In this video, I’m showing you a realistic week of how I actually use my commonplace notebooks—because I know how intimidating it can feel to start a brand new notebook “the right way.” I can get a little perfectionist about page one, and that can totally paralyze me, so I wanted to make this as accessible and encouraging as possible. My goal is to show you the practical moments that naturally call for a commonplace notebook, so you’re not waiting for some perfect system to begin. My setup lives inside my chunky Paper Republic journal (with my bullet journal and sketchbook), and my commonplace “hub” is three pocket-size Field Notes notebooks. I split mine into categories because they’re thin: Hobby Notes (for things like crochet or gardening observations), Research (for rabbit holes like digital cameras or espresso tips), and Exploration Lists (any list—TBR, poetry recs, or routine ideas). You’ll see me use my Exploration Lists daily with The Daily Artist’s Way prompts, jot espresso-machine notes from a TikTok into Research so I’m not relying on saved videos, and plan for an edible gardening season in Hobby Notes. The takeaway: it doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be useful.