INDEX - THE EASY LOOKUP FOR INFORMATION IN YOUR COMMONPLACE BOOK
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Welcome to Episode - 34
#commonplacebook #notetaking #notebook #index #tableofcontent #notes #selflearning
Hello friends, in continuation of the self-learning methods, I am sharing the Indexing System that I apply to easily lookup for information by a specific subject in my Commonplace Book.
In this video I am demonstrating how I create an INDEX and build a TABLE of CONTENT, along with few bonus tips!
Quote: " While at first glance the driest part of the book, on closer inspection the Index may provide both interest and amusemenet from time to time " - Robert L. Collison, Book Collection, London
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📩 Let's Connect
Instagram: / journaldesylvie
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Welcome to my Journaling Journey! 📖 🕯
My name is Sylvie, I enjoy sharing functional & artistic Journaling Systems.
I am a note taker, passionate about Knowledge & Self-Learning Methods 📚 . A curious explorer 🔎 🔭 , frequent traveler 🗺 , lover of Art, Literature, and Natural History.
Photography & Videography: www.luigiphotography.com
Happy Journaling!
That's the most beautiful notebook I've ever seen.
😊 Thank you.
In addition to being very helpful, I want to commend you on having made such a great quality video production, it was exceptionally well made! I always enjoy when you share your Commonplace book, it's very beautiful. You've become my unofficial mentor for designing my own Commonplace book. I look forward to your future videos. Thanks for sharing and all my best to you and yours! :)
Hello, thank you very much my friend! it's a learning process, I am pleased to know you found some useful tips. 😉
Your notebook is a work of art in and of itself! So beautiful. Looks like an antique which is what I know you were going for. Definitely one to treasure when done. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with creating this.
Thank Barbara for your beautiful message! I am glad we came across 📖🕯
Such a stunning work of art you have created, along with logical, helpful directives to get the most use out of our own books. Thank you for sharing your expertise and your obvious passion with all of us.📖♥️
My pleasure Lynn ! I love sharing journaling systems 📖. I thank you deeply for your feedback.
I agree, love the old world charm you have in this notebook!
Your common place book is a work of art! Your advice is extremely helpful and direct. Well done!
Glad you think so! Thank you Camila!
I didn’t think I needed an index until this video. Your logic makes so much sense. Thank You!
Great to hear! You are very welcome 📖🕯
wow...i've never seen this *INDEX* in a Journal / Bujo / day planner / diary / etc.
AMAZING !!
I like this better than having a Table of Contents in the front of the Book !!
Thank you 😉 Glad it was helpful! 📖🕯
Oh mon dieu! J'adore, il est magnifique!!! 😍😭 J'aime bcp la table des matières et l'index! C'est bien pensé!!
Your book is absolutely stunning 😍
Glad you think so!
You make the best commonplace book content on UA-cam. Although your commonplace book is beautifully decorated and has lots of images, everything you teach is applicable to any type of common placing. Thanks a lot for your videos!
Thank you for this lovely feedback, I am very pleased to know you enjoyed the Journaling Systems I am sharing. Glad we came across 🕯📖
Love your channel, that it is paper art without cutesy pastels, and the fact that you are focused on information and not the same self-help angle of many other videos on here!
I wish UA-cam had suggested this to me before I started multiple themed commonplace/repositories books this year. Might have to start one or two over. Would love to see future videos on how you approach structure so that the information and art fits neatly and looks like it was organized like a graphic designer importing content.
Thank you so much! I am glad we finally came across. I am about to resume more videos this fall. Good question about how information fits with art illustrations, I promise will address this shortly. I wish you an exciting knowledge journey with your commonplace books 📖🕯
I have been enjoying all your content and ideas, please keep it up! You have inspired me to improve my my journaling, thank you!
Thank you very much 😊 I am so happy to hear that.
Thank you Sylvie! This is very wise and helpful. So happy with this new video. Greetings from Lima, Peru!
Thank you dear Alejandra! Always pleased to hear your feedback. 🥰
Очень полезные видео👍👍👍 Спасибо большое❤❤❤
This was very helpful. I’ve always kept a commonplace notebook (I didn’t know it had a name) but I never really knew how to organize the subjects. It was difficult to remember where everything was located- which book etc. I recently started trying to tab things and highlight key words but it’s still messy. I will try and add an index at the back. Hopefully I can stay organized with key words. Thank you for explaining how you organize your book.
