Musings on building a Second Brain.

explorations around building a second brain with Obsidian

There’s something simply brilliant about those quiet moments when we allow our minds to wander, meandering through the expansive landscape of our thoughts. I reckon, as an ever-pensive person, it’s a lot like strolling through an art gallery – an exhibit of abstracts and musings.

A fair amount of these “wanderous” thoughts find a home on this website, comfortably tucked under the “Thought Experiment” tag. But hey, not every neuron firing in my head deserves its own blog post. So, where do these private musings end up? Well, let’s take a journey into my “second brain.”

When I’m brainstorming with my team, our ideas tend to spring into existence on a Whimsical board. At the birth of a new concept, it’s like watching a nebula form; ideas and insights swirling together in a cosmic dance. There’s nothing quite like seeing an idea come to life!

Then, when things start to get real – I’m talking design, development, market strategies – these thoughts level up, graduating to a Notion document. From tiny snippets of inspiration to fully fleshed-out plans, Notion houses it all. It’s a second brain without the boundaries, a limitless expanse for all our bright and bold thoughts. But here’s the catch: these tools come with a price tag.

I began the hunt for a leaner alternative when my wallet started to feel the pinch. That’s when I stumbled upon Obsidian – a promising contender that seemed to be a stripped-down, offline option working with markdown. And believe it or not, I have no qualms about that.

Fast-forward to today, and I can tell you, Obsidian is not just promising – it’s downright beautiful. You know that sense of wonder when you find a hidden gem? That’s Obsidian for you. For the first time, I feel like I’m not just jotting down my thoughts – I’m mapping them. It’s a visual representation of my mental landscape, each node and connection revealing how my ideas intertwine and evolve.

There’s something truly enchanting about this newfound ability to visualize my thoughts. It’s as though I’ve stumbled upon a treasure map of my own cognitive journey. So, here’s to Obsidian – the ‘lean’ tool that has made this possible.

P.S. – Who knew second-braining could be this fun, right?