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You’ve decided to start a commonplace book — or maybe you’ve already started scribbling down quotes and ideas. But now you’re wondering:
“What exactly should go in this thing?â€
Should it focus on one specific theme like writing or philosophy? Or should you treat it as a catch-all space for anything that inspires you?
Let’s explore both approaches — niche vs. everything — and show you how to create a commonplace system that truly reflects how your mind works.
A commonplace book is a personal, curated collection of ideas, quotes, reflections, and knowledge that you want to remember, reference, or revisit. It’s part scrapbook, part intellectual journal, part memory bank.
Think of it as your second brain on paper — not a daily diary, not a to-do list, but a living archive of meaning.
Focus on one theme, topic, or passion.
This approach is perfect if:
A place to track wisdom from nature and your own experience in the dirt.
You might include:
Use symbols like:
Colour-code by plant type, garden zone, or season.
Perfect for critics, creators, or thoughtful viewers.
Include:
Use symbols like:
Colour-code by medium (TV, books, podcasts) or by theme (inspiration, critique, storytelling).
Great for authors, poets, and anyone passionate about the written word.
Track:
Use symbols like:
Colour-code by genre, purpose (practice vs. theory), or creative mood.
Capture anything and everything that resonates.
Perfect if:
You might include:
Yes — all of it.
Tip: Use a key system or margin symbols (💡🧠🎯 etc.) and create a running index to make it functional.
The best commonplace book is the one that feels authentically yours.
Whether you’re tracking tomato harvests, film dialogue, or Stoic philosophy, your book is a mirror of your mind — growing, shifting, and storing the ideas you’ll want to return to again and again.
Start with what you love. The structure will follow.
The Big One is our quarterly journaling subscription, where we take a deeper dive into a self-care, self-development or productivity concept.
For our September 2025 box we will be exploring the concept of Commonplacing in more depth, with a bumper bundle of tools to help you incorporate the method into your journal.
Subscriptions are now open to new subscribers *while stocks last*
Our quarterly journaling subscription, designed to help you explore a self-development or self-care concept all through the medium of gorgeous stationery!
