How I use Obsidian
Steph Ango's personal note-taking system emphasizes file-based storage, minimal folder hierarchy, and emergent organization through linking rather than rigid structure.
Steph Ango stores all his notes as plain Markdown files in a single folder, embracing the "file over app" philosophy. This approach prioritizes long-term accessibility over any particular tool's features.
Key Principles
Minimal structure over elaborate folders. Rather than nested hierarchies, notes use a categories property in frontmatter. Flat organization reduces friction when creating and finding notes.
Links as organization. Internal links—including unresolved ones—create breadcrumbs for future connections. The structure emerges from relationships rather than predetermined categories.
Templates for consistency. Nearly every note starts from a template containing structured metadata: dates, people, themes, locations, and ratings on a 1-7 scale.
Fractal Journaling
Daily notes compile into weekly reviews, which feed monthly summaries, then yearly reflections. Each layer aggregates patterns from the layer below, revealing trends invisible at finer granularity.
Publishing Workflow
The site itself publishes directly from Obsidian through Jekyll and Netlify. Markdown stays the source of truth while generating HTML output.
Related
This approach aligns with evergreen-notes, which emphasizes atomic structure and dense linking over hierarchical organization. Both systems let meaning emerge from connections rather than imposed categories.