Don't Outsource Your Creativity to AI

I won’t lie, when I sat down to write this blog I was feeling pretty depleted. After a full day of coaching, my brain was properly jellified and inspiration wasn’t coming easy. 

So I thought to myself, “Well, maybe I can brainstorm some topic ideas with ChatGPT.”

Seemed like a safe enough solution–just to find a jumping off point. 

5 minutes later, I’d been presented with a list of public speaking related topics to riff off. 

Not terribly original topics, but fine.

And again, I was tired. 

So, armed with a list of topics, I sat down to write. 

And as I stared at the blinking cursor I thought to myself, “Wow, this feels hard today. Writing is hard. I wish creativity wasn’t so hard.”

My stomach dropped as I replayed that intrusive thought in my head: 

“I wish creativity wasn’t so hard.”

Yikes! 

This is a sentiment I’d heard come up in a number of my coaching sessions with clients over the last few weeks, but it was the first time I’d heard it from the voice in my own head, and I found it unsettling. 

Because I’ve always been a big fan of the Maya Angelou quote: 

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

Unfortunately, I think the inverse is true as well. 

The less you use your creativity, the harder it becomes to access. 

Thus, the pit in my stomach. 

Because this speaks to my big fear around AI…

I’m not actually afraid that AI is becoming more creative than humans–I’m afraid that using it is making humans less creative. 

And while there are many things in my life that feel smart to outsource, creativity is not one of them. 

That is not a muscle I intend to let atrophy. If you feel similarly, I encourage you to give your creativity a little workout today. 

• Write a haiku

• Draw a doodle

• Pitch your spouse on a film property you think the Muppets should adapt

Make something. Even if it’s frustratingly bad. Even if it feels hard. 

The more creativity you use, the more you have. So go use some today. 

Warmly,

Sara

P.S. My Muppet movie pitch is Sweeney Todd. Please feel free to reply with your own pitches.