In this post, there are three journals I will be using this upcoming year: the planner, diary, and commonplace journals, with tips on how to set them up.

The previous two posts tell why I’m starting this new year’s journaling differently than other years. The process has been a reminder for me to be flexible and open to change. I have a feeling that 2025 will require an openness for life to be different than planned.

Below are the actual journals I am using for the new year, beginning now. It feels good to have the planner journal, diary journal, and commonplace journal prepared for the new year. I made it quick and easy for myself by using Washi tape to embellish the monthly journal pages.

Washi Tape

Recently, when a good friend gave me a beautiful butterfly Washi tape set, it inspired me and reminded to revisit my stash. This year seems like the perfect time to use colorful tapes to decorate my planner journal. I didn’t plan to use so much of it, but once I started, it went fast and felt right. It also felt satisfying to use something I had on hand. Here are the results…

Washi tape in my Planner journal

One Washi tape set, shown in the box above, has a number of ‘tiles’ that can be cut out (shown below). I am using those tiles to mark birthdays and special days of the year in my planner. It’s fun to mix and match the tapes too.

Planner Washi tape examples

Washi tape begins my Diary journal

Below shows the beginning of my diary journal, and at the left shows the title page for the November Archer & Olive planner journal that begins in November 2024. In my diary journal, following the pages shown below, I wrote a Psalm for this year and some prayers before I started my daily writing (not shown). This journal is important for me because I need a place to pour out my thoughts and feelings - to process life.

Planner journal dilemma - dated or undated?

In the past I’ve set up my own calendars, except last year I bought an inexpensive dated journal. after about two months I abandoned it and just used my phone to keep track of things. It wasn’t very satisfying, so this past summer I decided to get an undated planner from Archer and Olive and set it up with Washi tape, beginning in September. I did that and it has worked out really well. I use it every day.

Then I found out I was accepted as an Archer & Olive ambassador. Of course I was thrilled! Shortly after that, I was faced with a dilemma when I was sent a dated journal for 2025 that begins in November of 2024. Below is a little video of my dilemma, the decision, and a brief comparison of the dated and undated journals.

If you find you want to order one of the journals, remember you can use the affiliate code ‘Valerie10’ to receive 10% off your purchase.

Commonplace Book

My third journal for the new year is a commonplace book. Here is what it is and what it is for:

A bit of Commonplace Book history & personal background

For centuries commonplace notebooks have been used to collect information. Long before the internet, commonplace books were used as a hands on, old school way of recording and organizing information someone wanted to keep. In a way, it’s kind of like having a folder on your computer that contains themed documents. In my opinion, the commonplace journal is better than a computer folder in many ways because it is tangible and able to hold in my hand, it is in my own handwriting or sketching, it’s more personal; the content is more carefully chosen, and I’m more likely remember the information put in there since I hand wrote it. 

A number of years ago, I learned about commonplace books. The first thing I learned is that I had been writing one and didn’t even know it. Maybe you have too.

My first commonplace journal, was in high school, when I didn’t know what a commonplace book was. It wasn’t actually a book at all, but a stationary box of papers where I wrote quotes that were meaningful. I regularly added quotes and poems to it and kept it for years, until I finally typed them out on the computer and printed it out. I’ve lost track of my quote collection on my computer, but if I had written it in a journal like Archer & Olive, it would be on my shelf today for reference.

Benefits of keeping a commonplace journal

• To help explore, process and organize ideas in one tangible place

• To remember things that inspire you - fuels creativity

• To chronicle the process of a project

• To increase mental capacity and intelligence

• To be a place to put intentional thoughts and learning into words 

• To encourage idea development and information assimilation that can be a springboard for other projects

Beginning a commonplace journal

One thing I love about keeping a commonplace book is that it is totally adaptable to whatever you want and what your interests are at the time.

The commonplace notebook is different than a diary in that it often contains more information written by other people, such as notes on books read, song lyrics, poetry, facts and information, etc. Of course it can also include thoughts, feelings, and ideas, but those are almost always related to the topic in the commonplace book.

Ideas for a commonplace book

Notes from books, courses, and podcasts

• Research about your current interest/s

• Quotes

• Observations

• Song lyrics

• Scripture

• Prayers

• Meditations

• Wise words

• Anecdotes

• Ideas & insights

• Theme journal- home & garden, nature, music, poetry

• Word of the Year 

• Recipes

• Traveling

• Lists of all kinds

Imagine! The possibilities are endless!

