I love this idea! I have a 100-year-old commonplace book that my grandmother had in her things, and reading through the information is fascinating. It contains quotes, poems, Bible verses, little tidbits of knowledge. Great reading.
Wonderful! That’s a priceless… not to mention it preserved her preferred wisdom and her handwriting!!! A real heritage. Our digital comments and tweets will not survive that long! 📖🕯️
I have kept "notebooks" for about 45 years and used lots of different methods including bound books and ring files. As an historian I tend to be very topic based. For a while I moved to a digital format but didn't enjoy the sterility of it. I loved your design and gentle decoration. I am ready to take a more eclectic approach and zI will definitely give it a go. I always leave a footnote section and use a different ink for that section. I also litter ny books with sticky notes whi h is a very bad habit. Love your reference to Locke....he is such a brilliant writer. Thank you so much for such stimulating and delightful videos. Your aesthetic is so appealing.
Thank you Catherine. I agree with your comment. I think footnote is very useful and enhances the functionality. I will definitely add this to my page layout. 📝😉
oh I agree 100% with the sterility of the digital format. There is something about writing that makes it so special and carthatic for me anyway same with reading the physical book is so special you can literally breathe it is
I have a shitton of journals which I also used for common knowledge, but lateley I felt like, I should only keep my deeper feelings in there, so I wanted to start a commonplace book. Since it is a compendium of knowledge and information, I started it off by writing down all the infos of this video and what a commonplace book is! It's the perfect start, I think. 😁
This is a fantastic step by step guide for absolute beginners! I've never even heard of a commonplace book before YT but now I think I'll try to use it, as I'm an English teacher, so a place where I can note down all the areas I want to highlight to kids from a book is great. Thanks for the great tutorial!
I am very glad you found it useful. Since you are teacher, I am releasing today a video about my NoteTaking system, hope you find some tips in it. Let me know how it goes with your Commonplace Book Journey :)
Thank you for introducing me to a NEW, to me, idea/concept that I had never heard of, had thoughts about trying to combine all the things I am doing i.e nature journaling, my daily diary & other ideas. Now at 84 I will totally confuse myself lol. I look forward to your next video on this topic.Thank you again. Subbed.
Thank you Larry. I am very pleased you found the commonplace book concept useful. I am releasing this week a new video about reading and books. I will wait for your feedback. Have a beautiful week!
I think what I have is my great grandfathers sisters common place book. She died young and never had children and he kept her book and gave it to my grandma who gave it to my mom who gave it to me. She wrote lots of quotes and poems. She wrote important dates and things that happened in those dates. It isn’t a journal in my opinion but I wasn’t sure what to call it. Now I have a name for this precious book of hers.
This is so helpful! I've tried multiple times to do a commonplace book and failed. The way you just explained it took me back to school and taking dictated notes and sorting them out later. This helped me wrap my head around how to do it and I really appreciate it! I'm going to try again.... after I watch more of your videos. 😁
Loved this video as I have just started my commonplace book. I will be colour coding my notes in the margin, with a flip-out key at the back of the book. This way when you flip through, you can immediately see what the notes on that page are about. This is something made populair by the planner community on TH-cam/Instagram, and works really well. If in future I have futher notes on a certain topic, I will add the page number to the previous notes and vise versa, so I know where to find them.
Hello! I'm sorry, but I'm having a little trouble visualizing this concept you're mentioning... English is not my main language, and I don't understand the concept of a flip-out key. Could you link any video that maybe exemplifies what you're saying? Thank you so much, and sorry for the trouble! Also, hope your project's doing good!
I absolutely love this idea. I few days ago I was thinking about needing a better way to keep 1 notebook/journal for multiple topics because too many journals and trying to keep up with them is too much. Also bullet journal indexing didn’t work. I think this will do the trick!❤
Thank you! I am pleased you liked the system. If you are interested in All-in-One notebook (one space - multipurpose) , I shared a setup in Standard size th-cam.com/video/NW2coewm864/w-d-xo.html and in Passport size th-cam.com/video/jDzZkDEkDn4/w-d-xo.html Hope it works, let me know 😉
I love to learn and take notes but i have all my information scattered about. I struggle to organize myself in this way. So today i went in search of help........and you helped me so much with this video. I have so many notebooks and journals so now i have to decide on which one to use ( I am also indecisive) . I also want to make a everyday carry/bullet journal to organize myself daily. I do journal everyday feelings, thoughts and events but would like a nicer memory system. So i will be going through all your videos. You are a wonderful teacher and you have a very soothing voice. Thanks for helping me begin my journey with a commonplace notebook. If only you could pick one out for me ( haha). Thanks again it has been my pleasure.
Thank you so much Lizanne for taking the time to write me your beautiful feedback. I am very pleased you found the systems I share useful. As for which notebook to use, just pick anyone from your collection that gives you inspiring vibes. For me simplicity and functionality were key to overcome any roadblocks. I try to keep it artistic too :) I will look forward to know how will it go with your journey.
This will sound like heresy but my common place book was $1 from a local shop I stapled a rubber band to it to keep it closed and I keep it in my pocket. I just love how worn and ratty it is
Thank you Igen!! I am very pleased you found it informative. I also share pages of my journals on different topics in Instagram. If you like this topic, you may be interested in the Nature Journal Series.
A great explanation on commonplace notebooks and it helped me a lot. I'm in the middle of one but could never find the right way to organize the topics. I will definitely use the columns from now on. And even make a page ore more where I use and write about your explanation about using a commonplace book. Thank you!
Thanks you so much for the presentation of this interesting idea of the Common Place Book. I am taking notes to use in keeping mine more organized and accessible. Lovely excited is a joy for the eyes! Be well and stay safe. Looking forward to your next post.
This was an excellent video! Thank you. I stumbled into the practice of a Commonplace Book rather organically, but the troubles I’ve had with keeping the information in it organized and retrievable were solved with your tips. Wonderful!
