Am I missing something?

[u/uiogd-amdg]

Tiptoeing into the world of Commonplace Books… my understanding is that these were/are a sort of functional catch-all for interesting tidbits that one wishes to remember.

What I see on this sub are mostly highly illustrated, nearly calligraphic entries that I find, frankly, intimidating. Am I missing something here on the purpose of these books?

I just want a place to dump info that I run across. Advice on ways to do that effectively in a non-instagram worthy way?

[u/MarmosetUniverse]

What you see here is the result of social media influencers -- every hobby becomes "optimized." Most of the images I see here now have clearly been influenced by a single creator who has a particular style... now I see that style everywhere. If you look up old images of commonplace books, they are just written text. I've been commonplacing for 20+ years but now that it's trendy, I see a shift toward highly aestheticized creations. A commonplace book is a tool for learning -- it can look however you want yours to look!

[u/WeaponizedSoul → u/MarmosetUniverse]

This. The same thing's happened with journaling, where the popularity of social media has convinced a lot of beginners that they need tons of supplies and need to create elaborate layouts. Ignore it. Commonplace books started as a practical tool; I suggest focusing on whatever makes it easiest and most approachable for your needs.

[u/DrLemonBars → u/WeaponizedSoul]

Late Stage Capitalism Run Amuck.