Thank you Alice! I am happy to know you found it useful. You can create an extension to index and log the content. I have an entire playlist for the Commonplace Book topic. (Keep me posted 😊)
So glad I found your channel. Love your beautifully filmed and really informative videos. Thanks for the clear explanation for indexing. I have many messy notebooks with info all over the place, now inspired to be more organised. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
You are so welcome! I am so glad you found it useful in anyway. I love sharing all about commonplace books and note-taking methods under the Self-Learning playlist. 📚📚😉
Welcome back, Sylvie! Wow your commonplace book literally looks like an ancient book! I also agree to the importance of indexing, which is why I also index my work logs~ thanks for such good info :)
Thank you !!!! I am happy your liked my vintage CP. 😊
Absolutely LOVE your content, one of the best channels here on UA-cam for sure s2
I really would love a video about your handwriting and how you learned it or some practices, luv from Brazil
Hello Leticia, I am so happy you follow my content from Brazil. I will consider your suggestion about calligraphy . It’s mainly a practice 😊😍. Luv from Texas!
This was fantastic! Thank you for sharing! Have a blessed day!
Thank you! You too!
Thank you. Doing the journaling for a long time, now I can go back and add these very important pages, thank you so much for sharing your work!!!
I am glad you found it useful. Retrieving your information is as important as recording it. Thank you for your feedback 📖🕯
I've got a lifetime of diaries and journals. And up until this video, I had no idea how to catalog it all. Thanks to your wonderful video about TOCs and Indexes, I'll be able to get all these memories, ideas, etc. in a retrievable order so I can access them. Here I come 25 journals! Thank you Sylvie!
I am very pleased you found it useful. Wish you an exciting journey with your journals. 📚📚
Wow Sylvie, this is absolutely a work of art! Love the way you index and pretty much everything else. Really inspiring as always 😘
Thank you my dear Raffaela!! 😘😘😘I always look forward for your feedback! Glad you liked the concept.
Excellent video and great practical information!!! I'm starting my own herbology/home remedies book and these tips are super helpful as I was lost on how to keep track of the different topics. Thank you very much! 😊
Hello Sandy, I thought about your Herbology project when I was doing the research 😉 keep me posted!
I gained so much from this video. This is something that could be added to the back of a completed book,with the addition of pages if needed. I have a book in mind, to add an index. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Patricia, glad it was helpful! for more tips you can check the video on Marginal notes 📖🕯
Colin, if anything this makes me trust you more. Keep your head up and keep up the good work 🤘
Wow - that's a stunning work of art!
Thank you very much! I am very please you liked it.
Da Vinci would be proud of your notebook.
Beautiful!
that's one of the most amusing feedback I received. Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it 📖🕯
BRILLIANT! I know to always make an index at the beginning of a book, journal, etc. but with a Commonplace book where similar topics could be all over the place, I was starting to hyperventilate thinking of how to group those together. My research showed that a number of people keep Commonplace boxes and write their observations on index cards and file them under a topic and some people even do this THEN at some later time transfer the info on the cards into their Commonplace book. Two steps to do one task seemed needless. I thought about using a ring binder so I could move pages about but I want to use an actual book. Then I came to this video about using an index in the back to more easily locate topics. THANK YOU!!!! That kept me from obsessing about this for days!!
Thank you for words! I am very pleased you found this method useful. 📖🕯 Wish you the best with your Commonplace Book journey.
This is all so stunning and beautiful. I love it. You have inspired me so much. Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait for the next one.
You are so welcome! Glad you found inspirational in anyway. 📖🕯
Thanks!
Thank you very much for your token of appreciation. Please let me know if you will have any questions about the system.
Thank you Sylvie, very helpful and useful.
You are most welcome. Glad you liked it! 📖🕯
Your commonplace is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you Celia, I am pleased you liked it 🥰
Oh wow! I never considered an index and will do it in my next commonplace cause it’ll be so much better!
glad you were inspired! 📖🕯
Thanks for sharing your indexing method, it's extremely effective. I also use subject-related keywords and assign multiple keywords to each page (where relevant). But since my CP books are actually A6 or passport sized I've used John Locke's method of indexing, which is essentially a condensed form of your indexing method. In a nutshell, I write the alphabet A-Z at the back of the notebook on one column (obviously spanning several pages), and for each letter of the alphabet I write the five vowels a-e-i-o-u on an adjacent column. I assign every entry in my book a subject related keyword (like you do), so to index it I write the page number on the column corresponding to the first letter and first vowel of that keyword. So say I have an entry which is about horses on page 20. So in the index, under "h" and "o", I would write "20". Not sure that makes sense but I find this a good condensed way to search for information based on subject rather quickly.
