Best App for Note Taking

I've tried a lot of different apps for note-taking and #organization, but Obsidian really stands out to me.

The way it allows me to build a "Second Brain" is super helpful for managing all the information I come across daily.

Abdaal, Ali. “How to Organise Your Life - Building a Second Brain.” YouTube, 21 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ssUVyfn5g. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Boilerplate, No. “Hack Your Brain with Obsidian.Md.” YouTube, 6 July 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsAQSIKQXk. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Table of Contents

• About the Company

• Top 3 Obsidian Videos for Beginners

• Obsidian Pricing

• Obsidian Mobile App

  • Updates and Future Development

  • Heading 3

    • Integrating Cloud Syncing and Collaboration for Ob …

• Obsidian Publish

• Obsidian vs Notion

• The Second Brain:

  • How to Use Obsidian for Writing

• Markdown Format:

  • Obsidian Sync

    • Nick Milo

  • Mission and Core Features of Obsidian:

• SIMPLE NOTE

About the Company

The founders of Obsidian are Erica Xu and Shida Li.

They created Obsidian to help users organize their knowledge in a flexible, non-linear way. Both Erica and Shida have also worked on other productivity tools, including Dynalist.

Their experience and vision have made Obsidian a popular choice for note-taking and knowledge management.

“Why Dynalist?” Dynalist, https://dynalist.io/why. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Top 3 Obsidian Videos for Beginners

Best Obsidian Videos to Get You Started

If you want to learn how to use Obsidian, these three videos are great places to start. The first video, "Obsidian for Beginners: Start HERE — How to Use the Obsidian App for Notes," explains all the basics. It shows you how to set up Obsidian and start taking notes. You can watch it here.

• “Obsidian for Beginners: Start HERE — How to Use the Obsidian App for Notes.” YouTube, Video, 15 Sept. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbLb6QCK88. Accessed 19 July 2024.

The second video is "Obsidian As A Second Brain: The ULTIMATE Tutorial." This one explains how to use Obsidian to connect your ideas like a second brain. It helps you keep all your thoughts organized. You can watch it here.

• Dabi. “Obsidian As A Second Brain: The ULTIMATE Tutorial.” YouTube, Video, 17 Nov. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKluXIra70. Accessed 19 July 2024.

The third video, "Obsidian Note Taking Tutorial for Beginners - Start HERE (w/ example)," gives you easy examples to follow. It shows you step-by-step how to use Obsidian for your notes. You can watch it here. These videos will help you understand and use Obsidian better for all your note-taking needs.

• [BEEAMP], Vicky Zhao. “Obsidian Note Taking Tutorial for Beginners - Start HERE (w/ Example).” YouTube, Video, 22 Nov. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3e7GWsqoU0. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Obsidian Pricing

Obsidian is free for personal use. If you use it for business, it costs $50 per year. You can add extras like Sync for $4 a month to keep notes on all your devices, and Publish for $8 a month to share notes online. There's also a one-time payment of $25+ for early access to new features and special badges. More info is on their website.

Obsidian Mobile App

The app is really good, and I like it a lot.

However, it doesn't seem to back up to the cloud, which makes me feel unsure about its reliability. I don't want to lose any of my notes. This is important because having access to notes across different platforms is crucial for me.

When I produce music, I use Ableton, but I've noticed that platforms like Bandlab and Soundtrap are making a shift to being fully online. This allows me to access my work from anywhere, and I wish Obsidian had the same capability.

Despite this, the mobile version of Obsidian looks great, and the interface is well-designed.

Updates and Future Development

Integrating Cloud Syncing and Collaboration for Obsidian's Future Growth

One feature that could drive the most growth for Obsidian is integrating robust cloud syncing and real-time collaboration directly into the core app, rather than as an add-on.

While I recognize that cloud syncing is currently available as an extra feature, making it a standard part of Obsidian would ensure users can access and edit their notes across multiple devices effortlessly.

This would enhance its appeal to both individual users and businesses, boosting confidence in data security and expanding Obsidian's user base significantly.

Obsidian Publish

Obsidian vs Notion

Abdullahi, Aminu. “Obsidian vs. Notion (2024): Which Tool Is Better?” TechRepublic, 24 Apr. 2024, https://www.techrepublic.com/article/obsidian-vs-notion/. Accessed 19 July 2024.

The Second Brain:

I'm really excited about diving deeper into the concept of the second brain with Obsidian. It's fascinating to think about how I can offload my mental tasks into a digital system, freeing up my mind for more creative and critical thinking. By organizing my knowledge in this way, I believe I can improve my #productivity and better connect ideas, leading to more insights and breakthroughs in my work and personal projects.

Obsidian feels like a powerful tool that can significantly enhance how I handle and process information. I'm looking forward to exploring all its features and seeing how it can help me build a robust second brain.

How to Use Obsidian for Writing

Using Obsidian for writing can significantly streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity. Here's how you can effectively use Obsidian for your writing projects:

Setting Up Your Writing Environment

1. Install Obsidian:

- Download and install Obsidian from the official website (https://obsidian.md/).

2. Create a Vault:

- Set up a vault, which is essentially a folder on your computer where all your notes will be stored. You can name this vault based on your writing project, such as "My Writing Projects" or "Novel 2024".

Organizing Your Notes

1. Folder Structure:

- Organize your vault using a folder structure that makes sense for your writing. For example, you could have folders for research, outlines, drafts, and final versions. This helps in keeping everything organized and easily accessible.

2. Using Templates:

- Create templates for different types of notes. For instance, you might have a template for character sketches, plot outlines, or article drafts. This saves time and ensures consistency across your notes.

