#journal guide

♡ your name and date of start - feel free to use a nickname / alterego name for the version you want to become this summer, a name that suits for this era of yours. i personally used my real name, but making one up could also be fun

♡ a list of things you’d like to do this summer - for example starting a hobby, visiting certain places, experimenting with your appereance… truly anything

♡ a list of your non-negotiable rules for this summer - for example going outside for 10 minutes everyday, mentioning 3 things you’re greatful for everyday, trying to choose kindness everyday, not fake laughing when something isn’t funny… anything, try to set a gentle boundary. (i personally would not put something like „10 step skincare routine every morning & night” if u are a person struggling with hygiene, or „working out 1hour everyday” if you haven’t worked out in a year. try to make it doable and gradually build up to your goal, don’t pressure yourself to go from 0 to 100 pls, be gentle, and think of what you’d recommend a friend in your shoes. everyone started from somewhere and no-one was immidieatly ‚perfect’. everything takes it’s time.)

♡ what energy would i like to step into this summer / who do i want to become this summer? - for example to be calmer, softer, or more confident, bolder…

♡ this summer i want to learn… - for example to be more present, be more loving, more patient with yourself, kinder to yourself or others, to set healthy boundaries…

♡ what inspires my growth? - it can be a future version of yourself you imagine in your head, a state of mind you’d like to be in, a person, a place you’d like to live in in the future…

♡ what is my idea of peace & a peaceful summer ? - just imagine what would make your heart and soul feel calm, there are no right or wrong answers ☺︎

♥︎ reminder: this is just how i personally started my new journal, and there is no ‚right’ or ‚wrong’ way to journal. see this rather as an inspiration (if even so) than that you ‚have’ to do it exactly like this, because u don’t. feel free to add or leave stuff out, or customize it to your liking ♥︎

& if you need ideas for journaling prompts, feel free to visit my pinterest board dedicated to that, it has hundreds of prompts and i bet u will find something for yourself <3 (my user is sinfulwaste, the link to the board is here)

Commonplace journaling is an old technique originating from Ancient Greece and Rome, used by scholars and orators to organize and compile information. The intent is not just to store information, but for it to be accessible. As such, traditional methods of commonplace journaling includes a key, table of contents, and/or an index for ease of navigation.

Some important figures who had commonplace books include writers like H.P Lovecraft and Mark Twain, and Philosophers like John Locke.

How does it differ from regular journaling?

Traditional forms of journaling focus on individual experiences like introspection, reflection, and memory keeping of the users personal life. And while commonplace journaling can be described as a form of memory keeping, its method is not chronological based, like a dated journal or diary may be. Organization is based on topics and the content of information, not the date of entry, and the personal experiences written (if any) will often correlate to the information the user encountered.

How to: Commonplace Journaling

Choose a Medium: Digital vs Physical

The first step is choosing between creating a digital or physical commonplace book. Those who are tech savvy may prefer a digital form. This is especially attractive as research and the consumption of information has become so heavily centered around technology. Pros include: quick copy-paste of text, inserting images, embedding links, ease of transport, and cost effectiveness. Tips: consider software/applications that allows for tagging.

Those who prefer a physical commonplace book may be attracted to the ritualistic aspects of physical journaling. Pros include: penmanship practice, mindfulness, freehand art, better retaining of information, and protection against digital loss. Tips: use a journal that has numbered pages.

Content

What you include in your commonplace book is based on your interests and needs. Think of themes, topics, and subtopics. [Note: you don’t have to limit yourself to one topic per journal, you can have a plethora of topics in one journal. Likewise, you can use one journal per topic if you so like.]

If it’s for your own personal leisure, think of broad topics that interest you. Do you love astrology? Gardening? Poetry? Quotes? Art? Make a space for it in your commonplace book. If your topics too broad and overwhelming, think of subtopics to break them down. For example, Poetry can be broken down into Authors, Methods, Passages, Analysis, etc.