Does anyone else use this method?
Oh yes I am aware of the JL method. I am applying it in another CPB. Thank you for sharing!
Your work is clear, inspiring and beautiful. Thank you for sharing so generously.
Your are most welcome Lynn! I am very happy you found it inspiring in any way 😉📖
Love it, you made everything so simple.
Thank you! 😊 I am glad you found useful 📖🕯
So glad I found your channel. I’ve always been a note taker but your organizing is very informative to try and find specific things in the notes. I used to have many loose papers that I clipped together. But recently I’ve been into notebooks and planners. I tend to take notes about art projects and techniques. Or just other random bits of information. Your system is quite detailed to find specific key words. I will use this system probably a little more loosely for this type of content. But who knows I may find this detailed use of specific key words useful if I ever get into other types of historical information. I do read but I don’t tend to spend time doing a book review. Anyway this is very helpful.
Hello, glad you liked it. It seems you are notetaker. You can apply the indexing system for any given topic. I just used this general knowledge commonplace book as an example. if you want more abbreviated system, you may checkout ua-cam.com/video/asXjBxs0WEI/v-deo.htmlsi=CbyHYvC9SnCDo23w
I shared the John Lock indexing method through my Art Journal. 📖🕯
Thank youuuuuu!! I was struggling to organize my notes, thank you for your helpful tips
Glad it was helpful! 📖🕯
Extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing 😊
You're so welcome Margaret!
It's brilliant! I'm trying it immediately!
glad you found useful 📖🕯(you can also compare with John Locke method - latest video)
This video was very helpful! Thank you!
You're so welcome!
This is an interesting meeting of different worlds! I’m coming from the computing and engineering side of the house to find an effective way to index information. This was very enlightening!
Hello, Thank you and I am glad you found some useful tips. Also, If your commonplace book are about one theme, you may benefit from the abbreviated method of John Lock's Index ua-cam.com/video/asXjBxs0WEI/v-deo.htmlsi=Isr3qU7N_7WolWK6
@@journaldesylvie I will definitely consider that! Finding information quickly is paramount in my area.
Merci beaucoup. Super! J’aime surtout Luther et Montaigne!
De rien 🥰 Je suis contente que ça vous ait plu
@@journaldesylvie oui beaucoup! Je vais essayer en faire un moi-même avec table de matière et l’index l’indice! Super 👍🏼 que le doigt l’index indique faire signe des mots clés! Super!!
This was a solid and wonderful explanation with excellent examples. Very happy to have found your channel! Absolutely love your journaling style. Great work.
Thank you very much for your feedback. I am very pleased you found it useful. Welcome aboard! 📖🕯
Very helpful and well explained video. Also, your creation is exceptional. Would love to be able to read the content of your work. Super interesting! 😊
Thank you very much! I am pleased you found it inspirational 📖🕯. As for the page layout, just keep it simple and later you can add some visuals 😉. I shared some techniques on how to lay pages of your journal that may help to start
- Page layouts: ua-cam.com/video/Jjn4d2646tg/v-deo.html
- Note-taking style: ua-cam.com/video/m9OCZc7LnB8/v-deo.htmlsi=4u2Vbm70CUY4ngI8
Yes thank you. I find your videos helpful and inspiring.
Thank you!
It would be wonderful to watch a video on the aging process you used here, it's beautiful.
Coming soon! 😉 thank you for the suggestion
Really helpful. Excellent advice and such beautiful and inspiring presentation. Thank you. I am picking up some practical ideas and tips. My work would never look so aesthetically appealing but, as you emphasise, that is not the point.
You are so welcome! I am very pleased to read your feedback. Some of my CPB are only writing. 📖🕯
This is so interesting! Your videos have been both helpful and inspiring, so thank you!
Thank you! I am happy you found an inspiration for your notebooks! 😍
Very beautiful and functional Sylvie! I’ve been feeling inspired lately and decided to update my commonplace book. This video was very helpful!
As someone who gets nervous about allocating space for table of contents/indexes, my tip would be to use another sheet of paper and add it in (using tape or a paper clip) if you run out of space.
PS. Your handwriting is so pretty! Do you have any advice for making handwriting neat and pretty like yours?
Hello Alice, I am so happy you found it inspiring in anyway! I like you tip about the paper clip. Whatever release the pressure and helps you to focus on the self-learning.
