Tag: journaling

Posted on

9 of The Best Pens on Amazon

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 9 Of The Best Pens on Amazon

I’ve always been particular about the pens I choose to write with; the combination of ink and paper, the feel of the flow of pen strokes against a notebook… I find that the perfect pen does wonders for my creativity, encouraging me to pour thoughts out, and transforms the act of writing into a peaceful retreat from the noise of everyday life. It can be a challenge to find a pen that writes well, lasts for a long time, and doesn’t smudge. Having the proper tools to handwrite your thoughts, whether it’s in the form of a letter to a loved one or a new idea, will always enable you to create and keep drawing you back to put more work in. If you’ve always wanted to discover your favorite pen but don’t know where to start, here are nine that will always encourage you to spend more time writing.

1. PILOT G2 Rolling Ball Gel Pens, 0.7 Point

Buy Now On Amazon

One of my personal favorites, I always keep some of these rollerball pens around to jot down my thoughts or sit down to journal.

2. OOLY Color Write Fountain Pens

Buy Now on Amazon

The beautiful writing style of a fountain pen combined with bright ink that doesn’t smudge makes this the perfect choice to inject a little creativity into your writing routine.

3. Hillento Slim Lightweight Metal Ballpoint Pens

Buy Now On Amazon

This smooth and minimalistic assortment of pens in various metallic colors will make you want to keep track of them and encourage you to use them as often as possible.

4. Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens

Buy Now On Amazon

If you love the look and feel of an old-fashioned fountain pen but find yourself losing track of your office supplies, these inexpensive pens might be the perfect solution.

5. Uni-ball Vision Rollerball Pens, Fine Point

Buy Now On Amazon

These Uniball classics have a great weight to them, making for one of the smoothest and most consistent pen strokes you could find.

6. Uni-Ball EYE Colored Rollerball Pens, Fine Point

Buy Now On Amazon

If your mind works better when you’re able to color code, or you just like to make your notes more fun to look at, this pack of pens in different smudge-free inks will brighten up your desk and your work.

7. Pilot Precise V7 Rolling Ball Stick Pens, Fine Point

Buy Now On Amazon

If you’ve got an affinity for fine-point pens, these Precise V7s will make for some of the cleanest lines on any paper.

8. Matte Black Forest Fountain Pen

Buy Now On Amazon

This Matte Black Forest pen is so beautiful, it’ll transform any time you choose to write with it.

9. PILOT Precise V5 Colored Ball Stick Pens, Extra Fine Point

Buy Now on Amazon


This assortment of colored stick pens is a great staple for anyone who prefers to work in color.

Posted on

9 Journal Prompts for Practicing Gratitude

9 Journal Prompts for Practicing Gratitude | CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS

Gratitude can be such an important tool when we face times of adversity; the ability to shift our perspective to the positive can make a world of difference. Psychologists say that practicing gratitude can actually make you a happier person in general; being able to grasp contentment no matter our circumstances can change our lives for the better.

Knowing that gratitude can improve our life, though, doesn’t always mean it’s easy for us to take steps towards incorporating it into our normal routines. It can be easy to read about practicing gratitude, and even understand why it’s important, but some of us might need more guidance to actually connect with that practice.

Especially when things are difficult, as they are for so many of us right now, it can be hard to truly cultivate the sentiment of gratefulness without worry, distraction or resentment. Sometimes it can feel like connecting to gratitude is too much to ask of ourselves. It can be easy to get frustrated, give up, or not see the point in digging deeper. If you’ve tried building gratitude before but lost motivation, or just don’t know where to begin, these simple journal prompts might be exactly what you need to get started or find your way back to gratitude. You can go through as many as you like, pick one at random, or just soak them in as inspiration for some prompts of your own. Journalling is always a deeply personal practice; the only thing that matters is doing what feels right to you.

Go somewhere quiet, take a deep breath, and trust yourself. You might be surprised by what your inner spirit has to say today.

1. Which relationship are you thankful for today?

2. What’s your favorite memory from the past year? Why are you holding it so close today?

3. What’s one thing you’re excited about today?

4. What’s one hard thing you went through that taught you something important?

5. What’s one object that you treasure, and why? What’s the story behind it?

6. What’s one way your life is better this year than it was last year?

7. What’s the last purchase you made just for you? What did you love about it?

8. What would your best friend in the world say they appreciate about you?

9. Go on a walk and try to make note of as many beautiful things you see/hear/smell as you can.

I hope these questions can help to create the space we need to explore our own relationships with gratitude, and expand our awareness of the gifts we have already. Hopefully as we attempt to focus on all that we have, our worlds can start to feel a bit bigger and our futures a bit brighter.

Posted on

9 Journal Prompts For Personal Reflection

Journaling regularly can be a hard practice to get into, even if you’ve journaled in the past and know you enjoy it. It can be daunting to get started, to know where to begin, especially when we are processing so many daily changes and stressors. It can be easy to let journalling fall by the wayside even with the best intentions; we can become too bogged down in our daily list of tasks, or subconsciously believe we have nothing to write about. If it’s been a while since you’ve journaled, maybe you’re hesitant at the concept of trying to get caught up.

It can be freeing to reevaluate the way we look at journaling; to realize we don’t have to serve any particular agenda. There are no rules about what you’re allowed to write about or how you’re supposed to write it; journaling doesn’t have to be chronological or linear, it doesn’t have to have a certain amount of depth or gravity to be important. Even if you’re just writing about your favorite meal, or a day trip you’ve been thinking about, or a song that’s been on your mind; journaling is there to meet you wherever your subconscious leads.

Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-care: it forces us to be fully present with ourselves, gives us a direct outlet to listen to our deeper conscious, and forces everything else to wait for a moment while we focus on what we need. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, give yourself a chance to attend to some of the thoughts that usually move through your mind unnoticed. Sometimes all we need to help get us started is a small push, a bit of direction, a single question.

If you want to start journaling about yourself, your personal growth and experiences, here are a few questions to help get you started:

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself in the past year?

If you could have a conversation with yourself from 10 years ago, what would you tell them? What do you think they’d be proudest of you for?

Which quality of yours is the most important to you?

What’s one way you think you’re similar to yourself as a child and what’s one way you’ve changed?

What do you think your greatest weakness is? How has your approach towards managing it changed over time?

What are three words you would use to describe yourself? What are three words your favorite person in the world would use to describe you? How similar or different are these two sets of words, and why do you think that is?

What’s one thing about yourself that you wish other people would more easily recognize?

What’s the greatest lesson a role model taught you when you were young?

What’s one way you’ve grown or changed that surprises you?

Journaling is such a vital way for us to understand ourselves, our needs and perspectives on a clearer level. Take the opportunity today to spend a bit more time getting to know yourself today; self awareness always makes our journey easier.