I really like your videos. Thanks for this. I am guilty of many notebooks with scattered topics throughout, and finding anything in them is arduous. I will test this process but put the index in the back starting on the back page and moving forward. Eventually, my index will reach what I'm writing (no wasted empty pages upfront or sudden lack of room). Thanks again for this and all your videos.
Thanks for sharing your experience I found this very helpful, especially the advanced retrieval ideas and techniques. I am on the point of abandoning my computer journals and I am researching paper journal and commonplace book options and so finding your videos has been very helpful. Thanks again.
You are most welcome Norman! I am glad you found it useful. I am constantly researching effective note-taking methods to capture knowledge . I am excited to share more new self-learning techniques in 2023. Please let me know if you have any questions. I wish you the best with your CPB.
This is the most informative tutorial abot commonplace books that I have found, and I wasn't going to start mine without compiling all of the historical and practical information to begin its intro, thank you! Love the ephemera, too, wanted to add bits and pieces myself to make it visually appealing. I have also heard using your favorite pen, barrel color or ink, will make you want to return to the book more often and journal. I'm now ready to take off and start it.
Kudo's to Sylvie... this was fun! after watching a bunch of vid's about keeping commonplace books... i was completely discombobulated from head to toe... but now i get it. "I SEE" said the blindman, as he picked up his hammer and saw.
Thank you Jan! I am happy you found it informative. It personally helped me to retain what I am reading and learning. Let me know how it goes when you try your version. 📖😊
What a wonderful video. Such a fantastic amount of excellent information in such an easy to understand format. This is great, I am new to Commonplace Books, and this is just a treasure trove of knowledge. Thank you so much!!
You are most welcome!! I am very pleased you found it useful, I wish you an exciting journey with your Commonplace Book. Feel free to let me know if you have further questions 📖🕯😉
I don't know why people are not subscribing to your channel but this is really cool. Easy explanation and good knowledge sharing about commonplace books. Thank you once again!
I appreciate that! I am glad you found liked the concept - I share my system for my passion of self-learning tools. 📖📚🗺 If you liked the concept - you can check the Use fo Margins: th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html Indexing the commonplace book: th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html
@@journaldesylvie I have watched the videos on margins and indexing and I loved them both. But the highlight was the video on indexing wherein you have shared a very unique idea of indexing subject wise and pg. no. wise. Thank you once again!!
I love this idea of a commonplace journal and your pages are beautiful. How do you decide what topics you want to make notes about? That's where I struggle.
That’s a very good question. Here are some ideas, books are great source where you add in your commonplace book what you learned from what you read (audio books included). Another source is you make a list of your favorite topics of interest (Art, nature, history, computers…) and read about those topics and log your knowledge from such research. You can be very brief with bullet key points, it doesn’t have to be a lengthy essay☺️. A commonplace book can include any useful quotes, moral from a tv series or a movie. Anything inspirational that you believe it’s worth retrieving one day. Let me know how it goes ☺️
Best explanation I've read on CB's. Thank you! I have done this for a long time but instead it's on pages of paper I grab, furiously write down important things or information of note and then they pile up. I would go back through and then put in subject matter folders. I have two piles I'm currently staring at. I have a small one CB I started in my TN awhile back but realized it can quickly consume that 64 page refill. I love the idea of a bound notebook and the margin annotations. Yet the practical person in me thinks a binder with simple notebook paper in it would be more efficient as you could add new pages easily, move around, re-do or eliminate pages. Wondering about your take on this?
Hello Paulo, I am glad you found it informative :) your setup is absolutely practical. CB can take many forms and setups. As long as you have an indexing system enabling you to retrieve the information when needed. I agree about the regular TN is not the best option for this purpose. Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you, this is so clear and perfect! I have been struggling with the concept of a commonplace book since I stumbled across the concept a few weeks ago but you have cleared things up for me. Thank you. You just got yourself a new subscriber. ^_^
This is beautiful and very helpful, thank you. It was only a month or so ago that I came across the term "common place book" and realized that it is exactly what I have been trying to make for years but I didn't know what it was. In other words, I had journals, notebooks and common place books all meshed together in my head and I knew they were separate things but I didn't know how or why. Thank you for clarifying and giving such easy to understand ways to organize information so it can be found later! (I regularly save information and cannot find it later, I have ADHD and have a bad memory so all of this is *really* hard for me, but with this, I want to give it a proper try and improve all of that. ^_^ )
Hello Rei, I am so pleased to know you found helpful tips. I am like you. I used to log knowledge in notebooks for many years, but later I learned about commonplace book concept and how to retrieve the information. Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback 😊 I shared recently a video about what to add in your commonplace Margins and how to build an artificial memory through notetaking th-cam.com/play/PLlKevcmdR10ORbVY3oGspV4WNpYtYL_Uf.html Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you Francie! I am very pleased you found the system I shared useful. I am releasing this week a new video about another system I have in place for Reading & Books. Hope you find it inspiring.
Organizing my pocket notebooks is whats proving to be a hassle. Right now I'm in the collect my to-do lists and random writings in two different Field Notes notebooks. Initially I was thinking of just keeping multiple field notes pocket notebooks for different subjects, but maybe I should consider having a larger notebook just to consolidate everything.
Hello, you may create a notebook specially as a Guide Indexing your already existing notebooks: th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html On the other hand, if you know that there is a specific subject that you more likely commonplace about, it might be worthy to dedicate one notebook for this given topic. Otherwise, it's totally fine to combine different type of knowledge in one notebook as long as you apply an indexing system to enable retrieve information when needed. Checkout the use of margins too: th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html.
I had no idea I have a commonplace book 😮 I call it a reference book and it's organised by topic but seems similar. Right now it is digital because I'm a student and live in a small room in a shared apartment and don't have a lot of space nor do I want to have to move more stuff than necessary the next time I move to a new place. I have to move way to often for that. But when I am able to settle down I would love to go back to handwriting
hello! That absolutely fine, the main objective is collect wisdom and acquire knowledge 😉📚 You can resort to handwritten notes when you are ready, as it has self-learning benefits - I shared some in this note-taking tips: th-cam.com/video/m9OCZc7LnB8/w-d-xo.html wish you the best with your learning journey! 📖🕯
Thank you for the video, love your decorations/illuminations. I might have missed it, but what is the purpose of the second skinny column in the left margin for?
