The Commonplace Book

What is Commonplacing

Commonplace books have a long tradition in women’s literature starting in Japan, 1002. The Pillow Book (枕草子, Makura no Sōshi) is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi.

In Europe, where women were excluded from formal higher education, they used the commonplace book to record intellectual references for self-education. Virginia Woolf educated herself by attending lectures and by reading her father’s library and commonplacing her ideas in notebooks.

What is Commonplacing

Commonplacing (a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books) and the creation of Commonplace Books (manuscripts in which an individual collects material which have a common theme) can be a useful tool for organizing knowledge to support Combinatorial Creativity in today’s digital age of information overload. “Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.” (Einstein) Cognitive scientists’ research shows that creative thinking can come from connecting disparate ideas that wouldn’t otherwise cross paths - but we no longer teach students to use tools that would facilitate this cross pollination of ideas.

Combinatorial Creativity

CONNECTING DISPARATE IDEAS THAT WOULDN’T OTHERWISE CROSS PATHS

Commonplacing

Combinatorial Creativity

IT’S PURPOSE AND USEFULNESS FOR CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING

Connecting is Creating

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

― Martha Graham

Contemplative Art

The Commonplace Book

"Let us take down one of those old notebooks which we have all, at one time or another, had a passion for beginning. . . . Here we have written down the names of great writers in their order of merit; here we have copied out fine passages from the classics; here are lists of books to be read; and here, most interesting of all, lists of books that have actually been read, as the reader testifies with some youthful vanity by a dash of red ink. " (Virginia Woolf, “Hours in a Library”)

origin

orig. A book in which ‘commonplaces’ or passages important for reference were collected, usually under general heads; hence, a book in which one records passages or matters to be especially remembered or referred to, with or without arrangement.
1578 COOPER Thesaurus A studious yong man ... may gather to himselfe good furniture both of words and approved phrases ... and to make to his use as it were a common place booke. 1642 FULLER Holy & Prof. St. A Common-place-book contains many notions in garrison, whence the owner may draw out an army into the field.

OED

communis

"Commonplace" is a translation of the Latin term locus communis (from Greek tópos koinós, see literary topos) which means "a general or common topic", such as a statement of proverbial wisdom. In this original sense, commonplace books were collections of such sayings, such as John Milton's example. Scholars now understand them to include manuscripts in which an individual collects material which have a common theme, such as ethics, or exploring several themes in one volume. Commonplace books are private collections of information, but they are not diaries or travelogues.

Combinatorial Creativity

The Commonplace Book and Combinatorial Creativity

Commonplacing (a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books) and the creation of Commonplace Books (manuscripts in which an individual collects material which have a common theme) can be a useful tool for organizing knowledge to support Combinatorial Creativity in today’s digital age of information overload. “Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.” (Einstein) Cognitive scientists’ research shows that creative thinking can come from connecting disparate ideas that wouldn’t otherwise cross paths - but we no longer teach students to use tools that would facilitate this cross pollination of ideas. This book will create awareness and tools to advance this concept.
The purpose of commonplacing, for education and the development of critical/creative thinking, can be traced from as early as 65 AD when Seneca taught that gathering information was not enough – it must be transformed into something new. Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, his private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy were one of the first Commonplace Books when it was published in 180 AD. Commonplace Books were the information-organizers of Early Modern Europe and were an important element of Renaissance education. They were used to improve memory, connect thoughts for new knowledge and could be consulted for speeches and written composition. Erasmus advised in De Copia (1512) “an abundant stock of quotations and mizims from classical texts be entered under various Lock (places) to assist in free-flowing oratory”
Commonplace books have a long tradition in women’s literature starting in Japan, 1002. The Pillow Book (枕草子, Makura no Sōshi) is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi. In Europe, where women were excluded from formal higher education, they used the commonplace book to record intellectual references for self-education. Virginia Woolf educated herself by attending lectures and by reading her father’s library and commonplacing her ideas in notebooks.
While “ history is written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and bias existing on their side.” (1891 Graham Vest) evidence about commonly held views on specific topics or the meanings of war could come from commonplace diaries and notebooks that soldiers from both sides used to record their thoughts.

Opinions

‘Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good persons is but knowledge in the making.’ John Milton