### Writing and Editing

1. Creating and Linking Notes:

- Start by creating new #notes for each section or chapter of your writing project. Use Obsidian's linking feature to connect related notes. For example, link your character profiles to the scenes in which they appear. This creates a network of interconnected notes, making it easier to navigate your project.

2. Backlinks:

- Utilize #backlinks to keep track of ideas and references. If you mention a concept in one note, you can create a backlink to a note that discusses that concept in detail. This helps in building a comprehensive and interconnected knowledge base.

3. Graph View:

- Use the Graph View to visualize the connections between your notes. This can help you see the bigger picture of your project and identify how different elements are related.

### Enhancing Productivity

1. Daily Notes and Journaling:

- Use the Daily Notes feature to keep a writing journal. This can help you track your progress, jot down ideas, and reflect on your writing process.

2. Kanban Plugin:

- Install the Kanban plugin to manage your writing tasks. You can create boards for different stages of your writing process, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Completed."

3. Tags and Metadata:

- Use tags to categorize your notes. For instance, you could tag notes by their type (e.g., research, draft, final) or by themes and topics. This makes it easier to filter and find notes later.

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#### Advanced Features

1. Integrating with Other Tools:

- Obsidian can be integrated with other tools you use for writing. For example, you can sync your notes with Google Drive or use plugins to connect with task management apps.

2. Using Plugins:

- Explore the wide range of plugins available in Obsidian's community plugin repository. Plugins can add functionalities like word count tracking, spell check, and advanced search capabilities.

3. Customization:

- Customize the appearance of #Obsidian to suit your preferences. You can choose different themes, font sizes, and layouts to create a comfortable writing environment.

### Resources for Further Learning

[Obsidian Help]

- (https://help.obsidian.md/): The official help site provides comprehensive guides and tutorials on using Obsidian.

-

[Obsidian Community]

- (https://forum.obsidian.md/): Join the community to share tips, ask questions, and discover new ways to use Obsidian.

Using Obsidian for writing not only helps in organizing your notes and drafts but also enhances your ability to connect ideas and streamline your writing process. By leveraging its powerful features, you can improve your productivity and produce better writing outcomes.

Malone, Winston. “Introduction to Obsidian for Fiction Writers.” Storyletter XPress Publishing, 1 Mar. 2023, https://storyletter.substack.com/p/to-build-a-note-is-note-taking-productive. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Using Obsidian for Novel Writing/Planning : R/ObsidianMD. https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/xwcy3i/using_obsidian_for_novel_writingplanning/. Accessed 19 July 2024.

## Best App for Note Taking

Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app that serves as a "second brain," helping users organize and manage their knowledge efficiently. The concept of a second brain was popularized by Tiago Forte, which involves using a digital system to store and organize information, freeing up mental capacity for creative and critical thinking.

Bobby. “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Using Obsidian.” BobbyPowers.Net, 8 Dec. 2023, https://bobbypowers.net/beginners-guide-to-obsidian/. Accessed 19 July 2024.

## Why Obsidian is Super Helpful for Me:

1. Local Storage and Privacy:

- One of the things I love about Obsidian is that it stores all my notes locally on my device. This gives me peace of mind knowing that my data is secure and accessible even when I'm offline.

Markdown Format:

Using Markdown for my notes is challenging for me to understand. While it keeps everything in plain text, making it lightweight, fast, and future-proof, I struggle with the formatting part. They say notes in Markdown are transferable to other systems, but I'm not sure about that. For example, when I try to copy something from Obsidian and paste it into Beehive, the formatting doesn't seem to stick.

This makes me a bit confused about how Markdown works across different platforms.

How can I ensure that the formatting of my Markdown notes from Obsidian is preserved when copying and pasting them into other apps like Beehive?

3. Backlinks and Graph View:

- The backlink feature is amazing. It allows me to create links between different notes, building a web of interconnected ideas. The Graph View then gives me a visual representation of these connections, making it easier to see how different pieces of information relate to each other.

4. Customizable with Plugins:

- The plugin ecosystem in Obsidian is fantastic. I can tailor the app to fit my specific needs, whether it's adding task management features, integrating with other tools, or enhancing the note-taking experience. This customization is something I haven’t found in many other apps.

Obsidian Sync

Cross-Platform Availability:

- Being able to sync my notes across all my devices is incredibly convenient. Whether I'm on my computer or my phone, I can always access my notes and add new ones on the go. This flexibility helps me stay organized no matter where I am.

Nick Milo

I really appreciate Nick for taking the time to explain the concept of a second brain so thoroughly in his YouTube videos. I stumbled upon him while browsing for note-taking apps and second brain ideas. His explanations were super convincing—I’m pretty sure he knows what he's talking about. However, I'm not entirely sold on the Obsidian platform. It’s good, but it needs to be on the web. It feels like it’s time for it to move to the cloud!

Nick Milo, Linking Your Thinking with Nick. “Create Your Digital Home: Obsidian Walkthrough.” YouTube, 3 Sept. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVl3IRGOWvk. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Mission and Core Features of Obsidian:

Obsidian's mission is to serve as your second brain by providing a powerful and flexible knowledge base that helps you capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and research. Its core features include local storage for full control and privacy, Markdown support for simple formatting, and bidirectional linking to create a web of interconnected notes.

The graph view allows you to visualize these connections, while customizable plugins and themes enable you to extend functionality and personalize appearance. Obsidian also offers robust search and tagging capabilities, backlinks to see contextual connections, and cross-platform availability on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it an ideal tool for building a connected and adaptable knowledge management system.

SIMPLE NOTE