How I Would Learn Obsidian MD (If I could start over)

[@ryanholland4428]

"you should start first, then learn" "ok" *exits video*

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i respect the action taking 🫡

[@JeersNX]

@@itsjohnmavrick Lol

[@jcvp2493]

Read the documentation of the app you are going to use

[@resonanceofambition]

@@jcvp2493 I hate that. Documentation is often written by demonic entities.

[@prezentoappr1171]

​@@resonanceofambition Yeah the old front end UI vs UI made by devs that felt like CLI Eg Gimp instead of Adobe

[@annika9691]

seeing a former professor of mine (from a relatively small German university) as a book recommendation on a topic that interested me so much at the time that I bought said book of him, only to be reminded of it through a random video about a cool sounding note taking app a few years later. Feels like some weird sign that I should deep dive into this app

[@itsjohnmavrick]

sonke ahrens was your prof thats crazyy what did you learn from him 😳 yeah right now obsidian is one of the More well-known and supported apps for applying his note taking principles

[@annika9691]

He was a prof for Educational Science at my university, but I mostly remember him teaching us how good & systematic note taking makes writing academic papers waaay easier and how we could apply it to our studies. He explained Luhmanns Zettelkasten and low key advertised his book which came out not too long ago at that point (which was great advertising tbh because I bought it directly after the lecture) @@itsjohnmavrick

[@yakataz]

Switched from google docs to obsidian. Thanks for your videos, I have learned a lot more than just note taking.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

having google docs as our note taking ex's 🤝 by learning more do you mean productivity stuff as well or? im curious :o

[@yourstrulytk12improves]

- Importance of 'on the field' - Community - How to take smart notes (Book recommendations) - Building a second brain (Book recommendations)

[@janjavate1405]

First time to see a Vtuber talk about productivity. Kinda refreshing to see!

[@JeersNX]

tru

[@morteza_nw]

yeah that's rare...

[@vlogsofanundergrad2034]

What theme are you using? It looks so beautiful!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hehe ty :) unfortunately its a mix of custom styling, a third party wallpaper app, but I was using a custom version of 80s neon which you can find notes.johnmavrick.com/000+Digital+Garden/My+FAQ#What+theme+do+you+use+and+how+do+you+have+that+colorful+background%3F

[@vlogsofanundergrad2034]

@@itsjohnmavrick Wow thanks a lot for the reply! Yup, I looked at it and updated on my obsidian, the dark version of 80s neon is so easy on the eyes :) Thanks again

[@apfelapple]

"How to Take Smart Notes" was a great book to read, and very inspiring, thank you for the recommendation. Unfortunately, I wasn't as happy with "Building a Second Brain". It's not as well researched as the other book, sort of all over the place and when you look up certain sources that are listed I found them contradictory to what was said in the book.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

glad you found one of the book recommendations helpful :) and yeah building a second brain is his own methodology and i'm not sure what his sources are, but I do think things like the PARA method is a decent framework for structuring your folders and classifying the different tyeps of notes in a vault. if you're not a fan i would recommend the ACCESS method as well. But yeah, at times the overall CODE framework can be generic, but I saw it moreso as exploring what parts of PKM I can dive into more.

[@MAX-nv6yj]

I will read it definitly I hope there is an Arabic Translation of it

[@stradiavanti]

Awesome tips, Obsidian is a deceptively simple yet incredibly complex application. He showed the superiority of open source software with an active community over the giglet-products of megacorporations.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

thank you :) and absolutely- all the plugins, videos, and discussion from its enthusiastic user base lets you achieve almost anything within the app, which can be a gift and a curse depending on your ambitions all this for free without any essential purchases too 🤯

[@Mr_Yod]

Obsidian is not open source, it just uses open source files structure and type (folders with text files in Markdown and the open sourced canvas). 🤔

[@cowboybiba3001]

I really like your aesthetic choice, for the color palettes and for your vtube-character in general. It feels like you take all what I consider beautiful in my brain and implement it into your videos👏

[@itsjohnmavrick]

aww ty :,) nice to know the extra time i spend on the channel aesthetic makes the viewing experience memorable hehe, the vtuber was made from scratch so im really happy with how it turned out and how well it matches with my old content !

