I don’t like most “stuff”.
Stuff costs money, clutters up space, and, worst of all, expends both energy and time.
Heck, for me, the more stuff I have, the poorer I am.
However, there are exceptions. There is some stuff which I like—stuff which I use every day, stuff which helps me create, stuff which helps me fulfill my ikigai.
And high on my list of the subset of the stuff which I like are my two Montblanc pens (one blue and one red) and my Montblanc pencil.
I have had all three of these writing instruments for over a decade, and at least one has been used daily over that time.
They are one of the few things I always keep out on my desktop, in their own special glassybaby holder (yes, another piece of stuff I like!). The pens and pencil are beautifully designed and engineered, and they give me a visceral pleasure when I pick them up. They are always there, always ready to go, to sketch out a quick note, correct a rough draft, or sketch out an idea.
In fact, they also have a psychological benefit for me, because when I doubt myself, these are the tools that remind me I am a writer.
So I will continue to be anti-stuff—to look for opportunities to throw things away, to not pull the trigger on a purchase, to consider the most successful shopping trip one in which I came back with nothing.
But I will always keep my eye out for the exceptions. The stuff which enhances my life.