‘even though they aren’t my own words, the things you resonate with are a reflection of yourself and where you are in your life’….. this is the perfect summary and may become the first phrase in my first commonplace book! ❤
After I graduated high school, I unknowingly started a commonplace book. It was FILLED with qoutes from books I enjoyed. I was in a bad mental place and I threw it out. I wish i didnt. I havent thought about it much since, but now I know "my silly little qoute book" had a name. It wasnt at all silly. It was beautiful. I am going to start it again, this time I am going to keep it.
@@skepticbat yes I have its coming together beautiful. I add objects too like for my sister’s graduation the professor said something that resonated with me and wrote it down and taped in the ticket stub and flower petal from the bouquet she got me. I’m so happy I started again!
Felt! Slightly different but I had a diary which I wrote in on and off from the ages of 12-16 but I threw it away when I was 18 cos I was going to uni and didn’t want my mum to find it and read it. I wrote in it a lot at 14-15 which was when my depression first triggered and I was in the worst place I have ever been in which is why I didn’t want my mum to find it. I regret throwing it away so badly! I have a lot of blanks because of trauma from that period of time and barely remember anything from 14-16 so I wish I had it so I could remember. But I’ve started journaling again, I missed it a lot and I’m excited to start doing this.
Yeah! Especially if you have functioning links! I have different playlists on UA-cam for homesteading, one is entirely about meal rabbits, or embroidery. And I keep a journal specific to that. And one for my ttrpg, and the worldbuilding(I understand that that might not sound relevant, but part of the appeal from ttrpg is the conversation/dialogue/exchange of ideas, so I have notes about what my friends found interesting so I can draw from their views).
ugh, the pinterest censorship thing is exhausting. i feel like that site's reporting system in general has such an issue with purity culture, i realize it may be related to the wider age range using the site (it was the first "social media" myself and many others were allowed to have as kids) but it is just exhausting the amount of violation notices i constantly get for things i have on my private boards because some people just can't wrap their heads around "move on and keep scrolling"
I’ve been keeping a commonplace book for years….just didn’t know that’s what it was called until a few years ago. I first came upon the term when I was doing research on a type of note taking that totally intrigued me called Zettelkasten. Goodness, THAT was a rabbit hole of information. Most of my commonplace note taking is in Notion now but I still use notebooks cause at heart, I’m a scribe, a paper and pen gal. Thanks for sharing yours with us! ☺️
@jonasfilmstudio Research it on youtube. Basically, you put one idea on a card, number it, put it in box, and periodically go through them and criss reference them.
I’ve kept so many notebooks with lyrics, quotes, book passages and small story ideas since I was 12, and never realized this is what they’re called. I stopped doing it after a couple of years because I felt like I was being unoriginal not using them to write my own thoughts and writings.p, but I want to start again after watching this video. It brought me joy when I used to do it, and I honestly need that in my life right now. Thank you for making your video :)
Same here. I used loose leaf paper and pocket folders to keep them in and I wrote song lyrics and poems and quotes all kinds of things down. I'm 61 and I recently stumbled across a folder that had somehow survived all these years. I find post it notes and scraps of paper with things jotted on them all over the place. And now screen shotds. It never occurred to me I should put them in a journal.
Yup me too I’ve got notebooks full of thoughts, ideas, quotes, lists of things that are interesting to me, things I want to look into more, music lyrics, historical areas of interest - my daughter says it’s an ADD symptom! I have so many notebooks and they’re all spirals.
I have so many notebooks like this at home, have been doing the same since I was a teenager and in my early 20s. Tried to consolidate them multiple times into one big journal but that proved difficult and, frankly speaking, uninspiring. So I have a few beautiful and custom-made journals with snapshots of myself from the past 😊
Omg me too. One thing about that the "things wasnt your own" thinking; its inspiration! Its ideas of what you like so you know what gets you going! Isnt that amazing?? ❤️
It's heartening to me to see that you have crossings out in your book, and that your lines in the index are wavy. I watch so many videos about journalling where people have beautiful handwriting and can draw artistic borders and illustrations, etc. My handwriting has always been messy and I can't draw to save my life, so I worry about spoiling a beautiful notebook. Maybe it doesn't matter so much if it's just for me.
I know this is a little late, but get cheap notebooks! Mess up the first page COMPLETELY. Both of those things have helped me a lot with the whole "What if I mess it up?". I also ask family members specifically if they do get me a costly notebook / sketchbook to NOT TELL ME.
I struggle with journaling for this same reason. If it's not perfect-looking - and I'm not even talking about bullet journaling, just regular ol' writing-my-thoughts-down - I tear out the pages and start again. I've been working on my perfectionistic tendencies and this might be a big help!
I’ve been doing this almost my whole life. Here’s my problem, I don’t keep mine in a book that holds it all together in one place. I’ve been writing things down all over the place😂 half written in notebooks, note paper, sticky notes here and there! I have to get it together and write in ONE Commonplace book! Great video and beautiful notebook.
Finding sticky notes that you have no idea what they're referring to ... I moved my computer set up and there are still notes on the wall next to where it used to be. I probably reset that password ... Hope your commomplace book works out for you!
Hey, I wonder if you would like a more scrapbooking attitude to making and keeping a common place book. Out and about you use whatever paper you want and have access to, napkins, receipts, Post-it notes, really whatever but every few days as you watch TV or whatever you transfer all those bits of paper into one notebook. This way everything is together and organized for when you want to go back and reference some thing, but you do not need to worry about actually putting everything into the notebook all the time. Hope this can help
@@ninii394 hey, this is my advice and I apologize for mistakes because I talk into my phone. Just start, it might feel very frustrating and overwhelming which is totally normal but it is important just to begin. Even if you are always super busy take 10 or 15 minutes every day to go through six. I would personally make myself come up with a really good reason why I want to keep something, even just a little piece of paper, if it sounded all like an excuse that is a great clue something I do not really want to keep. My pile might not ever become super small and that is OK but what I’ve gotten rid of a bunch of things I would start deciding on a practical organization system. There are plenty of different options and strategies out there and therefore I would recommend some child error because you want something that actually will work and last a while. This could include scanning everything digitally and getting rid of the physical paper. It was like a bunch of different binders and maybe even a file folder and labelling everything. Perhaps just copying down the most important things into some separate notebooks, I’m getting rid of the rest. Perhaps you want to individually label everything, organizer into piles, and just leave those piles stacked in a box somewhere. Those are just a few recommendations, there are so many more out there and even more ways to customize already existing strategies. remember, don’t stress yourself out, this might seem very stressful but it is not worth stressing over. Take it easy, take it slow, play some good music or an interesting television show or movie, and actually enjoy the process. I really hope this can help, if you have any more questions let me know, and again I really apologize for the mistakes.
@@lillysummeroriginals1213 ohh thank you for your advice .... but those ppr clutter are my random feelings I shared on ppr I'm introvert and had no one to listen to I was drowning in life that time I wrote all that on random pprs I got my hands on and slowly within 6-7 month it became such a huge pile but now I'm coming out of all those hardships thats why it's soo difficult for me to declutter other than that clg notes and books I easily decluttered only keeping one two books for memory ....and you don't need to apologise 😊
"Consume content that is worth keeping" hits harder than I thought it would. Commonplace book = better life curation! Edited to add: downloading Obsidian as I watch.
I have poor retention and recall because of fibromyalgia and ADHD. It's really made consuming content less enjoyable, particularly if I'm trying to learn something. This might actually be a big help.
I have ADHD-like symptoms and one of them is struggling to retain information. I’ll read a whole book or watch a film or documentary and really enjoy it but could maybe tell you maximum one thing about it. I use e-books on my iPad a lot and I’m constantly highlighting sections, and recently I’ve started going back over these highlights when I finish the book and adding notes to summarise or re-word them in my own words as a way to strengthen my understanding and processing of that particular piece of information. Seeing this video I’m also curious if this could help.
here's another tip that could help- i'm not finished the vid so forgive me if it's already in there ;; when reading, underline passages that stick out and make a note on how they may be important to the story and what that line expresses. when doing this you can add some sort of small bookmark or symbol to the quote, and write the quote down in your book as well. this way you can help yourself comprehend the story and intentions better, and use it as a guide to what has happened later on.