[@Okentoudu]

@@itsjohnmavrickHow do you customize the color scheme of your obsidian interface? Your voice is super relaxing by the way 😌

[@itsjohnmavrick]

​@@Okentoudu in the settings there is an "appearance" section where you can choose a theme to use :) and appreciate the kind words hehe

[@Mein-yg1hh]

@@itsjohnmavrick what theme are you using in the video? I really like the way the blurry background looks.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@Mein-yg1hh This video used the 80's neon theme but with a custom css snippet to allow for background note transparency. On top of that, I have custom wallpapers through the application "Wallpaper Engine"

[@aar021]

This video is so well put together. Thank you. I had a stint with Obsidian but fell through into Craft. The lack of tags there brought me back to retry.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

welcome back hehe, i hope my other videos are useful too ~

[@AndrieMC]

btw the md stands for markdown, which is the format you write stuff in

[@itsjohnmavrick]

yes thank you for sharing 👍

[@AndrieMC]

@@itsjohnmavrick 👌

[@mageprometheus]

Thanks for the video. I sometimes like to just listen to someone else's perspective without deep learning.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hope the rough roadmap helps :)

[@genesisbrr]

same i sometimes listen to john's voice just to fall asleep

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@genesisbrr 😭

[@MikeBertelsenDK]

This is SUCH a good introduction. Thank you for sharing this video, I started using Obsidian a couple of days ago and I'm already in love. The 80's theme also helps. May I ask for the custom CSS you used to change the background for your 80's Theme? Thank you for uploading the video!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

glad to hear you found it useful :) For my CSS you can visit publish.obsidian.md/johnmavrick/My+translucent+background+in+my+videos

[@raufaliyev9202]

Brother, believe me, your channel is so underrated. Thank you for content!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

appreciate it, man, what other videos would you like to see? :)

[@raufaliyev9202]

@@itsjohnmavrick Actully I’m interested how to use obsidian for learning languages and programming languages if it is usable for this kind things. Could be nice to get some information from you🙂

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@raufaliyev9202 Good idea, yeah it definitely is, II used it to learn C and assembly in school, Angular for work, and React in my spare time! There's lots of cool plugins for it so I'll have to test them out first since i mostly just use basic text, notes, and code blocks

[@raufaliyev9202]

@@itsjohnmavrick great, thank you for effort! Because I think It should be similar, could you please include also about learning foreign languages?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@raufaliyev9202 i dont have any experience so im not sure if im qualified 😭

[@All3xD]

Like this way the motivation never stops, its the “champion proves” that you are in your path, as Much as keeping a personal journal for season of years

[@jamesbernards8409]

Mr. John Maverick, your video shared this information in a structured manner that enabled me to pick up several much needed epiphanies. I particularly got excited at the two recommended deep dive sources. THAT is what I am so hungry for - the principles of building a zettlekasten! The principles, methods, and techniques of building a "second brain"! Additionally, the metaphor of framing my notes as legos to enable building was incredibly useful. This is because one of my pain points has included trying to chunk so many of my ideas together into single notes as was the common practice of literally my entire life! Ha! Eureka!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hi James, enjoy the two books, they definitely help shift your relationship with note taking and information into one that lets you use obsidian to its full potential :) and glad the analogy helped !

[@furrosama]

Thank you Mr. Pretty Vtuber Man for guiding smol brain people like me to build a bigger brain with obsidian! 😸

[@itsjohnmavrick]

it takes a big primary brain to make a second one :)

[@ImbraWolf]

This is probably one of my favorite note taking tools out there

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i concur 🫡

[@johmbon]

1:23 The zoom into the "Untitled" file, so you're human after all

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@johmbon nooo i thought i had erased all traces of my mortality 😔😔😔

[@_MoonlightBee_]

OMG WHAT A CONTENT 😭❤❤❤ instant sub bro, this is awesome :333💖

[@itsjohnmavrick]

thank you :))

[@EmpusaBagiri]

I did not expect the best simple guide to be from VTuber :P A welcome surprise.

