Curate, Connect, Cultivate Knowledge System

A companion vault for the book "Curate, Connect, Cultivate: Build a Personal Knowledge System That Grows With You" (coming 2026). This Obsidian vault demonstrates a methodology for building a sustainable personal knowledge management system that works with how you actually think—and how AI tools process information.

Want to be notified when the book and full companion vault launches? Join our email list here: https://www.curateconnectcultivate.ai/

Why This System?

The Problem with Traditional Knowledge Management

Most knowledge management systems fail because they optimize for collecting rather than understanding. Tags proliferate into chaos. Folders force artificial hierarchies on networked information. You save everything but understand nothing. Even sophisticated systems like Zettelkasten need adaptation for our digital, AI-enhanced world.

The Curate, Connect, Cultivate Solution

This methodology addresses these fundamental issues through three core practices:

1. Curate: Practice selective capture based on clear criteria. Not everything deserves to be saved. Our 5W framework (What for? Why now? What else? Who from? Where to?) ensures each piece of information earns its place through genuine utility.
2. Connect: Build explicit relationships between ideas using aliases, backlinks, and structure notes. Knowledge forms networks, not hierarchies. Multiple pathways to the same concept mirror how memory works and how AI processes information.
3. Cultivate: Maintain a living system through consistent practices. Notes evolve as understanding deepens. Connections strengthen through use. The system becomes more valuable over time through active tending.

What's Included

✅ Complete and Ready to Use

• 12 Atomic Notes: Demonstrating single-concept clarity with the DAE framework (Definition-Analogy-Example)
• 3 Structure Notes: Showing how to organize and navigate knowledge networks
  • Curate, Connect, Cultivate System (main methodology hub)
  • Thinking and Learning (cognitive tools and memory)
  • System Design (architecture principles)
• 10 Templates: For consistent note creation across all types
  • Atomic Note (standard and Anki versions)
  • Daily Note, Weekly Review, Meeting Note
  • Reference Note, Structure Note, Person Note
  • Vocabulary Note, General Note
• 1 Reference Note: "How to Take Smart Notes" fully processed and linked
• Core Folder Structure: Organized for both human navigation and AI compatibility

🚧 Coming Soon

• Workflow Examples: Daily capture routines, weekly reviews, meeting notes
• Additional Sample Notes: Person profiles, vocabulary entries
• AI Integration Guide: Prompts and workflows for AI-assisted knowledge work
• Advanced Techniques: Cross-domain linking, emergence patterns

Five Principles for Human-AI Collaboration

1. Atomic thinking with consistent structure: One idea per note with internal organization supporting both human understanding and machine parsing
2. Selective curation using explicit criteria: Information must be worth your future self's time
3. Explicit connections through aliases and links: Relationships between ideas must be visible and navigable
4. Natural language for broad accessibility: Clear writing that humans understand is what AI systems can process
5. Evolution through active maintenance: Notes should reflect growing understanding, not remain static

Getting Started

1. Install Obsidian - Free, local-first knowledge management
2. Clone or download this repository - Get the complete vault structure
3. Open the folder as a vault in Obsidian - File → Open Vault → Select folder
4. Follow the GETTING-STARTED.md guide - 30-minute hands-on introduction

Vault Structure

companion-vault/
├── Atomic Notes/          # Single-concept notes (YYYYMMDDHHMM format)
├── Structure Notes/       # Topic maps and navigation hubs
├── Reference Notes/       # Literature notes from external sources
├── Templates/            # Consistent starting points
├── Inbox/               # Capture before curation
├── Reviews/             # Daily, weekly, quarterly reflections
├── Projects/            # Active project documentation
├── People/              # Individual profiles and connections
├── Meetings/            # Meeting notes and decisions
└── Attachments/         # Images and supporting files

Key Features

• Timestamp-based naming (YYYYMMDDHHMM) ensures uniqueness and chronology
• Consistent note structure via templates for reliable processing
• Multiple navigation paths through aliases, tags, and backlinks
• Minimal plugin dependencies for sustainability and portability
• Git-friendly plain text for version control and collaboration
• AI-compatible structure for enhanced knowledge work

Philosophy

This system works because it aligns with cognitive science research on how humans process and retain information. When you write in your own words, create explicit connections, and regularly review and refine, you engage the mechanisms that create lasting understanding.

The AI compatibility isn't coincidental. Large language models process information through patterns and relationships—exactly what this methodology makes explicit. Your knowledge system becomes a thinking partner that both you and AI tools can navigate effectively.

Learn More

• Book: "Curate, Connect, Cultivate" by Jason Gilbertson and Terri Yeh (coming 2026)
• Contact: jason.gilbertson@gmail.com or yeh.terri@gmail.com for early access or questions
• Updates: Star this repository for notification of new features and workflow examples

License

This vault template is released under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. You're free to use, modify, and share with attribution.

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Note: This is an active project. Star the repository to be notified when workflow examples and AI integration guides are added.