Ya I have ADHD symptoms and this is actually cool. It can be a diary, a chunky book full of junk, and everything in between that u can literally get at dollar tree
I've been doing this since I was 14 and only now learnt this term. I used to say "they say my feeling in their words" everytime I collected a quote, a lyric, an excerpt from an interview. Its a book made up of what makes me me
When I was younger, I kept "quote books" of my friends' and my funny quotes, all in b&w composition notebooks. They are all a wonderful chronicle of the people I was spending time with and what we were doing. I've done the same with other quotes but I love the idea of including longer passages as well. These days I find myself frequently putting down my book, pausing my podcast, stopping the video to write down the little nuggets of wisdom or the paragraphs and concepts that resonate with me, but so far that's just resulted in a bunch of little scraps of paper and notes on my phone and highlights in my kindle. I'm excited to make a commonplace book and collect them all in one place! Thank you also for the paperblank recommendation. I'm a notebook/ stationery/ pen geek girlie from way back and am going to have a hard time choosing just one or two or seven designs from that store!
I’m an artist and I use my ‘commonplace books’ as sketchbooks as well and since I not only place quotes and useful information there, but journal as well (reflecting on what happens in my life), I like to keep one leather notebook where I snap several notebooks with ribbons and it’s much more customizable than just one notebook. I tried keeping just one, but it was a mess because I haven’t categorized anything, so now I also write marginal notes in my journals because I’m too impatient to make table of content and it will distract me to flip through pages to write the theme down. Marginal notes are also very flexible, you can write themes, key words, quotes, book names, authors, your personal notes, redirect yourself to different page of your journal (I number pages of my journals/buy leuchtrum ones that come numbered already), make corrections or just write again something you’d like to highlight even more. As for my writing/drawing tool I use fountain pen (Pilot Falcon) and Walnut ink (I love it’s warm brown hue). Anyway, nice video, keep it up 🐸📕🖋️
I USE MY SKETCHBOOK THE SAME WAY!!! I didn't really know anyone else did, by no means did I think I was being original but still. And I am awful at making and keeping table of contents so my things are never organized but I have a weird knack for remembering where about in a book or story or whatever something was. Like I can remember roughly on the page it is and everything... So it tends to work out alright for me and my inability to keep a working list of where things are.
I learned about a commonplace book in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in gradeschool and started keeping them in high school. It's always helped me with my writing process when I have a story idea I want to experiment with outside of my rough draft, as well as research for worldbuilding and writing craft.
8:01 I don't even know why I clicked on this video because I had never heard of doing this, but as soon as you described what a commonplace book was at the beginning, I immediately thought of how my ADD anxiety really thwart my memory when it comes to anything that my body isn't determining as expressly dire information (so, work and school stuff basically) and I get mental burnout so much. what you describe at this timestamp is EXACTLY why I got excited by the beginning of this video, and I'm so happy that this isn't just for me! it's how I'm able to remember important complex new information when I'm studying for a class, I don't know why it didn't occur to me to do this for things I'm interested in or love!
As a multidisciplinary artist I've been doing this for years. I had no idea this has been a long standing human tradition! I call my notebooks reference books because they inform what ever future project I will be doing. Thank you for sharing!
I didn't know this type of notebook had a name! Very cool. Also, I love the idea to "consume content that is worth keeping." Great way to evaluate our media consumption.
Interesting! I'd never heard of these before, but I'm guessing my sister did: back in the 80s, she shared a journal with her friends, and it was filled with random quotes, snips of conversation, anything they found interesting, and I was always so jealous of it. I have always sucked at journaling - it was required in a few classes I took - and rather than track my feelings/events, I always tended to just note anything I found interesting that day, so the idea of a Commonplace book really resonates with me. Thanks for sharing!
Your comment about our curated feeds keeping us outraged is so true. I have begun to feel information exhaustion, so I am fasting social media every other month as a new year's resolution/goal. Also, you mentioning that writing helps us remember and process notable information is a good point. Thank you for sharing this beautiful notebook here.
I’ve been commonplacing, and book journaling, since I was 12; although I did not know to call it that for a long time. It’s so cool to get better at it, and to look back over years and years of entries. Cool channel, glad I found you.
I know it's an older video, but when reading books, I write down things I find important on a loose sheet of paper with the page number and when I finish the book, I leave that sheet in the book. So when I need to check something I vaguely recall, but need more precision, I simply grab the book, check the sheet, and then refer back to the page. I read a lot of natural history books and have been doing so for years, I find that to be the most practical. I used to write things down in separate notebooks, but I never knew how to organize those, so it was just not very efficient for me.
I started a common place book in may 2024 after watching this video and i can proudly say that this is the first time i could ever stick to using a diary! And I LOVE IT! Stumbled on this video again for i was searching 2025 journal ideas
I started a commonplace book this year in an a5 journal with an index. But i hated not having a good way to organize the information. Chronological just wasn't cutting it. So i changed to a disc bound notebook so i could insert and move around the pages, and hated it. Now I'm using a zettelkasten system using large 5x8 index cards. So far, so good!
I suggest you make a distinction between recording and retrieving. The essence of it is recording. It was only that in the beginning and John Locke revolutionized it with his method of indexing. You might try it. It worked for him. 😂
I'm so glad this was recommended to me randomly, I've always done this since i was a kid... never knew why, just ... found something i liked and wanted to read it more than once, in that moment.
Honestly you gave a new meaning for commonplace books for me and have explained it to be more of a knowledge index. Almost like an organized braindump and I love it. I was going to get into commonplacing but I always felt like it needed to be intellectual. You've definitely opened my mind to starting one once again.
my thoughts exactly!!! also yes, i love the thought of it being an organized braindump considering that i already do a lot of braindumps over the years in my notebooks haha
This is fantastic. I currently handmake journals but never know what to do with them. I'm going to give this a try and put my beautiful journals to use!!
in my classes in university our weekly sketchbook assignment was so open ended that even stuff like this was included for the grade, not just sketches contributing to the final product of art for each assignment. outside of art though i think theres a big reason why we evolved to write: not just to record history and ideas and things for others but as a means to be an extension of our own brain/memory. i keep cahier notebooks on me constantly for pretty much everything--even ideas, reminders, etc. and then i go through it at the end of the day and organize it into my digital notes/brain vault. its allowed me to develop and break down more complex projects in my personal life and work, and as someone with severe ADHD its allowed me to organize my life to where i can be a full time artist, a full time software dev, and a math researcher, hobby architect among all the other things i love to learn. i guess as reassurance for those who want to make their notebooks look neat and organized: dont! dont worry about it. be messy, have a secondary commonplace book to organize the new contents written in the messy one. allow yourself to freely flow. my cahier notebooks are quite literally idea fragments, thumbnails of sketches and schematics, quotes and lyrics that resonate, to stuff i hammered out on the piano, to pseudocode.
This is me. But im not sure how to organize it when I get home if that makes sense. Everything is in the on the go notebook but i cant find the old things easily because everything is a mess if that makes sense,
2:16 That's the quote I'm going to start my commonplace book with Thank you for this video It has really inspired me and given me a use for all those miscellaneous note books I have sitting on my shelf
I feel like this concept could really help me right now deal with my grief, maturing, and place in this wider world. Reading the comments also gives me ideas of how much I can personalize it to what I need and what media I resonate with. A big thank you for the video and to the commentators!
Thank you for actually explaining what a commonplace book is and how it works. I've found too many videos where it was just people geeking out over them but not explaining anything. It's all well and good to have enthusiasm, but it's hard for those trying to learn that way. Your video was clear and concise, and I may try this myself now.
I’ve been doing this with new notebooks and write down everything about UA-cam growth and quotes I like. I finally found out until now what it’s been called. Thanks for these tips.
