Have you ever wondered how something works, whether something you heard is true, or just to get more information about something? I’ve found that if I don’t capture these thoughts right away, they vanish from my brain and go to the graveyard of forgotten ideas.
The answer: capture these thoughts in a curiosity journal.
What Exactly Is A Curiosity Journal?
It’s simply a place to capture things you are interested in, perhaps along with what ever you learn about them along the way.
It can be electronic or digital.
What Kinds of Things Go Into a Curiosity Journal?
It can really be anything. Here are a few recent examples from my Curiosity Journal (I actually use a few blank pages in a ring binder)
- What are the differences between Gem Avocadoes and Haas Avocados?
- Did humans ever live on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs?
- Do those traffic lights on the freeway entrance ramp actually work? What are they intended to do?
- How many different kinds of yogurt are there?
- What are the differences between an Art and a Craft?
I usually capture these random thoughts as soon as I think of them. If I’m driving, I’ll leave my self a transcribed voice note onto my phone.
I have my Curiosity Journal–now what?
Many, or perhaps most items, can be researched via a simple internet search. Scan a news article, read a wikipedia article, and you are finished. You might want to put what you learned into your journal.
Other items might be more involved. Substantially more effort will be required to answer the questions. For example, my brief research into the freeway traffic light question above led me to an academic research article written by a traffic engineer. It looked interesting, and I bookmarked it for further reading, but I’ll need some dedicated time to read it.
Isn’t This The Same Thing as a Spark File?
To me, not exactly. A spark file is a place to capture ideas that you know will need more extensive study, and you’ll also want to find a way to integrate spark file ideas into your overall knowledge base.
Most items in your Curiosity Journal will NOT deserve a role in your spark file. Think of the Spark File as a curated Curiosity Journal, where only the best ideas will be further developed.
Here’s What the AI system in Safari Search says
A curiosity journal is a dedicated notebook used to record questions, sudden sparks of interest, observations, and deep-dive discoveries about the world around you. [1, 2]
Purpose and Benefits
- Capture ideas: Writing down random wonderings frees up mental space and stops you from forgetting fleeting thoughts.
- Digests knowledge: It helps you process and retain new information by turning passive learning into an active habit.
- Sparks creativity: Tracking varied interests over time builds cognitive momentum and can lead to unexpected personal breakthroughs. [1, 2]
What to Include Inside
- The Spark: The initial question, strange fact, or prompt that caught your attention (e.g., Why is the sky blue? or How do ants communicate?).
- Observations: Notes, sketches, or diagrams detailing what you see, hear, or read.
- Reflections: What you think about your findings and how they connect to other things you know.
- Action: Next steps or further questions you want to research later. [1, 2, 3]