What Do You Use Your Notebooks For?

[DilettanteG]

I usually do daily diary entries and, of course, I have an ink journal so I can keep track of which ink is in which pen. I've got lots of blank journals on hand and I'm looking for suggestions on what to use them for?. What's worked for you?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Current fave Kokuyo campus notebooks: I tried having a Commonplace Book or a Bullet Journal, with lots of impressive colorful banners, but they all seem to have turned into someplace to record dreams.

 

El Cheapo Composition and wireless notebooks: handwritten first drafts.

 

Teeny Weeny Field Notes size notebooks: keeping track of pens I gave away, passwords, rants, funny stuff, film/ book reviews, and seasonal reminders.

[inkstainedruth]

Besides the stash of old and current moving pages journal volumes, I have some composition books for keeping track of what inks work (or don't) in my various pens. I have some inexpensive sketchbooks which I use to test inks (although I have to remember that the paper is very absorbent and also sometimes distorts the ink color). I have a nice journal made by a friend (and commissioned for me by my husband a few years ago for a special occasion) which I was using for doing the Artist's Way creativity course. I have a couple of notebooks for when I'm writing poetry (although the current one has really awful banana paper, that is very hairy, and if the ink is diluted I can't read what I've written). I have some other composition books for fiction writing, although I actually do better for that with loose paper on a clipboard (I find myself re-writing sections instead of going through all the versions if I write them in the composition books; I tried doing NaNoWriMo last fall only that only worked for about 3 days; NaPoWriMo entries just goes in the regular poetry . I have another (separate) composition book for when I was taking a creative writing class last spring (I have this bad habit of buying composition books when they're cheap, such as the 3/99¢ sale they had a few weeks ago at Office Max for back to school season). I have a few small ones (pocket size) that get used for keeping track of expenses, and some for making notes when I'm someplace like an antiques mall or a pen show to keep track of what I've seen where (stuff like "3rd table on the 4th row left side, had a Blue Vac Major for X price, while last row end cap on the right had one for Y price but in better condition...."). I have a couple of small ones that have elastic to keep them closed -- one that's a sketch book, and one for when I get ideas but don't have the big poetry ones with me. And I have a couple of big Rhodia pads (and one unlined one with Tomoe River paper) which I use for when I'm doing research and having to take notes.

And I have a couple of the slightly larger than pocket sized notebooks from the Unemployed Philosophers Guild of their "Passport" notebooks just for fun -- one for Oz and one for Area 51....

Oh, and I have one of the Seven Seas Cafe Note B6 (?) size ones that I've been afraid to crack open once I've gotten it, and a couple of the EcoQua dot grid books for random notes and for playing around with inks and pens at pen club meetings that belong to other people (they were relatively inexpensive at the local Dick Blick art supply).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[DilettanteG]

... the Unemployed Philosophers Guild of their "Passport" notebooks just for fun -- one for Oz and one for Area 51....

 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Why have I never heard of these before? Genius!

 

Though, Sailor Kenshin's Japanese notebooks sound pretty good, too. I obviously need some to keep my Japanese pens company.

 

But seriously, all these suggestions are awesome.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Because I am just that evulz....link.

 

I use the semi-dotted 30-pagers.

 

Lotsa colors.

[inkstainedruth]

 

Why have I never heard of these before? Genius!

 

 

I ran across them in a place that is part card shop, part bookstore, and part novelty shop. They also have knitted finger puppet magnets of various famous people (Einstein, Shakespeare, Frieda Kahlo, etc.) and some book characters (like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland), and they also have watches and coffee mugs:

https://philosophersguild.com

(No affiliation other than the products make me laugh....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[DilettanteG]

 

I ran across them in a place that is part card shop, part bookstore, and part novelty shop. They also have knitted finger puppet magnets of various famous people (Einstein, Shakespeare, Frieda Kahlo, etc.) and some book characters (like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland), and they also have watches and coffee mugs:

https://philosophersguild.com

(No affiliation other than the products make me laugh....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I wasted a bunch of time on their website this morning. I didn't see the notebooks, but the Lady Macbeth Guest Soap was pretty tempting.

