One of my favorite Secrets of Adulthood is “Beautiful tools make work a joy.” One form of beauty is suitability—having precisely the right tool for the work we want to do.

In 2022, in a speech, mega-musician Taylor Swift explained that she sorts her lyrics into three categories. She said, “I came up with these categories based on what writing tool I imagine having in my hand when I scribbled it down, figuratively.”

Most of her lyrics are “Fountain Pen” lyrics. These she describes as “modern personal stories, written like poetry, about those moments you remember all too well where you can see, hear, and feel everything in screaming detail.”

Her “Glitter Gel Pen” songs are bouncy and carefree. These are lyrics, she says, that make you want to “dance, sing, and toss glitter around the room”—reminding you not to take life too seriously.

Her “Quill Pen” lyrics have a more old-fashioned feel. She said, “If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre.” 

Though the pens are imaginary, they’re a creative ways for Taylor Swift to explore different songwriting styles and connect with different emotional tones. Fans have even created playlists that reflect her pen categories.

A less elevated but similarly effective approach comes from a friend of mine who has two laptops: a work laptop and a play laptop. His work laptop, no surprise, is for his work. But when he’s writing his novel in his free time, watching a movie, or planning a vacation, he uses his play laptop. This division helps him stay focused and productive. 

Having the right tools helps to make work a joy—and in Taylor Swift’s case, even imaginary tools help to make work a joy!