seen on the other side of the page.

common knowledge is that fountain pens, rollerball pens, gel pens, felt pens, and more work better on good paper. good meaning good with ink. but when many people think good paper without knowing any better, they will reach for a moleskine notebook. because moleskine is expensive and advertises itself as good and is widely available. so people try out actually good writing implements on this shit paper, see how bad it works, and then blame the pen.

fountain pens, gel pens, and rollerball require much less pressure than ballpoint pens. they are ergonomic. easier on joints, easier for chronic pain. and moleskine makes people give up on them. nobody wants shitty bleeding feathered lines.

in the united states, our ideas of good paper and good stationery in general are extremely warped. so much of this is because paper here fucking sucks. a lot of paper performs like moleskine. there is shit paper at all price ranges. but you can pick up caliber brand paper (the ones that say made in vietnam) from cvs and have infinitely better performance for pennies. even though it looks low quality, caliber paper (vietnam) can even handle calligraphy ink clearly. bad paper makes people hate good pens and bad pens make people hate writing.

another thing really important to mention, a lot of people think thick paper is always better. this is extremely wrong. in terms of being able to handle a wide variety of inks clearly and cleanly, some of the best paper in the world is tissue thin (tomoe river).

21.04.2021

april 8th, 10:33 pm took these in my favourite co-working space !! u kno i dont think i’ve actually posted photos of my mossery planner before huh ! i’m so excited for this week to be over and to finally be on break !! my geo ia is due tomorrow night so ! let’s stay strong for that !! stay safe everyone and remember to take healthy breaks when you’re working !! c:

"One of the most prevalent obstacles in our ability to heal and self-actualise is when our productivity is tied to our worthiness."

I think the studyblr community especially needs to hear this. You don't have to be productive all the time, you need rest. Recovering from internalised capitalism means unpicking all the messages from family, friends, school and workplace that have reinforced the idea that you are a commodity, and that your worth is based on what you do. Your worth is inherent.

12.09.20

a simple spread as i find it harder and harder to be creative when i’m so swamped with work (∩´﹏`∩)

hoping everyone is safe and happy 💖

25 december 2017

notes from english class on irony, parallels, and contrasts! i hope you all had a wonderful day, even if you don’t celebrate christmas!

currently listening to: cold blooded by khalid