This was fun. Now I wonder how many notebooks I actually have on the go. There’s a bunch of sketchbooks at various sizes and paper types and a bunch of field notes books, which are generally small so I’ve been using one of them for a single project typically, plus one called “the funnel mouth” where I enter any new random ideas for later development (I’m on my second of those).
Currently keeping 3 notebooks going, mostly all Moleskines. The first is a more traditional diary-type record that's been ongoing for 20+ years that I try to write in every night. The second is what I would call the creative grab bag: quotes from things I'm reading, ideas for poems or stories or essays, drafts of poems, images, or just cool words I come across (I'm on #6 at the moment). The third is project-specific. I mentioned the book I'm editing when I introduced myself on a previous post (a selected arts journalism of Nancy Bauer)... this notebook is collecting snippets towards an introduction, spelling decisions, questions I may want to ask Nancy, random thoughts about the project. I also have an unlined notebook with doodles/drawings but rarely use so maybe that counts as 3.5? :)
Thanks Mark! Good to know I'm not the only one that does this. I felt crazy for having 3 notebooks going at once - one Bullet Journal for planning and tasks, one for taking notes for meetings, one for creative ideas.
I like this. Especially the multiple books for different aspects of your life. The older I get, the more I find myself wanting to rely less on the digital and more on the physical. Great post!
I have 2 at all times. A bullet journal that has turned more into a running, day-at-a-time to do list and calendar. When I was working, the bullet journal was essential for me. Now that I am retired, my needs are much simpler. And a daily sketchbook / commonplace book. I draw every day, and I just take notes on what interests me on the page. Drawing makes the idea part of my brain flow freely. For ideas I would like to save from these bits of information, I have a note card system.
Great job Mark! I can't believe how many notebooks you have and their uses. That's a lot of stuff to keep track of. I have 8 notebooks. Great drawing of the hand. I'm interested in art as well but I haven't had much luck with it. I did draw my sneaker some years ago. I'll have to dig it up and write a post on it.
Wow, Mark, this is really interesting - thank you for such a lovely tour around your notebook collection!
Although I have my A4+ sized writing notebook on my desk for chucking words into, and a passport-sized notebook for the back pocket of my walking shorts to capture ideas in and write any reminders to myself that occur to me when I'm out in the wilds, I use my A5 Leuchtturm bullet journal for EVERYTHING else. The fact that I keep an index means I can keep track of multiple things and find them again while at the same time enjoying the convenience of just having the ONE book.
Just flicking through it now I've got my index, future log, my pump log (where I keep track of my routine with my insulin pump - when I last changed cannula/cartridge/battery etc), then my calendar and log for the month (one double page), another double page where I keep track of a few daily things like exercise and weight and whether I've done any reading or writing, then some daily logs, then a page where I'm keeping track of when I last cleaned which room of the house, a plan and list for the week, more dailies, some notes on a YouTube video I watched, more dailies, a checklist of all the jobs I needed to do before my mother-in-law's flat was sold, more dailies, a wishlist, notes on a course I took - in short (sorry, too late for that - man this is long already!) it's to-dos and records of things to refer back to and ongoing stuff.
I love having just one book to keep track of. One volume will get me through at least four months, so that's around three a year.
It's not just specific pages that are useful to list in the index - like 'Wishlist - page 121', so I know that's where I need to go to write anything that occurs to me that I'd like to buy - but also individual notes about things. Just looking now I've got 'Navigation: 86-90, 161' and 'Window cleaners: 106, 175' and 'J health: 48, 74-5, 83-4, 141.'
This was fun. Now I wonder how many notebooks I actually have on the go. There’s a bunch of sketchbooks at various sizes and paper types and a bunch of field notes books, which are generally small so I’ve been using one of them for a single project typically, plus one called “the funnel mouth” where I enter any new random ideas for later development (I’m on my second of those).
Currently keeping 3 notebooks going, mostly all Moleskines. The first is a more traditional diary-type record that's been ongoing for 20+ years that I try to write in every night. The second is what I would call the creative grab bag: quotes from things I'm reading, ideas for poems or stories or essays, drafts of poems, images, or just cool words I come across (I'm on #6 at the moment). The third is project-specific. I mentioned the book I'm editing when I introduced myself on a previous post (a selected arts journalism of Nancy Bauer)... this notebook is collecting snippets towards an introduction, spelling decisions, questions I may want to ask Nancy, random thoughts about the project. I also have an unlined notebook with doodles/drawings but rarely use so maybe that counts as 3.5? :)
Thanks Mark! Good to know I'm not the only one that does this. I felt crazy for having 3 notebooks going at once - one Bullet Journal for planning and tasks, one for taking notes for meetings, one for creative ideas.
This was so interesting - and clearly you're much better at keeping multiple ones going at a time than I am!
I like this. Especially the multiple books for different aspects of your life. The older I get, the more I find myself wanting to rely less on the digital and more on the physical. Great post!
I have 2 at all times. A bullet journal that has turned more into a running, day-at-a-time to do list and calendar. When I was working, the bullet journal was essential for me. Now that I am retired, my needs are much simpler. And a daily sketchbook / commonplace book. I draw every day, and I just take notes on what interests me on the page. Drawing makes the idea part of my brain flow freely. For ideas I would like to save from these bits of information, I have a note card system.
Great job Mark! I can't believe how many notebooks you have and their uses. That's a lot of stuff to keep track of. I have 8 notebooks. Great drawing of the hand. I'm interested in art as well but I haven't had much luck with it. I did draw my sneaker some years ago. I'll have to dig it up and write a post on it.
Wow, Mark, this is really interesting - thank you for such a lovely tour around your notebook collection!
Although I have my A4+ sized writing notebook on my desk for chucking words into, and a passport-sized notebook for the back pocket of my walking shorts to capture ideas in and write any reminders to myself that occur to me when I'm out in the wilds, I use my A5 Leuchtturm bullet journal for EVERYTHING else. The fact that I keep an index means I can keep track of multiple things and find them again while at the same time enjoying the convenience of just having the ONE book.
Just flicking through it now I've got my index, future log, my pump log (where I keep track of my routine with my insulin pump - when I last changed cannula/cartridge/battery etc), then my calendar and log for the month (one double page), another double page where I keep track of a few daily things like exercise and weight and whether I've done any reading or writing, then some daily logs, then a page where I'm keeping track of when I last cleaned which room of the house, a plan and list for the week, more dailies, some notes on a YouTube video I watched, more dailies, a checklist of all the jobs I needed to do before my mother-in-law's flat was sold, more dailies, a wishlist, notes on a course I took - in short (sorry, too late for that - man this is long already!) it's to-dos and records of things to refer back to and ongoing stuff.
I love having just one book to keep track of. One volume will get me through at least four months, so that's around three a year.
It's not just specific pages that are useful to list in the index - like 'Wishlist - page 121', so I know that's where I need to go to write anything that occurs to me that I'd like to buy - but also individual notes about things. Just looking now I've got 'Navigation: 86-90, 161' and 'Window cleaners: 106, 175' and 'J health: 48, 74-5, 83-4, 141.'
A question for you, Mark: are you left-handed?
I feel so seen 😂👍