 

And, I've gone back for the notebooks: https://philosophersguild.com/collections/notebooks

 

I especially enjoyed the, "If found... Please tell me you love my work."

[Octo]

I use several notebooks concurrently.

 

Journal

Log and comments on books read

Beside tv chair for misc. notes

EDC (2) with notes on things I'm watching for and with blank pages

In the car for records of gas purchases, mileage, repairs, etc.

By the bed for night time inspirations

Medical records

Food log

Pen log

Ink log

Probably a couple more I don't think of at the moment.

 

 

In addition, magnets hold a notepad with detachable sheets on the refrigerator - for shopping lists.

[Studio97]

Daily journal for absolutely anything personal, news, thoughts-opinions about anything. I do avoid rants. I paste in photos, drawings, paper ephemera, notes of encounters with people about art and photography. I paint and draw in public and make street photos of people.

One journal for budget and expenses.

One common place journal for info I want to keep as a reference book of sorts.

One journal for art notes.

Pocket notebooks for names, phone numbers, shopping, books, reninders, anything temporary as all of those pages are discarded.

Reading journal. I keep brief summaries of books I have read. I use the arc system to organize by author and add pages as needed. Just a few notes about each story to look back on. 51 books read since August of last year.

Edited August 28, 2019 by Studio97

[MHBru]

well... i have a few going at any one time... some work and some personal

 

what i call my daily scratch for phone notes, messages, etc is an A5 Endless Recorder.... a fantastic notebook

prep and notes from my sales demonstrations go in an A5 Rhodia meeting book. love the cornel style page layout

long term project planning goes into a B3 dot grid Leuchtturm although its almost full and will be replaced by a Rhodia of similar configuration

 

My ink journal is an A5 Black n Red

My commonplace journal is an A5 Rhodia and I am about to start volume 2... same color of the same notebook

I just started a notebook that tracks basic information about my pen pal letters... pen and ink used.... high level summary of topics included

 

I think that's it.

[DrDebG]

At present, I am using the following:

 

Seven Seas Standard A5 Notebook (52 gsm Tomoe River paper) - daily "quiet times" and journaling, which also incorporates my bullet journal (of sorts), and key notes from meetings, etc. - It is my "everything" notebook - for now.

 

5-7 Letterbox Personal Notebooks - one for each current client - for client business

 

Rhodia Meeting Notebook - my current "ink" journal

 

Taroko A5 Notebook (68 gsm Tomoe River paper) - for writing samples for new inks

 

Cambridge Executive spiral bound notebook - for things that I memorize (scripture, quotes, etc.) and for writing practice

 

Artist Sketch Notebook - for drawings and doodles with pencil and fountain pen (and some watercolor)

[inkypete]

Use them? Interesting concept.

[LyaT]

This thread is fun to read! Let me add in mine.

 

For work:

Midori MD A5, daily to-dos and research notes.

Authors GLP A5 (Tomoe River 68g), meeting notes.

 

For EDC:

Traveller's notebook, with #13 refill, random thoughts during lunch break and commute.

 

For home:

Seven seas B6 cafe note, daily journal

Seven seas A5 dot grid, my deep reading project. Copying over Ovid and write my comments every few lines. I use blue or black for copying the poems, hot pink for my thoughts. Quite fun to play with multiple pens at the same time.

Life noble A6, my beginners piano notes.

 

I want to start an ink+nib logbook soon, once I find a good notebook for it.

[inkstainedruth]

 

I wasted a bunch of time on their website this morning. I didn't see the notebooks, but the Lady Macbeth Guest Soap was pretty tempting.

 

And, I've gone back for the notebooks: https://philosophersguild.com/collections/notebooks

 

I especially enjoyed the, "If found... Please tell me you love my work."

 

Oh I haven't seen that one. Or the Lady MacBeth soap, either....

