I am going to leave this here. www.abigailmarkov.com/2026/01/17/d...

Five years ago this week, I turned my first pen.

The Faraday Fountain Pen body. How it starts and where it finishes. Handcrafted in-house, start to finish.

My day started with filling the French press and shoveling out the chicken coop, writing, and ended with chorale rehearsal and laughing with my youngest kiddo. There was a lot of really good work between that, too. And my laundry needs to go in the dryer. Pretty excellent day, really.

Was just tagged by another pen maker on IG because I was featured in Pen World Magazine in an awesome group of other Orlando Pen Show people, in the December issue. (That makes four times last year.)

The end of an art pen development cycle is brutal and nerve-wracking, and you absolutely do not want to be around me unless you absolutely have to AND have a high tolerance for emotional volatility, profanity, and tears.

Now to just finish setting the magnets and stones. //The Faraday Fountain Pen, in progress. (Still, I know.)

Out of respect for other people involved with shit that went down last week, I can't give details... BUT I AM SO GLAD IT IS FRIDAY. I have been white knuckling everything, waking up all night. Not even kidding when I say that I sobbed for like an hour straight once everything was officially done.

My 20yo, aka Youngest, this morning, low-key mortified and definitely concerned: "Mom. You look DEAD. Like a zombie." Feel like it too. 😂

Yes, dinner was leftovers dipped in a lot of ranch, but those leftovers were half of a smoked chili lime garlic chicken breast I seasoned and smoked earlier this week...

What do y'all like on a Steak Tartare that makes it either memorable or comforting? Time to start retooling mine. I inherited it, and it's time for it to go. 🍜

My hands are full of bees and my eyes won't stay focused - from overwork. I'm calling it here - what I have to send is what's getting sent. I can't do that much on that short notice.

It's a detail finishing day after a very hard week of speed turning, and extremely long hours. Half worn readers = very easy to replace loupe. Technically I should take time off after today, but I don't have the schedule availability for time off.

I have three deadlines I'm working on and I'm throwing basically every system behind making them happen. Kinda neat seeing everything I've built work together.

Hey folks, I know it's early, but I'm going to try to ask for things that I need this year. If you get some of these chocolate boxes with the inserts, heart-shaped or not, once you're done eating the chocolate if I'd love the box for some art projects. I'll pick up in Chicago!

Like hell I will, I will unironically wear black JNCOs in Florida - in August - before you'll see my 36" inseam with size US 12 feet ass wearing slim fit anything. I am not cosplaying a featherless ostrich just to be in fashion.

Nope. Yall forced me to buy all these comfortable ass 90’s sweatshirts and jeans, you can have them back when I’m fucking dead

Migraine. This one is not playing around.

I AM this tired, but I made major progress today. Ending the day by doing my goofy little guitar app lessons. Currently have hang of Em, Am, and am trying to get the transitions into C and G.

I am beyond fortunate to count among my close friends and creative associates world class people. Legitimately, recognized by others. It's mind boggling to me, but I love it. HOWEVER.

Called it a night on the lathe after breaking a cap due to fatigue. Went to play in ZBrush - I've been finally making headway on learning the software in the last month. Not too shabby, and no, the likeness was not intentional, but it is amusing all the same.

I have to finish my workbench queue and get started on a new batch of pens for my favorite authorized crack dealer, I mean pen & stationery shop - Smruti Pens is heading to the Philly Pen Show and I want to make sure they have some new work from me. It's gonna be a packed week.

Today was learning the basics of how current, voltage, power, solid state conductors, & electric fields in circuits work - for fun. Played in ZBrush some more, read more of The Perfectionists, did a bunch of laundry and swept some floors, dinner, washed my hair, listened to some jazz music. #DayOff

Today's travelling fountain pens: two Parker 51 Demis and an @abigailmarkov.com "Bebe." Inks: Colorverse Red Shift, Anderillium Flying Squid Blue, Sailor Yodaki.

Wait for it. /*Faraday Fountain Pen update.*/

The Faraday Fountain Pen has achieved operational stability.

For @abigailmarkov.com, but for all of us creative types as well:

When a painting is done, I pull it off the wall and let it live on top of the keyboard in the living room for a while. I had forgotten about doing that last night before going to bed. Current view from the coffee maker in the kitchen, across the living room. Felt like a gut punch, the good kind.

A question I just asked myself (and I feel like @abigailmarkov.com would be proud): "I wonder how much mica I can add to fountain pen ink before it clogs the pen?"

:pterodactyl screech:

See the yellow? Due today to stay on schedule. See the red? Overdue to stay on schedule. :stretches hands:

BlueSky keeps giving me file type unsupported for jpgs AND pngs. For weeks. Only way around is to crop the image with android native editor instead of Snapseed. Which... nah man, at the end of the day, that's just ridiculous.

Today was a good, but very long, day. I have no higher order thought brain cells working left. Prefrontal cortex has left chat, fam. A bitch is tired.

NOW THERE IS NO EXCUSE. www.abigailmarkov.com/start-here/

It's the consistency that gives it away, that I'm legitimately, albeit quietly, very good at what I do.

Alive, and fine. In deep flow state, aka: here there be dragons and krakkens, do not interrupt unless it's important.

DIY Adult Lunchables continue to work well.

Morning pages is often just me writing about whatever fountain pen I’m using and commenting on the nuances of the ink (before, you know, unexpectedly launching into something random about my childhood). This lovely red one from @abigailmarkov.com arrived yesterday! Her work is absolutely delightful.

Meet Silver Bells.

Look, I don't make the rules for the nervous system; this is a Feel Good song. youtu.be/H0gvlyrGoIE?...

Best chorale concert in 4 years while also being the most challenging.

Is 13 months a statistically significant enough time to have spent on two dating apps in order to call an end to the experiment?

Today's To Do list: Turn six pens. Listen and sing along with choir pieces to prep for concert tomorrow. Avoid murder.

I am not trying to take better care of myself out of some newfound sense of self love. I am doing it because I was faced with a logistical choice when it came to my work:

TIL: if you get really tired after eating, it can be a sign you're way more dehydrated than you think. Like, chronically dehydrated. Not enough space to explain the why, but it makes sense.

Checking my website stats, and noticed that someone shared my website on Teams. My first responses: One: Thank you for sharing my work! Two: I'm sorry you're on Teams.

10 hours of sleep, and the POTS flare is less murderous. Still have a lot to do, but clear schedule for today, unlike yesterday with last night's choir rehearsal.

I have not died of complete physical exhaustion, but I am toeing the line. If I explain why someone will give me stupid but well meaning advice, so I'm not telling you why.

I've been quiet lately because the sheer volume of major breakthroughs I've had in the last seven days has been more than even I can put into words. It hasn't even been worth trying - I'd just end up frustrated. No need to worry - I'm fine. It's been intense though. Also got a lot of work done.

The Charcuterie Theory is officially in testing. Hypothesis: If I don't have to think about eating daily/stop what I'm doing to eat for >5 consecutive minutes, I won't be irritated that I have to interrupt what I'm doing to eat and will eat more. This will improve energy levels/productivity.