Thinking Inside and Outside The Box Newsletter 013 February 23,2025
It’s hard to believe that I started my blog and newsletter journey a year ago! Days pass slowly, but years and decades whiz by. . .
I’ve just reread the first newsletter. It was pretty rough, but we all gotta start somewhere. Welcome to Year 2!!
IN THIS ISSUE
My submissions to the Common Place Book Club
Examples of Visual Journaling
How and Why to Make a Personal Dictionary
“Think Like An Artist” Interactive Book Notes
A recipe for a yummy tofu/lentil vegan curry
Recently played board games
Recently watched movies
Recently listened to music
COMMON PLACE BOOK CLUB
I’ve previously written about Common Place books, which are simply a tool to help you capture important quotes, ideas, song lyrics, recipes, overheard conversations, and so forth. They have been around since Medieval times.
The Common Place Book Club (CBC) is a several times per year event organized by Professor Jillian Hess in her Substack. As part of the CBC, Jillian encourages her subscribers to post favorite entries over the course of the month. Afterwards she often summarizes and categorizes the entries.
You can read more about the Common Place book club, and my entries for January, 2025, here. Head on over to Jillian’s substack for even more details.
VISUAL JOURNALING
I’m new to the idea of visual journaling but would like to do more of it in 2025. Here are a couple of recent examples from my sketchbook.
PERSONAL DICTIONARY
A Personal Dictionary is a tool to help us build our vocabulary and also a type of common place book to collect favorite words or phrases. Foreign language learners might find it especially helpful. The etymologist in me also enjoys researching the historical evolution and usage of words.
How to create and use one is covered in more detail here.
BOOK NOTES: “STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST”
Steal Like an Artist is a quick read that combines inspiration with exercises to help your creative self emerge. As I noted in my blog post: Creativity isn’t just about writing, or painting, or playing the guitar but instead is useful in everyday life, like in making something to eat, trying to decide how to rearrange your furniture, and planning a vacation.
In other words, Creativity is for everyone.
This book is very popular and it’s a good bet that your library has a copy.
TOFU LENTIL CURRY
This recipe got a coveted “that’s pretty good” comment from Chris M. Recipe here.
BOARD GAMES I’VE BEEN PLAYING
Frosthaven
Wolfpack
Night Cage
Nemesis
7 Wonders
Irish Gauge
Ark Nova
MOVIES I’VE BEEN WATCHING
I previously reported that I’m working my way through the 1200 page Lord of the Rings Trilogy in book form. I’ve finished the first two volumes and celebrated by beginning to watch the trilogy in movie form. So far I’ve only watched the first volume, which coincides with the first book of the trilogy
CD’S I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO
Miles Davis: 1954 The Prestige Recordings
Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Volume 52
Ringo Starr: Look Up
The Youngbloods: Get Together/Elephant Mountain
Neil Young: Hawks & Doves
Emily Remler: Cookin’ At The Queens