River of ink

    In keeping with the theme of my blogs, it would be an interesting challenge curate a selection of inks across his different phases instead of making a Spotify Wrapped for him. So, as a result of far too much time (and money) poured into this hobby, these are the inks I think Siddhartha would’ve had in his pens at each stage.

Brahim - Pilot Iroshisuku Kon-Peki



    Siddhartha, during his Brahmin phase, lives a Kon-Peki lifestyle. There’s nothing tangible that Siddartha can point at and say is lacking. Siddhartha is rich, well-respected, and ridiculously good-looking. Kon-Peki is very much the same; it’s reliable, wet, and has a beautifully deep sky blue on any paper. The “issue” that arises with both lifestyles is that it fosters an underlying dissatisfaction with the smooth sailing it has to offer. Fountain pen users want more out of their inks. Shading, shimmer, and sheen dominate many of the most popular inks on the market. Siddhartha believes that the enviable lifestyle he has hasn’t brought him the spiritual experience that he hoped to achieve, and sets off to look for it elsewhere.

Ascetic/Buddhist - Noodler’s Baystate Blue



    Bright, blue, and bold, Noodler’s Baystate Blue couldn’t be more different than Kon-Peki. Siddhartha’s pursuit of other religions is very much the same. He’s bold about his supposed knowledge and unafraid to counter Gotama and the head of the Ascetics directly. The caveat to this is that his pride reaches an all-time high. Siddhartha is insufferable here and has way too much faith in his own abilities, which has yielded him nothing that wasn’t present at the beginning of the novel. 

Material World - Organics Studio Henry David Thoreau Walden Pond



    Entering his descent into the material world, Siddhartha loses his religious streak and fully gives into debauchery and a materialistic lifestyle. Organics Studio’s Henry David Thoreau Walden Pond is the epitome of this lifestyle, where sheen is added in what feels like a one-to-one ratio simply because of its popularity. Both are ridiculous and the result of some daydreamer’s fantasy. Misguided attempts to find peace by experiencing the opposite don’t lead Siddhartha closer to enlightenment and instead drive him away from the truth.

Ferryman - Bungubox 4B

    This period is where Siddhartha begins to develop the most and makes genuine strides toward enlightenment. The peaceful lifestyle allows him to reflect alongside his friend and mentor, Vasudeva. However, there exists tension between Siddhartha and his son that prevents him from fully devoting himself to spiritual liberation. Bungubox 4B captures this essence beautifully in its ink. A blue-black is reliable and many people’s daily writer. A careful re-examination will uncover a subtle, but ever-present, copper shimmer that stands in contrast with its mature surroundings.

Enlightenment - Sailor Manyo Ha-ha

    A beautiful conclusion to the various threads of life that went into making Siddhartha’s final push into enlightenment, Siddhartha shifts into an almost ethereal existence on this plane. He understands his position within the natural world and the cycle that captures all of creation. His thoughts and actions make it as if he could dissolve into the fabric of nature at anytime. Sailor’s Manyo Ha-ha is a beautiful synthesis of all the things that make ink work. A vibrant shade, it’s a subtle color that gradually reveals itself through the process of writing. Much like Siddhartha’s inner peace, the elegance of the ink can only be best described through experience.