Today, we have access to so much information, and it’s actually more than we can keep track of. As humans, we collect the information we find interesting and organize it to access later when we need it or want it. With technology today, there are many ways to save this information for future reference. One problem I have found with this is that I accumulate too much, and even though it is organized, I forget what I have as it slowly drowns under more saved information. 

People have always wanted to save knowledge, feeling that if they can keep it close, it will somehow become their own. But saving this knowledge looked different centuries ago. Instead of filling file cabinets or organizing ideas online, people kept their treasures of knowledge in Commonplace Books. One of these famous books was the journals of Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance in the 1400s and 1500s. His version of a Commonplace Book was unique and extraordinary. He filled thousands of pages with inventions, sketches, scientific observations, and his own thoughts and ideas. He didn’t copy ideas; instead, he created them.

Shortly after Da Vinci’s time, others began to keep Commonplace Books to preserve the knowledge they felt was necessary. Previously, monks from the Catholic Church made copies of scriptures and histories by hand because the printing press had not yet been invented in Europe. Once printing presses became more widely dispersed around Europe, more books were available to the general public. Some of these could be purchased, and others could be borrowed from early libraries. When a book was purchased, it was read and shared with neighbors and friends. Not every published book was available throughout Europe, so if you wanted to keep the information you’d read, you wrote it in your Commonplace Book because you may never have access to that book again in your lifetime.

Other people from centuries ago who kept Commonplace Books were John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and Virginia Woolf. They gathered endless pages of quotes, information, and ideas that they felt were important to preserve. They saved knowledge by handwriting everything they wanted to save. Sometimes, they may find a quote or a priceless speech, so they took a few days to copy the entire thing.

Writing in these Commonplace Books was different from what we do today. Saving everything you want to keep today is done with screenshots, photocopies, or copy and paste. It is all speedy and simple to do. One thing about the ease with which we save information today leads us to save too much. In Fahrenheit 451, one of the characters describes people getting facts but not actual knowledge. I can see this problem in our copy-and-paste world.

 I introduced my middle school students to Commonplace Books a few weeks ago. After a discussion about what they were, I presented each with a blank notebook that was their Commonplace Book. To begin with, I had them write six topics on the front page. These had to be topics they were extremely interested in and couldn’t include video games or movies. Then, I roll a die each day, and they write about the number corresponding to the list in their Commonplace Book. I encourage them to write and draw about each topic. I also ask them to think about the ideas instead of looking online for an answer. These books are filled with their thoughts, ideas, and questions. 

One thing that surprised me was how much they looked forward to writing in them daily. There are no complaints, eager ramblings. It has been wonderful to watch. 

I encourage you all to get a simple notebook and just start writing in an organic and non-perfect way. Fill each page with ideas, questions, and quirky art; enjoy the process of creating and thinking deeply.