The Power of Memo and Record-Keeping: A Book Review of *The Subtle Charm of Memo* and *Recording Out of Enjoyment*

From daily notes to everyday records, a way to make life feel clearer

During the Chuseok holiday, I read two books about memo-taking. They were The Subtle Charm of Memo by Kim Jung-hyuk and Recording Out of Enjoyment by Shim Da-eun. As someone who is very interested in memos, this was a subject that naturally drew me in, and reading the two books one after the other made me reflect on my own memo habits as well.

Kim Jung-hyuk does not limit memos to being a preparatory stage for writing. He says that the memo itself is already its own world. It is okay if it is unorganized and incomplete. Sometimes there may be nothing to reread later, and in many cases it is discarded as soon as it is written. But those casual memos accumulate and eventually reveal exactly what I thought at a given moment. When turned into writing, the gaps become visible, but memos respect even their shortcomings as part of the record. Reading his book made me look again at the Post-its and scraps of notes scattered across my desk. I felt that even if they are not properly organized, that may be fine; they may be the vivid traces of life itself.

Shim Da-eun’s Recording Out of Enjoyment is a book with a warmth that feels closer to everyday life. It emphasizes that recording is something you do because you enjoy it, not something you do out of obligation. It says there is no need to begin on a special day, and no reason to wait until everything is perfectly prepared. It shows that records can seep into life in many forms, such as diaries, emotional logs, drawings, and idea sketches. In particular, the story of filling 25 notebooks over seven years shows how powerful the steady practice of recording can be. The message that recording is not a result but a process, and that through that process you can gradually see yourself more clearly, left a strong impression on me.

The two books have different tones. Kim Jung-hyuk’s memos say it is okay to remain imperfect. Shim Da-eun’s records, on the other hand, say they can be sustained for a long time because they begin with something you enjoy. One emphasizes free and spontaneous memos, while the other shows records as a firm habit woven into daily life. But what both books ultimately convey is that recording is not a tool for producing results. It should not be something forced into shape; it should flow naturally from enjoyment if it is to last.

I also often feel the power of memos in my own work. Sometimes ideas come to me during surgery. In preparation for those moments, a sterilized pen is always ready in the operating room. A few words written quickly on a sterile drape can later become the starting point for a new procedural method or develop into a research idea. Someone might wonder what use such memos could possibly have in the operating room, but in reality they are ideas that arise at the most focused moments, which makes them even more valuable. To avoid missing those moments, I have deliberately made recording a habit.

And among Kim Jung-hyuk’s words,

As they listen to one another’s stories, they leave memos in each person’s head, and when those memos are brought out later in the program, the broadcast becomes richer.

From Kim Jung-hyuk’s The Subtle Charm of Memo

This was a passage I could completely relate to as I read it.

When I chair a session at an academic conference, if I listen while taking notes on the lecturers’ talks, questions naturally come to mind, and when I ask them during the Q&A session, I feel that the content becomes much richer.

Among Shim Da-eun’s thoughts, one that stood out to me was her account of how, as she kept uploading content every day, the effort to keep searching for material enriched her life.

Since I started keeping 그림일기, when something annoying happens, I find myself welcoming it by thinking, “Oh, this is material!” If someone is irritating, I can turn them into the villain in my story, and if I have unpleasant experiences, I can simply turn them into amusing episodes. Thinking this way, no matter how annoying something is, I can shake it off quickly.

From Shim Da-eun’s Recording Out of Enjoyment

I also liked the part about how thinking of bad things as material for content makes it easier to let them go. When I was writing essays every day for a while, I would look closely at even the smallest parts of my life in search of material.

After reading these books, the records scattered around me looked different. The memos that had seemed like disorganized traces were actually proof that revealed the texture of my life exactly as it is. It is okay if they are not perfect, and it is okay if they are forgotten someday. It is enough simply to preserve the moment.

The two books I read during this holiday ultimately told the same story in different ways. Recording is not some grand result; it is a small mirror that reflects me. That is why I still take notes today. Not because I have some great reason, but simply because I enjoy it, and because I believe those records will someday show my life clearly.

-From The Subtle Charm of Memo-

• The mind is a place for generating ideas, not storing them.

• If you want to debate with your past self or give advice to your future self, just write your honest thoughts in a notebook.

• Listen to the scratch of a pencil on paper and write down the sentences that come to mind. You will start more thoughts than you would with any application.

• Something that seems like an incredibly brilliant idea in your head often looks shabby when written on paper. The reverse is also true. What was abstract in your head may become organized once you write it down.

• Look back at the memo you wrote. When the thought first came to you, it was new and fresh, but now that you look again, it feels curt and rough. Is it because time has passed? Because you left out the details? Or because I myself have changed in the meantime?

• As they listen to one another’s stories, they leave memos in each person’s head, and when those memos are brought out later in the program, the broadcast becomes richer.

• During the program, when each person begins speaking based on the memos they have written down, interesting conversations unfold.

• I liked learning new things while making memos. When you write memos, you sometimes discover facts you didn’t know, and your thoughts become a little deeper.

-From Recording Out of Enjoyment-

• If you draw a picture diary, even the small things you would quickly forget over time can be remembered vividly for a long, long time.

• After observing an object that is always there and adding my own unique impressions, I can easily complete a single image that looks convincing.

• If you practice recording anything at all on uneventful days, you will be able to discover something special even within the ordinary.

• If you don’t feel confident about recording consistently on your own, I think posting it on social media like I do would be a good idea. As you gradually gain listeners, you can become an even better storyteller.

• I actually thought it would be more comfortable for me, and more interesting for others, to talk about very personal stories.

• Instead of recording only objective facts, try filling it with your emotions and impressions. The more you add details that others might see as “useless,” the better. They are all part of your own distinctive perspective. They are absolutely not useless.

• Even on days when there didn’t seem to be any fun at all, I must have found some fun things somehow. And since I turned bad things into small incidents that simply brushed past my life, I was able to let them go quickly. Thanks to writing a diary every day, I became a positive person who sees everything that happens to me as “material that will make my life richer.”

• Whenever my mind feels even slightly tangled, I don’t hesitate to open my Moleskine notebook right away and write down the thoughts inside. It feels like a safe shelter I can run to at any time.

• If you record it the very moment a thought comes to you, you can leave behind an honest and vivid record, and I felt it was a shame to miss the things lost while trying to make everything neat and elegant. So after that, I decided to let go of the idea that I had to make my notebook look beautiful.

• If you find even one wonderful moment today, be sure to write it down somewhere. You should not vaguely expect that you will naturally remember a wonderful memory well enough on your own. If you go to sleep and wake up, that memory will be completely forgotten with 100% certainty!

• Since I started keeping a picture diary, when something irritating happens, I welcome it by thinking, “Oh, this is material!” If someone annoys me, I can simply turn them into the villain in my story, and unpleasant experiences can just become amusing episodes. Thinking this way, I was able to shake off even the most annoying things quickly.

The Subtle Charm of Memo

Author Kim Jung-hyuk Publisher Yuyu Release Date 2025.07.04.

Recording Out of Enjoyment

Author Shim Da-eun Publisher Hanbit Life Release Date 2024.01.03.