[@devserendipity3063]

How do you actually learn your notes? Do you just use them as a reference notes like a book to which you can pinpoint to later when you need something?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

yup, but if you want to actually transfer it into your own primary brain that's where making connections and spending the time to take conceptual notes comes in as practice. but if you're only wanting to take notes for future quick reference, then i'm still drying to dive into ai so you can spend less time organizing said notes so you can focus on working on your projects etc

[@GieterDunn]

there is no friggen way an educational v-tuber exists xP you are a trailblazer for the world of vtubing

[@itsjohnmavrick]

;) trailblazer is a very generous word, thank you for your kindness 🙌

[@DavidBerger-g2h]

Danke für die Arbeit

[@pur3D3votion]

First thanks for making this content! Having recent'y switched from a similar note taking app I find these types of videos very useful in learning from other ppls paths. But what I also like is that you mention from where you got inspiration, in this case the books! 🙏🏼

[@itsjohnmavrick]

if you have the time i highly recommend you read them :)

[@KekoaSkills]

Useful vid; I like your optimism and tips

[@itsjohnmavrick]

thank you :)

[@Mr.C0ffee]

Great video! How did you installed your theme?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

settings -> appearance

[@thedarksideofthemoon2]

i am not taking advises from a guy whose obsidian vault looks like it is made by one of them disney princesses

[@itsjohnmavrick]

🤣🤣🤣 i haven't heard that one before. there are lots of middle-aged obsidian creators that might have content more resonant with your taste :)

[@caiovinicius5204]

​@@itsjohnmavrickpretty sure he was just joking lol, I don't really like vtuber content but yours is actually pretty good. Congrats for the initiative

[@itsjohnmavrick]

​@@caiovinicius5204thank you :) i hope to use this medium as a message to promote these ideas 🤞

[@brendalg4]

​@@itsjohnmavricknot sure why you think he is talking about age. It's probably all the pink

[@brendalg4]

@@itsjohnmavrick I will add I'm glad you didn't say "Ok, Boomer". I am one.. but that's not why I don't like that phrase. I hate to see people not listen to someone because they are too young or old for them.

[@akaalphagamer3558]

How do you make the node of some notes bigger than others?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

it gets bigger if it has more connections :)

[@madimakes]

ngl i wasn't ready to listen to a Vtuber, but you dropped gems, thank you!

[@Gearshock]

I love the notes colors and glow. Is that something you have to set manually or is it a plugin? Can you share how to get it to look like that? Either here or in another video? I'm a sucker for Outrun/Vaporwave/NewRetroWave color aesthetics.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

obsidian has themes you can use, there's lots with the vaporwave/outrun aesthetic :) I personally like 80s neon the most out of them

[@linezgames3893]

you dont have **word** //word// to get the font.... just ctrl shift and the type you want. (when you're not a programmer yet you know more than programmers basics)

[@brendalg4]

Not sure how knowing what ctrl shift does is more than programmer's basics.

[@benrayner9813]

@itsjohnmavrick whats your obsidian theme?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i think i used 80s neon in this video :)

[@benrayner9813]

@itsjohnmavrick one more thing could you do a video on what shortcuts to use, referencing how to make and format our notes to be more digestible ?

[@Wavewave583]

Great video! What theme are you using?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@Wavewave583 in this video i was using a custom 80s neon theme with a translucent background i think

[@williss1192]

My head hurts trying to figure everything out lol. I've been trying to learn this for awhile.

