Well this is embarrassing, in a good way. I guess. I have had a boatload of requests for the Book of You online class on how to make and keep an illustrated journal. So I am making this course live again. If you are interested you can find out more and buy it here: kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/courses/the-book-of-you-making-and-keeping-a-visual-diary

When I was in high school I began keeping a notebook with quotes and poetry I came across in the books I would check out at the library. I loved going to the library and just plopping myself down on the floor with piles of books around me and a notebook to write what I found in them. Of course I was transcribing everything in my “nice” notebook using the best handwriting possible. I’ve continued doing this in some form or another throughout my life. When I was in college one of my professors, who happened to be none other than Wayne Thiebaud, required us to keep an inspiration book. I still have it with his comments and signature. Now I am teaching my own high school students to create and keep an art journal that is more like a common place book for art and anything that they create or that they find inspiring. The idea behind this art journal is to make something they will love and enjoy looking at ten or twenty years from now. Even the least interested students who would much rather sit on their phones all day manage to create something half way decent. Hopefully they will continue with this as time goes on even if they won’t be making one about art.

Cosmos (Brian Cox BBC "Wonders" series is brilliant), Tardigrades, sling psychrometers, plate tectonics, poisonous plants, art, quotes, newspaper clippings, Wicca, terrariums, rock climbing, desert survival, clever song lyrics, IDing birds based on feathers, lapbooks, 50 ways to start a fire with the fewest materials, interior design, and on and on and on. Haha I never knew there were other brains like mine who are endlessly curious and pick up on everything! So lovely to run across your video.❤

the way you explained how Aristotle taught his students to make commonplace books made me realise that we made them in primary school. I must have been around 8 years old, and the teacher gave us a notebook she called a "magpie book" where we were asked to add quotes or words we found interesting, collecting them together like a magpie.

I have done this for ages but didn't realise what it was called. lol. Thanks so much for your great video Kelly. I have written down quotes, poetry (other peoples), paragraphs from books, words that I love etc; not only in books but also on scraps of paper...not a good idea. It makes me very happy to see a notification that you have a new post to enjoy. Cheers & blessings for 2024.

I was blown away by the man who studied the different shades of blues in the sky.......amazing :)

I think I've discovered the name for a few of my " journals" they are actually common place books. I love learning from your channel.

I have done this for years but it's all in my yearly diary along with appointments and to-do lists, also on lots of scraps of paper. Now I could be more organised with a general and a specific CPB.

I just found you. I can't stress enough how I enjoyed your video. I am now on a quest to watch all of them. But I wanted to say, I don't know after this one video if you are a professor, but being older myself, you remind of the type of teaching I experienced in college, when I went. I am also going to go over some of the authors you mentioned. As an almost empty nester all that you taught in this video has renewed my excitement to keep learning. You are a true inspiration. Thank you for sharing you,

Love this! I came across the concept of commonplace books nearly 4 years ago...but your video has brought this back to life for me.

very inspiring, love hearing people talk about their common place experiences

At 24:50 - something you might also be interested in, which is easily overlooked is those circles on the left of the page - black, cyan, magenta, yellow and white. My husband is a printer. I know what those circles are. They are print colour samples as the print runs through the machine, so the printer can ensure the correct saturation of ink on page, so the colour is right on the print. These are often used in offset printing machines. Maybe you could also add those to your commonplace book with some notes about printing 😊

An excellent idea! I use to find so many interesting facts and things and stories and then forget about them in no time. A Commonplace Book is the solution! Thank you!

Would love to know more men talking about their books. From Pepys, Johnson, Franklin on to Peter Beard the journals and Common Books, historical men's notes seem wonderful. I encourage all the men in my life to embrace the habit. Its OK if they don't share, but i see it as a necessary part of a healthy life.

How lucky am I to have stumbled upon your channel! I've been doing this for years and have boxes and boxes of journals. I so enjoyed today's video and the marching orders to go create something!!! Go create is what I will do, so I do not just sit here and binge your entire channel. Thank you for sharing all your precious knowledge. ❤️

Oh, Kelly, I love Commonplace Books and have kept them for years!! I use to just write quotes and udeas, but have branched out to illustrations with everything.Ty for the earlier commonplace gems/ people info, your renditions, definition, and a very fun video!! I love all your unique and interesting interests, and have a lot of same interests. I too love Thoreau. I create illuminate gold- gilding, and research and use herbal folklore. My current research interest are the home, rooms, the bed. Such an interesting subject. Oh boy, let is all go create our "heaps of things"=Zibaldones!!

I’ve been doing this for 25 plus years. So gratifying to hear it’s coming back.

I’ve been using stenographers books for years to record class and seminar notes, writings, and craft sketches. Guess these are commonplace books but didn’t know it. I do think I’ll make a book just for crafting ideas. Thanks for the explanation.

