4 creative ways I use Obsidian Canvas that aren’t just flowcharts

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The Sundarban


The Sundarban 4

Published Feb 27, 2026, 6:00 PM EST

Afam’s expertise in tech publishing dates back to 2018, when he worked for Invent Tech More uncomplicated. Over the years, he has built a recognition for publishing high of the vary guides, critiques, guidelines, and explainer articles, covering Windows, Linux, and originate source tools. His work has been featured on high web sites, together with Technical Ustad, Windows File, Guiding Tech, Alphr, and Subsequent of Windows.

He holds a serious diploma in Computer Science and is a real advocate for files privateness and security, with loads of guidelines, videos, and tutorials on the field printed on the Fuzo Tech YouTube channel.

When he isn’t working, he loves to use time along with his family, cycling, or tending to his garden. 

Obsidian is largely the most powerful originate-source point to-taking app I do know. I’ve always used Markdown in Obsidian, and even when Canvas used to be offered, I before the total lot skipped over it. I chanced on the premise of a free-maintain endless board intriguing, nonetheless I did not undoubtedly give it extra consideration.

I easiest began to essentially comprehend the importance of Canvas when I moved from merely attempting to attract out processes to laying solutions out in pickle. Reasonably than seeing it as a tool for documenting completed thoughts, or not it is the appropriate space for shaping my messy solutions. I possess continuously relied on it since I began the use of it as my thinking flooring, and I had been in a location to maintain about a of essentially the most creative uses for it.

The article assist watch over room

How I accomplish an argument earlier than I write it

The Sundarban The article control room

My article assist watch over room is what undoubtedly cemented Canvas as a permanent member of my workflow. When I must write a extreme article, the very very first thing I attain is maintain a staunch Canvas. I space part playing cards as movable blocks around it, they most regularly kind not even will possess to be in a desirable outline. On one aspect, I possess my compare snippets, and on the assorted aspect, the entire wanted screenshots and examples are effectively placed.

Any maintain of media that that that you may possibly possibly well presumably must add to your Canvas must first exist to your vault.

Sooner than I began the use of Canvas on this kind, I’d use time drafting linearly. The pickle used to be that I’d need written as much as a thousand phrases easiest to know that the heart used to be skinny on files or there used to be just too worthy in my introduction. The inequity now is that Canvas permits me to peek the imbalance even earlier than I write one paragraph. By the board, I’m in a position to repeat which part is skinny because assorted sections dominate it.

I love the Markdown structure, nonetheless a design back is how it would also conceal structural considerations, since it makes the total lot undoubtedly feel evenly spaced. Canvas presents weight to all parts and permits me to peek what’s bloated, even when my arguments attain not join.

I possess moved from outlining to designing the structure of the article, and when I must switch to my true draft, I’m already certain that the form works. It reduces the must rewrite.

The premise collision board

When I’m out of angles, I force solutions to bump into every assorted

I possess what I name my collision board, and or not it’s transform my poke-to every time I plug out of angles. Right here’s a clean Canvas where I tumble the total lot that I care about in my enviornment of interest. It’s intentionally void of repeat or hierarchy. It’s composed of scattered playing cards: identification, systems, relaxation, ambiance, leverage, friction, consideration, AI, constraints, time chop-off dates, and further.

On my collision board, I merely creep pieces together. It solutions the put aside a question to “what happens if” and creates angles I by no arrangement would possess design of. What happens if “rest” combines with “deadlines”? What happens if “ambiance accomplish” and “identity” merge? What happens if I pull “AI” shut to “systems”?

I possess had eureka moments when bringing together solutions that gave the look of unrelated parts, elevating questions I had by no arrangement contemplated.

You kind not accept this maintain of assorted working with lists. Lists are far too organized to permit solutions to wrong borders. It’s powerful for them to possess interplay since they sit down in desirable vertical repeat. Canvas permits for randomness, which, when used precisely, can maintain friction or unnatural adjacency. The angles it produces maintain my design collision board the closest thing I must a creativity tab.

The book mind

How I use Canvas to peek what authors are undoubtedly pronouncing

The Sundarban The book brain

When a book issues to me, I possess realized to not assist linear notes anymore. I now possess what I name a book mind. Right here’s how it works: the key book point to stays at the heart of my Canvas, and it’s circled by clusters. These will likely be key solutions in one house, quotes that hit powerful in one more, or private reactions someplace else. Afterward, I’m in a position to commence pulling in connections from assorted books.

What makes it intriguing is that certain perspectives transform clear. As an illustration, it used to be my book mind that made it evident that Greg McKeown (Essentialism) and Derek Sivers (Hell Yeah or No) argue the identical underlying theory — that keeping your focal point arrangement ruthlessly getting rid of practically the total lot so that that you may possibly possibly well presumably give your easiest to what issues — from fully assorted angles.

Zooming out permits the patterns to demonstrate, and the repetitions across assorted authors transform evident. It highlights contradictions and lets me peer the solutions I will likely be unconsciously leaning in direction of. The discovering out turns into synthesis, and also you most regularly must pause and put aside a question to what the book is undoubtedly together with to your thinking.

The mental mannequin wall

Mapping the solutions I deem I live by

The Sundarban Creative Canvas option

I just just as we instruct began itemizing the solutions that I repeat most most regularly, and I made every its own card on my mental mannequin wall Canvas.

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