A commonplace book is a personal compilation of knowledge, ideas, quotations, and observations collected by an individual. It is a notebook or journal where one gathers and organizes information from various sources for future reference and reflection. They are more like a database than a diary.
You just read how commonplace notes are compiled and used. I’m interested in note taking as a learning tool. My notebooks – both physical and digital – are full of quotes from books I’ve read, dialogue from movies I’ve seen, and lyrics that resonate with me. Along with these compilations, I also note down lessons, observations, and questions.
The commonplace note isn’t constrained by a theme like most blogs these days. It’s got a variety of themes the author is into. This site is going to be a public version of my commonplace notes.
You will see notes on philosophy, theology, how we behave in groups, on learning, on technology’s impact on business and vice versa, travel, stock market investing, and many other themes I am interested in from time to time. Primarily this site is part of my learning – I learn via writing.
As Charley Locke writes,
Keeping a commonplace book feels like a kinder way to grow, by wrestling with the articulations of others in the open…
Though you could subscribe via RSS feed, I don’t recommend it since most of these notes are personal favourites and observations which may not resonate with you.
As I start this journey, I’m using self-hosted WordPress with Davis theme designed by Anders Norén. I’m sure it will change as I move along the journey.
There are many inspirations for this journey. There are many who blog everyday. Here are just four of them:
I’m planning to follow their routine. I’ll just blog once a day and talk about what I read or watched or listened. If possible, will quote from those sources. Otherwise I will post about my observations and questions. Since this is a self-development venture, I don’t intend to post something just for the sake of posting.
If you are looking for historical examples, Wikipedia has a list of published commonplace books and notes.
If this journey interests you, please follow along. You can subscribe or follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter.