Using Obsidian for academic writing and creativity
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the use of Obsidian, a note-taking and knowledge management tool. The speaker shares their experience with Obsidian, highlighting its usefulness for different tasks like daily note-taking, idea generation, and writing. They explain how Obsidian's linking feature helps in making connections between ideas but also emphasize the importance of being intentional with links. The conversation touches on the challenge of turning the complex network of ideas in Obsidian into structured documents like reports or theses. The speaker also mentions the value of Obsidian for stimulating creativity and managing the chaos of daily tasks.
Takeaways
- 😀 The user initially had a poor impression of Obsidian but after further exploration, they found it useful for creative note-taking and linking ideas.
- 😀 The user suggests curating YouTube links for those interested in learning more about Obsidian.
- 😀 Obsidian has a concept of 'vaults' which are like folders separated from each other within the app, allowing for organization of different types of notes.
- 😀 The user has three separate vaults - daily notes, commonplace book for ideas, and a writing vault, to keep different types of notes and writing separate.
- 😀 When writing, the user doesn't copy and paste from the commonplace vault but uses it for inspiration and to make connections to what they're writing about in the writing vault.
- 😀 The user finds value in the serendipity of searching their commonplace notes, sometimes finding unexpected notes that spark new ideas.
- 😀 The user doesn't worry too much about preemptively imagining how they'll use notes in the future, instead letting connections form more organically.
- 😀 Obsidian is currently free and stores information locally in markdown language, which the user appreciates for its simplicity and portability.
- 😀 The user has been using Obsidian for about a year and a half and finds it helps them manage the chaos of their work and stimulates their creative process.
- 😀 The user feels Obsidian has helped them generate more creative ideas, though acknowledges this could also be due to spending more time thinking about things while using the app.
Q & A
What is the main concern the speaker has about Obsidian?
-The speaker is concerned about whether Obsidian is worth the effort, as it creates a complex web of interconnected notes which seems to get in the way of producing a simple, linear document like a report or thesis.
How does the person being interviewed organize their notes in Obsidian?
-They use three separate vaults - one for daily notes, one for a commonplace book to collect ideas, and one for writing. The notes in these vaults don't directly interact with each other.
What is the purpose of the commonplace vault in Obsidian for this user?
-It's a place to dump and play around with ideas, capture literature notes from books, articles, podcasts, etc., and make connections between different concepts to stimulate creative thinking.
How does this user approach writing in Obsidian?
-They write in the writing vault, and if they hit a wall or need inspiration, they query the idea vault for relevant concepts rather than trying to incorporate all the linked notes directly into their writing.
What is the significance of the links between notes in Obsidian for this user?
-The links help them discover related ideas and make connections that can inspire their writing, but they don't follow every link. They selectively use the linked notes that are relevant to the specific topic they're writing about.
How does this user handle the potential overwhelm of the exponential increase of linked information in Obsidian?
-They don't try to preemptively imagine how they'll use every note and link. They create notes and links intentionally, and when writing, they dip into the commonplace vault with keywords to see what comes back, sometimes finding unexpected but useful connections.
What is the speaker's view on the value of Obsidian for producing structured documents?
-They don't think Obsidian is the best tool for creating inherently hierarchical and structured documents like traditional reports or books. However, it can be used for writing such documents if the internal links are used for cross-referencing rather than connecting creative ideas.
How does this user decide what notes to keep or discard in their Obsidian vaults?
-They don't constantly edit or prune the notes. They leave many notes in a half-formed state or as orphans without connections, because the text is still there and might be useful in the future even if it's not currently connected to anything.
What is the benefit of using Obsidian for this user despite the potential overwhelm of information?
-Obsidian helps them find useful information more efficiently than searching through unstructured notes. It also provides a sense of delight and joy when putting things in and triggers creative connections that they might not have made otherwise.
How does this user's use of Obsidian relate to their overall academic workflow?