[@zikua9790]

Great video as always , I'm just wondering what css snippet are u using for 80's neon theme , as the translucent option only makes the sidebars translucent . Thanks in advance 😁

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i just searched in the obsidian discord for a translucent window snip and I just pasted it

[@zikua9790]

@@itsjohnmavrick alright , thanks mate !

[@TheElThomaso]

Nice video, thanks for sharing! Could you tell me what plugin you're using to get the small numbers next to each link (as can be seen around 1:31)? Edit: I've found it in one of your previous videos. If anyone is interested, it's called Strange New Worlds Plugin.

[@liamcopich9239]

ur a real one for coming back and editing

[@nubi6144]

what's the font you're using in obsidian? great video btw!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i dont recall using a different font? it could maybe be inter or the theme i was using and ty :)

[@dragonnymph]

it’s overwhelming but I think im sold

[@itsjohnmavrick]

it's worth the learning curve ;)

[@M4XD4B0ZZ]

I did actually buy taking smart notes and adopted the way of reading books in a way that i can write fleeting and literature notes so at least that part helped. The problem is that i feel like the zettelkasten principle is more fitting if you want to learn new things in particular. In my case (studying with given informations) it's not the right approach or maybe i am using ot wrongly?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@M4XD4B0ZZ good point, i think having a hybrid of using zettelkasten for initially learning the topics so you actively process and map out the information through their relationships, then turning those notes into flashcards helps prepare for exams like i show in my obsidian for studying videos :)

[@M4XD4B0ZZ]

@@itsjohnmavrick I'll watch them surely. Thanks for the heads up

[@airkami]

This is not bad. I will see if I ca get it working for me, but I don’t have 500 days to learn. I will be homeless by then.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@airkami i wish you the best 🤝

[@mcgrawesome3292]

Hey there, great videos, I am just learning how to use Obsisidan and I love your synthwave theme! I had a question: I have applied the 80s neon theme and flicked translucent window on, the thing that seems to be an issue is that the body of my notes appears as an opaque purple box. Do you know how I can change it translucent like you have here?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

you will have to add a custom css snippet to enable translucent mode by searching around online or in the discord 👍 you'll need to go to appearance and put it in your snippets folder - let me know if you have trouble finding it

[@mcgrawesome3292]

Thanks@@itsjohnmavrick , will look into it!

[@maxwelledwards9170]

Sync wiped my vault and I gave up on it Went from PC to MacBook then restarted pc and it wiped all the stuff I had in my vault

[@grumpyyy23]

Hey man, what are the top 5 plugins you use daily?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hmm, i would say dataview, templater, quickadd, readwise reader, and smart Connections. so many plugins are crucial to my vault though 😭

[@evodefense]

Thanks for the breakdown

[@itsjohnmavrick]

glad to be helpful :)

[@deusuai]

What theme are you using?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

80s neon

[@melusine826]

I need to use my Android obsidian but it won't open - I think plugins have clogged it. So I've not used it at all

[@conline01]

Vtuber x productivity youtuber 👀👀👀. Im in love 😍

[@itsjohnmavrick]

yes, hope my unexpected crossover makes you enjoy productivity a bit more haha

[@samcarter2308]

what background is that?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hi sam :) I keep an updated list of my themes and other FAQ at publish.obsidian.md/johnmavrick/000+Digital+Garden/My+FAQ

[@samcarter2308]

@@itsjohnmavrick Omg you actually replied 😂 that was a hail mary, it's an honor. Thank you for your videos. I actually switched to Obsidian and started using the 80s theme just from watching your videos. Thanks again!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@samcarter2308 np, glad you find it helpful and continue the 80s neon legacy 🫡

[@idefixsheep]

Hi John! I really want to understand obsidian but English is not my native language and I'm struggling to understand it. At the same time I strongly believe that this is what I need in order to connect so many thoughts and ideas for my phd. I'm watching your videos for a few months now, I love your content but sometimes it is hard for my adhd mind to get it, and I was wondering if you can suggest any online trainings on Obsidian or somethign similar. Thank you in advance!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

hmm, i do not know of anything, sorry :( I know in the discord community there is channels for different languages: discord.com/invite/obsidianmd

[@idefixsheep]

@@itsjohnmavrick thank you! ☺

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@idefixsheep best of luck!

