A Little Things Question: What Little Thing on Your Desk Reminds You of You?
For me, it's a pin that says OVERTHINKER, and a pin that says WRITER. Because I am both.
Dear near-and-far friends,
Have you ever given much thought to the little things on your desk, whether at home or at work? Do you have a lot of them, or a handful, or none at all? Are they all related to your work, or do you have decorative things, things for fun, for sentimental reasons?
Discovering a lovely stationery shop in Penang
A few months ago, during a short trip to Penang, Malaysia with my husband, we discovered a lovely stationery shop called P.66 Store. It was our last day there and while we were walking around Georgetown for a little bit before heading to the airport, my husband remembered that he had wanted to check out a stationery shop he saw online. He wanted to see what kinds of pens they had, and if they had a particular pen he was looking for.
P.66 Store was a sleek and cozy stationery shop. All the shelves were well organized and items were neatly on display. The store carried a good amount of imported brands from Japan (who doesn’t love Japanese stationery, right?), and I think from the US and Europe.Â
Seeing supaluna’s clever enamel pins about people
Thankfully, the store also had some local Malaysian stationery products. Near the front of the shop, I saw these unique enamel pins. They’re made by a Malaysian company called supaluna; they make cute, funny, and interesting stickers and enamel pins. When I saw these two pins, one of a brain with the label OVERTHINKER and another of a typewriter with the label WRITER, I just had to get them. They seemed like perfect souvenirs for this trip. I don’t usually buy or use enamel pins, but these two just called to me. They spoke to huge parts of my identity. So, yes, without knowing if I will ever use these pins (I don’t like putting pins on my bags or hats because they tend to punch holes that eventually ruin the fabric.), I bought them anyway.
Little reminders of me that serve me
Since then, for months now, these two pins have been sitting on my desk at home. They’re in a cubbyhole while sort of on display, at an angle enough for me to notice them whenever I’m sitting at my desk which is practically everyday for at least half an hour at a time. The OVERTHINKER pin reminds me that, yes, I am an overthinking person and I can keep working on becoming less and less of an overthinker. The WRITER pin reminds me that, yes, I am a writer. Sitting at my tiny writing desk almost everyday and writing in my prayer & gratitude journal, in my personal journal of musings and poetry, for my Substack newsletter and social media accounts, and wherever else I write — these are the things I do that let me call myself a writer.
Yes, I am both an overthinker and a writer. I am working on becoming less of an overthinker and on becoming more of a writer. I bring these parts of me when I’m sitting at my desk, and I’m reminded of them by these cute enamel pins that have become little decorations and inspirations.
What item is on your desk right now that reminds you of you? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
Your overthinker-writer-logophile friend,
Lea