How serendipitous that I happened upon your channel! I’m in love with everything you create, your process, the way you think, and, well, just you in general. 😅😊

So I have a raft of notebooks, journals, lists that I keep of so many things. Now I know what they are called! Ranges from sayings, poetry, biology, family history, art classes... As a self taught mixed media person, I see a lot of things on line. I keep a tall, skinny notebook that as I come across things, I make note of them. Sometimes I go back and find them and sometimes I don't! But I do love them. And as you say, they sort of define my life. Thanks, Kelly! Nice to know that other people do the same thing!

I love this concept; its right up my street. Up until now, I've had all this miscellany floating in my head 😛 and there's a lot of this too as I'm endlessly curious...the desire to learn and explore is an itch that I just can't scratch enough. I've been doing art journalling for a while, more for the visually creative, but I can see having a commonplace book would be useful not to mention fun! Ps, i love your videos. You've got a pleasing voice to listen to and I've learned a whole bunch of stuff (which I now need to add to my commonplace book).

Thanks, Kelly. I've been filling notebooks with quotes and facts and poetry and ideas in fits and starts for years and this video inspires me. Curiosity, beauty ... you really get my creative juices flowing. Thanks!

I just started keeping a dedicated commonplace book though I’ve always been an obsessive list maker and journaler. I just didn’t keep things all together. Enjoyed your video. Thanks

This was great! Consider me inspired. To me it seems like an outgrowth of my sketchbooks. Thank you!

Wow! This video made me so happy. I've kept commonplace books for a long time. I have one I started copying quotes into when i was in my early 20s and that was a long time ago but I'm still adding to it. I like how you look at the world around you and also how you communicate your voracious curiosity. Thank you for sharing your books and ideas!

This is an “aha” moment for me. Like other commenters I’ve been doing something akin to this but you have given a framework that gives me ideas for my box of favorite stuff. Great video, Kelly, thanks!

Beautiful video! Beautiful examples! (As a disabled Nurse the Physician's Book about made me faint froth and drool! ) The amount of time and care you put into this video...Thank you so much! ❤❤❤ P.S. The Sea Creature was a Hippocampus! I love them!❤

Thank you for these good ideas and thoughts! Lately my favorite activity of the day is working/playing in my everything book. I had so many kinds of journals/books which I didn’t get to everyday that I decided to try combining most of them and it’s working. Making!

Thank you, Kelly, for this inspiring video For years I've been fooling around with this idea but never knew that I was making common books Now I'm inspired to review what I have and get to work on organizing and illustrating some.

Fascinating! This the best explanation of commonplace books that I've run into.

So interesting- the historical references are awesome!

Ah so this is what I can call the increasingly thick and colourful creations which have emerged from the simple hand written diaries full of words and wonderings. A good fifty years since my grandma gave me my first diary for Christmas these have become journals of doodles and cut outs. A5 or A4 they cover just a month or two. Got introduced to Altered Books a few years back and I can see how these might start merging. Thank you so much for this fascinating show and tell. Tardigrades?! Zibaldone! So much information, fabulous quotes and leads to avenues of exploration. Glory be to curiosity and creativity.

I love your books...TFS!

Oh Kelly, I just LOVE your lust for life!! You never cease to amaze me (us) with your hunger to know all things! This was a fantastic video, and told us a lot about you as a person as well. I recall you mentioning the term Commonplace Books, but couldn't quite recall what they were exactly. And now I do...and NO calories, heehee. Kelly your the best and I always, always look foreword to every one of your informative videos. Like visual, history lessons, most every time. Thank you so very much for all you do/give to us and all your encouragement! As always, your rockin' it my friend!

"It makes me happy" and your Common Place Book video worked to do just that. And give a name to the dozen or more lined, unlined even 'olde' calender books I've filled with common Place Book stuff you've mentioned...plus films and books seen and read. Thanks so much for all you share, teach, and care about😊❤

Thank you for this excellent overview a commonplace book. My husband a a type of commonplace book he calls it his brain. 💜🐞

Thank you, Kelly, for the enlightening video! I always love hearing what is running through that wonderful mind of yours.

In reference to the reply below, the book I bought is THe NOTEBOOK, A HISTORY OF THINKING ON PAPER, by Roland Allen Diana

What a fun video. I found you while looking through KZfaq for art making videos. I am now a fan. I have been making books like these for years but have never heard the term “commonplace books” before. Being a word nerd I love the word zilbaldone, which is new to me. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Thank you for the inspiration.

had to subscribe after 30 seconds lol I like how you make the process sound so easy while so many other people try to make it sound so hard "stuff that I just can't get out of my head" what do you bring with you in terms of pencils and stuff? the pencil sketched from the museum weren't in just black so does that mean you carry multiple pencils? "really it's just different things - notes" art dates? that sounds interesting cyanometer "these books tend to cross pollinate a lot" I hope this ends up becoming the new standard video for how to / ways to keep a commonplace book! how do you know commonplace books are coming back?

