Rosamond: A Letter from New South Wales, Australia
Letters from is a column in Cafe Analog’s blog where we feature our customers’ journaling practice—taking a peek into their journaling routine, stationery collections, and desk set-up! It is our dream that you will find letters from stationery lovers around your city/country, so you can connect and share the love of memory keeping with one another!
Hello, Analog Friends!
My name is Rosamond, and I am currently living in NSW (New South Wales), Australia.
I have recently moved from Queensland, where the weather was warmer, and my inspiration came from my morning walk by the canal, where the birdsong of various native birds welcomed the dawn—colorful lorikeets, pink galahs, the cormorant spreading and drying his wings, the occasional swan, and, of course, the willy wagtail, a favorite of mine. Each morning was different, and the early morning sun warmed my soul.
It’s different here in NSW. It’s a lot colder, but the area still holds its own beauty—the native Australian bush, the sound of the laughing kookaburra, the warble of the magpies, and the occasional kangaroo. The stunning autumn colors of the beautiful trees always send my imagination racing. It’s all about color for me, and I am excited by my new environment.
A little bit about myself—I grew up in Australia but was born in England. I am married with two children and a grandson whom I adore with all my heart.
I have always loved art and drawing, and when I left school I studied Fashion Design. Hence my love of the human face and figure. I love to sketch and paint in watercolor, and now that I am retired and have more time, I especially enjoy portrait painting. Sometimes, when I meet someone and am talking to them, I imagine what it would be like to draw their face. I love to slightly animate my drawings. We all need a little bit of light-hearted humor in our lives!
I love to visit art galleries, and I am always inspired there. As well as my home, a gallery is my quiet, happy place. I love to walk and observe nature, and I especially love spending time with my family. I am also a puppy lover!
I have not been journaling very long. I think it all began with COVID. I was home alone a lot, and I started looking at Facebook. I noticed posts about fountain pens and decided I would really love one, so I asked my brother, who worked for Qantas, to bring me one back from Japan… Well, that was my first rabbit hole… down I went!
From there, I chatted online, learned about journaling, watched some YouTube journalers, and one thing led to another. I bought my first regular-sized brown TN, and I was hooked. I discovered another rabbit hole… and down I went again!
I love my home and feel comfortable and safe there. I am happiest at my desk or out on my walk, so these are my “go-to” subjects to journal about. I am a quiet person and alone a lot, but never lonely. I think my inspiration often comes from my imagination.
When I don’t know what to write, I often use a quote or prompt to set the mood. Sometimes it is simply my everyday life, or sometimes it is a color or color combination that gives me an idea. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, my page is done!
I think I prefer the collage and art side of journaling. I often incorporate little messages about my feelings—sometimes these are cryptic. I also love café journaling, but I do not get a lot of opportunity to do it. My grandson enjoys it too, as long as there is a milkshake and a sweet treat for him!
I especially love creating in my handmade journal. I also enjoy working in my Midori 1 Day 1 Page, my regular-sized TN, and my watercolor journal.
Journaling is important to me because it allows me to express my feelings through pictures and a few words. Sometimes it is hard to voice these thoughts. I have made many friends all over the world through Instagram. The journaling community is so supportive. I enjoy seeing their journal pages and chatting online. Often our problems and feelings are experienced and shared by others. It is good not to feel alone. I just wish that one day I could meet the special friends I have made.
It is very important for me to create with my hands. I need to do it every day. When life is busy or stressful, or things are not going so well, it is a happy release and something to look forward to. It is a welcome change from looking at a screen and much more rewarding. I don’t think I am ever bored, as there is always a little project I have on the go.
What I love most about the journaling and stationery community is having dear friends who are always there online when you need to chat or be inspired. There is always someone awake somewhere in the world! It is so nice to know there are others who share this passion for stationery and an analog life. There are so many talented and artistic creators online. I also love that we can order our stationery from the other side of the world.
My pen pal is very important to me because we are kindred souls. She inspires me, and we often think alike. I love that!
I do miss the friends I made in Queensland, whom I saw regularly at our journal meet-ups and coffee catch-ups. I am hoping that I will find some like-minded fellow journalers here in NSW to share a coffee with. I also hope that one day I can travel to Japan and the Netherlands to meet in person the lovely people I have met on Instagram.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this little “window” into my life.
paperhugs from Australia,
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Do say hi to Rosamond and follow her on Instagram if you feel like she’ll be the perfect stationery friend for you! 😀 If you’re one of our lovely customers who’d like to share your journals, practice, and desk-view and eager to connect with other Analog Lovers, drop us an email if you’d like to write for our Letters From column!