I thought I was alone in my little quote-keeping world. It's great to know this has been a thing since Ancient Greek times and it's even better to find a whole community of commonplace book writers here.
Brava! Of all the videos on commonplace book, yours is the only one that is actually about commonplace books. So many people talk about keeping multiple commomplace books that they miss the entire point ... the book is a COMMON PLACE to write everything. I keep a pocket notebook so I can jot things when I am out, but then it goes into the book back home. THAT is the common place. I also keep project books, but that is only for one project. It is not for capturing random ideas, but for study. A suggestion: use the free phone version of Evernote to snap a picture of the latest page. It will make your book searchable and protect you from loss. Thanks for the video.
I’ve done this naturally ever since I was little! like, actually really young! it makes me kind of emotional that this is just something human beings feel the need to do, like collecting words and phrases and thoughts, it’s sort of like a treasure box but for words 🫶🏻
I’m a fountain pen enthusiast AND like to journal. AND, I love quotes! Sounds like I need to explore this commonplacing concept! Thank you! And I agree, writing things down by hand is excellent for retaining the information. I believe it’s to do with neuroplasticity. 🖋❤️🙋♀️ TOTALLY INSPIRED!
@ Fountain Pen inks don’t smear if you left them dry first. If the ink isn’t water proof, then they will run if exposed to water. Also, I’m not sure why you are asking me about gel pens. My comment is about the commonplace journaling concept.
This is so neat! Apparently I've been doing a sort of commonplace book type thing off and on since high school! And I used composition books so yeah, very inexpensive hobby. Mine was more of a quote collection and brain dump, but...similar, I guess. :)
Great video! An even simpler table of contents option is writing the title or subject of each entry on a single line at the very back, working forward, until the notes and the TOC meet. That way I never have to guess about how much room to leave for each letter of the alphabet or keyword, etc. And when I'm done with each book, I put a label (usually tape with permanent marker) on the front with its start and end dates. I've used a variety of more complicated indexing systems in the past, but they were a hassle to upkeep.
This is an awesome channel. I am in love with common place books. My adopted Grandma kept one. I love perusing it. Her daughter did something with it when she died.. hers was a hard covered book. She started with a dip pen, and then went to ballpoint. I believe she started it in the 1910’s she was born in 1892. And went to college 1917? Ish. And that is when the book I was started. I remember loving to read it and look at her hand writing.
One of the best, most useful lessons I ever learned in university was how to keep a commonplace book. I deeply wish I could go back in time and take that class over again because it was wasted on a sleep-deprived early-twenties me. I'm not good at keeping A Commonplace Book™, but I do collect quotes and song lyrics and whatever inspiration strikes for whatever writing project I'm on. This can be motivational quotes found on tumblr or poetry, quotes from youtube essays, excerpts from fiction or non-fiction research. And interwoven (and usually in an accent color) are reflections and comments of my own and how they apply to the overall Project the journal is related to. And if said journal is unavailable? Jot it down on scratch paper and slap it in there later. It's more like a bujo meets commonplace book meets scrapbook. Absolute chaos, but the overall effect is soothing for me, to flip through and see the evolution of a thought in the post-it strata.
This is so relatable, especially at 5:04 ! I love commonplacing about math and even writing down pieces of clues to solve conjectures, my favorite kind!
I'd never heard of this before, but I love it. I used to keep a notebook with random thoughts, quotes, & bits of math I needed to do - but I haven't done it in years. Now I want to get back into it, only with a bit more purpose / organization. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is such a great idea💙 It inspired me to create my own commonplace book now. A tip for sectioning different media in your notebook is to draw a special little symbol at the beginning of the paragraph you wrote to indicate what media your got it from like draw symbols like: 📢📖📱🎥
This is a marvelous coincidence because I just entered a couple quotations/ advice I got from another UA-cam channel and I just wrote it really nicely in this empty notebook that I had which was beautiful and I thought to myself “you know what I’m gonna enter every piece of advice or code that resonates with me in here” and just when I put the notebook away, I saw this video wow.
As a total stationery addict, I have just subbed to your channel as it seems we are of the same cloth. I cannot believe I haven’t heard of this before, and I plan to start one immediately!! Thank you for this video
Pilot G2's are my favorite pens! Been using them for years for journaling and notes. I like the idea of commonplace notebooks...suppose ive been doing them without realizing it for years too. I love random quotes and thoughtful anecdotes and try collecting tidbits of info all the time.
This makes a lot more sense to me than the commonplace books I've seen recently! A lot of people have described it as a book for everything but that never made as much sense to me. I love the idea of intentionally keeping pieces of things that I want to remember, for one reason or another. Thank you for this very informative video, it was very gentle and loving.
I have probably a hundred of these, and today I learned what they are called, and that they are actually pretty meaningful not just... chaotic. As I always used to think. Thank you for this.
I am soo glad to have come upon this video! I have Notion where I save tv shows, travel stuff and medical information, my phone gallery is full of screenshots of youtube or reddit comments that really inspired me and I have tons of sticky notes in books that I've read. So much stuff in so many different places and adding to that, I keep watching videos on the same topics because I never remember all of the content. A commonplace book is exactly what I need and since I never know what to put in my journal, this will be it. Not sure how I wanna do the index yet but that'll be a process of trial and error. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful concept with us!
I am a stationary-holic and love your book and the way you are keeping it. I started similar notebooks in the past, but didn't have the indexing and cataloging methods you detailed in this video; so I got frustrated and stopped writing my journals. I am going to start again and try your methods of indexing and cataloging. Thank you for sharing!
This is such a nice video and intro to commonplace books! I've heard a bit about them, but I always figured that I wouldn't like not having a way to search for things easily. Putting together an alphabetical index in the back is a great idea that I will definitely use if I ever start one!
I didn’t know there was a word for this! This is what I do with my journals along with writing down emotions, goals, etc. They’re amazing to look back on as you evolve
Oh! It has a name and history! So Ibegan a notebook of this type bc it was un healthy to have to dig thru my journal of bad days to find the quotations that uplifted me during those times. I was hesitant to re-read past entries and decided to move all inspirational quotes, passages or poems to its own dedicated journal. Thank you for this video
I am intrigued by commonplace books and I’m watching videos on them. I came across yours and the affirmation page stood out to me. You have become my first page of my common place book. Thank you
Thank you for this video. I’ve been using my own version of this kind of journaling since I’ve been very young.I just didn’t know it had a title. I like the term “ common place book”. My books started out being just a little picket note book but I’ve upgraded them thru my 70 years and now keep these notes in some type of book that really appeals to me when I purchase a new one. Something that is very nice for me to keep my private thoughts and collections in. Thank you for detailing this type of collection.
i just learned how to make my own paper and wanted to get into bookbinding to make my own completely self made book. i just wasnt sure what to put in it but i came across this video and absolutely LOVE this idea! i will definitely be doing this once i've made my own book! :)
I found your channel today. I've done this for years. I didn't know it had a name. Commonplacing. So cool. I look forward to watching more of your channel.
The organization aspect of commonplacing has been the part I found most intimidating, but the glossary method you showed looks like the perfect solution! Thank you!
One of my Renaissance and REformation projects in college was to keep a commonplace book and use quotes from our assigned readings in them, still my favorite college project I ever had to do and I've kept my own since.
This is a great video! I’ve been common placing for many many years but I never knew what it was called until about seven or eight years ago. As an avid reader and researcher, I of course fell down the rabbit hole on the topic of common placing. I love your indexing system, I always struggle to find one That worked for me. Because I am a visual person, I like the boxes and the way your information is separated versus doing it line by line as in a typical index which I find overwhelming for my poor aging eyes! I’m so glad you decided to do a video on this topic, I never get tired of reading about it and learning more. My biggest problem is filling up all of my many notebooks. As soon as I find a new one I want to start that one so consequently I have several that are unfinished. This used to bother me because I wanted everything in chronological order, but now I’m just filling up those notebooks! I just ordered How Romantics and Victorians Organized Information: Commonplace Books, Scrapbooks, and Albums by Jillian Hess. I’m also going to check out the book you referenced. Thanks for the video!
