the translation of notes onto our digital devices was a game changer. gone were the days where we had to physically take out a piece of paper and write down whatever thought we had in mind or that one grocery shopping list of items we need to keep our budget intact. i remember having an orange samsung corby, and having a fun time just using the notes app, because it had such a “realistic” experience, with the background emulating yellow pad paper sheets, complete with the red lines.
switching to the then iphones then was not so foreign. i was still greeted with the same notes design. but as technology designed leaned towards more utilitarian and minimalist approaches, it wasn’t as fun anymore just using my stubby fingers to store every (unfinished) poem i had.
which led me then to this rabbit hole (since 2015) of scouting the most efficient, user-friendly, while still providing an experience that gives me the illusion that its still pen and paper <3 i know, you must be thinking, why don’t I just stick with regular pen and paper then? why bother going through all this effort of trying so many note taking apps which leads to more digital footprint and memory hogging? idk it seems pretty fun to me,,,,,
but i did try going pen and paper before! as a person who is into fountain pens (another rabbit hole for a different time), i was quite the notebook hogger. i was able to finish a total of 5 notebooks as of this time, with each notebook existing as pairs (a journal and an anything goes notebook). i can never commit to it as my one all, be all. i still long to rummage through the contents of any dumpsite i created of my thoughts, and i know i tend to never end my search if i dont end up finding that One thing im always looking for. i even tried applying the system below to organize but it felt too cumbersome to maintain.
there’s also the question of: why not get a tablet? because i already have a phone and a laptop. im not exactly sure how i’d fit a tablet into my use cases if i can do most of its functions on my laptop. i also type faster using a keyboard.
through the years…..
any notes app on my phone
pros: easy to open, easy to type
cons: i am forgetful
google keep
ok this one i’d say was a game changer: it had both web and mobile apps, it looks good with its post it note design, and it can sync easily to your other google apps (so yay easy rummaging). the problem was it felt so temporary to keep it in there for everything i had with its minimal visible space. i also started to like the idea of archiving anything i had into a long term database. so for now this remains as a list app of reminders such as things i need to bring with me all the time or date ideas with my partner.
evernote
i ended up trying this out because of the hype it got in the productivity app space. which i understood, because at its time, it really was an amazing note taking app. with tagging, stacked notebooks, and even direct inserting of images through the app. it was also available on desktop and mobile so syncing was not an issue. it was just pure ugly thats why i left. more and more up and coming note taking apps were starting to enter the space, which left evernote at its current ugly state of having to charge premiums for the most basic features, like offline access.
zoho notebook
tbh, i really thought this was going to be the ~ one~ its design was really cute! with customizable notebook covers to sort through the topics and categories you set. the notes itself are placed on sticky notes, similar to google keep. it also had both desktop and mobile and offline access + its free ! however, my allure for these kinds of apps began to dampen when i got introduced to the idea of the zettlelkasten method.
bear
which leads me to this expensive mistaKE (because i did pay for this app for montHS). the Zettelkasten method became alluring to me (like most things) due to it being introduced by sociologist Niklas Luhman. i associated that knowing the methods of esteemed professionals from my field would be the key to being a good researcher myself….but i did learn to create my own system based on Luhman’s! learning to utilize tags and interlink ideas. (insert my ramble regarding luhman’s theory of autopoiesis and treating notes like an organic growing connected system)
notion
ah yes, its everyone’s babygirl, and it too was mine for a couple of years. i remember i was one of the early adopters of notion, back when it was still providing limited number of “blocks” or capabilities and content you can add into your notion space. but now, it’s free tier is much more capable compared to years ago: with the introduction of robust tables, databases, and gallery views to really provide a visually pleasing experience of note taking and planning in this platform. and sadly, that was the reason i had to let it go. it started to get cumbersome to maintain, with the constant need to jump through different links and pages just to do certain things. i just didn’t feel like i enjoyed the actual process to do things in this kind of interface.
obsidian
which leads to my current favorite, obsidian. the name isn’t a cute or as appealing as the previous choices. but for me it really provides the flexibility to my brain that constantly likes to change layouts (with its hodge podge of community developed themes) and plugins to be able to simplify or maximize what else i want to do here. for now, i utilize its tagging, stacked tabs, and markdown editing shortcuts to be able to easily input the stuff i like from the things i consume.
other methods im considering:
the commonplace book
i’ve been considering going analog for my quick notes and writing drafts. this guy seems to provide a nice proposition in the advantage of tactile experience towards creative openness. or maybe i just feel bad that i barely use my fountain pen beyond just writing to-do lists for the day.
evergreen notes
i came across these notes when i was going through bia’s links regarding digital gardens. i like the idea of taking notes that are engaging, as if they’re having a neverending conversation with each other. but, the maintenance of this system kind of overwhelms me. good thing there’s a plugin for obsidian to emulate the look of these notes, so i might stick to that one instead.
tracing back this rabbit hole i dug up for myself through the years was an interesting look back. it was nice to explore how i built out this archiving process for myself to be able to return to the things i love. and also seek out the ways i am able to communicate that in emerging ways i never considered. or maybe i’m just really forgetful and need a footnote from time to time.
more rabbit holes you can dig through:
a playlist i liked recently:
ELFILIBUSTHERESMO
thank u for zoomin us thru ur note-taking HISTORY! i lichrally do not have a system and everything is Everywhere All At Once! but i luv the bear one it looks cute! and i like the marking on the side i will try this :D i also have been itching to try obsidian but MONIES. i will watch this commonplace book video bec i quickly abandoned mine book after i wrote... commonplace book on the title. thnx for the mention<3