Here are my top five things for productivity and creativity. =)

• Fountain pen
• Moleskine notebook
• Index cards
• Cellphone
• Happy socks

Read more for details!

Fountain pen. I love the fountain pen my father gave me as a going-away present. Writing with smooth ink and a light hand is a real pleasure, and the pen has enough weight to feel stable in my hand. My main pen has a broad nib, and it's currently filled with Noodler's dark red ink. The ink is almost black, and it goes very well with cream paper. I sometimes carry a hooded Parker clone with a thin nib and black ink, which is good for drawing details or writing on cool-toned stationery.

Moleskine. A good pen deserves good paper, and the cream Moleskine paper goes very well with my fountain pen ink. The back pocket is an awesome place for cash, tickets, and receipts. I started using it as a diary, but I found myself using it for lists, sketches, and memories instead. It's like a mini-scrapbook. For example, I have:

• A checklist of things I want to do in Toronto
• A list of people I can hang out with
• A list of things that cheer me up
• My sister's top-secret cookie recipe
• A checklist of subway stations and whether I've explored that neighborhood
• Sketches of random people
• Funny airport announcements

Index cards. Great for giving information or writing down something I don't want to keep in my moleskine. I generally use blank white cards so that I can doodle on them, but sometimes I throw colored ones in for variety.

Cellphone. I'm just so used to being able to change plans on the fly. Back home, I'd often send text messages to my friends inviting them to a party ("When?" "Umm, now. Let's go! =)") or just saying hi. I've also used my phone to write flash fiction. The system's 160-character limit is a fun challenge, and I've also written much longer messages. I sometimes use my phone to call people. I use my phone as an alarm clock and camera too.

And finally, happy socks. I love wearing whimsical socks, particularly on gray winter days or when I have to wear slacks. Pacman socks, penguin socks, cat socks, and other touches of silliness light up otherwise serious days. =) They're a great way to beat the winter blues and keep my spirits up. Hooray for happy socks!

Yes, yes, I know, the D*I*Y Planner should be on that list somewhere. My conscience forces me to confess that I haven't been using it lately. =) Blame it on moleskine infatuation. I still haven't set up index card printing. I want to make a cover for my moleskine that includes a Hipster PDA. That would be Totally Cool.