-Obsidian is integrated into their workflow for managing daily tasks, capturing interesting ideas, and supporting their writing process. It helps them structure their day with daily notes, stimulates creativity with the commonplace vault, and provides a writing environment with the writing vault, while also connecting to their Zotero library for research references.
Outlines
😀 Introduction to Obsidian and Its Challenges
The speaker introduces the topic of Obsidian, a note-taking and knowledge management tool. They share their initial impressions and the challenges they've faced while using it. They mention how Obsidian is often discussed in terms of its creative aspects, such as writing notes, making links, and building a complex matrix of ideas. However, the speaker expresses concern about how to effectively use this matrix to produce linear, two-dimensional outputs like reports or theses. They also talk about the concept of 'vaults' in Obsidian, which are like folders that can be used to separate different types of notes.
😀 Using Obsidian for Daily Notes, Ideas, and Writing
The speaker explains their personal setup in Obsidian, which includes three separate vaults for daily notes, a commonplace book for ideas, and a writing vault. They discuss how they use daily notes for tracking tasks and meetings, and how the commonplace vault is a place to dump and connect ideas. The writing vault is used for actual writing projects, where they can draw inspiration from the commonplace vault without being overwhelmed by too much information. The speaker also mentions how they use Obsidian's features like local graph to visualize connections within the commonplace vault.
😀 Linking and Filtering Notes in Obsidian
The conversation focuses on how to link and filter notes in Obsidian to aid in writing. The speaker gives an example of a note about robots adapting to human norms and discusses how they would explore related notes to find inspiration and make connections for their writing. They emphasize that not all links are necessary to follow and that the key is to be intentional about which links are relevant to the writing topic. The speaker also talks about the potential for information overload and how to manage it.
😀 Evolution of Note-taking and Writing Process in Obsidian
The speaker shares their evolution in using Obsidian, from initially having a single vault to separating daily notes and commonplace notes into different vaults to improve their writing process. They discuss how they used to write in other apps but now prefer Obsidian's simplicity and markdown support. The speaker also touches on the idea of serendipity in note-taking, where unexpected connections can lead to new ideas. They mention that notes are constantly being edited and adapted, but they try not to be too prescriptive about how they build links.
😀 Obsidian's Features and Personal Workflow
The speaker talks about various features of Obsidian, such as its support for markdown language, local storage of notes, and the ability to edit plain text. They mention that while Obsidian is not open source, it is currently free and they are not worried about potential monetization. The speaker also discusses their personal workflow, including how they use Obsidian to manage their academic work, such as extracting useful information from past articles and presentations. They mention that Obsidian helps them find information more efficiently, but also acknowledge the challenge of managing a growing number of notes.
😀 Balancing Creativity and Productivity in Obsidian
The speaker reflects on whether Obsidian is more suited for creative, unstructured thinking or for productive, structured writing. They mention that Obsidian can be used for both, but it requires different mindsets and approaches. For creative work, the commonplace vault is used to collect and connect interesting ideas. For writing, the writing vault is used to develop arguments and produce structured documents. The speaker also discusses the challenge of turning a three-dimensional knowledge map into a two-dimensional document and whether the effort put into Obsidian is worth it for different types of projects.
😀 Differentiating Vault Usage in Obsidian
The speaker differentiates between the usage of various vaults in Obsidian. They explain that the commonplace vault is for capturing interesting things that bring them joy, while the writing vault is for structured writing tasks. The daily notes vault is used for managing the administrative part of their job, providing structure and helping them plan their day, week, and month. The speaker also talks about how they extract passages from articles and add them to the commonplace vault with personal notes and links to other ideas, stimulating their creative process.
😀 Obsidian's Impact on Creativity and Note-taking
The speaker shares their experience with Obsidian, stating that it has brought them a sense of delight and joy. They feel that they have come up with more creative ideas since using Obsidian, although they acknowledge that this could also be due to spending more time thinking about things. The speaker mentions that they have been searching for a tool like Obsidian for over 10 years and feels that it has solved their note-taking and knowledge management needs. They also discuss how they used to write in different apps but now prefer Obsidian's simplicity.