If it’s based on needs, such as an academic aide, think of its use. If it’s to compile general information in your studies, you can try keeping a commonplace book centered around your Major. Topic suggestions can be broken down by Class, Key Concepts, Themes, Thesis, etc. If its use is solely research based for a Thesis, create topics based on Arguments, Sources, Quotes and Passages, etc.

Again, these are merely suggestions, but I encourage you to construct your commonplace book on its use and your personal liking.

Organization

How you create and upkeep your commonplace book is entirely personal. I suggest briefly researching different organization methods for your journal and choosing one that makes sense to you, and will be easy for you to maintain. Popular methods of organization include creating a Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, or the use of Page References, Dividers, and Color Coding.

I will link helpful videos and articles below based in these methods.

Videos

Commonplacing vs Journaling- TikTok

Why I Love Commonplace Books * How To Start Your Own

How I Actually Use Commonplace Books

How to Set Up a Commonplace Book You’ll Actually Use

Articles

A Brief Guide to Keeping a Commonplace Book

What Is A Commonplace Book and How To Start One

Strategies to Keep a Commonplace Book

Note-taking Guide

Text Features to Navigate

love themed journaling prompts ♡

♡ where do u feel the most loved

♡ one trait about yourself that you love seeing in other people

♡ list the tiniest and ‚random’ things that somehow make u feel deeply loved and cared for

♡ a letter to ur future lover

♡ a letter from the perspective of someone whose madly in luv with u

♡ how can u use ur love language to show urself love?

♡ what romantic thing would u like to experience the most

♡ describe ur dream date

♡ list ur celebrity crushes / fictional character crushes and name one thing u adore the most about each one

♡ create a recipe for a self-love potion when ure feeling unwell about urself

♡ who have u loved the most in life

♡ make a tutorial how to treat ur heart in romantic relationships by ur partner

♡ which romantic relationship of urs do u regret the most and why, try to figure out why it didn’t work out

♡ what is one gift / item someone gave u / made for u that made u feel the most loved and appreciated

♡ describe how u want to feel for ur partner, how do u want them to see u

♡ if u had to write a novel about a person u loved, who would u pick and why? what would u write about them?

♡ what event/person from the past made u love the way u love today

Last Updated: April 4th, 2026

We host themes on our journal community “Journal With Us” to expand our practice, challenge ourselves, and strengthen our creative skills. Themes are posts that highlight and breakdown a journal method/technique with information, insights, tips, and helpful articles and videos.

The Expressive Writing Paradigm-Processing Trauma

A four day prompt-driven method created by Dr. James Pennebaker designed to help one articulate and process through traumatic events and emotions.

Morning Pages/Three-Page Method

A technique developed by Julia Cameron to clear away the ‘brain clutter’ that stunts creativity and productivity through a daily exercise that incorporates ‘stream-of-consciousness’ writing.

Visual Journaling/ Art Journaling

A common and popular method of journaling for creative visual individuals. This type of journaling can be tackled through broad techniques tailored to the individual, but is an excellent way to express oneself and strengthen visual art skills.

Gratitude Journaling

An easy method to incorporate into your journaling routine that encourages you to practice mindfulness through reflection and appreciation by writing what you’re grateful for and why.

Commonplace Journaling

Commonplace journaling is the act of consuming, accumulating, and storing information in an easy-to-navigate form. The intent is not just to store information, but for it to be accessible. As such, traditional methods of commonplace journaling includes a key, table of contents, and/or an index for ease of navigation.

Digital Journaling

New Bestseller: Creating Your Legacy compiled by Viki Winterton

Been working on a fantasy journal guide filled with my own plant creations. This is an example of one of the pages so far with a traditionally done background and digital polaroid illustration. Im even doing a kickstarter for it to help fund it along with a colouring book to go with it and a recipe book that tells you how to cook the plants. Look forward to more updates.

This is the link to the kickstarter. Check it out.