Back in March (March!), I managed to go to the DDC Art Show and Pop-Up at Mule Gallery SF, and I thought it’s high time that I post some pictures from that visit. Better late than never!

(For those who don’t know, DDC is the design company founded by Aaron Draplin, the creator of the original Field Notes memo book).

I’m glad I avoided the opening night because I heard it was crazy. Luckily, Mr. Draplin stayed in town a few more days, and I was able to see him at the gallery and even exchange a few words. Nothing deep, as there were plenty of people eagerly waiting their turn to talk to him about design. He’s a very popular man!

Excuse the blurriness of some of the photos. I wish I had taken better photos but I was a bit busy soaking in all his work presented on three big walls. There were so many details, I could have easily spent the whole day there.

There were many Field Notes goodies on display. Some I’ve never seen in person, like this Packet of Sunshine envelope.

“Graphic Arts. Dry Goods. Friendship. Advice. Gen’l Conversation.”

It was great to finally see them in person. I mean, shaking hands with someone so talented and hard-working (and whom I've only seen online!) was surreal enough, but to be able to see so much of his stuff, some familiar, some not, right up close was quite a treat. And very inspiring. Seriously, does he even sleep?

“How to select and work with a graphic designer”

And the merch! There was a table full of “stuff you need,” and although I was initially disappointed to find there weren’t any Dead Prints, I was more than happy to check out other things from my DDC Wishlist...

Oh, and his book Pretty Much Everything was at the show for people to preview. I couldn’t spend too long with it, as there was only one copy, but I know I will be buying it soon, hopefully at one of the local book stores. I mean, I already bought the EEEK (“Everything Else Enhancement Kit”). What am I going to do with an empty slipcase? 😁

If you haven’t seen Mr. Draplin’s portfolio, I highly suggest you take a look. He does way more than Field Notes, and that's an understatement. And if you’re interested, his book Pretty Much Everything just came out, like two days ago.

Did anyone get free advice at the show? 😄

I think my recent move did a number on my daily journaling habit. I was in such a time crunch and so tired that there were many days where I failed to write anything down in my Field Notes, or in Hobonichi no less. I'm slowly relearning my daily routine and using my favorite pens and pencils more regularly now. But during the move, I think the “pen” I used most often was this Sharpie Magnum. Not my trusty Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle or Uni-ball Signo (even though these were included in my go-to pencil case, with everything else packed away). Just this hefty, smelly, oil-based, black marker.

As you can see it's much thicker than the “regular” Sharpie marker, with a very wide tip. For the longest time, I had no idea it existed, even though I've been a long-time user of various Sharpie markers. I wish I'd had it during my previous moves because it was so convenient for labeling my moving boxes. See, I like to number my boxes and then keep a very detailed list of each box's contents, grouped by numbers (the list was kept on my iPhone this time). It makes searching for specific items so much easier later. While the regular Sharpie (in “Fine Point”) would have been adequate for labeling on the boxes, with the Magnum marker I was able to write bolder numbers much faster that are easier to read. A case in point that the tip size matters.

These days, I just use it for the initial purpose for which I bought it: to cross off any unwanted marks or addresses on packages before I discard them or reuse them. Do you use any big markers like this often? What do you use them for? What was your favorite tool during your last move?

WELCOME

COPYRIGHT

Field Notes by Theme

Field Notes Item Numbers

LEGIT “PRESS”

LATEST ENTRIES

MY WISHLIST