Often I see things online and I think "oh that's cool" but then i think i just kinda forget it. This way I can kind of filter everything that I see to focus on the things i find important. So i think this is great
I have a few for years, only don't know what it called and written in it all, including kind of journal kind of stuff. Actually I just write anything that crossed my mind or even things I want to remember like, tips on baking, what not to do and what to do. Stuff I need to remind my children when I see them and all. I even have a small one I kept in the car so I can write down when I stop somewhere and got stuff that I need to remember. I thought it called note books. Now I try to make it beautiful so that chances I will look at it more and remember stuff I wrote in it, because I have a habit of not opening those book unless I want to find something I forgot. Thank you for sharing this lovely video, now I know what it called.
Gosh I used to do this when I read books to get me through my anxiety and to motivate me...I didn't know it was called a common place book. Thank you for your video! :)
I’ve kept notebooks recording notes from books I’m reading or speaking/training events since 1973. When I learned about Bullet Journals, I realized these were my Collections. I started adding the Index, which makes them much more useable. Like you, I find it helps me recall information that I’ve recorded. I have a section of Quotes that I add to. I use Threading so I don’t have “save pages” for later notes. I note the page # on the page (cont. on page %+), both the page where I stopped and on the page I pick it up again. Also add them to the Index. I have a separate Collections notebook from my Bullet Journal. I do put programs, wedding stuff, etc. in the back of my Bullet Journal.
I'm 60, and I've been doing this since I was 14. I've got totes with all the notebooks I've filled over the years. I never knew that there was a word for what I've been doing. It's funny that you mentioned physics, because a few years ago I decided that physics and astronomy were the 2 fields that I wanted to know more about, and I've bought quite a few fantastic books on both subjects. 😊
I love your TOC idea. Seems straightforward but effective , especially for someone who has tried to read all of Bryson’s books and recall specifics but has to flip back through them with frustration! I’m going to start this tomorrow! I’m in a PhD program now and have digital notes and analog notes and then planners for home etc all separated … this just makes so much more sense as a whole human being .
I've been making a commonplace book for almost a year without even knowing it's a thing 😂 I started doing it when I read a quote that really resonated with me. It's so nice to know that these books have a name and other people make them too 😊
This is such a lovely video! I've been keeping a journal for many years now and I've often considered commonplacing. However, I think I prefer to keep quotes, etc in my "regular" journal. I hope you have a great day! Ciao, Erica
I watched this video when it came out and now I've finally got both a notebook and a new book to read so I came back to remember what you said. Great video!
I feel like Ive tried to keep one of these all my life without success but hearing about how it has a name and a history and the different ideas you can record in it really made it all click! Gotta start mine pronto!
i didn't realize i was already creating a commonplace book of my own! i love collecting and words are no different. thank you for providing some history about them and a lil tutorial of yours
I've been doing some of this for years as part of my journaling and gaming hobbies. My twist is that once I complete a notebook, or other periodic times, I scan them and then I can reassemble them into their topic area. so for instance the last Moleskine CP became four different digital notebooks that I carry as ebooks. That way I always have access to them.
@MirandaPurpleClouds it varies with the type of game. D&D character noted, session notes, details of quests and plans. For ACNH, islander information, checklists, design ideas, inspirational you tube's and dream islands, and creator codes for design elements I like. For 7 Days to Die, it is recipes for crafting, and collectibles checklists.
Before clicking on this video I didn't know what commonplace books were, but now Im really considering starting this practice in my life. I would like to slow down a little and consider the things that I'm consuming and keep track of what I like. Thank you for sharing this!!
I just stumbled across your channel, and thanks to you I can answer a qustion I've had for many years - how to store random knowledge, quotes, etc. in one place... I got so happy when I saw "A Brief History of Time", written by one of my all-time favourite scientists.
This is such a great way to keep the words that inspire you. I've never heard of this before, but have been writing down quotes in my notebooks from time to time. I love this idea and am very excited to start my own Commonplace Book now. Thank you for introducing me to this concept!
Hey I know this is a few months old now but I just came across it and in all my many years of life I have never heard of one of these but it’s apparently what I have been needing throughout all those years! It’s been all of 8 minutes and I am obsessed with this idea. I just wanted to thank you for sharing it.
I’ve been (loosely) doing this since middle school and never knew it! Thanks for sharing more information about this. I’d like to do it more intentionally.
I´ve clicked the video because the notebook that you´re using has the same design as the agenda i was gifted for Christmas and i´ve came across a wonderful find. I think it´s a way for life to guide me throught the right track. Thank you for the video!!
I had a scrapbook for a year, and it was so fun to keep. I just filled it with whatever I thought was worth saving, not just quotes and words. But, I'd love to try this intellectual version, especially as a student. I think this might be the perfect way to take notes.
One of the best commonplace talks😊I have seen. I use binders for my commonplace, allows lots of different input and alpa tab pages to organize . Thank you and good luck with your channel .❤
I have been doing this in my own running google doc without knowing it had a name, so thank you! I like the idea of adding my own reflections in and an index.
Marcus Aurelius was always a favourite when I was at school - his quotations are (not unnaturally), legend; unsurprising then, that he should be one of the first protagonists for the Commonplace journal.....keep on keeping on - I've been creating these books for decades, tho' with a fountain pen; in the early days, employed a pencil - I could never get used to ballpoint or rollerball writing instruments - perhaps due to the fact of being left handed....wonderful presentation !
‘even though they aren’t my own words, the things you resonate with are a reflection of yourself and where you are in your life’….. this is the perfect summary and may become the first phrase in my first commonplace book! ❤
This was the first phrase I wrote on my book too 😊 I just really loved it
Really liked this idea. ❤
same
same :D
I love this too!
After I graduated high school, I unknowingly started a commonplace book. It was FILLED with qoutes from books I enjoyed. I was in a bad mental place and I threw it out. I wish i didnt. I havent thought about it much since, but now I know "my silly little qoute book" had a name. It wasnt at all silly. It was beautiful. I am going to start it again, this time I am going to keep it.
Love this comment ❤️❤️❤️ did you start your new book?
@@skepticbat yes I have its coming together beautiful. I add objects too like for my sister’s graduation the professor said something that resonated with me and wrote it down and taped in the ticket stub and flower petal from the bouquet she got me. I’m so happy I started again!
@@tyliyahhayilyt9700 this inspires me, thank you for the update ❤️
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🥰
Felt! Slightly different but I had a diary which I wrote in on and off from the ages of 12-16 but I threw it away when I was 18 cos I was going to uni and didn’t want my mum to find it and read it. I wrote in it a lot at 14-15 which was when my depression first triggered and I was in the worst place I have ever been in which is why I didn’t want my mum to find it. I regret throwing it away so badly! I have a lot of blanks because of trauma from that period of time and barely remember anything from 14-16 so I wish I had it so I could remember. But I’ve started journaling again, I missed it a lot and I’m excited to start doing this.
I just realized that Pinterest is kind of a Commonplace book for me. The only downside is that they can censor you.
Yeah! Especially if you have functioning links! I have different playlists on UA-cam for homesteading, one is entirely about meal rabbits, or embroidery. And I keep a journal specific to that. And one for my ttrpg, and the worldbuilding(I understand that that might not sound relevant, but part of the appeal from ttrpg is the conversation/dialogue/exchange of ideas, so I have notes about what my friends found interesting so I can draw from their views).
