Discover Yourself: Build Your Own Commonplace Book is the second class in my series on using tools and creative means to learning more about yourself through creation, exploration, and self-study. We all have something unique to offer, but some of us have trouble tapping into what makes us truly us.

This class is all about building a commonplace book, which is traditionally a book or journal where you write down excerpts from books you read or observations you make. But it can also include a variety of things from song lyrics to planning out your flower bed to a list of data you observe from your latest experiment. Commonplace books are a way to collect together knowledge that is important to you, so you end up with a reference volume that is customized to your needs.

This class series, and this class especially, will help you uncover what you're most interested in, what you have the most ideas about, and how you can best contribute to the world, your loved ones, and your community.

In this class, you'll:

Gain the skills to set up, start, and maintain your own commonplace book
Learn about what you deem important, and what subjects you choose to capture information on
Examine how you connect with information, and how you prefer to capture and use the information you collect
Practice mindfulness while reading and going about your day
Develop a picture of who you are and what your priorities are
Learn different tips and tricks for getting the most out of your commonplace book practice
Create a personalized reference that is designed by you, for you

This class is designed for both those new to creating a commonplace book or journal, and those who want to expand on the definition of what journaling means or accomplishes for them.

The knowledge and skills you will learn in this class are important and valuable to everyone. Introspection and deep thinking about the ideas and concepts you come across are vital for getting the most out of your life and for effectively being there for both the greater community and those you care about the most. By understanding yourself well, you also learn how to understand other people better, which connects us all.

Additionally, and just as important, by learning to keep a commonplace book, you'll collect, all in one place, all the important details for any projects you're working on, books you're writing, observations you make, or favorite quotes or memes. By capturing what catches your eye and then annotating these entries, you are constantly contributing to your own body of knowledge and research about all the things that interest you. You'll always have your reference at hand, and can set an example for those around you who could also benefit from keeping their own journals or commonplace books.

I have successfully kept a commonplace book for a few years so far, and have investigated and tried out various methods for doing so. I look forward to sharing all my research with you, and helping you through the process of deciding on a commonplace book setup that works for you, one that you will actually use.

To keep a commonplace book, the materials you need will depend on what method you want to use to begin commonplacing. At the very least, you'll need a pen and paper, or just a notes app on your mobile device. At most, you'll need a subscription to a journaling app or a fancy paper journal with various colored pens. You'll learn which method will work best for you as you take the class, so you don't need any resources or materials already set up in order to begin the lessons.

Take this class at your leisure, really considering each step in the process, so you find a commonplace book practice method that fits into your life. Also, don't forget to check out the Resource List for this class, which includes plenty of links to commonplace books kept by famous people, essays about commonplacing, and more.

Angela Marchington

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