Thank you @ecsays. I am glad you liked it. 😉 In this particular CPB, I added the 2nd column to - if applicable - add any of my 7 simplified Book Annotation Codes th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html For example: EXP = Expression, S = Summary..... However, I don't add it in all my notebooks - In this marginalia video th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6O11fyq0v5ScgvWq I use only one margin where I can add any of 10 different disciplines. hope I answered your question. 🕯📖
Hi Emily, thank you, I am glad you like it 😍 . Regarding my CB, I mainly add acquired knowledge. As for brainstorming ideas I will probably added in a separate notebook, however nothing prevents for customizing your CB and add a section for ideas.
Hello, I am glad you found it informative. In my opinion, Diary is logging your chronicles, as for the commonplace book is logging your Knowledge and obtained wisdom for any given topic of interest. I released a video about my method in taking notes for commonplace books. Hope this answers your question.
Thank you, Sylvie for this helpful and inspirational video! One question please...you show the two margins on the left side of the page. However, unless I missed it, you did not explain what you use the narrow column for. Can you explain this? Thanks!
Hello, thank you for your feedback, I am glad you found it helpful. I like your question, cause I am big fan of Margins 😊 - In that particular Commonplace Book I used the second margin (min 11:49) to add any of my Book Annotation codes (if applicable). I shared my simplified (7) Book Annotation Codes Video - th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html - If I may recommend you - please watch the Marginal Notes Video th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html It will help you to maximize the functionality of your margins. I look forward for your feedback.
Thank you, Sylvie, for yourreply and input. Makes sense now....and I have now watched your other videos including the one on annotation codes. All very helpful and great ideas. Love how you present so clearly and calmly. Anxious to get my commonplace book and library set up now! @@journaldesylvie
@@journaldesylvie Hi again, Sylvie, thanks again for your input, watched more of your videos, all great and very helpful. Have another question please.....you made reference in one of your videos to a literature journal. So, you don't enter notes/info about literature books in your commonplace book? Is commonplace book only for non-literature topics? Appreciate your clarifying this. Thanks! Mark
@@archimark5060 Hello Mark, good question - Every notebook where you capture the knowledge you acquire is considered a Commonplace Book. The specific commonplace book I am featuring in this video is more for general knowledge, philosophy, history, and technical topics. As for the Literature Journal - it is a Commonplace Book - dedicated for novels (drama, romance, and classics) - I shared the setup of this journal at th-cam.com/video/LCkIexBdYgw/w-d-xo.html Hope this answers your questions.
Hi 😊 new subscriber and a someone new to commonplace books this tutorial is amazing! I have one question. Do you keep to one topic or information on one page in your commonplace book or do you keep a blank space to continue a certain topic or just log your information as you go along? I think that's what I can't decide on whether I should add all different topics/info together or keep to a theme. I'm still working on a list to decide on what I want to put in my first commonplace book.
Hello Clairisa, Thank you for your feedback about my CPB system. Your question is a valid one! My answer in brief, "I log my info as I go along" - a Commonplace Book is a space to log the knowledge / wisdom that we receive from different sources and in many cases through unplanned events. Therefore, it quite hard to predict when we will come across the same topic again and even if we do, there is no way we predict the number of pages designated for that given topic. (Unlike authors of printed books, they can plan ahead). Having said so, it doesn't hurt that same topic (may be from different perspective) be mentioned in multiple places throughout your CPB - as long as you have an up-to-date "indexing system" that will enable you to locate all pages of that topic by using keywords (see my last released video). Last tip - if you think you will have massive amount of information about same parent-topic, you can dedicate a CPB for Nature and another one for History (for example 😊)
@@journaldesylvie Thank you so much for answering my question and for the tips ☺️❤️ I agree with everything you've said it sounds more logical I'll look at your other videos on indexing & keywords. I think I'm going to start with one commonplace book first with knowledge as I go along and see how my progress goes thanks again 🙂
I love this vidéo thank you so much!! I have a question about the small notebook that you showed with yellow-looking paper, is it available anywhere or is it a vintage journal? It looks lovely. I love the idea of a commonplace book and it's a concept I've been using without knowing the name for it. However, I used to have separate notebooks for quotes, ideas, thoughts etc and this vidéo has inspired me to be more organized.
Hi Nadia, I very pleased you found the video informative. If I understand correctly :) you are asking about the Kraft paper insert. I added the link to it in the description box. Its from Traveler's Company brand and I usually buy it from amazon, or jetpens.com, or travelerscompanyusa.com. There are other brands with Kraft papers in amazon. I am very happy it inspired to organize your knowledge.
1) What do you think about ring bound commonplace books? I think it would make this project less chaotic. 2) Where are you from? I like your accent. I'm Greek and your r is a bit like mine.
Yay!!!! we recognize each other from the accent. Είμαι Ελληνίδα και ζω στην Αμερική. Yes, I am Greek / American. Regarding the ring bound, yes, its absolutely fine, depending on your preference. As long as you create an Index system to enable you "retrieve" the information.Personally I find the ring bound to be less durable (but this is just me ☺️). Let me know how it goes. (note: I just shared my Greece travel journal from our summer vacation).
I don't understand the Table of Content. Is that something you create over time as you're writing in the book? I would sincerely appreciate your video on categorizing information :)
Hello, I update my table of contents every time I add information to my Commonplace Book. However, there 2 methods to Index. INDEX - THE EASY LOOKUP FOR INFORMATION IN YOUR COMMONPLACE BOOK th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html John Locke INDEX FOR COMMONPLACE ENTRIES th-cam.com/video/asXjBxs0WEI/w-d-xo.html
can you change topic with each pages you write in commonplace book? for example you write about art in one side of page and then write about some book on other side. wouldn't that be confusing? or should you leave a few blank pages with each topic you want to write?
