Stationery Freaks

Rob Lambert & Helen Lisowski
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Hobbies

A podcast for stationery freaks, hosted by stationery freaks. Dedicated to the love of stationery - and the potential it brings to our lives.

  1. 4d ago

    The Trouble With Making Everything Easier

    The Trouble With Making Everything Easier Is analogue making a comeback?  Maybe. But perhaps that isn't quite the right question. In this episode of Stationery Freaks, Helen and Rob wander and meander through notebooks, video games (yes, you read that right), typewriters, old cars, AI-generated music, writing retreats, Hobonichis, Moleskines and the pleasure of making things slightly harder than they need to be. Helen has become unexpectedly absorbed in an online game. Of course, this comes complete with colour-coded plans and strategies in her Hobonichi. Rob has repurposed the writing bureau specifically for finishing his squirrel book — and then written exactly zero words in it.There is a pattern somewhere in here. We've spent years removing friction from everything. Digital tools make things faster. AI makes things easier. Algorithms make decisions for us. We're told to optimise everything and digital is wonderfully good at doing that optimisation.  And yet some of the things we value most seem to require the opposite. And maybe that's really what people are reclaiming. A notebook takes longer than a notes app. A typewriter is considerably slower than a laptop. An old car requires actual participation and focus. Sketching before opening a computer gives an idea time to breathe. Even spending an hour playing a game can feel more restorative than another hour scrolling. Maybe it's not a rise of just analogue. Maybe analogue is just one of the ways to regain some control over what we actually think.  Well, that's where we ended up anyway - of course, it wasn't a straight line to get there.  Along the way we discuss: Rob's Department of Interesting ThingsHelen's beloved HobonichiA fascinating shop called Labour and WaitMoleskines and banning digitalApple Notes for voice memos and early draftsAs well as writing rituals, the appeal of analogue travel kits, and the excellent YouTube channel of John Pattison.It's a slightly rambling conversation, as usual, about stationery that turns into something else entirely: what happens when we stop trying to make every minute productive? And whether a little friction might actually be good for us. Grab the newsletter for more about this episode.https://stationeryfreaks.substack.com/

    The Trouble With Making Everything Easier

  2. Jul 7

    Beautiful Japanese Stationery, Typewritten Commonplace Notes and the Return of Analogue

    After a few months away — and a very welcome "petition of one" from Stacy in Florida — Rob and Helen are back. Rob has been building a public commonplace: twenty-five years of learning, typed onto index cards (possibly breaking his typewriter in the process) and slowly taking over his studio wall. Helen has been redistributing her notebook collection to a room of grateful authors, which may or may not count as cheating in the great notebook challenge. See original hoarding cast here and a revisit to the challenge of using notebooks here. Along the way: why old publishing offices were built around attention rather than productivity, a typewritten daily planning ritual that's quietly replaced Todoist, the strange magnetism of Midori paper, a beautiful Japanese storage haul, giving away index cards to parents and why the whole world seems to be drifting back to analogue. It's like old times. Which is rather the point of the cast. It's good to be back. If you'd like to see images, and more about the show - check out the companion newsletter to this episode. https://stationeryfreaks.substack.com/

  3. Mar 1

    Scrap Notes & Desk Pads: Capturing Ideas Fast (Post-its, Legal Pads, Apple Notes + Voice Memos)

    In this episode of Stationery Freaks, Rob and Helen dig into the messy, essential world of scrap notes: desk pads, Post-its, legal pads, envelopes, voice memos, and the “grab whatever’s nearby” capture habit. They explore the real question beneath the stationery: what’s the process for turning a quick note into something useful — and what happens when your capture system becomes a pile of open loops. We cover: Why scrap notes exist: capturing ideas without breaking the momentDesk pads as “work in progress” surfaces (and why that’s a feature, not a bug)The threshold problem: forgetting what you went to write down the moment you change roomsAnalog vs digital: how Rob and Helen bounce between bothThe discipline of finishing: why ideas aren’t valuable until they become somethingA practical “funnel” approach: backlog → sprouts → now (commitment increases as you narrow)The emotional side: cluttered desks = cluttered minds, and why clearing down helps you thinkListener shout-outs and the surprisingly global reach of Stationery FreaksListener request: Share your stationery “in the wild” or your desk setup on Instagram (doesn’t have to be pretty!) and tag @stationeryfreaksuk. We mention: Mark+Fold “Glow” notebookNoted (Substack) by Jillian Hess“Analog Attorney” series (Attorney at Work) by Bull Garlington

    Scrap Notes & Desk Pads: Capturing Ideas Fast (Post-its, Legal Pads, Apple Notes + Voice Memos)

