I think I might already do this but in a scattered way. I copy down poems I like in a particular notebook, I’ll screenshot words and artwork on my ipad that resonate with me and keep special tickets or little cards that people send me etc. Even postcards that come with my bulb orders! I don’t know why but it has never occurred to me to keep it in all one place 🤔.
How lovely to learn about this Pip, from you! Thanks so much for sharing. I probably do something like this with my art & journals but not with as much detail. Interesting to read for sure.
You are my very first comment here EVER!! I'm glad to be doing this too. And a bit scared of the pressure, but I am sure it will all work out. Thanks for reading along, DW. xx
I've tried to do this so many times over the years and end up with bits all over the place or find I don't have my book with me and then forget to note the thing. I will try again, I think i also got lost in the 'how to keep a commonplace book' vibe and then it all became too hard and too beautiful for me who just scribbles things down. I will try again and try letting go of the 'getting it right' mentality.
Hey Kate! Same same same. So, I created an index of all my notebooks from forever. I use an old school Filofax with A-Z dividers and each section contains pages with my own weird cataloguing system of numbers and names. These tell me exactly where, in which notebook (brand, year, page) I will find that favourite recipe (R for recipe, C for chicken, M for mum) that I scribbled ten years ago on the back of a shirt tag, and where, over many years of research, I’ve noted thoughts about my “Auntie Ena” (E for Ena Alix May, J for Japan, K for Korea….) project. I find that keeping one single “red book” filled with the keys to ALL the things I want to remember from my many, many notebooks (cause that was the original purpose of a Commonplace book) is easier than rewriting the snippets into one book that will eventually become two or three etc etc.
It's so interesting hearing about the nuts and bolts of your system, Samm. I LOVE IT. Thanks for telling us more about it, especially because I know many of us struggle with a jumble of notebooks and diaries and things. :)
I am hoping that 2025 is the year I will journal more frequently. Last year I tried having different notebooks for different things but not everything is in the same book. I don't know if that is very commonplace-y but maybe it is?
I am so happy you are here, I couldn't sign myself up fast enough!
I suppose it's all in the name - a common place for all the things ... so possibly the one central repository is a defining factor? But YOU SHOULD DO IT YOUR WAY! Thanks for being here. I know everyone is counting their pennies so it's especially generous in these hard times. xx
Oooh, now I’ve been keeping a book like this for a couple of years now, I just called it my “big book” because I didn’t really have a proper name for it! But Commonplace book is a good name!x
You clever clogs. I'm so impressed by this and endeavour to be more like you. I just started my Commonplace Book last year, but I sort of fell off the habit for various reasons. Hopefully we can all inspire one another's practice. Thanks for being here, too. So appreciated. x
So lovely to find you here, Pip. There was an article in the New Yorker a few years ago about this - it's the first time I'd heard about it and I was immediately charmed. x
Ooh I didn't realise this was a thing! For many years I've kept a pinned note on my phone called "sort and save' and jot everything in there (not handwritten, but very practical). The 'sort' part is something of a misnomer as no sorting was done. It got so big it wouldn't load properly so I had to start Sort and Save 2! I love reading through my Sort and Save and recently I've copied the best bits into a google doc (called, imaginatively, 'Notes'). I just checked and Notes (the strictly curated best bits of sort and save) is 92 pages long. Seems I jot down a lot.
I think I might already do this but in a scattered way. I copy down poems I like in a particular notebook, I’ll screenshot words and artwork on my ipad that resonate with me and keep special tickets or little cards that people send me etc. Even postcards that come with my bulb orders! I don’t know why but it has never occurred to me to keep it in all one place 🤔.
Love this first post Pip. I’ll be subscribing!
That's so cool, Sheryl. It reminds me a bit of the The Borrowers ... or The Wombles. Making good use of the things that you find. :)
How lovely to learn about this Pip, from you! Thanks so much for sharing. I probably do something like this with my art & journals but not with as much detail. Interesting to read for sure.
Love seeing you here too.
Denyse x
You are my very first comment here EVER!! I'm glad to be doing this too. And a bit scared of the pressure, but I am sure it will all work out. Thanks for reading along, DW. xx
It's a lovely way to connect ! I'm a year in & love it xx
I've tried to do this so many times over the years and end up with bits all over the place or find I don't have my book with me and then forget to note the thing. I will try again, I think i also got lost in the 'how to keep a commonplace book' vibe and then it all became too hard and too beautiful for me who just scribbles things down. I will try again and try letting go of the 'getting it right' mentality.
Hey Kate! Same same same. So, I created an index of all my notebooks from forever. I use an old school Filofax with A-Z dividers and each section contains pages with my own weird cataloguing system of numbers and names. These tell me exactly where, in which notebook (brand, year, page) I will find that favourite recipe (R for recipe, C for chicken, M for mum) that I scribbled ten years ago on the back of a shirt tag, and where, over many years of research, I’ve noted thoughts about my “Auntie Ena” (E for Ena Alix May, J for Japan, K for Korea….) project. I find that keeping one single “red book” filled with the keys to ALL the things I want to remember from my many, many notebooks (cause that was the original purpose of a Commonplace book) is easier than rewriting the snippets into one book that will eventually become two or three etc etc.
Maybe this will help you???
It's so interesting hearing about the nuts and bolts of your system, Samm. I LOVE IT. Thanks for telling us more about it, especially because I know many of us struggle with a jumble of notebooks and diaries and things. :)
I am hoping that 2025 is the year I will journal more frequently. Last year I tried having different notebooks for different things but not everything is in the same book. I don't know if that is very commonplace-y but maybe it is?
I am so happy you are here, I couldn't sign myself up fast enough!
and thankyou for the heads up about this Reannon and the invite, i already feel cosy here.
I suppose it's all in the name - a common place for all the things ... so possibly the one central repository is a defining factor? But YOU SHOULD DO IT YOUR WAY! Thanks for being here. I know everyone is counting their pennies so it's especially generous in these hard times. xx
This is GREAT! (I wrote a little bit about commonplace books last year! https://kerryreads.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-pieces )
Oh brilliant. I always always always love your writing so I am going to read that with a cup of tea later this morning. x
What a fab idea (and an excuse to buy a new notebook!) 🙂
It's a very important excuse and you absolutely must. :)
Excited to gobble up more of your writing here, Pip xx
Thank you so much for the support, Julie. You're a champ. x
This is going to be one of my favourite places to visit Pip. Thank you ☺️
Aw that's so ace. I am going to be sure to make it interesting and fun. :)
Oooh, now I’ve been keeping a book like this for a couple of years now, I just called it my “big book” because I didn’t really have a proper name for it! But Commonplace book is a good name!x
You clever clogs. I'm so impressed by this and endeavour to be more like you. I just started my Commonplace Book last year, but I sort of fell off the habit for various reasons. Hopefully we can all inspire one another's practice. Thanks for being here, too. So appreciated. x
So lovely to find you here, Pip. There was an article in the New Yorker a few years ago about this - it's the first time I'd heard about it and I was immediately charmed. x
Ooh I didn't realise this was a thing! For many years I've kept a pinned note on my phone called "sort and save' and jot everything in there (not handwritten, but very practical). The 'sort' part is something of a misnomer as no sorting was done. It got so big it wouldn't load properly so I had to start Sort and Save 2! I love reading through my Sort and Save and recently I've copied the best bits into a google doc (called, imaginatively, 'Notes'). I just checked and Notes (the strictly curated best bits of sort and save) is 92 pages long. Seems I jot down a lot.