@nhappynerd You saying that, made me realize that I use Notes on my IPhone as a commonplace book 😄
The sudden mass influx of AI art is another downside to pinterest for me these days
@@gayroach2916yess i hate that
ugh, the pinterest censorship thing is exhausting. i feel like that site's reporting system in general has such an issue with purity culture, i realize it may be related to the wider age range using the site (it was the first "social media" myself and many others were allowed to have as kids) but it is just exhausting the amount of violation notices i constantly get for things i have on my private boards because some people just can't wrap their heads around "move on and keep scrolling"
This is like irl reblogging/retweeting, I like it
oh my god it's all physical tweets and tumblr posts 😳
I’ve been keeping a commonplace book for years….just didn’t know that’s what it was called until a few years ago. I first came upon the term when I was doing research on a type of note taking that totally intrigued me called Zettelkasten. Goodness, THAT was a rabbit hole of information. Most of my commonplace note taking is in Notion now but I still use notebooks cause at heart, I’m a scribe, a paper and pen gal. Thanks for sharing yours with us! ☺️
Is Zettelkasten simply what it sounds like? Like just a box that you put your random pieces of notes in? Or is there something else to it?
@@jonasfilmstudio There so much more to it that just a box of notes. It's how it's organized.
@@jonasfilmstudio it's like a personal living Wiki on paper. Rabbit hole indeed
@jonasfilmstudio Research it on youtube. Basically, you put one idea on a card, number it, put it in box, and periodically go through them and criss reference them.
I just looked up Zettelkasten... and it sounds like my new study obsession
I’ve kept so many notebooks with lyrics, quotes, book passages and small story ideas since I was 12, and never realized this is what they’re called. I stopped doing it after a couple of years because I felt like I was being unoriginal not using them to write my own thoughts and writings.p, but I want to start again after watching this video. It brought me joy when I used to do it, and I honestly need that in my life right now. Thank you for making your video :)
Same here. I used loose leaf paper and pocket folders to keep them in and I wrote song lyrics and poems and quotes all kinds of things down. I'm 61 and I recently stumbled across a folder that had somehow survived all these years. I find post it notes and scraps of paper with things jotted on them all over the place. And now screen shotds. It never occurred to me I should put them in a journal.
Yup me too I’ve got notebooks full of thoughts, ideas, quotes, lists of things that are interesting to me, things I want to look into more, music lyrics, historical areas of interest - my daughter says it’s an ADD symptom! I have so many notebooks and they’re all spirals.
I think I might start, just because it would make me happy to be able to see all the things that resonated with me over time.
I have so many notebooks like this at home, have been doing the same since I was a teenager and in my early 20s. Tried to consolidate them multiple times into one big journal but that proved difficult and, frankly speaking, uninspiring. So I have a few beautiful and custom-made journals with snapshots of myself from the past 😊
Omg me too. One thing about that the "things wasnt your own" thinking; its inspiration! Its ideas of what you like so you know what gets you going! Isnt that amazing?? ❤️
I have been keeping quotes I like in an unsent email draft for years. Interesting the way that so many people do it in such different ways.
oh man, be careful! that might easily get deleted on accident!
oh man, be careful! that might easily get deleted on accident!
oh man, be careful! that might easily get deleted on accident!
If sdb values the quotes, they will transfer all info to something beautiful and pleasurable to use--a proper blank book.
It's heartening to me to see that you have crossings out in your book, and that your lines in the index are wavy. I watch so many videos about journalling where people have beautiful handwriting and can draw artistic borders and illustrations, etc. My handwriting has always been messy and I can't draw to save my life, so I worry about spoiling a beautiful notebook. Maybe it doesn't matter so much if it's just for me.
I know this is a little late, but get cheap notebooks! Mess up the first page COMPLETELY. Both of those things have helped me a lot with the whole "What if I mess it up?".
I also ask family members specifically if they do get me a costly notebook / sketchbook to NOT TELL ME.
I struggle with journaling for this same reason. If it's not perfect-looking - and I'm not even talking about bullet journaling, just regular ol' writing-my-thoughts-down - I tear out the pages and start again. I've been working on my perfectionistic tendencies and this might be a big help!
I’ve been doing this almost my whole life. Here’s my problem, I don’t keep mine in a book that holds it all together in one place. I’ve been writing things down all over the place😂 half written in notebooks, note paper, sticky notes here and there! I have to get it together and write in ONE Commonplace book! Great video and beautiful notebook.
Finding sticky notes that you have no idea what they're referring to ... I moved my computer set up and there are still notes on the wall next to where it used to be. I probably reset that password ... Hope your commomplace book works out for you!
Hey, I wonder if you would like a more scrapbooking attitude to making and keeping a common place book. Out and about you use whatever paper you want and have access to, napkins, receipts, Post-it notes, really whatever but every few days as you watch TV or whatever you transfer all those bits of paper into one notebook. This way everything is together and organized for when you want to go back and reference some thing, but you do not need to worry about actually putting everything into the notebook all the time. Hope this can help
Same ...and I have now 10+kg of PPR clutter due to this and I just don't know how to declutter it🥺
@@ninii394 hey, this is my advice and I apologize for mistakes because I talk into my phone. Just start, it might feel very frustrating and overwhelming which is totally normal but it is important just to begin. Even if you are always super busy take 10 or 15 minutes every day to go through six. I would personally make myself come up with a really good reason why I want to keep something, even just a little piece of paper, if it sounded all like an excuse that is a great clue something I do not really want to keep. My pile might not ever become super small and that is OK but what I’ve gotten rid of a bunch of things I would start deciding on a practical organization system. There are plenty of different options and strategies out there and therefore I would recommend some child error because you want something that actually will work and last a while. This could include scanning everything digitally and getting rid of the physical paper. It was like a bunch of different binders and maybe even a file folder and labelling everything. Perhaps just copying down the most important things into some separate notebooks, I’m getting rid of the rest. Perhaps you want to individually label everything, organizer into piles, and just leave those piles stacked in a box somewhere. Those are just a few recommendations, there are so many more out there and even more ways to customize already existing strategies. remember, don’t stress yourself out, this might seem very stressful but it is not worth stressing over. Take it easy, take it slow, play some good music or an interesting television show or movie, and actually enjoy the process. I really hope this can help, if you have any more questions let me know, and again I really apologize for the mistakes.
@@lillysummeroriginals1213 ohh thank you for your advice .... but those ppr clutter are my random feelings I shared on ppr I'm introvert and had no one to listen to I was drowning in life that time I wrote all that on random pprs I got my hands on and slowly within 6-7 month it became such a huge pile but now I'm coming out of all those hardships thats why it's soo difficult for me to declutter other than that clg notes and books I easily decluttered only keeping one two books for memory ....and you don't need to apologise 😊
"Consume content that is worth keeping" hits harder than I thought it would. Commonplace book = better life curation! Edited to add: downloading Obsidian as I watch.
I have poor retention and recall because of fibromyalgia and ADHD. It's really made consuming content less enjoyable, particularly if I'm trying to learn something. This might actually be a big help.
I have ADHD-like symptoms and one of them is struggling to retain information. I’ll read a whole book or watch a film or documentary and really enjoy it but could maybe tell you maximum one thing about it. I use e-books on my iPad a lot and I’m constantly highlighting sections, and recently I’ve started going back over these highlights when I finish the book and adding notes to summarise or re-word them in my own words as a way to strengthen my understanding and processing of that particular piece of information. Seeing this video I’m also curious if this could help.
Tristen and the Classics has a video called How to Remember What You Read Better that may also have some useful tips.
here's another tip that could help- i'm not finished the vid so forgive me if it's already in there ;;
when reading, underline passages that stick out and make a note on how they may be important to the story and what that line expresses. when doing this you can add some sort of small bookmark or symbol to the quote, and write the quote down in your book as well. this way you can help yourself comprehend the story and intentions better, and use it as a guide to what has happened later on.
