Obsidian For Dummies… I’m the Dummy#

After watching over Network Chuck’s videos and learning more about this note taking platform I had to give it a try!

Not only does this platform allow a lot of different ways for me to “word vomit” my thoughts onto paper, but I also was able to use Network Chuck’s guide to create a way to share this with all of you!

The link to his guide is here from YouTube https://youtu.be/dnE7c0ELEH8?si=B01XFqe53pEQUETJ

But I wanted to talk about my process in going through his guide and setting this up! Let’s go through my Facepalm moments together shall we?

Why Obsidian?#

There are a few reasons that I am enjoying Obsidian

  1. It is fast, and pretty intuitive to understand
  2. The file formats for the posts/pages are low in size
  3. There is support for community and developer plug-ins
  4. It uses a newer Format for Documentation .md that I am excited to be learning!

Markdown, why that format anyway?#

Markdown is the format that Obsidian uses for its file structure and organization. A Markdown file (.md) is a plain text file that uses simple syntax to format content—like bold text, italics, lists, links, and headers—without needing complex tools or software. It’s lightweight, readable, and easy to edit with any text editor. Markdown is especially popular for writing notes, documentation, and blog posts because it keeps things clean and distraction-free.

Why Obsidian Uses Markdown#

Obsidian uses Markdown because it’s fast, flexible, and future-proof. Since Markdown files are just plain text, your notes are portable—you’re not locked into any app or proprietary format. You can sync, back up, or even publish them easily. Plus, Markdown is perfect for linking ideas together, which is a core part of how Obsidian helps you build a connected knowledge base.

Creating the Blog#

Using Network Chuck’s guide, I was able to test and make a Hugo page, that was the easy part!

His guide goes through the step by step instructions in how to create and make your first Blog Post in Obsidian, and then publishing it as a local repository utilizing Git. And then with one command you can test it locally.

hugo new site websitename 
cd websitename

## once you have a theme installed
## Verify Hugo works with your theme by running this command

hugo server -t themename

This launches the Hugo website with your installed package and theme to your local installation on your system (https:localhost:1313)

This will allow you to view your theme and see how it is going to react with your website when you push your data to it.

Now even though it is not publicly accessible yet, you can make it that way by publishing it to Hostinger or your supported web platform.

I will not be going through all of that in this Blog Post, however Network Chuck’s guide goes into great detail about setting this up.

The key parts of this instruction was the development of

  • Creating your post in Obsidian
  • Creating the Repo
  • Using Hugo to create the website.
  • Publishing it to Github
  • Using a Hostinger Webhook to Github to publish this to your site!

Here is the link to his video again! https://youtu.be/dnE7c0ELEH8?si=B01XFqe53pEQUETJ

Why Do This Instead of Using the Built-in Blog on Hostinger?#

My current blog on Facepalm Studio’s website is nice—I can create a post, add images and links, verify that it’s live, and make changes when needed. But it still doesn’t do everything I want it to do.

I want a platform where I can freely dump ideas, thoughts, project plans, and other content, and then decide when to make it live.

Take this post, for example. I started writing it earlier in the week, but with my Front Matter set to “Draft,” I can keep adding to it—even while I’m tweaking my About section or refining the initial blog post. That flexibility makes a huge difference.

On Hostinger, I can unpublish posts and use WordPress themes and tools to shape them, but it doesn’t feel as natural as simply dumping my thoughts into one place.

Obsidian acts more like a “Second Brain.” It lets me offload ideas, make edits, and even share them with you, all while continuing to build new content.

Not everything here will be fully polished—but each post will have thought and care put into it, as much as I can give.

I hope you took something from this today. Stay tuned for the next post!

Keep creating. Save the pain. See you in the next one!