As for the handwriting - may be if you look closer, you will see imperfections....😂 however, my tip will be you find a pen that you work for you, couple that with nice paper.There is also calligraphy notebooks for that purpose. Mine improved with practice and embracing imperfections ...
This is really useful! Thank you
Glad it was helpful! 😊
What a beautiful book and description of what and how you do. I would likr to learn how to index. Do you have recommendations of what courses I should take to be able to get jobs doing this? Many thanks!
Thank Carolina for your feedback. I am glad you found it useful. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with particular courses but you certaintly can research it online. 📖🕯
Hello - thank you for sharing your beautiful book and your methods. This video is very helpful. Can you tell me where I can find the picture you have in the front of your book? The lady with her hand on her chin sitting on the bench. It is very beautiful and I would like to use it. Thank you!
Hello, I am pleased to know you found the system useful. As for the picture, I got it from Etsy which comes with a collection of scrapbooking media. Theme of books, renaissance, and medieval. I don't recall the exact shop (may be BurkeSevenVintage or Jen Braid. 📖🕯
Loved this video. It was quite helpful. Where did you get that wonderful notebook?
Thank you, I am pleased to know you found it useful 📖🕯. I have the link to the notebook in the description box.
I really like ur way of writing
Thank you!! 😘
😮 WOW!!!
glad you liked it 😉📖🕯
Very informative video, and your journal is beautiful! May I please know the page size/dimension of the journal you're showing here? Thank you!
Thank you Nestan! This is a B5 size with Dotted Kraft (brown color). For commonplace books I typically use A5, A4, or B5. If you want the specific brand I have in the description box but really any B5 notebook will do the job! 😉
@@journaldesylvie That's great! Yes, I saw the link in your description but it just took me straight to the homepage instead of a particular product, so I wanted to make sure. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the very useful video. I noticed the page layouts are beautiful. I thought the pictures were a.helpful addition to whoever reads your CP book.
Where did you originally get the idea to create a common place book? How do you decide what you want to learn? What will you do with all.your learning and records of learning? I noticed there was no signs of errors like lines through words or arrows to look somewhere else for more information. Do you create a rough draft first? Do you made photos from books or magazines into your CP book? Do you have favourite reference sources? Sorry but I must ask, why don't you just look at an encyclopedia.when you want to revisit past learnings ? Are you reinventing the wheel? What notebooks do you use for your CP? What do yo think of binder paper for a CP?
Hello Sandra, thank you for your questions. I sent you an email. 📖🕯
your explanations are so clear to understand, thank you very much!!♥
You are very welcome. Glad it was helpful!
I have to ask you a question. Im planning on going on my first backpacking trip and I love your videos on journalling, and I would love to journal on my trip.
The only problem is, I want to include a lot of photography since that's a passion of mine, but I dont know how I could possible print all the pictures I want on the page.
Because practically printing all those pictures will either be too expensive or the pictures will lose a lot of quality, so how do you manage to print so many pictures and attach them to your journals?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Hamadeen, I like your question, because it's constantly a conflict of how much to print. My recommendation is to keep a basic Travel Journal, to log your notes (acquired knowledge from your adventure, your observations, and trip schedule). This journal may include pictures printed with a pocket printer that comes with "sticker paper"- mainly for reference rather than resolution. Pocket printers and supplies I used are listed in the Travel Journal video: ua-cam.com/video/Jjn4d2646tg/v-deo.html
However, because you are into photography, you probably will find it challenging to add your entire gallery to this journal. Your options are to seek Photography Printing labs (where you design your album and captions in their platform and they print and ship for you) - eventually you will build a collection of albums from all your travels. A more budget effective is create a well-organized digital portfolio for your gallery and refer to it by specific name in your journal.
hope this helped - For more, you can checkout the Travel Journal playlist. ua-cam.com/play/PLlKevcmdR10P04--j_yGi6P8TcIIZYy0B.html
Happy Travels!!
Thank you for sharing all your creative work! What pen is in your hand in this video? Is it a mechanical pencil? Thank you in advance for your answer :)
Hello, glad you like it. Yes this is my mechanical pencil. I added the link to it in the description box under "Pens & Stationery". Its actually a set of 3 pencils and 2 refills sets (color and black) 😉
Thanks so much for your clear explanation! Your book is beautiful! Subscribing!