Ya I have ADHD symptoms and this is actually cool. It can be a diary, a chunky book full of junk, and everything in between that u can literally get at dollar tree
What! I have Fibro and ADHD too and have the same issues with memory. Had no idea Fibro was linked to that
I've been doing this since I was 14 and only now learnt this term. I used to say "they say my feeling in their words" everytime I collected a quote, a lyric, an excerpt from an interview. Its a book made up of what makes me me
I'll be putting your quote in my book😊
#metoo
that's so beautiful
Like in the song "Killing me softly":
"He was strumming my pain with his fingers, he was singing my life with his words"
When I was younger, I kept "quote books" of my friends' and my funny quotes, all in b&w composition notebooks. They are all a wonderful chronicle of the people I was spending time with and what we were doing. I've done the same with other quotes but I love the idea of including longer passages as well.
These days I find myself frequently putting down my book, pausing my podcast, stopping the video to write down the little nuggets of wisdom or the paragraphs and concepts that resonate with me, but so far that's just resulted in a bunch of little scraps of paper and notes on my phone and highlights in my kindle. I'm excited to make a commonplace book and collect them all in one place!
Thank you also for the paperblank recommendation. I'm a notebook/ stationery/ pen geek girlie from way back and am going to have a hard time choosing just one or two or seven designs from that store!
I’m an artist and I use my ‘commonplace books’ as sketchbooks as well and since I not only place quotes and useful information there, but journal as well (reflecting on what happens in my life), I like to keep one leather notebook where I snap several notebooks with ribbons and it’s much more customizable than just one notebook. I tried keeping just one, but it was a mess because I haven’t categorized anything, so now I also write marginal notes in my journals because I’m too impatient to make table of content and it will distract me to flip through pages to write the theme down. Marginal notes are also very flexible, you can write themes, key words, quotes, book names, authors, your personal notes, redirect yourself to different page of your journal (I number pages of my journals/buy leuchtrum ones that come numbered already), make corrections or just write again something you’d like to highlight even more.
As for my writing/drawing tool I use fountain pen (Pilot Falcon) and Walnut ink (I love it’s warm brown hue).
Anyway, nice video, keep it up 🐸📕🖋️
loved reading your artist perspective!! It sounds awesome the way you do it.
I've been sketching so much more since I let myself sketch in my journal instead of just a sketchbook! it's so fun
I USE MY SKETCHBOOK THE SAME WAY!!! I didn't really know anyone else did, by no means did I think I was being original but still. And I am awful at making and keeping table of contents so my things are never organized but I have a weird knack for remembering where about in a book or story or whatever something was. Like I can remember roughly on the page it is and everything... So it tends to work out alright for me and my inability to keep a working list of where things are.
That’s such a good idea about marginal notes.
I learned about a commonplace book in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in gradeschool and started keeping them in high school. It's always helped me with my writing process when I have a story idea I want to experiment with outside of my rough draft, as well as research for worldbuilding and writing craft.
8:01 I don't even know why I clicked on this video because I had never heard of doing this, but as soon as you described what a commonplace book was at the beginning, I immediately thought of how my ADD anxiety really thwart my memory when it comes to anything that my body isn't determining as expressly dire information (so, work and school stuff basically) and I get mental burnout so much. what you describe at this timestamp is EXACTLY why I got excited by the beginning of this video, and I'm so happy that this isn't just for me! it's how I'm able to remember important complex new information when I'm studying for a class, I don't know why it didn't occur to me to do this for things I'm interested in or love!
As a multidisciplinary artist I've been doing this for years. I had no idea this has been a long standing human tradition! I call my notebooks reference books because they inform what ever future project I will be doing. Thank you for sharing!
I didn't know this type of notebook had a name! Very cool. Also, I love the idea to "consume content that is worth keeping." Great way to evaluate our media consumption.
Interesting! I'd never heard of these before, but I'm guessing my sister did: back in the 80s, she shared a journal with her friends, and it was filled with random quotes, snips of conversation, anything they found interesting, and I was always so jealous of it. I have always sucked at journaling - it was required in a few classes I took - and rather than track my feelings/events, I always tended to just note anything I found interesting that day, so the idea of a Commonplace book really resonates with me. Thanks for sharing!
I like how this keeps thoughts alive in your mind and make them transformative instead of just being momentary.
Your comment about our curated feeds keeping us outraged is so true. I have begun to feel information exhaustion, so I am fasting social media every other month as a new year's resolution/goal. Also, you mentioning that writing helps us remember and process notable information is a good point. Thank you for sharing this beautiful notebook here.
I’ve been commonplacing, and book journaling, since I was 12; although I did not know to call it that for a long time. It’s so cool to get better at it, and to look back over years and years of entries. Cool channel, glad I found you.
I know it's an older video, but when reading books, I write down things I find important on a loose sheet of paper with the page number and when I finish the book, I leave that sheet in the book.
So when I need to check something I vaguely recall, but need more precision, I simply grab the book, check the sheet, and then refer back to the page.
I read a lot of natural history books and have been doing so for years, I find that to be the most practical.
I used to write things down in separate notebooks, but I never knew how to organize those, so it was just not very efficient for me.
I started a common place book in may 2024 after watching this video and i can proudly say that this is the first time i could ever stick to using a diary! And I LOVE IT!
Stumbled on this video again for i was searching 2025 journal ideas
I started a commonplace book this year in an a5 journal with an index. But i hated not having a good way to organize the information. Chronological just wasn't cutting it. So i changed to a disc bound notebook so i could insert and move around the pages, and hated it. Now I'm using a zettelkasten system using large 5x8 index cards. So far, so good!
I suggest you make a distinction between recording and retrieving. The essence of it is recording. It was only that in the beginning and John Locke revolutionized it with his method of indexing. You might try it. It worked for him. 😂
thats actually so smart
I'm so glad this was recommended to me randomly, I've always done this since i was a kid... never knew why, just ... found something i liked and wanted to read it more than once, in that moment.
Honestly you gave a new meaning for commonplace books for me and have explained it to be more of a knowledge index. Almost like an organized braindump and I love it. I was going to get into commonplacing but I always felt like it needed to be intellectual. You've definitely opened my mind to starting one once again.
my thoughts exactly!!! also yes, i love the thought of it being an organized braindump considering that i already do a lot of braindumps over the years in my notebooks haha
Organised braindump is a great way to word it! That’s exactly how it feels lol. Glad this video was helpful in some way.
This is fantastic. I currently handmake journals but never know what to do with them. I'm going to give this a try and put my beautiful journals to use!!
in my classes in university our weekly sketchbook assignment was so open ended that even stuff like this was included for the grade, not just sketches contributing to the final product of art for each assignment. outside of art though i think theres a big reason why we evolved to write: not just to record history and ideas and things for others but as a means to be an extension of our own brain/memory. i keep cahier notebooks on me constantly for pretty much everything--even ideas, reminders, etc. and then i go through it at the end of the day and organize it into my digital notes/brain vault. its allowed me to develop and break down more complex projects in my personal life and work, and as someone with severe ADHD its allowed me to organize my life to where i can be a full time artist, a full time software dev, and a math researcher, hobby architect among all the other things i love to learn.
i guess as reassurance for those who want to make their notebooks look neat and organized: dont! dont worry about it. be messy, have a secondary commonplace book to organize the new contents written in the messy one. allow yourself to freely flow. my cahier notebooks are quite literally idea fragments, thumbnails of sketches and schematics, quotes and lyrics that resonate, to stuff i hammered out on the piano, to pseudocode.
This is me. But im not sure how to organize it when I get home if that makes sense. Everything is in the on the go notebook but i cant find the old things easily because everything is a mess if that makes sense,
2:16
That's the quote I'm going to start my commonplace book with
Thank you for this video
It has really inspired me and given me a use for all those miscellaneous note books I have sitting on my shelf
I feel like this concept could really help me right now deal with my grief, maturing, and place in this wider world. Reading the comments also gives me ideas of how much I can personalize it to what I need and what media I resonate with. A big thank you for the video and to the commentators!
Thank you for actually explaining what a commonplace book is and how it works. I've found too many videos where it was just people geeking out over them but not explaining anything. It's all well and good to have enthusiasm, but it's hard for those trying to learn that way. Your video was clear and concise, and I may try this myself now.
