I’ve shared before about how I fell in love with handwriting and journaling. How it didn’t happen all at once. It was a transformation. It began with scribbling thoughts, ideas, brain dumps, and even personal book reviews into whichever notebook I had nearby. Then came the Hobonichi Weeks Mega, where I tracked my days and used the extra memo pages to capture whatever came to mind (read here for all the details on how I use my Hobonichi Weeks Mega).

Before long, I found myself reaching for pen and paper more often, craving the simple, grounding act of writing by hand. It made me feel present, connected to the moment, and to myself.

That sense of presence nudged me toward holding onto beautiful, inspiring sentences I encountered while reading, whether from physical books or ebooks. And as I recently fell in love with poetry, the urge to write down moving verses grew stronger. How could I possibly resist copying a line that took my breath away?

What started as scattered habits slowly turned into a daily rhythm. No matter what I was reading—books, articles, a stray sentence online—if it stirred something in me, I wrote it down. At first, I thought I was just journaling. It wasn’t until later that I realized what I was doing actually had a name: keeping a commonplace book.

What’s the Difference Between a Commonplace Book and a Journal?

A journal is deeply personal. It’s a space to record your experiences, emotions, memories, dreams, and reflections of your life in your own words.

A commonplace book, on the other hand, is more of a curated collection. It’s where you gather quotes, ideas, and fragments of insight from the world around you. People have kept them for centuries, especially during the Renaissance as a way to store knowledge, inspiration, and wisdom.

When I learned those definitions, something clicked. That’s exactly what I’d been doing all along without even realizing it.

My Hobonichi Notebook as a Commonplace Book

Whenever I stumble upon a sentence that makes me pause, I reach for this notebook. Sometimes it’s a quote that puts into words what I’ve long felt but never knew how to express. Other times it’s an idea I want to sit with for a while.

Over time, it’s become my personal library of borrowed brilliance: a space filled with words that matter to me. According to Harvard Libraries, a commonplace book is “a central resource or depository for ideas, quotes, anecdotes, observations, and information” collected from various sources. That’s exactly what this notebook has become for me.

Some of the blog posts you’ve read here started as notes in that little book. Flipping through its pages has become a ritual. One that brings clarity, inspiration, and comfort. I often return to passages I’ve copied down during moments when I feel stuck, uncertain, or in need of a creative spark.

My Hobonichi Notebook as a Journal

But it’s not just a commonplace book.

It’s also where I respond to what I read. After a powerful paragraph or a thought-provoking chapter, I often feel a rush of thoughts: questions, opinions, even frustrations. So I write those down too. I might write the book title, summarize what the author said, and then respond with my own reflections. Sometimes it’s a sentence or two. Other times, it spills out like a mini essay, almost like a blog post tucked between the pages.

What I love most about this process is the freedom it gives me.

Unlike the Hobonichi Weeks Mega, which invites a more structured kind of journaling with dated pages, prompts, space for stickers and doodles, my Hobonichi Notebook places no demands on me. There are no expectations to write daily. No boxes to check. No pressure to be consistent.

Some days, I don’t write a word. Other days, I fill pages in a single sitting.

It’s just me, the notebook, a pen, and my thoughts. That’s it. And that’s all I need.

The Notebook Itself

This time, the Hobonichi that I use is Hobonichi Notebook in A6, featuring artwork by Shibata Keiko. It’s small, just the right size to slip into even my tiniest bag. And the paper? Writing on it is a joy. Once the ink dries, the page gets a soft crinkle, a gentle texture that brings it to life. It’s the kind of tactile satisfaction that makes me want to keep writing. Just to feel it again.

While my Hobonichi Weeks Mega is for daily snippets, such as tracking moods, routines, and small life moments, this A6 notebook has evolved into something more fluid. It’s part commonplace book, part reflective journal, and fully, wholeheartedly mine.

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This tiny notebook has become my paper sanctuary, a space where borrowed words sit beside personal reflections, and where the voices of others gently intertwine with my own. It’s part book of wisdom, part emotional archive.

In the long run, I imagine I’ll eventually separate the two: one notebook dedicated solely to journaling, the other a true, traditional-style commonplace book. Maybe even with an index, organized sections, and a method more in line with how people kept commonplace books in the past. But for now, I’m letting it all live together. Imperfect, fluid, and real.