  4. Jan 30

    The 2026 Planning Episode: Painted Pictures, Todoist, Obsidian & Too Many Notebooks

    It’s our first Stationery Freaks episode of 2026, and we’re going deep on goal setting, as we usually do for the first cast of the year.  Rob and Helen compare two different approaches to planning the year: outcomes vs lifestyle, goals vs systems, and why the “right” method depends on what helps you keep going (not what looks good on paper). Helen shares her shift toward building routines that protect what matters - writing time, movement, mental bandwidth - plus a surprisingly brilliant charity-shop find: a Rocketbook reusable notebook for 50p. Rob reflects on his year using a Collins ledger, talks “painted picture” thinking, and explains why reducing friction is the only way his creative work (and business) stays sustainable - including a post-mortem on the infamous Wallpaper Method. Along the way we talk Obsidian vs Apple Notes, Todoist, habit tracking (and why it can backfire), buying stationery locally vs Amazon, and the uncomfortable truth: between us, we’re entering 2026 with 172 unused notebooks (yes, really).And how this year we've set ourselves the target of ending the year with fewer notebooks. If you’re planning your year - or rebuilding your systems after they collapsed in January - this one’s for you.  Find the newsletter (with Rocketbook photos) and past episodes at stationeryfreaks.com Instagram: @stationeryfreaksuk

  5. 12/23/2025

    Stationery Advent Calendars, SmartPlanner Time Blocking & getting ready for 2026 (Stationery Freaks)

    It’s the last Stationery Freaks episode before Christmas, and after a slightly chaotic month we’re back with a free-form catch-up full of notebook temptation, planning experiments, and advent calendar joy. Helen reviews two very premium stationery advent calendars — Martha Brook(s) and Tom’s Studio — including what you actually get, which one feels more “decorative vs functional,” and the one item she absolutely refuses to touch (again). Rob shares his new structured SmartPlanner time-blocking experiment (and why he’s moved from pen to pencil), an everyday-carry bag confession featuring nine notebooks, and an early idea he’s calling The Wallpaper Method: learning notes on a giant scroll. We also chat about “analog wellbeing,” why January is peak notebook season, end-of-year reflection (hello, Collins ledger), and what we’ll be tackling in the first episode of 2026.

  6. 11/14/2025

    Live From Brick Lane: Mark+Fold’s 10th Anniversary & The Stationery Freaks Origin Story

    In this special on-the-road episode, Rob and Helen meet in person for the first time in almost six years — to celebrate Mark+Fold’s 10-year anniversary at their Brick Lane pop-up. Recorded between a noisy East London bar and the beautifully minimalist Mark+Fold shop, this episode is a blend of celebration, nostalgia, and stationery-fueled creativity. Apologies for some of the audio quality - London doesn't have many quiet bars and restuarants! You’ll hear: The Stationery Freaks origin story — how a shared love of pens and notebooks sparked a 7-year podcastWhy Mark+Fold’s aesthetic hits so deeply for creativesHow notebooks help ideas become real — from novels to meetings to filmsWhat Helen did and didn’t buy (and what Rob tried to encourage…)Plus two brilliant spontaneous mini-interviews: Terri, a writer whose tiny handwriting and Bangkok-sourced micro-nib pens inspired us bothVicky, a second-generation bookbinder behind the stitching of Mark+Fold’s planners and notebooksIt’s a celebration of longevity — Mark+Fold’s 10 years, Stationery Freaks’ 7 years — and the creative habits, tools, and people that keep us all moving from idea → creation. Links & Mentions Mark+Fold Pop-Up Shop – Open until 25th November 2025 - Find the store at 228 Brick Lane, London, E2 7EEMark+Fold Monthly Planners & NotebooksChoosing Keeping (London stationery shop)Blackwing PencilsHobonichi Techo & A6 notebooksOxford Notebooks & Yellow Legal PadsKey Moments 00:00 — Meeting in person for the first time in years 03:10 — Why Mark+Fold’s design philosophy resonates 07:40 — How the Stationery Freaks podcast began 14:00 — Why we record even when the audio is imperfect 18:30 — What we learned from early listeners & global analytics 22:50 — Interview with Terry (writer + micro-nib pen enthusiast) 30:40 — Interview with Vicky (bookbinder who sews Mark+Fold’s planners) 38:00 — Live from the shop floor — Helen “lightly shopping” 46:00 — Reflections on creativity, tools, and 10 years of making things

    Live From Brick Lane: Mark+Fold’s 10th Anniversary & The Stationery Freaks Origin Story

  7. 10/27/2025

    Household Stationery That Actually Helps: Labels, Whiteboards, Junk Drawers & Kitchen Kanban | Stationery Freaks Podcast