You are so welcome! I am glad you found it useful 📖🕯️
I was watching a few of your videos for commonplace books for inspiration, and noticed a difference between this video and the one with the A4 light blue Life book, where it seems you have topic and keywords in the Table of contents. Which have you found works better so far?
Hello Lisa, sorry for belated reply (was traveling). Good observation. if the topics are a bit philosophical, I will go for the A4 light blue commonplace book (for example themes about the way of thinking or how to build an argument....).
However, for the universal and safest option - I will pick the one in this video to be Alphabetically more systematic with organized keywords (you cannot go wrong with it) specially when its about general knowledge (historical figures, science).
Third option - if the entire commonplace is about one unique topic (only art for example), you may use the abbreviated John Locke method I shared recently. let me know if you still need clarification.
Have you seen Scott Scheper's YT video, on integrating a commonplace book with a zettelkasten ??
Hello Christopher, I am familiar with the Zettelkasten method. I Will lookup for the video. Thank you !
Hi there! The notebook is beautiful! What technique and set of products did you use to create the aged look on the pages?
Hello! Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it. Regarding the aged vintage look, I apply ink using a blending foam sponge (very easy). I have the items in the description box under Pens & Stationery.
Thank you! Would be great to see you record yourself doing the technique you use personally if you ever have time. 😊
I Will try to make a short 😍
This is stunning, I’m just learning what a common place journal is. I’m a little confused, How do we make a context page without knowing the page number the subject is on, does that mean we break the book up and guess how much space we need for each subject? Also, did you mean to leave out Y in your index?
Hello @blacklily1111
I am pleased to know you liked the setup. Regarding your questions -
- All pages of Commonplace Book must be numbered (this is the foundation of indexing)
- I update the table of content with titles (topic name) AFTER adding knowledge to my Commonplace Book. I also update my Index with keywords accordingly
- The space you leave in advance for the table of content is relative to how big is your font and notebook, but it can be anywhere between 4 to 5 pages (remember its only the title and page number that goes there) - if you end up with extra (you can decorate with a quote or collage)
As for the (Y) letter - good observation 😉, this particular Commonplace Book is in French and letter Y was less common - if something shows up I will add it in the column next to (WXZ)
@@journaldesylvie thank you so much for the extra explanation! That makes more sense to me now.
Oh that's so interesting that Y isn't common in French!
👍👍👍
Can i ask in what context you do such commonplace books? They are gorgeous. How much time you spent on it?
Hello Laura, good question!
The context of my CPB is typically driven by different source of knowledge and wisdom that I come across in life (mostly from books, quotes, and deep conversations).
As for the time spent, my main Commonplace Book is more basic with less artwork, it doesn't take long to log my notes (checkout out if you want): ua-cam.com/video/QoA7qF_xTwM/v-deo.html
If I am in my artistic mood, I create the one shared in the video, for which I dedicate to summarize 12 volumes of basic Encyclopedia named "Je Decouvre", that covers common topics (it elevates my general knowledge)
Another context is the knowledge acquired from travelings places where you encounter history, cultures and nature. I have a specific playlist for Travel Journal and for Nature Journal.
Hope this helped with your question 🥰
❤
If you don't mind me asking what brand of pen are you using? Would love to know and buy one.
Hello, I used for this commonplace book the Tombow (zoom 505 Rollerball 0.5mm) black. The one I am holding in my hand in the video is a mechanical pencil (listed in the description box).
@@journaldesylvie thank you!!
What size notebook do you recommend for a commonplace book? I am guessing B6 or A5 is the size you are using?
Hello, I actually have many sizes depending on topic and how detailed I am planing to be. Also if I will use it in my home office or while traveling. A5 is the in-between size. Is your commonplace book dedicated for specific subject? 📖🕯
i have 2 dedicated subject books (so many notes!) and one that I was going to set up for multiple short topics.@@journaldesylvie
@@journaldesylvie I am going with an A5 for its portability, but I can see in the index that you don't use Y. I guess that there is not as much use for that letter.
I noticed that your pages with content information don't have references to books with page numbers. The name of the book and page number can help recover the context of this quote. Maybe I couldn't see it.
Hello, you are absolutely right, it is for material reference 📖🕯. I typically add 10 different disciplines to my margins. You can checkout ua-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/v-deo.htmlsi=8HjtJi80zZ1NRigw.
What is the third column for?
Hello, if I understand correctly - the blank column in the table of contents is simply to be filled when the first column is full. 😉
Wow I thought I watching harry potter 😮
one of my favorites 😉
@@journaldesylvie 💝💝