😀 Personal Anecdote and Conclusion
The speaker shares a personal anecdote about a 3D printed figure they saw in a museum in Bologna, which they think could increase productivity. They conclude the conversation by expressing their enjoyment of the discussion and invite further questions about Obsidian.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Obsidian
💡Vaults
💡Linking
💡Commonplace book
💡Writing process
💡Knowledge management
💡Markdown
💡Serendipity
💡Zotero
💡Threshold concept
Highlights
The speaker discusses their initial impression of Obsidian and its potential for creative note-taking and linking ideas.
Mention of Ingo and Jason's podcast and how it influenced the speaker's understanding of Obsidian's use in academic settings.
The concept of 'threshold concept' is introduced as a barrier to using Obsidian effectively for productive output.
Explanation of the different 'vaults' in Obsidian and their separation for specific purposes like daily notes, commonplace book, and writing.
Demonstration of how daily notes are used for organizing tasks and meetings.
Description of the commonplace vault as a place for dumping and connecting ideas.
Discussion on how the writing vault is used separately from the idea-generating vault to avoid information overload.
The role of Zotero in managing the speaker's library and how it complements Obsidian.
Illustration of how to draw material from the commonplace vault into the writing process without copying and pasting.
The challenge of managing the exponential increase of linked information in Obsidian and maintaining focus.
The importance of not being too prescriptive when creating links and notes to allow for future serendipitous connections.
The speaker's preference for using separate vaults and the process of moving notes between them intentionally.
Reflection on the use of Obsidian for writing structured documents and the limitations of its hierarchical structure.
The speaker's experience with Obsidian as a tool for both creative and productive academic work, fitting in multiple places on the creativity to productivity scale.
Discussion on the value of Obsidian for personal knowledge management and the potential for increased creativity.
The speaker's personal journey with Obsidian and how it has become an integral part of their daily academic practice.
The mention of a 3D printed figure as a metaphor for productivity and the personal motivation it provides.
Transcripts
right I've got I've got a very specific
we've got a list all right excellent a
little list because I wanted to
um I wanted to ask you about this first
before we crack into obsidian in in some
depth
I wondered if we could frame the
conversation just a little bit
and so I'm gonna I'm gonna pitch this
idea to you and see what you think
so
I'm coming at this
from a position of well
a bit of background you told me about
obsidian
months ago and you said go and have a
look and I went and had a look and did a
poor job of having a look tester he said
but my immediate impression was
has actually persisted
since I've been doing more work on it so
I come to the conversation today with
quite a specific question
now I I wonder whether it's not
worthwhile if we're going to distribute
this message out to people to say there
are resources to go and look at on
YouTube and maybe we can curate some
links for people if you just want to get
a flavor of what obsidian is and when
you see the screen share that hopefully
you're going to see from you
it'll make a bit more sense but we can
do a bit of background stuff but rather
than getting into the background stuff
because the problem that I've had with
obsidian so far
is everything I've heard about has been
about what I think is probably the first
half of obsidian which is maybe in
simple terms the kind of creative part
of writing notes and making links and
then seeing those links
grow
and this enormous Matrix built
around all of these kind of ideas that
you might have
I listened to Ingo and Jason's podcast
you know on the rig
which is a great podcast series although
the last episode I think is two and a
half hours long
yeah so I mean there's quite a bit of
chat in the first half there about
what's going on in their lives which you
can kind of I think you can skip through
I do yes yes nice but but
in Jason's case he was he's a real
obsidian evangelist it seems he's come
to it and he loves it and the example he
gave was a great example of
doing in Australia what's called a Texa
review which is I think if you work in
higher ed every five or six years your
whole university gets reviewed for its
academic quality so it's everything from
the highest level governance right down
to the delivery of individual courses
and all the minutiae so he's taken on
this project for his university and it's
an enormous piece of work and I've known
people spend three or four years at the
very high level building up rooms full
of documentation to support one of these
reviews
so he's using obsidian
to
find all of the material that he's going
to need for this review but not just do
it in a traditional kind of filing
structure it seems but to create a 3D
Matrix a map
of the links between things so this is
