advice for a newbie?

[tinkaton]

Hello! So I recently discovered the concept of a commonplace book, got really excited about it because I haven't journaled by hand since high school and every previous attempt of mine at keeping a planner/bujo has failed, and have now ended up here looking for advice. I've watched a bunch of YouTube videos of people showing off their own commonplace books to get ideas on content, setup, etc. and am curious what kind of supplies you guys would recommend for somewhat casual journaling? There's a lot more to consider about notebooks/pens than I realized before looking into the subject and I have basically no knowledge of paper types and fancy pens and whatnot.

For reference I've done a little browsing and I'm eyeing things like this Hobonichi Plain Notebook or this Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover (I'd probably want something medium size, with dot or grid paper), but I'd love to see what you guys prefer, or what pens you'd recommend, that kind of thing! Any advice you'd give for someone who's only previous notebook concern was whether the cover was cute or not lol.

(Any tips on commonplace books or journaling in general is welcome too! I love seeing how people prefer to set up their journals/how they like to decorate/etc.)

Comments

[independence1776]

I am pretty low-key when it comes to journaling. I use the mass-market journals found in bookstores and I am a hardcore user of Pilot Better Ball Point with a fine tip pens. Seriously. There's only one store in my city that I know sells them and I go there specifically for these pens. They are not high-quality pens but I've been using them since I was a kid and I love them.

As for as decorations go, I love stickers. I avoid the puffy/3-d ones scrapbookers tend to use, but there are plenty of flat stickers out there that won't bulk up your journal.

[tinkaton]

Honestly that's how I SHOULD be because I have a bad habit of buying things for a new hobby that never get used, but I've always been weak to pretty stationery. At the very least I want to use up all the washi tape and stickers I've gathered over the years that just sit unused in a box!!