I’ve been doing this with new notebooks and write down everything about UA-cam growth and quotes I like. I finally found out until now what it’s been called. Thanks for these tips.
the cover of the book you show in the beginning is INSANELY good, I couldn't keep my eyes out of it
It is like a Mandala, or brocade.
I thought I was alone in my little quote-keeping world. It's great to know this has been a thing since Ancient Greek times and it's even better to find a whole community of commonplace book writers here.
Brava! Of all the videos on commonplace book, yours is the only one that is actually about commonplace books. So many people talk about keeping multiple commomplace books that they miss the entire point ... the book is a COMMON PLACE to write everything. I keep a pocket notebook so I can jot things when I am out, but then it goes into the book back home. THAT is the common place.
I also keep project books, but that is only for one project. It is not for capturing random ideas, but for study.
A suggestion: use the free phone version of Evernote to snap a picture of the latest page. It will make your book searchable and protect you from loss.
Thanks for the video.
I’ve done this naturally ever since I was little! like, actually really young! it makes me kind of emotional that this is just something human beings feel the need to do, like collecting words and phrases and thoughts, it’s sort of like a treasure box but for words 🫶🏻
Yes! I have a small, pretty notebook with nothing in it but quotes. 😁
Very well put!
I’m a fountain pen enthusiast AND like to journal. AND, I love quotes! Sounds like I need to explore this commonplacing concept! Thank you! And I agree, writing things down by hand is excellent for retaining the information. I believe it’s to do with neuroplasticity. 🖋❤️🙋♀️ TOTALLY INSPIRED!
Pilot G2 is a gel pen. Do they smear like fountain pens?
@ Fountain Pen inks don’t smear if you left them dry first. If the ink isn’t water proof, then they will run if exposed to water. Also, I’m not sure why you are asking me about gel pens. My comment is about the commonplace journaling concept.
This is so neat! Apparently I've been doing a sort of commonplace book type thing off and on since high school! And I used composition books so yeah, very inexpensive hobby. Mine was more of a quote collection and brain dump, but...similar, I guess. :)
Sounds similar enough! :D Your own version of it, which is always the most awesome.
oh wow I didn't know there was a name for this! I just called mine my "book of quotes"😂Thanks for sharing!
Great video! An even simpler table of contents option is writing the title or subject of each entry on a single line at the very back, working forward, until the notes and the TOC meet. That way I never have to guess about how much room to leave for each letter of the alphabet or keyword, etc. And when I'm done with each book, I put a label (usually tape with permanent marker) on the front with its start and end dates. I've used a variety of more complicated indexing systems in the past, but they were a hassle to upkeep.
This is an awesome channel. I am in love with common place books. My adopted Grandma kept one. I love perusing it. Her daughter did something with it when she died.. hers was a hard covered book. She started with a dip pen, and then went to ballpoint. I believe she started it in the 1910’s she was born in 1892. And went to college 1917? Ish. And that is when the book I was started. I remember loving to read it and look at her hand writing.
Thank you for sharing this lovely story! 💛
Wow, a grandma who went to college. That is special! My grandparents going back several generations were not well educated.
One of the best, most useful lessons I ever learned in university was how to keep a commonplace book. I deeply wish I could go back in time and take that class over again because it was wasted on a sleep-deprived early-twenties me.
I'm not good at keeping A Commonplace Book™, but I do collect quotes and song lyrics and whatever inspiration strikes for whatever writing project I'm on. This can be motivational quotes found on tumblr or poetry, quotes from youtube essays, excerpts from fiction or non-fiction research. And interwoven (and usually in an accent color) are reflections and comments of my own and how they apply to the overall Project the journal is related to. And if said journal is unavailable? Jot it down on scratch paper and slap it in there later. It's more like a bujo meets commonplace book meets scrapbook. Absolute chaos, but the overall effect is soothing for me, to flip through and see the evolution of a thought in the post-it strata.
That feels like me. A chaos Commonplace journal
This is so relatable, especially at 5:04 ! I love commonplacing about math and even writing down pieces of clues to solve conjectures, my favorite kind!
I'd never heard of this before, but I love it. I used to keep a notebook with random thoughts, quotes, & bits of math I needed to do - but I haven't done it in years. Now I want to get back into it, only with a bit more purpose / organization.
Thanks for the inspiration!
This is such a great idea💙 It inspired me to create my own commonplace book now. A tip for sectioning different media in your notebook is to draw a special little symbol at the beginning of the paragraph you wrote to indicate what media your got it from like draw symbols like: 📢📖📱🎥
This is a marvelous coincidence because I just entered a couple quotations/ advice I got from another UA-cam channel and I just wrote it really nicely in this empty notebook that I had which was beautiful and I thought to myself “you know what I’m gonna enter every piece of advice or code that resonates with me in here” and just when I put the notebook away, I saw this video wow.
I've been doing this for years and so pleased to hear it has a name! I love the tone and style of your videos, looking forward to seeing more.
As a total stationery addict, I have just subbed to your channel as it seems we are of the same cloth. I cannot believe I haven’t heard of this before, and I plan to start one immediately!! Thank you for this video
Pilot G2's are my favorite pens! Been using them for years for journaling and notes. I like the idea of commonplace notebooks...suppose ive been doing them without realizing it for years too. I love random quotes and thoughtful anecdotes and try collecting tidbits of info all the time.
This makes a lot more sense to me than the commonplace books I've seen recently! A lot of people have described it as a book for everything but that never made as much sense to me. I love the idea of intentionally keeping pieces of things that I want to remember, for one reason or another. Thank you for this very informative video, it was very gentle and loving.
I have probably a hundred of these, and today I learned what they are called, and that they are actually pretty meaningful not just... chaotic. As I always used to think. Thank you for this.
I've totally done this, especially when I was younger: story ideas, character concepts, quotes
I am soo glad to have come upon this video! I have Notion where I save tv shows, travel stuff and medical information, my phone gallery is full of screenshots of youtube or reddit comments that really inspired me and I have tons of sticky notes in books that I've read. So much stuff in so many different places and adding to that, I keep watching videos on the same topics because I never remember all of the content. A commonplace book is exactly what I need and since I never know what to put in my journal, this will be it. Not sure how I wanna do the index yet but that'll be a process of trial and error. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful concept with us!
I am a stationary-holic and love your book and the way you are keeping it. I started similar notebooks in the past, but didn't have the indexing and cataloging methods you detailed in this video; so I got frustrated and stopped writing my journals. I am going to start again and try your methods of indexing and cataloging. Thank you for sharing!
This is such a nice video and intro to commonplace books! I've heard a bit about them, but I always figured that I wouldn't like not having a way to search for things easily. Putting together an alphabetical index in the back is a great idea that I will definitely use if I ever start one!
I didn’t know there was a word for this! This is what I do with my journals along with writing down emotions, goals, etc. They’re amazing to look back on as you evolve
This girl should make more videos... cause I'm learning A LOT! I'm happy I found this channel.
I truly didn't know there was a term for this. I have done this for years. I appreciate your video for breaking it down.
Oh! It has a name and history! So Ibegan a notebook of this type bc it was un healthy to have to dig thru my journal of bad days to find the quotations that uplifted me during those times. I was hesitant to re-read past entries and decided to move all inspirational quotes, passages or poems to its own dedicated journal.
Thank you for this video
I am intrigued by commonplace books and I’m watching videos on them. I came across yours and the affirmation page stood out to me. You have become my first page of my common place book. Thank you
Thank you for this video. I’ve been using my own version of this kind of journaling since I’ve been very young.I just didn’t know it had a title. I like the term “ common place book”. My books started out being just a little picket note book but I’ve upgraded them thru my 70 years and now keep these notes in some type of book that really appeals to me when I purchase a new one. Something that is very nice for me to keep my private thoughts and collections in. Thank you for detailing this type of collection.
i just learned how to make my own paper and wanted to get into bookbinding to make my own completely self made book. i just wasnt sure what to put in it but i came across this video and absolutely LOVE this idea! i will definitely be doing this once i've made my own book! :)
I found your channel today. I've done this for years. I didn't know it had a name. Commonplacing. So cool. I look forward to watching more of your channel.