Hello Wenny - apologies for delayed reply - You can switch topics as much as you want as long as you add the header (a title and sub-title) and reflect it in the table of content (index) itemized by page number. The indexing system includes also keywords to be more specific, guiding you where to find information about that given topic. Let me know if I answered your question. Thank you for your feedback.
What do you use the 2nd smaller margin on the left for? So far, I've used a modified John Locke method for indexing. I have a "tag" list separate that I then put the page number in the index by 1st letter and 1st vowel. I just haven't really known what to put in my margin besides short notes, tags, and references. I also have my heading loosely based on MLA citation. I do add dates, but only once before that days entries.
Good question 😊 for this particular CPB I am adding my Book Annotation Codes - here is the link for my 7 simplified keys th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html. I am applying the John Locke indexing method in another CPB that I will share in 2023. I like the way you are using your margins (you can add fun facts or information about author)
Lovely clear explanation. Thank you. Your speaking pace is perfect. I am using a Circa system (from Levenger, which I purchased years ago. Junior size is about 5 by 8. No doubt available now from many sources.) The advantage is having movable pages and not running out room. Paper capacity depends on the chosen ring size. If I decide that I need more I will have the freedom to rearrange the layout and redistribute entries. I have varied colors of paper so different but related topics can be stored under a category. Excessive categories jangle me as I have learned over many years of note-taking. It is an evolving process and enjoyable. This is the first video of yours I have watched with many more to go.
@@Elaine-qn7ls Thank you Elaine 🥰, I like the idea of varied color papers!! If you have multiple topics and categories you may find the Indexing system useful (the last video I released)
Hello Ema, you sure can, if you see a benefit of a chronological tracking. For me, it depends on the topic. In my Nature Commonplace Book I add dates and locations as it is relevant to field observation th-cam.com/video/GUSqtt-9eQs/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/HlRpkBqUZDQ/w-d-xo.html However, in other commonplace book (history or philosophy) I don't necessarily add the dates of each time I write in it (I do add a date of when I started and finished the entire notebook) 😉 hope this helped!
I'm really sorry I have to do this. I went to drafting school and that is not a ruler. That is a tool used to convert scale for architectural drawings. It's not a straight edge. It is not a ruler. Rulers work better for what you're trying to do and come in better sizes for journaling in smaller books.
Hello Eddie, it's a notebook to compile all the "knowledge' you acquire and wish to save for future retrieval. There are also digital platforms for this purpose. You can watch from minute 8:20 to see tips how to create a functional commonplace book. Let me know if you have questions.
I love this idea! I have a 100-year-old commonplace book that my grandmother had in her things, and reading through the information is fascinating. It contains quotes, poems, Bible verses, little tidbits of knowledge. Great reading.
Wonderful! That’s a priceless… not to mention it preserved her preferred wisdom and her handwriting!!! A real heritage. Our digital comments and tweets will not survive that long! 📖🕯️
What a treasure!❤
I have kept "notebooks" for about 45 years and used lots of different methods including bound books and ring files. As an historian I tend to be very topic based. For a while I moved to a digital format but didn't enjoy the sterility of it. I loved your design and gentle decoration. I am ready to take a more eclectic approach and zI will definitely give it a go. I always leave a footnote section and use a different ink for that section. I also litter ny books with sticky notes whi h is a very bad habit. Love your reference to Locke....he is such a brilliant writer. Thank you so much for such stimulating and delightful videos. Your aesthetic is so appealing.
Thank you Catherine. I agree with your comment. I think footnote is very useful and enhances the functionality. I will definitely add this to my page layout. 📝😉
oh I agree 100% with the sterility of the digital format. There is something about writing that makes it so special and carthatic for me anyway same with reading the physical book is so special you can literally breathe it is
Actually,a good notebook practically could be useful for life for particular subjects or topics.Thanks
I put my table of contents starting in the back so I don’t have to worry about running out of those pages before I run out of notebook pages
This is the most clear commonplace book explanation video I've encountered on TH-cam, Thank you Sylvie!
Thank you Nina! I am glad you enjoyed it 😊
I have a shitton of journals which I also used for common knowledge, but lateley I felt like, I should only keep my deeper feelings in there, so I wanted to start a commonplace book. Since it is a compendium of knowledge and information, I started it off by writing down all the infos of this video and what a commonplace book is! It's the perfect start, I think. 😁
Wonderful!! I am so glad it motivated you to get started 😉 let me know how it goes!
This is a fantastic step by step guide for absolute beginners! I've never even heard of a commonplace book before YT but now I think I'll try to use it, as I'm an English teacher, so a place where I can note down all the areas I want to highlight to kids from a book is great.
Thanks for the great tutorial!
I am very glad you found it useful. Since you are teacher, I am releasing today a video about my NoteTaking system, hope you find some tips in it. Let me know how it goes with your Commonplace Book Journey :)
Great idea, hoping it is working well for you
Thank you for introducing me to a NEW, to me, idea/concept that I had never heard of, had thoughts about trying to combine all the things I am doing i.e nature journaling, my daily diary & other ideas. Now at 84 I will totally confuse myself lol. I look forward to your next video on this topic.Thank you again. Subbed.
Thank you Larry. I am very pleased you found the commonplace book concept useful. I am releasing this week a new video about reading and books. I will wait for your feedback. Have a beautiful week!
@@journaldesylvie Thank you for your very lovely reply & yes I look forward that new video.
One of the best videos I have seen about starting a Common Place Book. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you.
I think what I have is my great grandfathers sisters common place book. She died young and never had children and he kept her book and gave it to my grandma who gave it to my mom who gave it to me. She wrote lots of quotes and poems. She wrote important dates and things that happened in those dates. It isn’t a journal in my opinion but I wasn’t sure what to call it. Now I have a name for this precious book of hers.
That's precious to inherit her commonplace book...its priceless! 📖🕯
This is so helpful! I've tried multiple times to do a commonplace book and failed. The way you just explained it took me back to school and taking dictated notes and sorting them out later. This helped me wrap my head around how to do it and I really appreciate it! I'm going to try again.... after I watch more of your videos. 😁
Thank you!!! Glad you found it helpful. Wishing you the best with your Commonplace Book Journey!!! 📖🕯
Loved this video as I have just started my commonplace book. I will be colour coding my notes in the margin, with a flip-out key at the back of the book. This way when you flip through, you can immediately see what the notes on that page are about. This is something made populair by the planner community on TH-cam/Instagram, and works really well. If in future I have futher notes on a certain topic, I will add the page number to the previous notes and vise versa, so I know where to find them.