Oh, Kelly. I am so thrilled you talked of Commonplace books, and as usual, what an easy to understand video.. I have been making them for years, and I find it a noble pastime to record importances! . I love the concept, and I am pleased you do too. I hope everyone researches Commonplace books, and joins those who give meaning to their lives by finding important moments to remember. I found a lively book in a bookshop recently and indulged myself with it. It's called THE NOTEBOOK, A HISTORY OF ????. OOPS, I am out, will send title when I get home. Thank you from Sydney Australia. We love your videos. A group of us at Primrose Paper Arts are about to begin an altered book together, motivated by your beautiful and informative videos. Thank you❤ Diana Brandt

Your curiosity and willingness to share is inspiring, thank you

I just officially started a commonplace book, and this video was so helpful, also your painting of the girl is beautiful, I love it. I subbed and look forward to more videos from you

I'm so pleased to have clicked on the link for this video! I've been keeping journals and/or commonplace books for years but have recently had a surge in enthusiasm for using them in new and different ways. Thank you!

KELLY!! What an inspiration you are! I just love this video! So much info and inspiration. Have already giggled about the book *flowers in midevil manuscripts* and I too have taken on-line classes from those two artists that you have. And I really like the direction you are going in with all your art, art books, inspiration. Well done! I keep thinking about when I can travel again I want to come visit you, if that’s okay with you? Keep up the good work, and thank you for sharing.

I have an artist commonplace book too. I enjoy seeing how I did what. Keeping notes helps for when I want to recreate them.

Wow....Thank you. I'm going to make a Commonplace Book!

Great video explaining commonplace books and their history! I learned a lot! I have a bunch of them started myself. A couple of my favorites are inspiring quotes and another with Scripture. Thanks for sharing!

Nowadays, I actually use books marketed as BuJos as my common place books. But my fave CPB, is a cheap composition notebook I use as a 'glue book' for inspirational ideas. tfs!

Loved this. Thank you for sharing with us. ❤

Kelly thank you for still being here. I have a Common Place Journal that I use for Haiku’s which I love and the easy illustrations. 🥀❣️🥀

I just found you, and I absolutely LOVE how your mind works. Also, my children can just hush about all the random books and notes I have. It's actually a THING going far back in time.😊

Thanks a lot, Kelly! Do I really need another type of book to make?? 😉The answer is yes, there can never be too many, right?? I had never heard of commonplace books but I have loads of things I could put in one. Your video hits so many nails right on the head. I am off to find a blank book in my drawer of blank books. You have presented so many great ideas, I had to stop several times to add ideas to my list of "Art Project Ideas." Now that list can go in a better home - Thanks so much 😊

Kelly - Amazing video about a wonderful tradition of recording for learning!!! Loved this deep dive and saving it to share with other notebookers!!!!!🫶🏼

Love this video and your wonderful explanations. I just started a small art "diary" to track what was important to me at the moment and I think it fits quite nicely as a common place book. Now I know where it is heading! Thank you.

Excellent more please ❤from South Wales

This was wonderful and so informative! I had to subscribe!❤

So great..took me to Girdle Books!! Please show us how to make one!! Margaret Smith wrote the book on Girdle Books So fascinating..years of study..dovetails with the Zibalsones!!

I just finished making my first commonplace book. I just have to glue the cover on, which is a slow stitched fabric cover. I find the whole thing very satisfying.

Thank you so much for all the beautiful examples and encouragement - I love your teaching style.

Inspirational as usual Kellly.

So glad to find this channel. Right up my alley!

You are so inspiring!! Thank you!

Thought provoking.

I wondered what they are for, I’ve been seeing a few on here. 📘✂️

Are you interested in a recipe for vegetarian African sweet potato and peanut soup? I made it for the first time a week ago and it is delicious. If yes, I’ll post the link.

This is different. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before I mean some of it I’ve done, but not like you thank you.

Thank you!! This is exactly what I need! Can I combine the altered book ideas with the Commonplace Book idea….hmmmm

I have kept a common place book for years and several years ago learnt what to call them. Mine grew out of my sketch books from my teen years.

I have been doing this for years, didnt know it had a specific name just called it my scrap book 😂

This inspires me!! Could you share the name of the magazine you mentioned that comes on newspaper-type paper? It looks interesting!

You are wonderful ✨💫✨💫✨💫

Did you said its not fattening ?😅 love your channel just discoverd it thank you 🙏

This is also called a book of shadows!

😸😸 I've been keeping a computer file (excel, of all things) with quotes from books and audiobooks, for the last 20 years! does it count as a common-place notebook? 3 authors have their own sheet, so this is how I know who my favorite authors are. I'll stick to the computer for the common-place book, and make art as altered books

oh, I have made a whole wall out of this 😃

Love your videos. What paper do you subscribe to that you mentioned in this video? Beth B in Sarasota FL

What is the magazine you subscribe to?

I asked before and the comment disappeared - please give the information about the magazine printed on newsprint that you talked about at 23:54. I would be really interested. Thank you.

Preach it, Sista! 😂

Zimba what? Also sre these the same as diaries, journals?

What is the name of the newspaper you showed on your video?

Excellent. You are far too modest Kelly,

I love this. And I love all the thoughtful comments your subscribers leave you (does that make me a voyeur or just nosey)? And your responses. You are such a joy to listen to and learn from. And you’re funny. And witty. And all around delightful 🤍🤍🤍