The organization aspect of commonplacing has been the part I found most intimidating, but the glossary method you showed looks like the perfect solution! Thank you!
One of my Renaissance and REformation projects in college was to keep a commonplace book and use quotes from our assigned readings in them, still my favorite college project I ever had to do and I've kept my own since.
I've been doing this for months and did not know it had its own name! I'm so glad I found this video
This is a great video! I’ve been common placing for many many years but I never knew what it was called until about seven or eight years ago. As an avid reader and researcher, I of course fell down the rabbit hole on the topic of common placing. I love your indexing system, I always struggle to find one That worked for me. Because I am a visual person, I like the boxes and the way your information is separated versus doing it line by line as in a typical index which I find overwhelming for my poor aging eyes! I’m so glad you decided to do a video on this topic, I never get tired of reading about it and learning more. My biggest problem is filling up all of my many notebooks. As soon as I find a new one I want to start that one so consequently I have several that are unfinished. This used to bother me because I wanted everything in chronological order, but now I’m just filling up those notebooks! I just ordered How Romantics and Victorians Organized Information: Commonplace Books, Scrapbooks, and Albums by Jillian Hess. I’m also going to check out the book you referenced. Thanks for the video!
Often I see things online and I think "oh that's cool" but then i think i just kinda forget it.
This way I can kind of filter everything that I see to focus on the things i find important. So i think this is great
I have a few for years, only don't know what it called and written in it all, including kind of journal kind of stuff. Actually I just write anything that crossed my mind or even things I want to remember like, tips on baking, what not to do and what to do. Stuff I need to remind my children when I see them and all. I even have a small one I kept in the car so I can write down when I stop somewhere and got stuff that I need to remember. I thought it called note books. Now I try to make it beautiful so that chances I will look at it more and remember stuff I wrote in it, because I have a habit of not opening those book unless I want to find something I forgot. Thank you for sharing this lovely video, now I know what it called.
Gosh I used to do this when I read books to get me through my anxiety and to motivate me...I didn't know it was called a common place book. Thank you for your video! :)
I’ve kept notebooks recording notes from books I’m reading or speaking/training events since 1973. When I learned about Bullet Journals, I realized these were my Collections. I started adding the Index, which makes them much more useable. Like you, I find it helps me recall information that I’ve recorded. I have a section of Quotes that I add to.
I use Threading so I don’t have “save pages” for later notes. I note the page # on the page (cont. on page %+), both the page where I stopped and on the page I pick it up again. Also add them to the Index.
I have a separate Collections notebook from my Bullet Journal. I do put programs, wedding stuff, etc. in the back of my Bullet Journal.
I'm 60, and I've been doing this since I was 14. I've got totes with all the notebooks I've filled over the years. I never knew that there was a word for what I've been doing.
It's funny that you mentioned physics, because a few years ago I decided that physics and astronomy were the 2 fields that I wanted to know more about, and I've bought quite a few fantastic books on both subjects. 😊
I love this idea! I've accidentally done this with many notebooks. I also loooove the G2 pen - so easy to write with despite carpal tunnel. :)
I love your TOC idea. Seems straightforward but effective , especially for someone who has tried to read all of Bryson’s books and recall specifics but has to flip back through them with frustration! I’m going to start this tomorrow! I’m in a PhD program now and have digital notes and analog notes and then planners for home etc all separated … this just makes so much more sense as a whole human being .
Neat! I've been doing this with a notes app on my phone for more than a decade now and didn't know it had a name. Thanks for the video!
Out of topic but i absolutely love your voice its so relaxing
I've been making a commonplace book for almost a year without even knowing it's a thing 😂 I started doing it when I read a quote that really resonated with me. It's so nice to know that these books have a name and other people make them too 😊
That glossary/index idea is great, exactly the kind of thing I watch these videos for!
This is such a lovely video! I've been keeping a journal for many years now and I've often considered commonplacing. However, I think I prefer to keep quotes, etc in my "regular" journal. I hope you have a great day! Ciao, Erica
I watched this video when it came out and now I've finally got both a notebook and a new book to read so I came back to remember what you said. Great video!
I feel like Ive tried to keep one of these all my life without success but hearing about how it has a name and a history and the different ideas you can record in it really made it all click! Gotta start mine pronto!
i didn't realize i was already creating a commonplace book of my own! i love collecting and words are no different. thank you for providing some history about them and a lil tutorial of yours
6:50 - I love that! Such a brilliant approach!
I've been doing some of this for years as part of my journaling and gaming hobbies. My twist is that once I complete a notebook, or other periodic times, I scan them and then I can reassemble them into their topic area. so for instance the last Moleskine CP became four different digital notebooks that I carry as ebooks. That way I always have access to them.
Do you still keep the original completed notebooks because of sentimental (or something) reasons or do you let them go when they are "done" (scanned)
Also, what do you write about your gaming? I like gaming and want to do this too
@MirandaPurpleClouds it varies with the type of game. D&D character noted, session notes, details of quests and plans. For ACNH, islander information, checklists, design ideas, inspirational you tube's and dream islands, and creator codes for design elements I like. For 7 Days to Die, it is recipes for crafting, and collectibles checklists.
@@MirandaPurpleClouds I keep them, but the usefulness of the scans was proven when a flood destroyed a few older ones and I still have them digitally.
@@CynthiaHahnOh nooo. Yeah thats my fear aswell. To not have a copy of the things i write
Before clicking on this video I didn't know what commonplace books were, but now Im really considering starting this practice in my life. I would like to slow down a little and consider the things that I'm consuming and keep track of what I like. Thank you for sharing this!!
I just stumbled across your channel, and thanks to you I can answer a qustion I've had for many years - how to store random knowledge, quotes, etc. in one place...
I got so happy when I saw "A Brief History of Time", written by one of my all-time favourite scientists.
I used to keep quotes in my diary on post it notes on the first and last pages so cool to know that ppl make books of them!
This is such a great way to keep the words that inspire you. I've never heard of this before, but have been writing down quotes in my notebooks from time to time. I love this idea and am very excited to start my own Commonplace Book now. Thank you for introducing me to this concept!
Hey I know this is a few months old now but I just came across it and in all my many years of life I have never heard of one of these but it’s apparently what I have been needing throughout all those years! It’s been all of 8 minutes and I am obsessed with this idea. I just wanted to thank you for sharing it.
I’ve been (loosely) doing this since middle school and never knew it! Thanks for sharing more information about this. I’d like to do it more intentionally.
liked and subscribed for the fact that you subtitle your videos!!!! tysm!!!!
OMG ! I remember having one as a child, this is the sign to make one again ❤
I´ve clicked the video because the notebook that you´re using has the same design as the agenda i was gifted for Christmas and i´ve came across a wonderful find. I think it´s a way for life to guide me throught the right track. Thank you for the video!!
I had a scrapbook for a year, and it was so fun to keep. I just filled it with whatever I thought was worth saving, not just quotes and words. But, I'd love to try this intellectual version, especially as a student. I think this might be the perfect way to take notes.
This a perfect solution. I used to have notes tab on my phone that had my favorite quotes… and I accidentally cleared it. I mourn it to this day.
One of the best commonplace talks😊I have seen. I use binders for my commonplace, allows lots of different input and alpa tab pages to organize . Thank you and good luck with your channel .❤
Your channel grew so quickly❤ well done
I have been doing this in my own running google doc without knowing it had a name, so thank you! I like the idea of adding my own reflections in and an index.
Marcus Aurelius was always a favourite when I was at school - his quotations are (not unnaturally), legend; unsurprising then, that he should be one of the first protagonists for the Commonplace journal.....keep on keeping on - I've been creating these books for decades, tho' with a fountain pen; in the early days, employed a pencil - I could never get used to ballpoint or rollerball writing instruments - perhaps due to the fact of being left handed....wonderful presentation !