We had the opportunity to meet Marina at our analogue meet-up that Wakako hosted in December. We were so inspired by her documentation process, especially her nature and hiking journals that we knew we had to learn more about her life.
BK: Hello Marina! So thrilled to have you here with us! Before we begin diving in with more detailed questions, could you please share a brief introduction about yourself?
Marina: Hello BK family! I’m honored to be here. I moved to Southern California almost three years ago from the East Coast. If you were to come over for a visit, you would see art supplies, many (many) journals, cameras and lenses, and lots of seedpods and leaf specimens as well as shelves of books, the majority of which are nature reference and vintage botanical books. All of these items are my tools for the many hats I wear: botanical illustrator-in-training; journaler; music photographer; and budding arborist. I’ve moved 20-plus times, and lived and worked in three countries (India being my favorite). I love meeting new people and listening to people talk about their passions. I also love perusing antique stores and markets and collecting brass antiques to creatively display seedpods.

BK: Do you recall when your analogue journey began? Did a person or event inspire you to start putting pen to paper?
Marina: I do! When I rewind to my childhood, I see a colorful box of Sakura Cray-Pas oil pastels and lots of sketchbooks. As far back as I can remember, my parents always had art supplies and notebooks in the house. The act of putting pen to paper is so comforting and familiar to me because I was always scribbling and doodling. I have a journal from when I was seven with marker drawings from a family trip to France, and I feel lucky to have parents who encouraged my creativity through writing and art. I also remember collaging for the first time in fifth grade when my teacher taught us to express ourselves through images especially during tough times. I’ve been collaging ever since. It’s especially helpful when visual representation is easier to access than words.

BK: We recently learned that you have decided to shift your career and work closely with nature and trees! Could you please tell us what motivated you to make that decision and how your analogue tools (or using your notebook) became a catalyst to the journey?
Marina: When the pandemic hit, the best way to calm my nerves was taking neighborhood walks, which eventually turned into forest and mountain hikes. During such an uncertain time, nature taught me many lessons and I felt my childhood curiosity quickly return. For example, one day during a hike, I thought someone left a hamburger bun by the trail. Nope! It was a mushroom! I now have a photo album on my phone called “humongous fungus.” I quickly became obsessed with researching and learning about the mushrooms, rocks, plants, and insects that I came across and started filling up Kokuyo Sketch Books, which were originally created as field survey notebooks for their portability and lightness. The more I read and learned about nature, the more alive and happier I felt. I carried this feeling with me to California. One day, I realized that if I could feel happy not just on the weekends when I’m in nature, but also during the week at my job, that would be an ideal life. It was a big decision, but I wrote out a plan, a list of things I wanted in a job, and how to achieve my goal. So, about a year ago, I announced to friends and family that “I’m proud of the hard work I’ve put into each job I’ve ever had; they’re like tree rings, a chronology of growth. Well, it’s time for a new ring.” I’m back in school now and currently forging my path to become a tree doctor.


BK: One of our favorite questions to ask is about each individual’s analogue system. Please show us and walk us through what your current line-up looks like!
Marina: This year, I asked myself, “What do I reach for when I’m stepping out the door?” and this is how I landed on my 2025 line-up.
I usually carry around my two Plotters, which I’ve been using for a couple of years now. The Pueblo bible size has my monthly + weekly schedules and monthly reflections. The Shrink narrow size is for “all things lists.” I’m trying to reduce phone screen time, so whenever I find myself with idle moments, like waiting at the doctor’s office, I write lists (new things I recently learned, cafes I want to visit, notable trees I met). Anything goes! It’s a fun way to pass the time. My Traveler’s Notebook, which has been lovingly customized by BK Truly Yours, has been with me for the past decade. This is where travel inserts and my thought journal live.
The ones that stay home include my Hobonichi 5-Year Techo and my MD Notebook (A5 grid) for collages. I’m on my second 5-Year Techo and it’s one of the most rewarding journals I’ve ever used since I can easily see changes, growth, and memories all in one place. I love the “Wow!” feeling I get when I reread an entry from previous years and how details of that day float up to the foreground just from a few sentences.



BK: We all deal with trial and error both creatively and personally. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from a failure?
Marina: I love this question. It gives me a chance to reflect on how far I’ve come and look back (with kindness) at all the wrong decisions that I’ve made, but eventually brought me to where I am now. I’ve had a couple traumatic chapters in my life and at every low point, I’ve had a journal. In times of joy and especially in times of grief, I write. It’s like an exhalation and I always imagine a tangled ball of yarn that I unravel slowly, word by word, until there is one, simple line like a horizon where I can finally see light. When I feel like there are too many uncertainties, worries, to-do lists, and imaginary conversations clogging up my mind, a journal has been an incredible tool. This is where creativity comes into play. I can ask myself, “what do I want/need?”, “what are my next steps?”, “what am I grateful for?” I’ve learned the importance of having your own compass and actively creating an environment where joy thrives.
BK: Do you have a personal motto that guides your decisions on life?
Marina: I love the Japanese idiom ichi-go ichi-e, which I first came across when I was studying tea ceremony in Japan. Each encounter is the encounter, perhaps the last or maybe not, but should be treated as special. Fully embracing the present moment and letting past events as well as future worries go is something that I constantly strive to do. It’s a difficult, but meaningful practice.
BK: I think we can all agree that our stationery community is really special. What about it do you think creates this special atmosphere that sets us apart from other circles?
Marina: I’ve been to three stationery meet-ups including one in Philadelphia, one in New York, and the most recent at BK. Every time, I leave feeling buoyant. In an age where everything can be accomplished quickly and digitally, the stationery community is doing just the opposite; we document in a slower, tactile way. Many of us are collectors (of moments, images, words, tools), and we use analogue tools to remember and cherish even the smallest joys, and no matter how we document, there is a whole cheering squad that is quick to encourage and support you.
BK: Since we are conducting this interview in January of 2025, what are you most excited about in the future of all things analogue or personally?
Marina: One of my goals this year is to stop scrolling and instead, make time to work on creative projects (embroidery, pottery, jewelry making, bookbinding) as a countermeasure for burnout and news fatigue. Have you heard of perpetual nature journals? It was started by artist Lara Gastinger. In one journal, you mark the 52 weeks of the year, each on a two-page spread, and each week you draw an observation from nature. By using that same journal year after year, you will have a visual representation of the seasons, bloom times, and nature patterns. I’ve been neglecting my perpetual journal, so I’m excited to dive back in! Personally, I hope to find ways to give back to my community and to the environment, and to continue learning and expanding my knowledge especially about trees and how to care for them. I want to live a life in which if I were to give a one sentence summary of my journey, the listener would say, “Tell me more!”

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Where to find Marina:
Instagram: @lastationerdy
Bk Artifacts Featured:
- Traveler's Notebook Brown / Regular
- [BKxTRC] Journey is the Destination
- [Hobonichi 2025] 5-Year Techo
- [MD Notebook] Grid
- TrulyYours // BK Customization
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