    Household stationery isn’t “our precious pens and paper in our study” — it’s the everyday tools that keep a home ticking. We talk freezer-proof labels, kitchen whiteboards, year-at-a-glance calendars we forget to update, junk-drawer essentials, elastic bands vs Velcro ties for cables, and even a full Kanban wall system that helps a building business run.  Plus: Magic Click (a colour-pen system we need help decoding), why shrink-wrap on notebooks should be illegal, and the enduring magic of handwritten notes in old recipe books. What We Cover Labelling the real world: freezer labels that don’t fall off, pens that actually write on them, and why chalk pens disappointed.Whiteboards at home: revision, “blurting” study technique, and why office whiteboards triple in size the moment they enter a house.Family calendars: wall planners vs Google Calendar; how to stop answering “What’s for tea?” 47 times.The junk drawer: string, Sellotape ends, last 3 Post-its, elastic bands—and occasionally £40.Cable wrangling: elastic bands vs Velcro ties (and cats stealing the Velcro).Kitchen Kanban: a visual, Post-it based board for a builder’s workload (columns from “mentioned” to “invoiced”).Notes on doors: Berlin-style paper rolls to leave messages (and why phones killed the habit).Measuring kids’ growth: doorframe ticks vs logging in Apple Notes.Sticky label removal: we’ve tried dishwasher runs, washing-up liquid, alcohol… still tacky! (Your hacks welcome.)Brands behaving oddly: a Moleskine “travel case” too small for a Cahier; shrink-wrapped notebooks you can’t test.Why we love marginalia: old cookbooks and Reader’s Digest repair manuals with handwritten tweaks.Content recommendations: Andrew Huberman’s interview with Steven Pressfield (resistance, turning pro, doing the work).Event tease: Rob & Helen at a November stationery event (with a shop… send help).Listener Shout-Outs Lisa (In Berlin, in a kitchen): topic idea + brilliant list — thank you Lisa!Nat: for sending Magic Click (and introducing us to Barbara Thames’ creativity/play angle).Anonymous newsletter supporter: your generosity genuinely helps keep this ad-free. Thank you!Resources & Mentions Magic Click colour-pen system — creator Barbara Tammes (if you’ve used it, tell us how!).Label makers: DYMO.Notebooks & shops: Moleskine, Waterstones, Dingbats (reporter), Tom’s Studio (pens & inks).Other: Vinted (finds), Nokia notebooks at a conference, Reader’s Digest Repair Manuals, The Newt (Somerset).Podcasts: Steven Pressfield — The War of Art, Turning Pro; Dr Andrew Huberman interview with Steven Pressfield.Where to Find Us Newsletter & archive: stationeryfreaks.com → SubstackInstagram: @stationeryfreaksukSay hello / ideas: via the website or Insta DMs

  8. 09/29/2025

    Rituals, Routines & Stationery: Why the tactile nature of stationery can help us with rituals

    In this episode of Stationery Freaks, Rob and Helen dive into the world of rituals and routines, exploring how our favourite stationery tools (along with time and space) can transform tasks into meaningful, mindful moments. Helen discovers other writers are now using Blackwing pencils in her writing class. Rob spent so little time choosing which notebook to use for a business book he's writing (the Rhodia A4 notebook) - that he wonders what is wrong. Rob and Helen also receive a very awesome poem in Zine format from previous guest, Richard. Very cool - check out the newsletter to see photos of it. Check out the interview with Richard about all things Commonplacing.  Rob and Helen discuss the difference between routines (habitual efficiency) and rituals (intentional, mindful practices), and share tips for using stationery to create focused, productive, and inspiring workflows. Also covered : Hobonichi planners and the art of intentional notebook selection + staggering shipping costs!Mark + Fold notebooks for capturing learning and ideasTypewriters for slow writingHow music - from Helen's Gregorian chants and heavy metal, and Rob's HipHop and EDM - can trigger creative flow and rituals (some playlists in the newsletter!)The ideas, thoughts and psychology behind ritual, habit-stacking, and productivityIf you love the feel of ink on paper, the smell of fresh notebooks, the way the pages turn and the joy of creating meaningful routines and rituals with stationery, give this episode a listen. There is also ramble chat about tea and coffee, secret hidden rooms and tunnels, and books about squirrels. Why not check out the newsletter too - https://stationeryfreaks.substack.com/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

A podcast for stationery freaks, hosted by stationery freaks. Dedicated to the love of stationery - and the potential it brings to our lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Lambert & Helen Lisowski
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2025 Cultivated Management LTD
  • Show Website
    Stationery Freaks

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