the point where I get to and I think
yeah this is great
although nagging in the back of my mind
is this constant question about
is this going to be worth it
what happens then is where I start to
become interested and where I think my
barrier my obstacle is this is the
threshold concept for me
I love the idea that you can make all
these connections it sounds really
creative that you can make these notes
and you can pull all these things
together it seems to me at that point
then the whole project Falls over
because instead of having something
simple to turn into what's going to have
to be a two-dimensional linear
report for Texa or a PhD thesis or a
book or something like that you've now
got this overwhelming mass of swirling
stuff with multiple networks and nodes
and that seems to me to be exactly
getting in the way of actually doing
something productive with it right so
the conversation I would love to have
with you today
is about what you use it for and how you
actually use this Matrix once you've
built it yeah yeah that's how you filter
through everything to make something
actually useful to it
so
I think that's fine and I think the
to start off with I would say that in
obsidian you have the concept of volts
which is it's like a folder
um but it's a folder that's separated
from other vaults within obsidian and so
what a lot of people
tend to do when I've seen people using
obsidian is they combine all of these
things together so I have three
different vaults for obsidian the one is
called daily notes the one is called
commonplace like a commonplace book
which is the collection of ideas and
then I have a writing Vault and those
three things are separate and those
notes don't talk to each other and
they're not aware of each other so your
question about how do you write and not
have all those things get in the way of
it well I write in a writing Vault
that's completely separate to the idea
generating vault
so
I
just start sharing my screen
are you happy for me to interject the
questions or do you want me to just let
you flow for a while no you stop it what
would you prefer anything you want can
you just okay can you see my screen I
can see me
can you see that now yeah there you go
right okay so straight away I've got a
question which is that the stuff that
goes into your daily notes
if you then want to
write with it you've just said that that
vault is completely separate and doesn't
talk to the writing box so presumably
you have to move it from one into the
other no
no because I'm writing so I'll write and
I'll just write and then if I hit
if I come up against the wall and I
don't know what to write anymore then
I'll go to my idea Vault and I'll query
something from the idea Vault I'll go to
the idea Vault for ideas not to write
so what are you writing about if not
ideas
so
I feel like I need to show you
um yeah
um
all right so okay so what you're looking
at now this is my daily notes fault so
just to give you an example I'll start a
new note and I'll start it here on
Monday the 21st
says the file does not exist you want to
create it so this is my daily note
template so yeah because it's text you
can create your own templates and these
are all the things that I'm going to be
doing for the day and I use this to um
like if I have a meeting then I create
links to meeting notes and and blah blah
blah so this is the kind of just every
day I make notes in this vault
but also have this commonplace vault
and that's obviously just from
commonplace book and this is a place
where I just dump ideas and you'll see
it kind of looks the same here but it's
a little bit different so I've set up
the tabs
um on this side the panels on the right
and the left side a little bit
differently
so if I pick this one then you can see
that the local graph displays here so
immediately I can get a sense of how
many other things this note is connected
to but that's only within the
commonplace Vault this is only within
commonplace so these notes are all very
short they you know tags I connect to
other notes I can see incoming links I
can see outgoing links I can see
unlinked mentions
this is where I capture all of my
literature notes so if I'm reading a
book
um like at the moment I'm reading this
book on embodied Computing as I'm
reading all of this content everything
that I highlight and annotate in that
book gets pulled into these literature
notes so that's all an automated process
same thing happens with articles
podcasts tweets
um
I've got conference notes going back 10
years those are all in here and this is
just a place for me to play around with
ideas I'll go through these notes I'll
link to other notes and and so on so you
feel
fairly good with how that works and then
I have a writing vault
and
if I want to
I don't know there's a little thing on
citizen science this is for a course
that I'm running at the moment so this
is where I'll just write
um and if I need to draw from an idea
well then I'll go to my commonplace
notes and I don't think I have anything
on citizen science
no so I've got no notes
yeah so that might say to me okay well
before I can start writing about citizen
science I should go and do some reading
