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

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.

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 podcast
• Why Mark+Fold’s aesthetic hits so deeply for creatives
• How notebooks help ideas become real — from novels to meetings to films
• What 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 both
• Vicky, a second-generation bookbinder behind the stitching of Mark+Fold’s planners and notebooks

It’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 7EE
• Mark+Fold Monthly Planners & Notebooks
• Choosing Keeping (London stationery shop)
• Blackwing Pencils
• Hobonichi Techo & A6 notebooks
• Oxford Notebooks & Yellow Legal Pads

Key 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