Come along as I set up my very first commonplace notebook of 2026—because yes, I was a little late, and yes, it was because I wanted the right supplies (the perfect supplies) to fit inside my pocket-sized Paper Republic journal. In this video, I start with a quick Commonplace Notebook 101: it’s not a diary. It’s a dedicated place to collect research, observations, quotes, anecdotes, and little tidbits from your niche interests—aka a dynamic, “academic-brain” space that still gets to be cute, cozy, and totally personal. Then I walk you through my actual setup and the real-life constraints that shaped it. Since pocket-sized inserts are weirdly hard to find, I went with Field Notes and used three thin notebooks instead of one chunky one—basically treating them like one system, divided into categories. Mine are: Hobby Notes (reading logs, crochet patterns, gardening observations), Research (fine jewelry, digital cameras, Skillshare notes), and Exploration Lists (gratitude, TBR, to-dos, prompts, and anything list-y because you know I love lists). I also show my first two entries to make starting feel less intimidating: a ranked list of slow morning routine ideas (especially as I return to fully remote 9–5 life), and a quick research rundown on a thrifted digital camera from 2003. If you want the deeper, more structured guide, I also mention my Substack “Commonplace Notebooks 201.”