Obsidian Note Making App Introduction

Jul 18, 2024

Obsidian Note Making App Introduction

Introduction

  • Host: Nick Milo of "Linking Your Thinking"
  • Topic: Introduction to Obsidian for beginners
  • Goals: Understand how to start using Obsidian and the benefits of linking notes

Starting with Obsidian

Download and Install

  • Go to obsidian.md on Safari
  • Download the latest version of Obsidian
  • Drag the application to the Applications folder and open it
  • Initial screen: "Open folder as vault" or "Create a new vault"

Vaults

  • A vault is a folder where Obsidian stores its files
  • Create a new vault: name it and select a location (e.g., Desktop)
  • Vault appears as a simple folder

Creating Notes

First Note

  • Click on "New Note" button
  • Title the note, e.g., "note star"
  • Write a simple message in the note body
  • Saves as a .md (markdown) file in the vault folder

Second Note and Linking

  • Create a new note, e.g., "never note"
  • Use double brackets [[note star]] to link to the first note
  • Clicking the link navigates back to the referenced note
  • Exposes the power of linking thoughts similar to brain functions

Practical Example: Movies

Creating Notes from Concepts

  • Use favorite movie, e.g., "The Matrix"
  • Describe key ideas from the movie in a note
  • Example: "red pill blue pill" concept
  • Create links from the concept within the note using double brackets
  • Clicking the link creates a new note for that concept

Connecting Thoughts

  • Use brackets to link related ideas that might develop in the future
  • Example: Linking "red pill blue pill" to "adversity paradox"
  • Create new notes on the fly by clicking the links

Linking Notes

Building Context

  • Create notes for related ideas, e.g., Viktor Frankl’s book "Man’s Search for Meaning"
  • Link notes to capture associative thoughts and personal insights

Backlinks and Linked Mentions

  • Viewing linked mentions of a note to see connections
  • Example: "adversity paradox" note linking back to "red pill blue pill"
  • Navigate back through the linked mentions to original notes

Graph View

  • Visualize the network of linked notes
  • Example: shows relationships between "note star", "never note", "adversity paradox", "red pill blue pill", "The Matrix", and "Viktor Frankl"
  • Understand the growing network of thoughts and connections

Benefits of Linking Thoughts

Improved Recall

  • Linked notes enhance memory and recall
  • Easy to find related ideas

Building and Refining Ideas

  • Accumulate and refine ideas over time
  • Practical use for creators: articles, speeches, etc.

Enhanced Conversations

  • Better engagement and connections in conversations
  • Generates new insights and associations

Conclusion

  • Summary of link-based note-making in Obsidian
  • Encouragement to engage with the material and participate in the series
  • Call to action: like, subscribe, and comment for more insights

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