Wow! Thank you Eveline. That’s a brilliant functional tip. I will give it a go.
Hello! I'm sorry, but I'm having a little trouble visualizing this concept you're mentioning... English is not my main language, and I don't understand the concept of a flip-out key. Could you link any video that maybe exemplifies what you're saying? Thank you so much, and sorry for the trouble!
Also, hope your project's doing good!
Thank you , best explanation of a commonplace I have found so far. Love of knowledge ❤
Thank you Ann! I am so pleased that you found it useful and simplified. More tips to come 😉
I absolutely love this idea. I few days ago I was thinking about needing a better way to keep 1 notebook/journal for multiple topics because too many journals and trying to keep up with them is too much. Also bullet journal indexing didn’t work. I think this will do the trick!❤
Thank you! I am pleased you liked the system. If you are interested in All-in-One notebook (one space - multipurpose) , I shared a setup in Standard size th-cam.com/video/NW2coewm864/w-d-xo.html and in Passport size th-cam.com/video/jDzZkDEkDn4/w-d-xo.html
Hope it works, let me know 😉
@@journaldesylvie thanks. I like a TN. I’ve tried it in the past. I like using them for a writing journal.
wait . . . . . ther's a trick?
I love to learn and take notes but i have all my information scattered about. I struggle to organize myself in this way. So today i went in search of help........and you helped me so much with this video. I have so many notebooks and journals so now i have to decide on which one to use ( I am also indecisive) . I also want to make a everyday carry/bullet journal to organize myself daily. I do journal everyday feelings, thoughts and events but would like a nicer memory system. So i will be going through all your videos. You are a wonderful teacher and you have a very soothing voice. Thanks for helping me begin my journey with a commonplace notebook. If only you could pick one out for me ( haha). Thanks again it has been my pleasure.
Thank you so much Lizanne for taking the time to write me your beautiful feedback. I am very pleased you found the systems I share useful. As for which notebook to use, just pick anyone from your collection that gives you inspiring vibes. For me simplicity and functionality were key to overcome any roadblocks. I try to keep it artistic too :) I will look forward to know how will it go with your journey.
Out of all the videos on this topic I’ve seen, this one is the most daunting! 😮 Beautiful book!
I love all your ideas for journaling - please keep them coming. Thank you!
Thank you Lydia! Glad you enjoyed it ☺️
Your handwriting is lovely! You've inspired me, I'm gonna have a go at creating my own commonplace book.
Have fun! Let me know how it goes :)
Your hand writing is so good I cant even read it, just wow!
Thank you! 😊
This will sound like heresy but my common place book was $1 from a local shop I stapled a rubber band to it to keep it closed and I keep it in my pocket. I just love how worn and ratty it is
Sounds good!!😊 Keep filling it.
This is the best video on common place books ive seen , thank you so much for all the valuable information ✨
😉 You are so welcome ! I am glad to hear your feedback. let me know how it goes with your Commonplace Book 📚
The best video in terms of information on CB, thank you for putting in the work on the topic!
Thank you Igen!! I am very pleased you found it informative. I also share pages of my journals on different topics in Instagram. If you like this topic, you may be interested in the Nature Journal Series.
A great explanation on commonplace notebooks and it helped me a lot. I'm in the middle of one but could never find the right way to organize the topics. I will definitely use the columns from now on. And even make a page ore more where I use and write about your explanation about using a commonplace book. Thank you!
Oh I am flattered and pleased that the video helped you to log your knowledge in an organized fashion. Thank you for the feedback!
Thanks you so much for the presentation of this interesting idea of the Common Place Book. I am taking notes to use in keeping mine more organized and accessible. Lovely excited is a joy for the eyes! Be well and stay safe. Looking forward to your next post.
Thank you Alicia, it pleases me you found it interesting. Let me know how it will work for you when you start your commonplace book. 📝😉
This was an excellent video! Thank you.
I stumbled into the practice of a Commonplace Book rather organically, but the troubles I’ve had with keeping the information in it organized and retrievable were solved with your tips. Wonderful!
Hello Andrew, thank you for your feedback. I am pleased to know you found it useful. 👍🏻
I really like your videos. Thanks for this. I am guilty of many notebooks with scattered topics throughout, and finding anything in them is arduous. I will test this process but put the index in the back starting on the back page and moving forward. Eventually, my index will reach what I'm writing (no wasted empty pages upfront or sudden lack of room). Thanks again for this and all your videos.
Thank you Amy! I am so pleased to know you found useful tips. I agree with index in the back 😉
Thanks for sharing your experience I found this very helpful, especially the advanced retrieval ideas and techniques. I am on the point of abandoning my computer journals and I am researching paper journal and commonplace book options and so finding your videos has been very helpful. Thanks again.
You are most welcome Norman! I am glad you found it useful. I am constantly researching effective note-taking methods to capture knowledge . I am excited to share more new self-learning techniques in 2023. Please let me know if you have any questions. I wish you the best with your CPB.
This is the most informative tutorial abot commonplace books that I have found, and I wasn't going to start mine without compiling all of the historical and practical information to begin its intro, thank you! Love the ephemera, too, wanted to add bits and pieces myself to make it visually appealing. I have also heard using your favorite pen, barrel color or ink, will make you want to return to the book more often and journal. I'm now ready to take off and start it.
great to hear @@liliana1lfr
I am very excited you will start your Self-Learning Journey. Enjoy the knowledge.
let me know how it goes 📚 📖 🗺 📚⏳
Very helpful and informative. I now know I’ve already been keeping a commonplace book and more ways to go about it.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your feedback
What a wonderful description. thank you.
I make them too, and love them with a passion.
