This is the bag I take to-and-from work every day (along with a little red backpack that’s a glorified lunch bag). Its inventory consists of:
- The aids are quick fixes to tide me over until I get home again. Advil, sugar-free mints, Rescue Remedy (it may be a placebo), and water.
- I kept the miscellaneous receipt in case I needed to return a branch lopper that I bought last week. The OMG note is a reminder to call my cell-provider—it had been on my desk, but got shoved in my bag during the move at the start of the month.
- The cosmetics are there to help me look more put together. Chapped lips? Moisturizing mineral lipstick. Shiny face? Compact powder. Dry knuckles from fastidious hand-washing? Lanolin ointment.
- The sketchbook is where I jot down my ideas, designs, plans, and to-do lists. I made the vinyl stickers as demos for my Graphic Production class. They are also helpful reminders and mementos of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there are two other stickers on the back. One is a smiley face that says NO WORRIES, and the other is a pink flame that one of my students gave me.
- I recently thinned my arsenal of pens but still carry a wide selection. Be it studious, creative, formal, or even digital, I have the right tool for the job!
- My wallet contains my ID and bank cards (especially necessary when cash is rarely accepted). I bought it in 2014 while teaching summer science camps in Haida Gwaii. I was also collecting insects that summer, thus the dragonfly.
- The laptop is a portal to connect, work, and create. It has some scars from a terrible mishap with the bag in question. The sticker on it is one of the first I ever made. Its a character from one of my favourite games, Oxygen is NOT Included.
- NOT shown is my phone, which was being used to take the photo.