[@rolypolypanda6332]

This was really useful, thank you for sharing. I like some of the resources you mentioned as well.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

glad you found it helpful and have fun exploring the other resources 🫡

[@TheMingleMaster]

Great video. Also, pleasre share your theme name. Thank you.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

The theme i used is 80s neon :)

[@sparshgandhi3843]

which theme are u using?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

I use 80's neon in this video, but also use wallpaper engine on discord + translucent window to make it look a bit more unique. on some videos I use minimal theme though

[@VictorWilliams12]

Shoutouts to Tiago!

[@MAX-nv6yj]

thank u so much I appreciate this video and your tutorial

[@itsjohnmavrick]

yeah its a lot to learn but once you get used to it, its life changing 🤯

[@brendalg4]

That is a great idea to not work on it every day. How are you doing now?

[@ChipWhitehouse]

FUNNY ENOUGH I’m half way through Tiago Forte’s Building A Second Brain & I LITERALLY just received the “How to Take Smart Notes” book in the mail an hour ago! 😭😭😭👏🙌 I’m well on my way!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

looks like you don't even need my advice 🤣 hope the books give you clarity on building your own 🫡

[@yourstrulytk12improves]

Hey this is a question is this actually what a vtuber looks like? I've always heard of this but never watched an actual video. so just wanted to know if this is true

[@itsjohnmavrick]

vtubers can have different art styles but for the most part yes 👍

[@arashk4650]

How you change your background?!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i use wallpaper engine on steam, and you can make your Obsidian translucent :)

[@arashk4650]

@@itsjohnmavrick thank you very much one more question what is that icon vs code and gallery on the left side?! I want that too bro please explain

[@juju_myz4910]

big thanks M8

[@itsjohnmavrick]

appreci8 the comment

[@amburnt2599]

what is your theme

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i was using 80s neon in this video:)

[@forsen1]

bro is the ceo of yapping

[@itsjohnmavrick]

🥲

[@intrusivethoughts3601]

Lego bricks, I like that, it does feel like Lego but for note taking, fun

[@itsjohnmavrick]

yes, have fun building 😎

[@null_bite]

Yo! never would I have imagined a Vtuber showing me how to work with Obsidian and PKM 😆 .. low key for it though

[@itsjohnmavrick]

be the change you wish to see in the world, gonna try and become one of the first productivity vtubers hehe what else would you be interested in?

[@SuouEdits7533]

I hate how I know the anime the background is from

[@itsjohnmavrick]

be proud 😎

[@SuouEdits7533]

@@itsjohnmavrick 😎

[@tanmaysingh3186]

What is the name of the theme you use?

[@itsjohnmavrick]

i use 80s neon :)

[@feritkardal]

@@itsjohnmavrick but what you use for that background wallpaper with the blur effect

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@feritkardal i have translucent mode on, and have custom css to also make the window translucent.

[@feritkardal]

@@itsjohnmavrick yep i found it but i need that wallpaper rlyy pleasee can you share with us ^-^

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@feritkardal i can't share it because it's part of wallpaper engine which is a paid product 😅

[@pro_gemer]

great no "you'll totally remember everything from this 10 minute guide" bs video, I'll very likely stick around for more :]

[@itsjohnmavrick]

thanks for your support :) out of curiosity what made my video not that?

[@pro_gemer]

@@itsjohnmavrick instead of trying to teach everything about obsidian in a few minutes which is borderline impossible you pointed out to external resources that actually allow learning

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@pro_gemer gotcha, yeah i think it's more fair to let people explore what they want to learn based on their curiosities just like in traditional obsidian fashion

[@keithdow8327]

Thanks!