on citizen science then I might go to my
library which I use zotero for some
people will pull their Library into
obsidian and I feel like you can get to
a point where
obsidian becomes this Hammer that you're
going to use to hit everything with
um and I feel like the the library
um I think it can work
and I think some people have made it
work
I prefer to use zotero for my library
so I'll go to zotero and that's where I
track everything that I want to follow
up on and read and
you haven't got anything on citizen
science but let's say you were going to
do a piece of writing on artificial
intelligence now I know you'll have tons
of stuff so if you opened up a writing
note
um
on artificial intelligence yeah
show me how you'd go about drawing back
on your
um
I suppose your commonplace folder or
your or your what you call your daily
notes folder how would you pull that
material into what you're then going to
be writing about I don't
um so maybe this isn't a good example
because it's uh it's just a simple
definition so let me
look for
robots must adapt to Norms around
interaction so this is a more detailed
note
right
um so
I might look at this and the the concept
here is that we need to have robots
adapt to human Norms around interaction
and in order to do that we are really
going to have people who are building
robots who are familiar with human
psychology and sociology and all of
these ideas about how humans interact
because those are going to be the the
social and cultural norms that influence
the way that robots should behave what
we're seeing is that
um humans are adapting their behavior to
fit around what robots are capable of so
what I'm getting from this note isn't so
much the content but it's this idea so
I'm trying to capture an idea which is
that you know we need to design robots
that adapt to our behavior and our
sociology
um when I'm writing I'm not looking to
copy and paste information from this
note
I'm trying to find ideas within the
commonplace collection of notes that
give me inspiration or motivation or
that help me make connections to
whatever I'm writing about in the
writing vault
right but herein lies the Crux of the
issue because of course you could do
that in any form you could do that in a
Word document you could do that in a
traditional file system you could do
that in Evernote you could do that in
Ulysses you've got many places you could
do that in the point about obsidian is
not that you want to look you're
interested in that note but I look at
the bottom for instance at the green
related text yeah and the tags you've
got that little icon seems to suggest
that there are three four five six seven
eight additional notes that are related
to that theme and each one of those
might have eight additional notes
related to them and each one of those
might have it and it becomes exponential
right so if you're talking about this
just purely from a note by note basis
then I don't see obsidian as being any
different so how do you stop the Mania
of
the exponential increase information
you've got linked all together here and
then actually write something about how
robots must relate to human Norms well
because these ideas at the bottom here
with their link they're related but
if I'm thinking about the way that
um robots should relate to
um to us to groups of human beings some
of this is like yeah educational AI must
adapt to learning science that's a
related idea because it's talking about
how technology needs to adapt to
something that we value so learning
science it's a related idea but it's not
it's not going to be a part of what I'm
writing about with robots so first of
all not all of the links are necessary
for me to follow
um types of robots in clinical practice
you can you know I can without going
into the notes I can just pull it up
here and look at it well you know this
also isn't really relevant this is a
list of types of robot form factors and
um not behaviors but the kinds of tasks
that these kinds of robots might be
called to do this also wouldn't really
be useful for the article that I'm
writing about you know robots and and
human behavior
um this might be interesting social and
cultural norms dictate what information
is appropriate so
the point isn't just that I'm randomly
following all of these links I might
look at this
and say okay social and cultural norms
dictate what information is appropriate
to share with other people okay so how
does this relate to my idea around
robots adapting to our Norms
um so I'm going to pause with with the
note and say
you know really reflect on it does this
help me
take my writing in a different direction
does this spoken idea that I maybe
wouldn't have got to if I was just
writing
um so I think for me the linking of the
notes
um
if I just
come here to edit again
um while I'm reading this
um I don't know I'm just uh
virtual Norm so if I come back here
um
it's suggesting our social network
Theory
is that something that I need to look at
is social network analysis something
that I need to look at do I need to
because now that I've seen this maybe
it's boxed the idea that you know what
the thing that I'm writing about robots
what it lacks at the moment is some kind