Brainstorming through Essay Trees

Writing forces constraint that thinking alone doesn’t. It externalizes ideas, making them visible and debuggable. It exposes gaps between what I believe I understand and what I can actually explain.

When I tackle a considerable problem, I start by articulating it as best I can in Obsidian. I dissect the issue into segments using headings, then flesh out each section after some research. This structure reveals relationships between ideas that outlining or rough notes alone obscure.

I tinker daily for about a week, adding and editing as I discover new concepts or disprove earlier assumptions. Once I have enough information to design a viable solution, I repeat the process, creating a new essay branch. Documenting the path and not just the destination allows me to visit earlier branches of thought which I might want to reconsider exploring later.

Most of these essay trees are problems I want to validate. Most aren’t worth pursuing though. But the thinking itself was the point.