Diana
You are so welcome Diana, I am very pleased you enjoy commonplace books 😉📖🕯
Merci Sylvie !
T’es carnets sont super beaux ! Merci du partage !
Merci beaucoup. Je suis contente que tu l'aies aimé!
Kudo's to Sylvie... this was fun! after watching a bunch of vid's about keeping commonplace books... i was completely discombobulated from head to toe... but now i get it. "I SEE" said the blindman, as he picked up his hammer and saw.
Thank you Amanda! I am so pleased you found it informative! Wish you the best with your Commonplace Book Journey 📚📖🕯
Thank you for such an informative video, as a terribly random person, I would love to try making one.
Thank you Jan! I am happy you found it informative. It personally helped me to retain what I am reading and learning. Let me know how it goes when you try your version. 📖😊
What a wonderful video. Such a fantastic amount of excellent information in such an easy to understand format. This is great, I am new to Commonplace Books, and this is just a treasure trove of knowledge. Thank you so much!!
You are most welcome!! I am very pleased you found it useful, I wish you an exciting journey with your Commonplace Book. Feel free to let me know if you have further questions 📖🕯😉
thank you!!!! i am so excited to create my common place book
Yay!! Glad you found it inspiring. Let me know how it goes. 😉
Thank you for the clear guidance, I always keep a notebook (one or more) but they are not well organised so this has been very helpful.
It’s ok! It’s admirable you take time to collect your knowledge! 📖🕯️
Thinking quite deeply about this topic.
Love the topic and how you explained it, but I also love your handwriting. It's beautiful.
Thank you Kris! I am always impressed with calligraphy skills of the journaling community. ✍️
I don't know why people are not subscribing to your channel but this is really cool. Easy explanation and good knowledge sharing about commonplace books. Thank you once again!
I appreciate that!
I am glad you found liked the concept - I share my system for my passion of self-learning tools. 📖📚🗺
If you liked the concept - you can check the Use fo Margins: th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html
Indexing the commonplace book: th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html
@@journaldesylvie I have watched the videos on margins and indexing and I loved them both. But the highlight was the video on indexing wherein you have shared a very unique idea of indexing subject wise and pg. no. wise. Thank you once again!!
I love this idea of a commonplace journal and your pages are beautiful. How do you decide what topics you want to make notes about? That's where I struggle.
That’s a very good question. Here are some ideas, books are great source where you add in your commonplace book what you learned from what you read (audio books included). Another source is you make a list of your favorite topics of interest (Art, nature, history, computers…) and read about those topics and log your knowledge from such research. You can be very brief with bullet key points, it doesn’t have to be a lengthy essay☺️. A commonplace book can include any useful quotes, moral from a tv series or a movie. Anything inspirational that you believe it’s worth retrieving one day. Let me know how it goes ☺️
Best explanation I've read on CB's. Thank you! I have done this for a long time but instead it's on pages of paper I grab, furiously write down important things or information of note and then they pile up. I would go back through and then put in subject matter folders. I have two piles I'm currently staring at. I have a small one CB I started in my TN awhile back but realized it can quickly consume that 64 page refill. I love the idea of a bound notebook and the margin annotations. Yet the practical person in me thinks a binder with simple notebook paper in it would be more efficient as you could add new pages easily, move around, re-do or eliminate pages. Wondering about your take on this?
Hello Paulo, I am glad you found it informative :) your setup is absolutely practical. CB can take many forms and setups. As long as you have an indexing system enabling you to retrieve the information when needed. I agree about the regular TN is not the best option for this purpose. Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you, this is so clear and perfect! I have been struggling with the concept of a commonplace book since I stumbled across the concept a few weeks ago but you have cleared things up for me. Thank you. You just got yourself a new subscriber. ^_^
Thank you Heather, Glad it was helpful! 👌Let me know how it goes 😊
I love you. Thank you so much for explaining all those :)
I think John Locke was dreaming of Ring binder when quoting about drawer 🤔😄
True! ☺️
Thanks for your advice. I had just started a commonplace book.
Wonderful!
Very helpful and informative. I am just beginning my first commonplace book and am having trouble knowing how to begin. Thank you,
Glad it was helpful! let me know if you have any questions down the road 📖🕯
This. Is. STUNNING!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it 😊
Excellent introduction. One of the best I've watched on commonplace books.
Thank you Sandra, Glad it was helpful! Let me know what do you think about the Marginal Notes - its complementing ideas for commonplace books 😊
This is very interesting, I have not heard of the Commonplace Book until I watched your video! Thanks for sharing.
Glad you found it helpful! I am releasing this Friday a new video about reading and journaling. thank you for your feedback.
thanks for this video - it's informative, aesthetically pleasing, and concise. hope the bell icon works for notification from this channel
Thank you ! Glad you enjoyed it.👍🏻
Thank you for your excellent explanation and also for all the links. *Best wishes 11/2023
You are welcome! same to you! 📖🕯
I love your voice! And thank you, this was so helpful! ❤
You're so welcome! Glad you liked it.
I’m about to start a commonplace book, so this video came in handy. Very informative, thank you very much!
Sounds great Petra! I am glad you found it useful. Thank you for your feedback.
binding the notebooks diy is also an intriguing option :)
Thank you so much for this video. I learned a lot and so many food for thought. ❤
You are so welcome! I am glad you found it useful. I enjoy sharing knowledge systems and pages layouts for different journaling purposes.
Great vid, very helpful , thanks so much , Love and Light from Europe ✨
You are so welcome! I am pleased to know you enjoyed it 😊
Finally , i need this and you explained it so well. Thank you. !
You're very welcome!
This is beautiful and very helpful, thank you. It was only a month or so ago that I came across the term "common place book" and realized that it is exactly what I have been trying to make for years but I didn't know what it was. In other words, I had journals, notebooks and common place books all meshed together in my head and I knew they were separate things but I didn't know how or why. Thank you for clarifying and giving such easy to understand ways to organize information so it can be found later! (I regularly save information and cannot find it later, I have ADHD and have a bad memory so all of this is *really* hard for me, but with this, I want to give it a proper try and improve all of that. ^_^ )
Hello Rei, I am so pleased to know you found helpful tips. I am like you. I used to log knowledge in notebooks for many years, but later I learned about commonplace book concept and how to retrieve the information. Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback 😊 I shared recently a video about what to add in your commonplace Margins and how to build an artificial memory through notetaking th-cam.com/play/PLlKevcmdR10ORbVY3oGspV4WNpYtYL_Uf.html
Hope you enjoy it!
