You don’t miss it until you need it. A well-stocked stationery drawer can help kick-start productivity and save time throughout your workday. It’s also important to have individual stationery items to reduce the need for shared equipment for a more COVID-safe workplace environment. You may already have the stationery basics covered, but what about the less common items that often make the biggest difference? We asked Winc’s resident stationery expert Amanda Holmes what’s required to make up the ultimate stationery drawer. Here’s her top four recommendations.
Blu tack
Fun fact: Blu Tack is proudly Australian-made and was created in 1971.1
What can’t you use blu tack for? “A worthy addition to your stationery drawer, this reusable adhesive is a suitable alternative to drawing pins and sticky tape which are known to ruin paper documents,” explains Amanda. Just 0.5 grams of Blu Tack can hold up a weight of approximately 105g on any non-porous surface. Use it to stick papers on your wall during brainstorm sessions or workshops, hold items in place on your desk or to get creative and decorate your workspace.
Index cards
Fun fact: Carl Linnaeus, the father or modern taxonomy, used index cards in the 1700s to organise and classify every known animal, plant and mineral in the world.2
These days index cards can help us write notes, jot down ideas, doodle and create presentation notes. They can also be used to create flashcards for better memory retention. Flashcards engage a mental faculty known as ‘active recall’ each time you look at the front side and think of the answer. When you reveal the answer on the opposite side, you utilise your metacognitive faculties. “Keep a stack of index cards in your drawer – you’ll never know when they’ll come in handy,” recommends Amanda.
Gel pens
Fun fact: Gel pens were first created and manufactured in Osaka, Japan in 1984.3
“Gel pens are a type of ballpoint pen that use water-based gel instead of ink. Because of this, they leave a stronger mark on the surface than ink pens and offer a smoother writing experience, making them perfect for writing or illustrations,” explains Amanda. They are also water resistant and fadeproof and their tips don’t wear down like felt-tip markers, making them a more long-lasting alternative. Add a few to your collection and experience the difference for yourself!
Correction fluid
Fun fact: The invention of correction fluid was due to the typewriter. In 1951, Bette Nesmith Graham invented correction fluid to make fixing typewriter errors easier.4
“Nowadays this invention is great for a similar purpose. Keep a bottle of correction fluid or correction tape nearby for easy proofing, editing and last-minute changes to documents,” suggests Amanda.
Winc can provide you with all your stationery needs and productivity-enabling tools. View our full range of products on winc.com.au.
References:
1Bostik, 2020, ‘Multipurpose reusable adhesive’, <https://www.bostik.com/australia/Bostik-Products/Blu-Tack-Multipurpose-Adhesive>
2Schifman, J., 2016, ‘How the Humble Index Card Foresaw the Internet’, <https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a19379/a-short-history-of-the-index-card/>
3History of Pencils, 2020, ‘History of Gel Pens’, <http://www.historyofpencils.com/writing-instruments-history/gel-pen-history/>
4Basu, T., 2016, ‘How the Inventor of Liquid Paper, Bette Nesmith Graham, Helped Launch MTV’, <https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76038/retrobituaries-how-inventor-liquid-paper-bette-nesmith-graham-helped-launch-mtv>
