For many years, I’ve kept a notebook called my “Commonplace”. In it, I store quotes, ideas, book clippings, observations, and anything that sparks curiosity or inspiration. It’s a central repository for knowledge and creativity—a place where ideas live until I need them again.

In this post (and the accompanying video), I share why I keep a commonplace book, what I store in it, and how you can combine a physical notebook with Apple Notes to create your own personal knowledge system.

Note: The video mentions the use of Joplin, which I no longer use.

What is a Commonplace Book?

A Commonplace book is essentially a personal library of ideas. It’s a space for:

  • Inspiration
  • Quotes
  • Observations
  • Notes from books or articles
  • Ideas for projects or writing
  • Anything you might want to reference later

Some of history’s greatest thinkers maintained commonplace books, using them to organise their thoughts and fuel creativity.

Famous examples include:

The form of a commonplace book is entirely personal—what works for you is what works.

What Do I Put in My Commonplace Book?

The beauty of a commonplace book is its flexibility. You can store anything that resonates with you, from the profound to the mundane.

In my own system, I capture:

  • Kindle book clippings
  • Drawings or doodles inspired by ideas
  • Pictures my kids have drawn
  • Bills, receipts, and important service information
  • Blog and future business ideas
  • Inspiring articles or blog posts
  • Signs, logos, and designs that catch my eye

The rule is simple: if it’s interesting, inspiring, or useful for your learning or life, it deserves a place in your commonplace book.

Using a Physical Notebook for Your Commonplace Book

While digital tools are convenient, a physical notebook has unique benefits. Writing by hand improves retention, encourages reflection, and allows your mind to wander in ways that typing often stifles.

Here’s how I use my physical notebook:

  1. Inbox Approach:
    I keep a section (or a few blank pages) for immediate ideas, observations, or clippings. Whenever I read, watch, or notice something interesting, I jot it down.
  2. Weekly Review:
    Once a week, I review my notes. I clarify what each note is about, highlight key insights, and decide whether it belongs in the “core” section of my notebook.
  3. Organisation by Theme:
    Instead of rigid folders, I assign topics or themes with a small symbol or colour-coded system. For example: This allows one note to touch multiple themes without duplication, and flipping through the notebook visually connects ideas in ways digital searches sometimes can’t.
    • ✨ Inspiration
    • 📚 Book notes
    • 🖊 Writing ideas
    • 💡 Business ideas
  4. Integration of Visuals:
    I tape or glue in doodles, sketches, articles, clippings, or printed images. Physical notebooks encourage tactile engagement—flipping through pages often sparks ideas in ways a screen cannot.
  5. Serendipitous Discovery:
    One of the best things about a physical notebook is that you stumble across old notes unexpectedly, triggering inspiration or connecting dots between seemingly unrelated ideas.

Using Apple Notes as Your Digital Companion

While the physical notebook captures tangible ideas and encourages reflection, Apple Notes is excellent for capturing, organising, and retrieving digital content wherever you are. In a sense, a commonplace book refers to having "common" places to store similar content - a digital tool allows a much cleaner way to do this.

I tend to use both - the physical book as my main capture system - and the digital one for digital captures and as a back up of my physical notebook.

Here’s how I use it:

  1. Capture Everything Quickly:
    Anything I read online, clip from Kindle, or jot down digitally goes straight into Apple Notes. You can even scan documents or take photos and store them in a note.
  2. Inbox & Weekly Review:
    I use a single “Inbox” folder in Apple Notes. Once a week, I process these notes:
    • Clean up the title to make it clear what the note is about
    • Add relevant tags or folders (Apple Notes supports both now)
    • Move it to a “Commonplace” folder
  3. Organisation with Tags & Folders:
    Tags allow notes to span multiple themes, while folders help keep the system visually structured. For example: Searching by tag or keyword brings up all related notes, helping connect ideas across different contexts.
    • #Inspiration
    • #Books
    • #Ideas
    • #Business
  4. Integration with Physical Notebook:
    Apple Notes complements my physical notebook. For example:
    • Quick ideas captured digitally can later be rewritten or expanded in your notebook.
    • Photos or scans of sketches, diagrams, or visual inspiration from your notebook can live digitally.
    • Notes can be linked or cross-referenced, creating a hybrid system that leverages the strengths of both digital and physical formats.

Why a Hybrid System Works

  • Deep Reflection: Physical writing encourages creativity and memory retention.
  • Speed & Accessibility: Digital capture ensures you never lose ideas and can retrieve them anywhere.
  • Cross-Pollination: Notes can move between systems, sparking new insights.
  • Flexibility: Tagging and folders in Apple Notes allow multi-dimensional organisation.
  • Personalisation: Both notebook and Notes become reflections of your thinking style.

Getting Started

If you’re new to commonplace books or hybrid systems:

  1. Pick a physical notebook you love—durable, portable, and inspiring.
  2. Start capturing everything that interests you—quotes, ideas, sketches, or notes.
  3. Pair it with a digital tool like Apple Notes for fast capture, storage, and tagging.
  4. Review your notes weekly and organise them in both systems.
  5. Don’t aim for perfection; aim for utility and reflection.

Over time, this hybrid approach builds a rich, organised repository of knowledge—your personal knowledge library—that fuels creativity, learning, and action.

Do you keep a commonplace book or use a hybrid system like this? How do you capture, organise, and revisit your ideas? I’d love to hear what works for you.

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