This was so informative! Your commonplace journal is beautiful.
Thank you Francie! I am very pleased you found the system I shared useful. I am releasing this week a new video about another system I have in place for Reading & Books. Hope you find it inspiring.
If anyone is familiar with A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket, I believe there’s a reference to a commonplace book in quite a few places
thank you very much. it's very informative
Thank you. Glad it was helpful! 🕯📖
I look forward to receiving a notification of your instructive videos. My respects, madame et bonne année.@@journaldesylvie
You have stunning esthetics and wonderful content!
Thank you Maya, glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Organizing my pocket notebooks is whats proving to be a hassle. Right now I'm in the collect my to-do lists and random writings in two different Field Notes notebooks. Initially I was thinking of just keeping multiple field notes pocket notebooks for different subjects, but maybe I should consider having a larger notebook just to consolidate everything.
Hello, you may create a notebook specially as a Guide Indexing your already existing notebooks: th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html
On the other hand, if you know that there is a specific subject that you more likely commonplace about, it might be worthy to dedicate one notebook for this given topic. Otherwise, it's totally fine to combine different type of knowledge in one notebook as long as you apply an indexing system to enable retrieve information when needed.
Checkout the use of margins too: th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html.
This is great!!
Thank you Corinna! Glad you liked it 😊
a ruler! genius!
Glad you find it a useful tip!
I had no idea I have a commonplace book 😮 I call it a reference book and it's organised by topic but seems similar. Right now it is digital because I'm a student and live in a small room in a shared apartment and don't have a lot of space nor do I want to have to move more stuff than necessary the next time I move to a new place. I have to move way to often for that. But when I am able to settle down I would love to go back to handwriting
hello! That absolutely fine, the main objective is collect wisdom and acquire knowledge 😉📚 You can resort to handwritten notes when you are ready, as it has self-learning benefits - I shared some in this note-taking tips: th-cam.com/video/m9OCZc7LnB8/w-d-xo.html
wish you the best with your learning journey! 📖🕯
Thank you for the video, love your decorations/illuminations. I might have missed it, but what is the purpose of the second skinny column in the left margin for?
Thank you @ecsays. I am glad you liked it. 😉
In this particular CPB, I added the 2nd column to - if applicable - add any of my 7 simplified Book Annotation Codes th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html
For example: EXP = Expression, S = Summary.....
However, I don't add it in all my notebooks - In this marginalia video th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6O11fyq0v5ScgvWq
I use only one margin where I can add any of 10 different disciplines.
hope I answered your question. 🕯📖
Can't wait for update
Thank you!!
Really nice video :)
Thank you very much!
Do you just put what you have learnt in your notebook or do you also write lists, such as brainstorming ideas? I love this video, thank you!
Hi Emily, thank you, I am glad you like it 😍 . Regarding my CB, I mainly add acquired knowledge. As for brainstorming ideas I will probably added in a separate notebook, however nothing prevents for customizing your CB and add a section for ideas.
Hellow ma'am i am interested to write a Book but i don't know how to start
So I could keep a commonplace book just full of quotes I’ve underlined in books?
Informative video. Just want to know what the differences between a diary and a commonplace book from your point of view.
Hello, I am glad you found it informative. In my opinion, Diary is logging your chronicles, as for the commonplace book is logging your Knowledge and obtained wisdom for any given topic of interest. I released a video about my method in taking notes for commonplace books. Hope this answers your question.
One additional question; do you find the A4 or A5 more useful? Thank you.
Hello, you can start with A5 to gain some portability in case you need to take out of the house.
Thank you, Sylvie for this helpful and inspirational video! One question please...you show the two margins on the left side of the page. However, unless I missed it, you did not explain what you use the narrow column for. Can you explain this? Thanks!
Hello, thank you for your feedback, I am glad you found it helpful. I like your question, cause I am big fan of Margins 😊
- In that particular Commonplace Book I used the second margin (min 11:49) to add any of my Book Annotation codes (if applicable). I shared my simplified (7) Book Annotation Codes Video - th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html
- If I may recommend you - please watch the Marginal Notes Video th-cam.com/video/EllH6ElDLnY/w-d-xo.html
It will help you to maximize the functionality of your margins. I look forward for your feedback.
Thank you, Sylvie, for yourreply and input. Makes sense now....and I have now watched your other videos including the one on annotation codes. All very helpful and great ideas. Love how you present so clearly and calmly. Anxious to get my commonplace book and library set up now! @@journaldesylvie
@@journaldesylvie Hi again, Sylvie, thanks again for your input, watched more of your videos, all great and very helpful. Have another question please.....you made reference in one of your videos to a literature journal. So, you don't enter notes/info about literature books in your commonplace book? Is commonplace book only for non-literature topics? Appreciate your clarifying this. Thanks! Mark
@@archimark5060 Hello Mark, good question - Every notebook where you capture the knowledge you acquire is considered a Commonplace Book. The specific commonplace book I am featuring in this video is more for general knowledge, philosophy, history, and technical topics. As for the Literature Journal - it is a Commonplace Book - dedicated for novels (drama, romance, and classics) - I shared the setup of this journal at th-cam.com/video/LCkIexBdYgw/w-d-xo.html Hope this answers your questions.
@@archimark5060 I am very pleased. I wish you the best with your Commonplace Book Journey 📚🕯
Hi 😊 new subscriber and a someone new to commonplace books this tutorial is amazing! I have one question. Do you keep to one topic or information on one page in your commonplace book or do you keep a blank space to continue a certain topic or just log your information as you go along? I think that's what I can't decide on whether I should add all different topics/info together or keep to a theme. I'm still working on a list to decide on what I want to put in my first commonplace book.
