I’ve always kept a little notebook in my purse. With no real rules attached to it, the notebook just ensured that no matter what I wanted to capture (a fleeting idea, notes from a phone call, something I saw in the environment), I’d have pen and paper to do so.
Months back I discovered a new-to-me term called “Commonplace Journaling”. As a natural researcher, I looked into the meaning and history. What I discovered was a delightful type of documentation that felt supportive of a mindful creative practice.
A commonplace journal is different than a space for expressing feelings, somatic journaling, or documenting field notes. Rather, it is a collection of captured notes, quotes, inspirations, and essentially research that can become your personal archive of what you’re paying attention to right now.
The history of commonplace journaling dates back to Ancient Greece. “The Greeks referred to these collections as topoi, or topics, and the Romans in turn emphasized their collective nature by calling them loci, or commonplaces, in Latin.” [Source] While I love the collective nature of what is contained in this journal, I don’t love the name. ‘Commonplace’ is defined as ordinary or unremarkable. It feels contradictory to the fact this journal captures all the things that matter to me in this season, things that feel special or worth returning to.
I’m calling mine an “Uncommon Archive”. Maybe you prefer a Noteworthy Notebook or a Remarkable Journal instead. Regardless of what you call it, what I find most beautiful in creating these books is that they foster a practice of slowing down enough to 1) notice, 2) document, and 3) return to an archive I’ve built (the hardest practice in my opinion!).
Instead of getting lost in social media and only consuming or screenshotting, I make it a point to print and tape things I want to save, or better yet, WRITE directly into my journal.
Collecting, curating, and recording all strengthen your ability to learn, engage, remember, and integrate.
“The difference between information and insight is depth. And depth is where meaningful creativity begins.”
-@actsofseeing
As part of the Nice & Slow club (a new Freelance for Life offering), we meet seasonally for a virtual workshop exploring a theme related to slowness. This summer’s session, I introduced commonplace journaling and mailed members a care kit to start theirs. This September we’ll have a new theme and a new creative practice (…which might just be digital gardening, a complementary practice I tend to in Figma).
If you'd like to join, you can always upgrade to a founding membership here on Substack and get in on our monthly Nice & Slow sessions, essentially slow-working time in community on projects that need a bit more spaciousness.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about commonplace journaling or starting one, here are a few helpful links from my research to get you started. I’d love to hear about your practice:
Instagram accounts by @BetweenWrittenLines and Sadie Lew
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