How To Use Obsidian: Canvas Plug-In For Writers, Designers, and Everybody Else Too

[@VaughanVanDyk]

By far the best overview of Canvas I've seen to date - it's like having a knowledgeable friend explain something to you. Thanks so much, Jonathan!

[@plus1creator]

I really appreciate you saying that; it's exactly the feeling that I'm going for. Happy it comes through. 🙏

[@rafael987]

Great video! I started using Canvas recently to organize my days. Your video helped me to take it to the next level.

[@plus1creator]

Music to my ears; so glad it helped you out. 🙏

[@rickboyerdev]

I've been using Obsidian for over a year now, but almost left after learning about Milanote. I really love the infinite canvas idea but didn't know this was already in Obsidian. Even though Obsidian canvas is more basic than infinite options (like Milanote), it's surprisingly useful and was more than enough for what I needed. I've been using the canvas for sitemap and SEO work on my websites and it's been great for visualizing my game-plan. Thanks for your video!

[@plus1creator]

It's pretty great, right?!

[@JAFFER3657]

11:11 the way I smiled after seeing it appear on left panel, I always wanted a software which was this much easier to work with just open canvas create a card convert it and boom now it has its own file and you can connect it like a mind map in canvas window? This is some next level thing, thanx

[@plus1creator]

Music to my ears!

[@melgreer]

As a photographer living in a literary world, this is a fantastic use plugin. I eyed it warily but your examples are great. Thank you! I'll play with canvas tonight. Lots of ideas that need some structure to accomplish.

[@plus1creator]

Let's hear one for the visual thinkers!

[@captainpat]

Thanks Jonathan. The beauty of your video, compared to some others, is that you use the product and understand what it can do. And you explain it very well. I have written a few books using Scrivener and Word. And I have umpteen other programs that do this and do this. I am still testing the waters but believe Obsidian could be my new writing and discovery tool. Go to the top of the class!

[@plus1creator]

I appreciate you saying that; thank you! (Also, I'm going to make a video about a plugin that is fantastic for long form writing, so keep an eye out for that one (maybe even this week). I'll be referring it to Scrivener, too, since I'm familiar with that one, too.)

[@chandra11116]

Thanks!

[@plus1creator]

I appreciate it! 🙏

[@mdf_365]

Yeah very good, exactly what I was looking for. It's the back and forth aspect of cards and files that makes this particularly powerful. Your familiarity with the Canvas features gave me some ideas on how to make this component more useful too, namely the color and line notes. Thanks for putting this together, I realize it properbably seems rudimentary to you now as an Obsidian power user

[@plus1creator]

Awhile ago I realized that there are more people on earth who don't know anything about a topic than those who know everything. That allowed me to make "rudimentary" videos because they're the most useful to the most people. Glad to know it's helping!

[@DriscollJeff]

Very helpful and nice overview of Canvas feature.

[@plus1creator]

Thanks Jeff 👍

[@UncleSinger-33]

Another useful video! Thank you so much, I am loving your approach and your style. Looking forward seeing your next videos

[@plus1creator]

Really appreciate you saying that! I have fun making these, so I'm happy to hear you like it. If you have any questions or topics you're curious about, let me know and I'll move it up the list of potential videos!

[@UncleSinger-33]

I’m finding interesting the Tasks Community Plugin. I’m trying to figure out if it could replace the classic GTD apps. Maybe you can give it a try sometime…

[@ISMAILABUKAR-h8q]

Thank you so much sir! I am new to obsidian, and this is really helped me! I put it in my watched letter section for my weekend❤

[@plus1creator]

Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you; see you over the weekend!

[@brianfcrain6771]

Great video. Very helpful explanation!

[@plus1creator]

Thanks, man. Everything you ever saw from me started in canvas. Ha!

[@nsavch]

oh man this is a great introduction

[@plus1creator]

Makes my whole day; thank you!

[@dashboard-11]

Thanks, I just embedded this video into a canvas. 🙌

[@plus1creator]

Going meta!

[@philipped.6118]

Great video that inspires me a lot. I haven't used it yet, but I think I'm going to give it a try, it will help me put my ideas in order. THANKS. I'll subscribe to your channel immediately.

[@plus1creator]

Hi Philippe; thank you for saying that! My advice is to start small (maybe use it for random notes so they're all in one place). Then, once you're used to that, you can start using it for bigger projects & using more of its functionality. Hope that helps! ::high five::

[@philipped.6118]

@@plus1creator Thanks for your advice. It is what I am going to do. As they say in France (yes, I'm French) you shouldn't have your eyes bigger than your stomach.

[@joselaveda7449]

Thanks for the video. Did you check Excalidraw?, what do you think about this option for Visual Thinking?.

[@plus1creator]

I wanted to do a video about Canvas first since it's a core plug-in, but I am familiar with Excalidraw; in fact that's what this week's video is all about!

[@JenniferKyrnin]

nice basic overview, but I wish the title had been less misleading. this was an overview of Obsidian canvas, not a video on specifically how a writer or graphic designer might use it. i'd love to see more specific examples for how you use canvas to write books.

[@plus1creator]

I appreciate you weighing in. Most of my videos are general overviews as there are vastly more people who have never approached writing a book & would get a lot out of seeing "Oh, this is possible." I might dive in deeper with hands-on, but the Catch22 is that I make a deep dive, and then other folks with a lot of experience under their belt are set in their ways and think "I do it differently; this is useless" and then I get those comments instead. 🤣

[@JenniferKyrnin]

@@plus1creator lol yeah I wrote for 18 years about web design, I know exactly the comments you're talking about. i would LOVE a deeper dive. but i get the issue. 😇

[@rano12321]

Wow, that was really helpful.

[@plus1creator]

Happy to hear!

[@tt3b]

Thank u man❤

[@plus1creator]

You're welcome!

[@andreichecko]

great video thanks

[@plus1creator]

Thanks for giving it a watch!

[@Xbeats-q2n]

You explained well..but how can i export canvas to pdf?

[@plus1creator]

Thanks for watching. As far as I understand, you can export as an image but not as a PDF. Hopefully someone can clear that up if we're wrong.

[@BambooMusicAcademy]

Hi, if I paste a youtube link I cannot see the preview, just the link. Do you use any plugin for that? Thanks!

[@plus1creator]

Not a plugin, but I use the KZbin embed code and that usually I'll show the video such that I can watch it straight from the note. Depends on your theme, too...

[@VaughanVanDyk]

Just to add here that the embed code is needed only if adding the video as part of a note. However, one can copy the URL of a KZbin video directly and add it to a canvas using the "Add web page" option. It will show and play the video right there - no note or embed needed.

[@ryanrobinson9732]

I used it, it's very slick, but I worry about spending too much time in it and not having itbbe very future proof

[@plus1creator]

Exactly! I launched a video about Excalidraw today, and that's the reason I don't use Excalidraw; it's too proprietary. The thing I like about Canvas is that it's a core plug-in which makes me feel better even though it's not a .md format.

[@DmitriyKretov]

Thank you!

[@plus1creator]

You are welcome; I appreciate you giving it a watch.

[@YannyKo13]

Can you transfer canvas drawings to Excalidraw?

[@plus1creator]

Not sure. I mean, unless you export as a pdf or PNG and then import that into Excalidraw. I did a video about Excalidraw and came to the conclusion that it's not for me.

[@plus1creator]

Come join my creator community: www.plus1creator.com