Hello Clairisa, Thank you for your feedback about my CPB system. Your question is a valid one! My answer in brief, "I log my info as I go along" - a Commonplace Book is a space to log the knowledge / wisdom that we receive from different sources and in many cases through unplanned events. Therefore, it quite hard to predict when we will come across the same topic again and even if we do, there is no way we predict the number of pages designated for that given topic. (Unlike authors of printed books, they can plan ahead).
Having said so, it doesn't hurt that same topic (may be from different perspective) be mentioned in multiple places throughout your CPB - as long as you have an up-to-date "indexing system" that will enable you to locate all pages of that topic by using keywords (see my last released video).
Last tip - if you think you will have massive amount of information about same parent-topic, you can dedicate a CPB for Nature and another one for History (for example 😊)
@@journaldesylvie Thank you so much for answering my question and for the tips ☺️❤️ I agree with everything you've said it sounds more logical I'll look at your other videos on indexing & keywords. I think I'm going to start with one commonplace book first with knowledge as I go along and see how my progress goes thanks again 🙂
I love this vidéo thank you so much!! I have a question about the small notebook that you showed with yellow-looking paper, is it available anywhere or is it a vintage journal? It looks lovely. I love the idea of a commonplace book and it's a concept I've been using without knowing the name for it. However, I used to have separate notebooks for quotes, ideas, thoughts etc and this vidéo has inspired me to be more organized.
Hi Nadia, I very pleased you found the video informative. If I understand correctly :) you are asking about the Kraft paper insert. I added the link to it in the description box. Its from Traveler's Company brand and I usually buy it from amazon, or jetpens.com, or travelerscompanyusa.com. There are other brands with Kraft papers in amazon. I am very happy it inspired to organize your knowledge.
1) What do you think about ring bound commonplace books? I think it would make this project less chaotic.
2) Where are you from? I like your accent. I'm Greek and your r is a bit like mine.
Yay!!!! we recognize each other from the accent. Είμαι Ελληνίδα και ζω στην Αμερική.
Yes, I am Greek / American. Regarding the ring bound, yes, its absolutely fine, depending on your preference. As long as you create an Index system to enable you "retrieve" the information.Personally I find the ring bound to be less durable (but this is just me ☺️). Let me know how it goes. (note: I just shared my Greece travel journal from our summer vacation).
I don't understand the Table of Content. Is that something you create over time as you're writing in the book? I would sincerely appreciate your video on categorizing information :)
Hello, I update my table of contents every time I add information to my Commonplace Book. However, there 2 methods to Index.
INDEX - THE EASY LOOKUP FOR INFORMATION IN YOUR COMMONPLACE BOOK
th-cam.com/video/WBnPcuJRUnk/w-d-xo.html
John Locke INDEX FOR COMMONPLACE ENTRIES
th-cam.com/video/asXjBxs0WEI/w-d-xo.html
@@journaldesylvie Thank you! May I ask how many Commonplace Notebooks you have and how long does it usually take for you to 'fill' one?
thanksss
can you change topic with each pages you write in commonplace book? for example you write about art in one side of page and then write about some book on other side. wouldn't that be confusing? or should you leave a few blank pages with each topic you want to write?
Hello Wenny - apologies for delayed reply - You can switch topics as much as you want as long as you add the header (a title and sub-title) and reflect it in the table of content (index) itemized by page number. The indexing system includes also keywords to be more specific, guiding you where to find information about that given topic. Let me know if I answered your question. Thank you for your feedback.
What do you use the 2nd smaller margin on the left for?
So far, I've used a modified John Locke method for indexing. I have a "tag" list separate that I then put the page number in the index by 1st letter and 1st vowel. I just haven't really known what to put in my margin besides short notes, tags, and references. I also have my heading loosely based on MLA citation. I do add dates, but only once before that days entries.
Good question 😊 for this particular CPB I am adding my Book Annotation Codes - here is the link for my 7 simplified keys th-cam.com/video/65chVCPdRQA/w-d-xo.html. I am applying the John Locke indexing method in another CPB that I will share in 2023. I like the way you are using your margins (you can add fun facts or information about author)
Lovely clear explanation. Thank you. Your speaking pace is perfect. I am using a Circa system (from Levenger, which I purchased years ago. Junior size is about 5 by 8. No doubt available now from many sources.) The advantage is having movable pages and not running out room. Paper capacity depends on the chosen ring size. If I decide that I need more I will have the freedom to rearrange the layout and redistribute entries. I have varied colors of paper so different but related topics can be stored under a category. Excessive categories jangle me as I have learned over many years of note-taking.
It is an evolving process and enjoyable. This is the first video of yours I have watched with many more to go.
@@Elaine-qn7ls Thank you Elaine 🥰, I like the idea of varied color papers!! If you have multiple topics and categories you may find the Indexing system useful (the last video I released)
Question: Do you put dates on that or is it not necessary?
Hello Ema, you sure can, if you see a benefit of a chronological tracking. For me, it depends on the topic. In my Nature Commonplace Book I add dates and locations as it is relevant to field observation th-cam.com/video/GUSqtt-9eQs/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/HlRpkBqUZDQ/w-d-xo.html
However, in other commonplace book (history or philosophy) I don't necessarily add the dates of each time I write in it (I do add a date of when I started and finished the entire notebook) 😉 hope this helped!
@@journaldesylvie Yes it did. Thank you very much 😀
I'm really sorry I have to do this. I went to drafting school and that is not a ruler. That is a tool used to convert scale for architectural drawings. It's not a straight edge. It is not a ruler. Rulers work better for what you're trying to do and come in better sizes for journaling in smaller books.
What is a COMMON PLACE book?
Hello Eddie, it's a notebook to compile all the "knowledge' you acquire and wish to save for future retrieval. There are also digital platforms for this purpose. You can watch from minute 8:20 to see tips how to create a functional commonplace book. Let me know if you have questions.
is she a narrator
Should also show your face... will help to follow you
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. In my last Travel Journal video, I am sharing footage from my trip ☺️