[@itsjohnmavrick]

woah, thank you for your generosity 🙏

[@krystalgomez2300]

U made me change my view about the vtube world

[@itsjohnmavrick]

is that a good or bad thing

[@robindabank6711]

Thanks

[@itsjohnmavrick]

np hope it was helpful!

[@GAMEscrever]

Haha loved your Vtuber! Very elegant!

[@jjk9o9]

thank you

[@itsjohnmavrick]

You're welcome, enjoy creating your new second brain :)

[@s8x.]

what theme is this?

[@FlamebattleXXI]

80s Neon

[@ArtemLD]

Thank you, talking anime human

[@itsjohnmavrick]

np 🫡

[@cookiedoodle5582]

Vtubers are creepy.

[@nikunjkhangwal]

Because you're not used to it. His voice is at least like a normal person

[@cookiedoodle5582]

@@nikunjkhangwal lmao

[@nikunjkhangwal]

@@cookiedoodle5582 Loving My Awesome Outfit

[@RulesofPepper]

You're creepy

[@mhyzy15]

​@@nikunjkhangwalcopium

[@selmanayan5426]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:00 *🤖 Start using Obsidian to take notes, then gradually learn its features as you go.* 00:29 *🔗 The most important practice in Obsidian is linking your notes to build a personal knowledge base.* 01:32 *🧱 Atomic notes, each focusing on one concept, make it easier to create connections between ideas.* 02:00 *🔌 Explore Obsidian's vast plugin ecosystem to unlock its full potential.* 02:59 *💬 Engage with the Obsidian community for support, resources, and to collaborate on learning.* 03:30 *🗞️ Subscribe to the Obsidian Roundup newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest tools and workflows.* 04:00 *📚 Read "How to Take Smart Notes" and "Building a Second Brain" to deepen your understanding of personal knowledge management.*

[@petephelp971]

Bro you seem like a super smart kid why are you using the anime avatar get a web cam and have an identity for your channel. I think you could get pretty popular if you had a stronger identity people could go back to because the anime stuff is a bit of a niche thats just how I look at it ig.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

How come the anime avatar isn't an identity? As Cowboy Biba's comment below as an example, the avatar is only a part of completing my galaxy and online aesthetic, and a form of branding I enjoy representing myself online with. If I were to use my real webcam I don't have the physical environment to support the aesthetic I have, unlike vtubing where it's all fictional. Are you personally turned off by the anime niche? What makes you think it is unpopular? And why does being popular matter in the first place? The 2nd most watched female twitch streamer was a vtuber, anime popularity is growing expontentially, and there's much less competition through this branding than there is through a generic self improvement or productivity youtuber. I appreciate the concern and questions, but the only reason why I would consider using my real life identity is if I wanted to do real life videos :)

[@petephelp971]

@@itsjohnmavrick makes sense I just feel that some people don't like it and those people might not watch your videos but it's seems like it's just your aesthetic do what ya love man. Hey do you know how to sync github to obsidian on Ubuntu I'm having a really hard time...

[@skylineislineskylineissizeskyl]

DISLIKE FOR CRINGE

[@itsjohnmavrick]

thanks for your feedback, what can i do in the future?

[@Eurotool]

Vtuber ew

[@itsjohnmavrick]

why whats wrong?

[@skylineislineskylineissizeskyl]

@@itsjohnmavrick look at all those dislike 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@GustavoMontanha]

crap

[@itsjohnmavrick]

how come?

[@GustavoMontanha]

@@itsjohnmavrick just hipster nonsense... Nothing effective comes from this.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

@@GustavoMontanha i would appreciate it if you could be more specific :)

[@seesmof]

please avoid going to hell guys! repent of your sins, that is confess them to GOD and turn away from them, and trust alone in JESUS CHRIST our HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

[@IgnorablePanda]

I wasn't expecting the Fairy Tail thing in the intro lol

[@itsjohnmavrick]

fairy tail?

[@o12jordan]

absolute CRINGE.

[@itsjohnmavrick]

out of curiosity how so?

[@jistaar]

why tho