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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