Your first day with Claude Code

Disclaimer: This guide has been created with Claude Code + NotebookLM.

This post is now a part of a bigger “Get started with Claude Code for creatives” guide — check it out here.

What is Claude Code, actually?

You’ve probably used ChatGPT or Claude in a browser. You type something, it responds, you copy the answer somewhere else. It works, but there’s a gap — the AI lives in one place, your actual work lives in another, and you’re constantly playing messenger between them.

Claude Code is different. It’s Claude, but it lives on your computer. It can see your files. It can read your notes, your drafts, your messy folder of half-finished ideas. And when you ask it to do something, it doesn’t just give you text to copy — it can actually make the changes, right there, with your permission.

Think of it this way: browser Claude is like texting a really smart friend for advice. Claude Code is like that friend coming over, sitting next to you, and working on your actual project together.

“But I’m not technical.”

I know. That’s fine.

Here’s what you don’t need:

• You don’t need to know how to code

• You don’t need a “real project” (a folder of notes works perfectly)

• You don’t need to understand what a “terminal” is beyond “the place where I type to Claude”

Here’s what you do need:

• A computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux)

• A Claude Pro or Max subscription (the same one you might already have for Claude in the browser)

• About 5 minutes

And one more thing: Claude Code always asks before it does anything to your files. You see exactly what it wants to change, and you say yes or no. You’re in control the whole time.

Getting started: Three steps

Step 1: Open Terminal

On Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, hit Enter. A window with a text prompt appears. That’s it. That’s the scary terminal.

On Windows: You’ll use something called PowerShell. Press the Windows key, type “PowerShell”, hit Enter.

Step 2: Install Claude Code

Copy and paste this line into your terminal and press Enter:

Mac:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

You’ll see text scrolling in the terminal — that’s normal, it’s just setting things up. It might pause for a few seconds here and there. Don’t close the window, just let it finish. When the scrolling stops and you see your regular prompt again, installation is done.

But you’re not quite ready yet — there’s one more step.

Step 3: Log in

This is the step that makes it all work. Without it, Claude Code is installed but can’t actually do anything.

Type claude and press Enter.

Claude Code will ask you to log in. A link will appear in your terminal — click it, and a browser window will open where you can sign in with your Claude account. Once you’re logged in, you’ll be redirected back to the terminal and see a welcome message.

You’re now inside Claude Code. You’ll see a > prompt waiting for you.

For this first time, let’s exit so you can navigate to a folder with your actual files. Just type:

/exit

And you’re back to the regular terminal. (You can also press Ctrl+D — that does the same thing.)

Your First Conversation

Now for the fun part.

First, you need to open your terminal inside a folder that has some of your files. This could be:

• Your Obsidian vault

• A folder with some writing drafts

• Wherever you keep notes

The easy way (no typing paths):

On Mac:

1. Open Finder and navigate to your folder

2. Right-click the folder

3. Select “New Terminal at Folder”

(Don’t see that option? One-time setup: System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Services → check “New Terminal at Folder”)

On Windows:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your folder

2. Hold Shift and right-click in the empty space inside the folder

3. Select “Open PowerShell window here”

(On Windows 11, you can just right-click and select “Open in Terminal”)

The typing way (if you prefer):

In the terminal window that you already have open, type:

Mac:

cd ~/Documents/MyNotes

Windows (PowerShell):

cd ~\Documents\MyNotes

or:

cd C:\Users\YourName\Documents\MyNotes

(Replace YourName with your actual Windows username.)

—

Now type claude and press Enter.

You’ll see a prompt that looks like this: >

That’s Claude waiting for you. Try this:

hey Claude, what's in this folder?

Claude will read your files and explain what it found. Not a generic explanation — an explanation of your actual files.

Now try:

summarize the main themes across [some files you want to summarize]

Or:

which of these files mentions [something you're curious about]?

You’re having a conversation with an AI that can see your work. No copy-pasting. No describing what you have. It just knows.

A few more things to try

Once you’ve got the basics, here are some simple prompts to experiment with.

If you have writing drafts:

read my essay in [the file with your essay] and tell me where the argument gets weak

If you want help organizing:

suggest a folder structure for [some files] based on their content

If you’re stuck on something:

I'm trying to write an opening paragraph about [topic]. Give me three different angles I could take.

If you want to understand something you downloaded:

explain what [this thing you just downloaded] is and how it's organized

The pattern is simple: ask in plain English, be specific about what you want, and Claude will work with what’s actually there.

When you’re ready for more

There’s a lot more Claude Code can do — custom instructions that teach it about your projects, workflows that automate repetitive tasks, ways to make it remember your preferences.

But that’s for later. For now, just play. Navigate to different folders. Ask questions about your files. See what happens when you ask Claude to help you organize, brainstorm, or find something.

The whole point is this:

Claude Code isn’t for “technical people.” It’s for anyone who has files on their computer and wants a thinking partner who can actually see them.

You can do this.

Quick reference

Install (one time):

• Mac: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

• Windows: irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Open terminal in your folder:

• Mac: Right-click folder in Finder → “New Terminal at Folder”

• Windows: Shift + right-click inside folder → “Open PowerShell window here”

Start Claude Code:

claude

Helpful commands once you’re in:

• /help — see all available commands

• /clear — start fresh

• /exit — leave Claude Code (or press Ctrl+D)

• Type your question and press Enter — that’s the main thing

---

This guide is now a part of my “Get started with Claude Code for creatives” master guide — check it out here.