“I take notes, but I always forget where I wrote them.”

“I use Notion or Evernote, but my information feels buried and I can’t use it effectively.”

If you feel this way, Obsidian might be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Obsidian is not just a notepad; it is a tool that becomes your “Second Brain,” connecting your thoughts and growing your knowledge.

In this “Basics” guide for those just starting out, I will explain the appeal of Obsidian and how to use its fundamental features.

🧠 1. What is Obsidian? How is it Different?

In a nutshell, Obsidian is a “local knowledge base connected by links.” There are three decisive features that set it apart from other famous note-taking apps.

✅ Feature 1: Your Data Belongs to You (Local Storage)

Obsidian files are saved directly on your PC or smartphone (not dependent on the cloud).

  • Blazing Fast Offline: It works smoothly even without an internet connection.

  • Future-Proof: There is no risk of losing your data if the service shuts down. Since the files are just simple text files (.md), you can open them with other apps too.

✅ Feature 2: Bi-Directional Links (Connecting Knowledge)

Instead of organizing by folders, you manage information by “linking pages to pages,” just like Wikipedia. This allows related ideas to connect like a web, making it easier to spark new insights.

✅ Feature 3: Extensibility via Plugins

The basic functions are simple, but you can freely add features later, such as “I want a calendar” or “I want task management.” (Note: Since this is the Basic edition, let’s focus on the core features first!)

🚀 2. Getting Started: Installation Steps

First, let’s get the app into your environment.

  1. Download

    • Go to the Obsidian Official Site and download/install the version that matches your OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android).

  2. Create a Vault

    • When you launch the app, it will ask you to “Create new vault.”

    • A Vault is simply the “box (folder)” where your notes are stored. Give it a name like “MyNotes,” select a save location on your device, and you are done.

📝 3. Writing Basics: Markdown

Obsidian uses a writing format called “Markdown.” It might sound difficult, but you only need to remember these three things to get started.

✨ Headings

Add a hash symbol (#) at the beginning of a line to make it a heading.

Markdown

# Title (Large Heading)
## Subtitle (Medium Heading)
### Section Header

✨ Lists

Use a hyphen (-) followed by a space to create a bulleted list.

Markdown

- Item 1
- Item 2

✨ Bold Text

Surround the text you want to emphasize with two asterisks (**).

Markdown

This is a **very important** point.

🔗 4. The Core of Obsidian: Connecting “Links”

This is the most important part. If you use Obsidian, you should actively connect your notes.

It is very easy. Just type two square brackets.

🔗 How to Create Internal Links

Markdown

[[ (Name of the note you want to link) ]]

For example, if you are writing a daily journal:

“Today, I organized my [[Book Notes]].”

By writing this, a link to “Book Notes” is automatically generated.

  • Key Point: If you type a note name that doesn’t exist yet and click it, a new note with that name is created instantly. This allows you to keep creating new pages without interrupting your train of thought.

🕸️ 5. Visualizing Knowledge: The “Graph View”

What happens when you keep connecting links?

Open the “Graph view” from the menu on the right side of the screen (or via command palette).

There, you will see a constellation-like network where your notes are “dots” and links are “lines.”

The more notes you add, the more this graph grows, visualizing the inside of your brain. Watching this grow is the biggest motivation to keep using Obsidian.

💡 Advice for Beginners: Keep it Simple

Obsidian is very powerful, but there is a trap that beginners often fall into: “Making it too complex from the start.”

  • Don’t obsess over folders: Since you connect via links, detailed folder structures are unnecessary.

  • Don’t install too many plugins: Focus only on “Writing” and “Linking” at first.

Start with a one-line diary or just jotting down things that interest you, and let’s start growing your “Second Brain.”