oooh, so I just read the Ryan Holiday piece, and he has completely changed my mind about doing my archiving/organizing system digitally. As an analog girl at heart, I've been having such a hard time dealing with Obsidian for my Zettelkasten. Ryan Holiday has made it all sound so much more practical and reasonable to do it via notecards instead! Thanks for linking to this!! :))
I absolutely love this. As someone who takes copious notes both digitally and on paper but has no real organisational system, I really need to start to categorise them. Too many digital repositories and too many notebooks!
lovely read as an archivist in the making ♡ this year i gave a lot of thoughts about the way i kept track of my life (inner but also general experiences as well). and i've grown to see that sticking papers on the page wasn't always enough. i worked with people's letters spanning centuries, and the written expression of their perspective fleshed them out more than any receipt could ever do. and i felt that my collages did not reflect the evolving person i am. but writing with purpose would leave a greater legacy to womankind. maybe it is a bit arrogant. but i think diaries of the past are comforting in the fact that someone unwillingly left us with a proof of humanity. we see ourselves in others, and we also see new solutions and possibilities.
Thank you for this lovely comment! It's hard not to think of the diaries sitting in archives around the world when I'm writing in my journal, wondering if some far-off archivist will be cataloging my work. It is comforting and slightly terrifying to think!
Ahhh girl! How did this show up for me at the most perfect time. I too am in the process of setting up a Zettelkasten of sorts. The whole Obsidian thing is very overwhelming. I love reading about how others are doing this physically rather than digitally. I'm excited to follow along with your process. I'm a crazy reader/researcher but also a writer who loves to use what I've read and researched as a way to tell new stories and create new angles. Anyway, this is fantastic!
Thank you! I'm so glad it resonated with you! I am curious about Obsidian, and considering how it might be used as an extension of my physical archive. I just love the idea of a 'digital garden' and creating a much deeper, more exploratory internet!
I am very jealous of your card catalog drawer, it's gorgeous. I remember the days of having to sort through those cards, grabbing a piece of scrap paper and one of those short, nubby pencils to write the location of the book. Ah, those were the days.
While I love my phone, nothing beats my notebooks and my million pens/pencils. 😄
Loved reading this from the perspective of an archivist! As a PhD candidate spending lots of time in archives myself, I have often felt greatful for journals and scrapbooks and all the history they have to offer. Glad to see a resurgence in it!
Lovely to read, Katy! Research is my total go-to for a relaxing leisure activity.
Today I spent hours jotting information onto index cards to organize my Brontë research in a card holder I have tabbed by chapter. At one point I was organizing some of the paperwork that is falling out of my everyday carry edition of Wuthering Heights and felt just the tiniest bit embarrassed that I chose to use pretty washi tape to adhere a family tree into its front cover--but then I decided...of course it should be pretty. This is *more* than research. ✨
I am so inspired by your Bronte index cards -- I might have to make a section of my card file specifically for notes on some of my favorite books, and I love the idea of organizing them by chapter. I love that so many of us on substack recognize the idea of "research as leisure," I feel like I've found my people, ha!
So interested! I'm starting small with a file folder for keepsakes, and keeping different journals. I also have a study journal! I'm definitely gonna look into the archiving method you mentioned. Love this❤️
The Zettelkasten system is fascinating! These thoughts on building a personal archive reminded me of the Dymaxion Chronofile, Buckminster Fuller’s amazingly named attempt to fully document his entire life for almost 70 years. Possibly the world’s biggest scrapbook.
I also feel a sense of anxiety about what can be lost digitally, either figuratively or literally. And at the same time was haunted reading this as the LA fires burn, knowing so many precious personal archives of all kinds have been lost 💔
Oh man, I have always felt slightly guilty and embarrassed that I don't know a lot about Buckminster Fuller -- he is one of those incredible subjects that feel really daunting because of how multifaceted his work and life were, like where to even begin?? But I think this might be my entry point, because omg the Dymaxion Chronofile sounds FASCINATING. Thank you for this!!
I started my own card file system at the start of the year, prompted by Ryan Holiday's espousing of it. He explains it here: https://ryanholiday.net/the-notecard-system-the-key-for-remembering-organizing-and-using-everything-you-read/
You might also find this interesting, written by his assistant and with visuals: https://billyoppenheimer.com/notecard-system/
It gives me so much joy to have my filebox on my desk, alongside my various task-specific notebooks. Hooray for paper systems!
Ooooh, thank you for the links!!
You’re so welcome :)
oooh, so I just read the Ryan Holiday piece, and he has completely changed my mind about doing my archiving/organizing system digitally. As an analog girl at heart, I've been having such a hard time dealing with Obsidian for my Zettelkasten. Ryan Holiday has made it all sound so much more practical and reasonable to do it via notecards instead! Thanks for linking to this!! :))
You’re so welcome!!!
