Summary

Navigating the note-taking world can be overwhelming due to numerous systems and tools, leading to excessive tinkering over actual use. Obsidian provides a simple yet powerful solution by using plain text files, offering privacy, ownership, and speed. Its core feature of linking notes allows for building a personal wiki, with visualized connections through a graph view. This organic organization eliminates the need for rigid folder structures and pre-planning, making it ideal for beginners. While community plugins offer extensive customization, they can also contribute to the rabbit hole of overcomplication. The key is to start simple and only add complexity as your needs dictate, avoiding the trap of optimizing workflows instead of doing the actual work.

The Note-Taking Rabbit Hole #

• Note-taking is as beneficial as claimed but often leads to spending time organizing systems instead of using them.
• The note-taking community is vast and filled with buzzwords (Para, Zettelkasten, Kanban, Scrum, etc.).
• This can trap beginners in a cycle of searching for the perfect system rather than actually taking notes.

Personal Journey and Why Note-Taking Works #

• Struggled with remembering procedures for different digital tools (Unreal Engine, Blender) when switching between them.
• Started taking simple notes in a pocketbook, which significantly improved retention.
• Note-taking forces articulation of learned material, exposing knowledge gaps.
• Taking notes, although initially seeming slower, accelerates the learning process by providing feedback on understanding.
• Note-taking helped overcome forgetfulness and improved perceived personal reliability.
• Example: Maintaining a dedicated note for gift ideas eliminated stress around gift-giving occasions.

Limitations of Paper Notes and the Shift to Digital #

• Paper notes become inconvenient for large, long-term projects due to difficulty in searching and reorganizing.
• Lack of digital linking or embedding features is a drawback for digital projects.
• Googling "best note taking app" leads into the digital note-taking rabbit hole with overwhelming options and complex systems.
• Much advice promotes building complex systems unnecessary for beginners.

What is Obsidian? #

• Obsidian is a free, simple text editor.
• It reads from and writes to plain text files (specifically using Markdown).

Benefits of Obsidian's Text File Based System #

• Completely offline, private, and user-owned data.
• Data is safe even if Obsidian is no longer available as files can be opened in any text editor.
• Easy self-backup using cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive (Obsidian's official sync is also an option).
• Text files are small, making Obsidian fast.
• Uses Markdown, a lightweight industry-standard formatting syntax (headers, italics, bullet points).
• Markdown is readable even in non-Markdown editors.
• Learning Markdown is transferable to many other applications (GitHub, Discord, Slack, etc.).
• Formatting in Obsidian is quick and doesn't require stopping typing.

Obsidian's Core Feature: Linking #

• Allows creating a personal wiki by linking notes together.
• Encourages in-depth exploration of topics rather than creating long, continuous notes.
• Hidden Mechanic: Can link to notes that don't exist yet.
• Uncreated links appear visually different, acting as a subtle to-do list without interrupting writing.

Obsidian's Graph View #

• Visualizes the connections between notes created through linking.
• Organizes notes procedurally based on connections, eliminating the need for manual folder structures.
• Helps categories emerge and shows relationships between subjects.
• Highlights gaps in knowledge by showing links to uncreated notes.
• Its organization "just works," allowing users to focus on writing.

Obsidian's Solution to Note-Taking's Biggest Problem #

• Eliminates the time wasted in planning and organizing by doing it automatically through linking and the graph view.
• Starts as a minimalist tool that can be incrementally enhanced.
• No lengthy tutorials or pre-planning of complex structures are required for beginners.

Community Plugins and the Potential for Overcomplication #

• Obsidian has thousands of Community plugins, adding extensive functionality.
• Plugins are powerful but can contribute to Obsidian's reputation as a "procrastination simulator."
• Tinkering with tools can be a distraction from doing actual work.

The Danger of Productive Procrastination #

• Working on note-taking systems and workflows can feel productive but isn't actual work.
• This type of procrastination is dangerous because it's easy to rationalize as being productive.
• Complex workflow optimization tutorial consumption can replace actual task accomplishment.

Advice for Note-Taking Beginners #

• Start as simply as possible (e.g., pen and paper, basic digital app).
• Only increase complexity when your needs genuinely require it.
• Obsidian fits this advice by starting minimal and allowing incremental additions via plugins.

Defense of Obsidian's Simplicity #

• Obsidian's minimalist core is often overlooked due to its potential for complexity with plugins.
• The simple core is less easily turned into "content farmable" material.

Nuance and Appreciation for the Note-Taking Community #

• Acknowledges the enthusiasm within the note-taking community.
• Values customizing note-taking systems and exploring workflows if understood as separate from actual work.
• Watching others' workflows can be inspiring and show possibilities but shouldn't replace starting simple.
• Targets individuals who might jump into complex systems immediately and get burnt out.

Patreon/Channel Update #

• Update on the "Jay the Dev Guy Art Commission Bingo" for achieving art career milestones.
• Achieved Bingo, aiming for 100% card completion for a "sad pizza party" with patrons.
• Mentions commissions that filled specific bingo spots (furries, Rule 63/genderbending, RPG character).
• Promotes Patreon drawing tiers for channel support and participation in the bingo.

Concluding Remarks #

• Invites comments and discussion on the topic.
• Thanks viewers for watching.
• Encourages subscribing.
• Ends with "and go get your heart broken it's good for you."