For example: Ronald Reagan kept an extensive collection of note cards filled with his favorite quotations. He would give them to his speech writers to be incorporated into all his public addresses.
Or a chef might use a commonplace book to write down recipes, record good flavor combinations, ideas for dishes, etc. and regularly use it as a go-to resource.
What sets the commonplace book apart from the creative notebook is this element of recording incoming information rather than outgoing thoughts and ideas. It’s a collection of resources that come to you from outside sources whereas a creative notebook is a collection of ideas, thoughts, and inspirations that come largely from the internal force of your own creativity.
A commonplace book is a place to record information coming into your brain, hopefully to be filled with useful knowledge you want to learn, remember, and later reference.
On the other hand, a creative notebook is a place to record the notable thoughts and ideas coming out of your brain. And sometimes log inspiration and other good ideas coming from the outside inasmuch as they pertain in some way to the inner dialogue coming from within your creative mind.
As a creative and curious individual dedicated to both learning and artistic pursuits, I see the merit in both. Until recently, I was unfamiliar with the concept of a commonplace book, at least as it is collectively known. My first thought as I began my research was, “Don’t I already do this?” But after further thought and analysis, I realized the difference between this new idea and my current habit of keeping a creative notebook. Aside from collecting humor and inspiration on tumblr, I have no commonplace book or collection of useful incoming information.
Not that information doesn’t come in. I constantly shovel new information, knowledge, and sometimes even wisdom into my brain, but it doesn’t usually stick because I’m off to the next thing so quickly. That’s why I see so much value in keeping a commonplace book, especially in this current era of information overload. A commonplace book forces you to stop and take note of information coming in. You must analyze and choose what information is relevant and important enough to collect, clip, and become part of your everyday knowledge-base.
Whether it takes on a digital or analogue form, this book becomes an encyclopedia of information unique to your personal interests as well as your professional endeavors. Not everything is worth becoming part of your long-term neural network, but some of it is. The commonplace book becomes a way to collection those golden nuggets of incoming information you want to learn, remember, and reference.
It becomes your life thesis.
So, do you keep a commonplace book?
Resources: Wikipedia Page | Article by Ryan Holiday | This Article with Cool Examples
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