Commonplace journal content pages

Here is the title page of my current commonplace book. You’ll notice I’ve included some themes and inclusions in the book itself.

Keeping a Commonplace Book

Making and keeping a commonplace journal that works for you is the most important thing. It may be different than what works for me. My process and way of doing it has definitely evolved and will likely continue to shift and change to accommodate my current needs and desires. With that said, here are some tips that have helped me and what I’m doing now in my current commonplace journals.

Organizing the information in my Commonplace journal

I also make a table of contents page so I can find specific information recorded in the book. Below, the left photo is the title and the right one shows the actual Content (aka INDEX) page in my current journal that is still in progress.

I leave some blank pages at the beginning of the journal for a Content/Index section. The Contents or Index page is an ongoing process done in pencil first. The reason is, I find that I often add information to a subject, such as 'themed quotes', in a number of places in the journal. This way I can simply add the new page number to the 'themed quotes' already listed in the Contents section. Using pencil at first allows for additions and changes can be easily erased and modified. I add page numbers to the subject on the Content page as I go. When the commonplace book is filled, I go back and write the page numbers and any penciled topic in with pen on the content pages.

The index page example, shown at the right below, shows that most of the book’s contents are garden related, with the exception of a few pages. That is not always the case.

Since I made the index page on the right, I decided I want a more visually pleasing title, so I made the ‘Content’ page title on the left for my next commonplace journal.

Tips for setting up a Commonplace Book 

• Dotted notebooks are ideal for a commonplace journal. They provide the dots for straight writing, and the dots are light enough to not be a distraction for any visual elements you might want to add. The 160 gsm weight of the Archer & Olive notebooks also allow for some light watercolor and mixed media. So the possibilities are endless.

• Tabs or stickers can be used to mark the beginning of topics, themes, or sections. Color coding topics in the index and on the side of the pages can help too.

• Notebook sizes: Of course, personal preference is the best option to go with - what works for you! I’ve used different sizes for a commonplace journal, beginning with letter size and using mostly the A5 size over the years. Currently my favorite size is B6 size. It’s nearly 5”x7” size is small enough to carry in my bag and big enough to write down what I need to without feeling too small. 

• Leave some blank pages to record your Index/Content list at the beginning. If you run out of space, you can use blank pages at the end of the journal to create an index with the same formatting as Index/Content at the beginning of the journal. 

• Write the Contents page information along with the corresponding page numbers in pencil on the Contents page. Additional page numbers for that specific content can be added as needed. You can go over it with pen later.

• Add page numbers in the lower corners as you go so you have page numbers to list in the Index/Content section/s. 

• Don’t put pressure on yourself if your commonplace journal sits dormant for awhile. Just pick up where you left off. If there are blank pages, look at them as an invitation for the future.

I don’t put any pressure on myself to plan out how the pages are going to look. At the same time, if my journal feels and looks good, I am more likely to come to my journal with enthusiasm and want to write in it. 

Looking forward with hope

These three journals, the planner, diary, and commonplace book will be the foundation for creativity in the new year. I am excited for my ‘vignettes of beauty’ explained in the previous post. It gives me a project to look forward to that is positive and full of gratitude, with finding beautiful combinations, recording the meaning, and giving thanks.

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I hope you are inspired and looking forward to the upcoming year.

Feel free to leave your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the comments section below.

Be blessed!
Valerie

More commonplace book inspiration

You can find another inspirational Archer & Olive commonplace journal blog post by Shawna Clingerman, How to Create a Commonplace Book for Quotes. She approaches her commonplace quote journal in a creative, whimsical way. 

Another post I found inspiring is by Vanilla Papers, 10 Tips to start a commonplace book (and why you should)

If you’d like more inspiration on art journaling, planner journal set-up, word of the year journaling and more there are many blog posts on that theme here on my blog.

Onward and forward into the New Year!

Affiliates etc.

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Archer & Olive: I am now an Archer & Olive ambassador and affiliate. To receive a discount of 10%, use the code Valerie10 when you order. You get the savings and I receive a commission to help cover my online and tech costs.

StencilGirl Products: I receive royalties from stencils I’ve designed from StencilGirl Products. I hope you enjoy creating with them.