WORKING HANDS: Michi

As a stationery brand, we are always curious how and what people use our stationery goods for. With this blog series, focusing on the hands at "work" and beyond, we ask five questions about the usage and meaning of the stationery tools to our friends in Los Angeles.

For our thirty-ninth Working Hands, we had a pleasure visiting with a singer and songwriter, Michi at her sunshine and nature filled home in Mt. Washington neighborhood. Coincidentally Michi has been coming to Hightide Store DTLA to shop and separately, Yuichi, the director of Hightide USA has been going to her shows at the local venues. 

After coming back from a tour in Asia and Australia, Michi is now ready to start her journaling with her new 2027 Weekly Planner Nähe B6.

Q1 a: You have been using the Nähe Weekly Planner B6 for a few years, what do you like about this planner?

Yes! It’s my favorite planner I’ve ever owned, truly. I’m really obsessed with a certain color each year so I feel like the color options + the minimalism of the actual layout design is perfectly inviting for me each day. 

Q1 b: What are your essentials in your Nähe Card Case? 

Definitely my Passport Card with the recent touring I did this year + my funny gift cards I stack up, also a small printed photobooth pic from tour in Chicago.

Q1 c: We love seeing how your nail color and the glitter Plastic Clip are matching each other! What makes you remind of a pink glitter? 

Honestly the pink glitter clip immediately took me back to elementary school Michi where my entire wardrobe and accessories were from Limited Too and Spice Girls everything.
It’s girly, nostalgic + so fetch to me. It’s important to have fun and finding it in everyday life practices that can otherwise be sterile is the sweetest. 

Q2: In our technology driven world, what does it mean to write things by your hand to you? 

Oof, we’ve lost so much of the charm and joy of analog living. I feel like writing with my hands is not only a mental, but also a somatic release for me in helping me get everything out there, I can really understand myself when I’m writing and reflecting. 

Q3: Pencils or Mechanical Pencils? 

Honestly pencils are my fave! Classic + OG.

The tiny seahorse she found which she places it by the bedside with books. 

Q4: What’s in your pen case? 

I’ve got a green pencil, some highlighters for my Nähe Weekly Planner, a couple of pens in blue and brown too. The best color selection for different mediums I want to incorporate in my daily writing routine. 

Q5: What is your most favorite stationery? 

My planner is my fave tbh! I’m a busy chick, between work, gigs & shows – I wake up I want to map out my tasks and stay on track as I drink too much coffee in the sun. It’s a euphoric practice, planner always <3