journalsandplanners | advice for a newbie?

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.)

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Okay, I'm going to separate my answer into three parts: Why commonplace? WHAT commonplace? and-- How to adjust your method?

Why commonplace?

I've kept commonplace books off and on since elementary school. Sometimes, they were topical, what I called study books, and sometimes they were lifechanging thoughts in someone else's words. One of my favorite quotes, put in the front of every commonplace book for decades was a long quote from Lazarus Long, a RA Heinlein character, that ends with the mic drop: specialization is for insects.

So, a commonplace book is basically your conversation with what you read, and how you do it isn't as important as that you're investing in the commonplace book.

What commonplace book?

Here's where everyone shrieks and clutches their pearls: I have kept commonplace books first in spiral notebooks (I didn't buy my school supplies as a kid), and then in three ring binders or, later, disc notebooks. I've gone back to my favorite every single time: a simple stitched composition book. I used to buy them 4/$1 at the school stock-up sales, but the daily price is $1 here in my part of the US, which is no financial hardship as an investment.

Everything else I have to suggest falls under how to ADJUST your commonplace practice. It applies to journaling, too.

I have a stack of disabilities that means that the reader does not see the near-constant ratio of at least one typo per word while creating this message. Writing in pen with an error rate like that... Just no.

So my go-to writing tool is a pencil. I've looked it up and graphite is infinitely durable unless something else affects the paper/graphite, like water or heat.

My current dexterity makes decorating a commonplace book or a bujo about as effective as asking a two-year-old to paint a copy of the Mona Lisa, or even Munch's "The Scream." Never going to happen. So I don't. I dislike sticker embellishments in general, so yeah, my commonplace book is pretty bare-bones visually.

But I also use a key with shortcut symbols, Bujo style, to keep track of where I'm quoting, where I'm summarizing, and when I throw my own opinions into the page (usually because the reaction to what I'm reading is very strong.)

My final advice:

Take all the bells and whistles out. Try a commonplace book with a pencil and a composition book. If you like it, if you find yourself slowing down to invest TIME into making your penmanship as clear as possible, or paging back to re-read something you'd cited from four chapters earlier, or another book, you've found a good resource, and a tool which can last your lifetime.

Dressing it up, well, my first advice is to look at the Jarman penmanship based on what was taught in British schools a few decades ago. You print, but the style of each letter means that you end up with a sentence that looks to be in italic cursive. It's fast. It's beautiful (at least to me), and it's easy to learn. Then play with embellished capitals, the fancy first letters at the beginning of each chapter of many older books (pre 1900, generally). Printing styles change more slowly than clothing, but there is still an enormous pool of print styles that can appeal to your aesthetics.

Side note: the practice will gradually change your 'natural' penmanship, which lets me look back at a journal from 1994 and see not just what I was reading at the time, but the influences of things like studying a non-Roman script on my penmanship.

Practical matters, like difficulty turning very thin pages, has long since kicked me out of the discussion about best paper, or fountain pens at all. (I still own mine, but it's like a golfer refusing to give up their favorite driver after a disastrous accident.) What I will say is that visual strain matters. Try to compare a bright white to a matte white to a cream paper with the same pencil or cheap ballpoint writing. One will undoubtedly be easier on your eyes, in part based on your vision, lighting preference, and a dozen other mechanical details that can add up to whanging headaches versus getting caught up in reading or writing for two hours with no signs of strain at all.

Everything written above can apply to journaling your own thoughts and feelings.

My only other tip... Start with a goal that is just a BIT of a stretch. "I'm going to make commonplace notes about a book every month" is probably too ambitious for most. When I developed the problems in my hands, I literally had to relearn how to hold a fork, and then a pen. Not use, just hold and not DROP the thing. To learn how to write again, I cut up an adult coloring book page into pieces 4*6", and at first would have someone prep a stack by drawing a vertical line down the middle. Coloring in, regardless of how accurately, started off as half an hour or more of intense work for something the size of a Zentangle.

So, start where you are. If you find timers motivating, great. Five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening are a great way to build the habit of journaling. They are also mercy from the Universe when no matter how hard you stare, words just won't FORM to go onto paper. For those times, when the timer rings, I quit. (I started writing "I tried." and the date and time, but after a few weeks, it was easier to get those first words from my head onto paper, and I didn't need that step.

One final idea: Use a fine-tip marker to write the title and date (i.e. Common Thoughts 2024) on the edges of the book at the top and bottom. It makes sorting through a growing collection much easier. (The long edge is good for tab coloring, if that appeals.)

This is such fantastic advice. Thanks for sharing it.

I particularly like your point that pencils are very long-lasting and you can get such luxe fancy pencils now to make up for any pen FOMO.

You are very welcome. I talk about my experiences and the intersection of journaling/commonplace books and assorted physical disabilities, because I cannot journal exactly the same ways that I did in high school, or in my thirties. The point is that the process supports those adaptations, so there's no fear of "one right way." Your journals and commonplace books are scrapbooks of your thoughts.

The one down side in using pencil NOW is that I have a heavy hand, so there's a bit of smudging on earlier pages. Not lines or distinct marks, just a slight tint across the whole page. If that bothers you, I can suggest Frixion pens as a quality erasable pen, but I haven't checked the durability/archival quality of the ink.

Frixion pens react to heat so the writing can disappear if left in a hot car, for example.

I completely agree with you that this stationery hobby we all love is infinitely adaptable.

Oh, thanks for the information! I tried them once or twice, but they move differently along the page, and using one effectively ruined my penmanship, so I went back to using pencil. On the other hand, they're more readily available than fabric marking pens, where the heat erasure is a feature rather than a bug.

Nods nods

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