Commonplace Book

[Alexandra]

I've begun keeping a commonplace place and used consistently, it will prove to be valuable in years to come. I use John Locke's genius index method which is very simple and easy to use. I like to tag entries with more than one label to increase my chances of finding it in the future. I think that one adjustment I need to make is to date entries. That would allow me to look back over the years and see what I was interested in and when. Of course, the whole project will be in vain without consistency. I should probably carry it in my bag along with my bullet journal which I call my Life Sorter. Or, better yet, carry only one book and migrate information at the end of the week. I love the catch-all nature of this information system.

 

I'm using a handmade book which adds to the pleasure of using it. I'd like to see how others are using their commonplace books so please share.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Very attractive layout.  And writing!

 

Some of my journals sort of turned into commonplace books; I don't index but mark pages with sticky notes.

 

Some sketches in there, too.

[Alexandra]

I use sticky notes and tabs in my bullet journal along with an index. The index is mostly unused, however, as the tabs help me navigate my way around along with ribbon markers.

[Alexandra]

Oh, and thank you, Sailor Kenshin, for the kind words.

[Karmachanic]

Following Locke's advice I use subject specific notebooks and follow the simple "Japanese" index method.

[Hjet2311]

Such an elegant solution, I will definitely give this a try!

[Alexandra]

The Japanese system is new to me. Ingenious things are often very simple.

[inkstainedruth]

I tried keeping a commonplace book when I first joined FPN, after reading some other posts about them, but didn't keep up with it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Runnin_Ute]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:07 PM, inkstainedruth said:

I tried keeping a commonplace book when I first joined FPN, after reading some other posts about them, but didn't keep up with it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I could say the same. And I did have at least one A4 sized notebook that resembled a commonplace book. I haven't used a dedicated one in some time though.

 

But when looking back, my many years of Franklin planner use (January 1986 to present) has elements of commonplace book - at least at times. The last several months it has mostly been just work related stuff though, and less some of the other.

[PJS_prog]

I had never even heard of a commonplace book until this past weekend when I saw a YouTube video about the subject pop up as a recommendation. I admit, I'm fascinated by the idea.

 

... not to mention yet another opportunity to put pen to paper.

[Alexandra]

I read that rather than record direct quotes, Oscar Wilde would summarize the quote in his own words followed by thoughts on it. That's genius. Mining for knowledge and understanding is better than simply recording a quote. Yet, when I record a quote, it's usually because I want to be able to get back to what the great mind actually said, not how I understood it. There's no reason a commonplace can't meet both purposes and if I record the quote and my own thoughts on it I am more likely to remember both.

[inkstainedruth]

That sounds like a great idea!  

Of course, I'm somewhat amused by the idea of Oscar Wilde summarizing someone else's quotes -- since he was so quotable himself....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Alexandra]

On 7/18/2024 at 8:09 PM, inkstainedruth said:

That sounds like a great idea!  

Of course, I'm somewhat amused by the idea of Oscar Wilde summarizing someone else's quotes -- since he was so quotable himself....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I have only to gain by imitating the practices of a great mind.

[Arcadian]

Your layout and handwriting are beautiful, Alexandra! I could only aspire in vain to something that neat and gorgeous. I keep what I would call and everything-notebook, which I use for gathering quotes, my own thoughts, bits of my own writing, travel plans, the odd grocery list, notes from meetings, business plans etc. 

 

The use of commonplace books, and sort of my everything-notebook as well, began in Florence in the 14th century. They called their notebooks Zibaldoni (Zibaldone in singular). Their use is credited with spreading and popularizing the works of Italian poets and authors far beyond what any author from other countries in the same era achieved, because it was an efficient way to disseminate quotes from books, so people could familiarize themselves with an author's work before committing to the significant cost of purchasing his book. 

 

I rely for this on The Notebook - A History Of Thinking On Paper. Great book for those so inclined, such as me. 

 

 

 - P. 

[inkstainedruth]

That book sounds fascinating, Arcadian!  Thanks for posting the information from it....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: I got curious about the term "Zibaldone", so pulled up Google Translate and it translates in English to "Miscellany".

[Alexandra]

11 hours ago, Arcadian said:

Your layout and handwriting are beautiful, Alexandra! I could only aspire in vain to something that neat and gorgeous. I keep what I would call and everything-notebook, which I use for gathering quotes, my own thoughts, bits of my own writing, travel plans, the odd grocery list, notes from meetings, business plans etc. 

 

The use of commonplace books, and sort of my everything-notebook as well, began in Florence in the 14th century. They called their notebooks Zibaldoni (Zibaldone in singular). Their use is credited with spreading and popularizing the works of Italian poets and authors far beyond what any author from other countries in the same era achieved, because it was an efficient way to disseminate quotes from books, so people could familiarize themselves with an author's work before committing to the significant cost of purchasing his book. 

 

I rely for this on The Notebook - A History Of Thinking On Paper. Great book for those so inclined, such as me. 

 

 

 - P. 

Thanks, Arcadian. I keep a bullet journal which is use as my zibaldone (Very cool word, thank you!) and sometimes transfer information from it to my commonplace book.

[melissa.hoyle]

On 8/21/2024 at 4:42 PM, Arcadian said:

Your layout and handwriting are beautiful, Alexandra! I could only aspire in vain to something that neat and gorgeous. I keep what I would call and everything-notebook, which I use for gathering quotes, my own thoughts, bits of my own writing, travel plans, the odd grocery list, notes from meetings, business plans etc. 

 

The use of commonplace books, and sort of my everything-notebook as well, began in Florence in the 14th century. They called their notebooks Zibaldoni (Zibaldone in singular). Their use is credited with spreading and popularizing the works of Italian poets and authors far beyond what any author from other countries in the same era achieved, because it was an efficient way to disseminate quotes from books, so people could familiarize themselves with an author's work before committing to the significant cost of purchasing his book.

I agree that consistency is key, although it can be difficult at times. Speaking of projects, I recently had to write a dissertation and I found this great service to help with that https://essays.edubirdie.com/write-my-dissertation professionals get the job done quickly which helps balance better. It saved me so much time and stress. As for the regular book, I also tag my entries and dating them is a great idea! I'm interested to see how others manage theirs as well. 

 

I rely for this on The Notebook - A History Of Thinking On Paper. Great book for those so inclined, such as me. 

 

 

 - P. 

It’s a great way to capture thoughts and stay organized. Absolutely great advice!

Edited September 18, 2024 by melissa.hoyle

[LMpensandthings]

Wow - this makes me want to pick up my common place books again. Beautiful 

[Stompie]

A YouTuber does a lot of stuff about Common Place books and various notebooks.

 

I enjoy watching his stuff as I find other peoples notebooks fascinating.

 

 

[Stompie]

Another one