If I wore a wristwatch, I'd definitely think of getting a watch from them though.... And I may have one or two of the mugs at this point (sadly the "passport" notebooks don't seem to be at the place I bought them anymore, so I'll have to see if I can get one someplace else in the Pittsburgh area...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[JakobS]

All of my notebooks are either for short stories, novels, or poetry. I have tried using them for journals, and planners in the past, but never keep up with them as I found less benefit from such use than I hoped for. I find that I am using loose leaf paper a lot more these days, mostly either Kokuyo Sarasara, or Shikkari(which I prefer most of the two), with Tomoe River, Life Bank paper, and Old Crown Mill/G. Lalo paper following from behind. I suppose it's easier to redo drafts, or paragraphs in a neater fashion when they aren't sewn into a book! Though I really do enjoy having recorded the progression of one of my novel drafts in a notebook, it helped me form a better idea of what I wanted the story to be...

[BDarchitect]

Since I have multiple design projects going at one time, I dedicate a notebook, now the new Lamy 64 pg A5 booklets, to each project, keeping track of material research, design ideas, code research, client, engineer, & contractor communication, etc.

I also love the Midori MD A5 notebooks for end of day mindless journaling and brain dumps. Getting all the loose bits out before bedtime helps keep them from resurfacing at 3 am.

I use the Moleskine horizontal format watercolor paper notebooks for field sketches with wash.

[Misfit]

Unemployed Philosophers Guild notebooks are indeed fun. I have ordered directly from them, but also found some at Half Priced Books.

 

If you get any @DilettanteG, post here which you choose.

 

I have bought the Sherlock Holmes version, Mars, Stargazing, cloud watching, urban birds, the Federation version, the UPG notebook, Oz (from Half Priced Books). I gave as gifts Area 51, Mars, the Games version, Mini Masterpieces, and the one for drawing comics, oh and the Canada one as well.

Edited August 31, 2019 by Misfit

[inkstainedruth]

Unemployed Philosophers Guild notebooks are indeed fun. I have ordered directly from them, but also found some at Half Priced Books.

 

If you get any @DilettanteG, post here which you choose.

 

I have bought the Sherlock Holmes version, Mars, Stargazing, cloud watching, urban birds, the Federation version, the UPG notebook, Oz (from Half Priced Books). I gave as gifts Area 51, Mars, the Games version, Mini Masterpieces, and the one for drawing comics, oh and the Canada one as well.

 

Ooh, thanks for the heads up -- There are a couple of Half Priced Books locations in the Pittsburgh area, including one about 6 miles away (main suburban shopping drag the next town over).

Sadly, I think the one out in Robinson Township closed. I have fond memories of going in that one a few years ago when they had a big display for "Banned Books Week"; I pointed out to the sales clerk that they were *missing* something from their display.... And when the guy asked what book, I said "The Wizard of Oz!" and told him the story about how some school district out on Long Island had banned a bunch of books from the school libaries; the ACLU then sued the school district. There was a fundraiser for the ACLU (which aired on the NYC PBS affiliate) and a bunch of famous actors read passages from the various banned books. Margaret Hamilton was still alive, and they got her to read from The Wizard of Oz (which had been banned for being "Communist" -- in that nobody in Oz used money). So SHE read the section about the Field of Deadly Poppies (and I was sitting there staring at the TV going, "Yup -- sounds like an anti-drug message to me, too!"); the guy in the bookstore had never heard about that case and was amazed that a classic children's book had gotten banned by anyone for any reason....

I've also read a newspaper editorial claiming that the book was a satire of US economics at the time; and my sister-in-law's husband insists that it's pure Theosophical doctrine.... Me? It's clearly a classic fairy tale -- the protagonist helps various "grotesques" along the journey, and is helped by them in return... (there's one I read as a kid where a guy is sent to get an education and he learns the languages of ants and other creatures, to the great annoyance of his father for having learned something "useless" for working on a farm ; so the guy gets thrown out of the house by his disgusted father, and he goes to seek his fortune; and of course being able to speak to the various critters means that he ends up marrying the princess because he helps the animals and is helped by them in turn -- IIRC the ants help him sort the wheat from the chaff).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[MHBru]

If we're now talking about fun notebooks... Check out the mincing mockingbird.... Great and fun stuff... Greating cards too. I was a fan of evil supply company too but they recntly closed up shop.

[txomsy]

I mostly take notes at work, specially summaries of scientific papers, so I can remember where did I read what when writing later.

 

I also carry an A6 notebook (half-pocket size) for quick scribbles, notes or sketches.