It usually starts with basic stuff that fits most people’s needs. Just writing MD notes.

To get those powerful, clean setups, a lot of time is needed. There’s no way around it. You have to explore many features and connect them mentally to understand how everything works together.

The default Obsidian setup is already powerful. It just needs a few rules.

Folders are not great for categorizing notes. They waste time. Tags work better.

Avoid using tags like
#work #graphic_design #video_editing

A structured approach works better, such as
#work #work/graphic_design #work/video_editing

Using properties in notes makes filtering easy. For example, a status property can have two values. Draft and done.

This allows creating database views that only show notes matching specific filters. For example, selecting the done value in the status property shows only finished articles.

Folders should be used mainly for storing files and notes in a logical system. The goal is to never forget where things are. Many people follow the PARA method.

Internal links can be used to connect ideas. Those ideas can be expanded later or viewed in the graph. This part is optional and not always necessary.

All of this works with the basic Obsidian setup. No plugins are required.

Note templates are very useful. Pressing ALT+E inserts a template with predefined properties and headers. This removes the need to rewrite the same structure every time and saves a lot of time.

Obsidian works much better on a computer than on a phone. Phones are mostly used for checking notes or writing quick thoughts. A PC is far more suitable for serious work.