If you're interested, here is my essay that is a love letter to the commonplace book. https://www.yellowarrowpublishing.com/vignette/spark-2023-brown-the-weight-of-words
Thank you for sharing! What a lovely read.
I absolutely love this. As someone who takes copious notes both digitally and on paper but has no real organisational system, I really need to start to categorise them. Too many digital repositories and too many notebooks!
I’ve been a papercraft girlie since the 90s and I love this resurgence!!! Our journals are archives and altars. Love.
lovely read as an archivist in the making ♡ this year i gave a lot of thoughts about the way i kept track of my life (inner but also general experiences as well). and i've grown to see that sticking papers on the page wasn't always enough. i worked with people's letters spanning centuries, and the written expression of their perspective fleshed them out more than any receipt could ever do. and i felt that my collages did not reflect the evolving person i am. but writing with purpose would leave a greater legacy to womankind. maybe it is a bit arrogant. but i think diaries of the past are comforting in the fact that someone unwillingly left us with a proof of humanity. we see ourselves in others, and we also see new solutions and possibilities.
Thank you for this lovely comment! It's hard not to think of the diaries sitting in archives around the world when I'm writing in my journal, wondering if some far-off archivist will be cataloging my work. It is comforting and slightly terrifying to think!
Ahhh girl! How did this show up for me at the most perfect time. I too am in the process of setting up a Zettelkasten of sorts. The whole Obsidian thing is very overwhelming. I love reading about how others are doing this physically rather than digitally. I'm excited to follow along with your process. I'm a crazy reader/researcher but also a writer who loves to use what I've read and researched as a way to tell new stories and create new angles. Anyway, this is fantastic!
Thank you! I'm so glad it resonated with you! I am curious about Obsidian, and considering how it might be used as an extension of my physical archive. I just love the idea of a 'digital garden' and creating a much deeper, more exploratory internet!
I am very jealous of your card catalog drawer, it's gorgeous. I remember the days of having to sort through those cards, grabbing a piece of scrap paper and one of those short, nubby pencils to write the location of the book. Ah, those were the days.
While I love my phone, nothing beats my notebooks and my million pens/pencils. 😄
Loved reading this from the perspective of an archivist! As a PhD candidate spending lots of time in archives myself, I have often felt greatful for journals and scrapbooks and all the history they have to offer. Glad to see a resurgence in it!
I just started the process of archiving my art that has been sitting in storage bins. After reading this piece, I'm even more excited to complete.
Lovely to read, Katy! Research is my total go-to for a relaxing leisure activity.
Today I spent hours jotting information onto index cards to organize my Brontë research in a card holder I have tabbed by chapter. At one point I was organizing some of the paperwork that is falling out of my everyday carry edition of Wuthering Heights and felt just the tiniest bit embarrassed that I chose to use pretty washi tape to adhere a family tree into its front cover--but then I decided...of course it should be pretty. This is *more* than research. ✨
Thank you so much, Jessica!
I am so inspired by your Bronte index cards -- I might have to make a section of my card file specifically for notes on some of my favorite books, and I love the idea of organizing them by chapter. I love that so many of us on substack recognize the idea of "research as leisure," I feel like I've found my people, ha!
Do it! I have collected notes on the text, different editions, illustrators, quotes...I could go on and on. 😆
This was such a delightful balm for my brain this morning!
Ahhh, thanks Sheena!! xo
So interested! I'm starting small with a file folder for keepsakes, and keeping different journals. I also have a study journal! I'm definitely gonna look into the archiving method you mentioned. Love this❤️
i don’t have words for how much this resonates !!!
When it comes to notebooks, I’m more of a Moleskine person, myself. But whatever works for you…
Thank you for sharing this. I use a zettelkasten and love commonplacing, too. I will subscribe to your Substack!
The Zettelkasten system is fascinating! These thoughts on building a personal archive reminded me of the Dymaxion Chronofile, Buckminster Fuller’s amazingly named attempt to fully document his entire life for almost 70 years. Possibly the world’s biggest scrapbook.
I also feel a sense of anxiety about what can be lost digitally, either figuratively or literally. And at the same time was haunted reading this as the LA fires burn, knowing so many precious personal archives of all kinds have been lost 💔
"Dymaxion Chronofile" is *incredible*.
Oh man, I have always felt slightly guilty and embarrassed that I don't know a lot about Buckminster Fuller -- he is one of those incredible subjects that feel really daunting because of how multifaceted his work and life were, like where to even begin?? But I think this might be my entry point, because omg the Dymaxion Chronofile sounds FASCINATING. Thank you for this!!