AI values outputs. Creators value the process.
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For the past three years I’ve been watching one of my favorite people create a massive art project. She and her co-artist friend have drawn, painted and written prayers to accompany each art piece and recorded themselves in time lapse to share the creative process online. It’s been magical to watch and I was first in line when their product launched (and am loving it, btw.) But what has impressed me even more is her courage to “do it the long hard way” in the age of AI. When AI can create art instantly or write the perfectly worded caption, she still chose to devote herself to the process of creation. Every day for three years! She recently talked about her experience on this interview and the message that really stood out to me was this: AI values outputs and finished products. It can be easy in our hyper-productive capitalistic world to think that the most valuable reason we create is for outputs and outcomes. Those can certainly be motivating…but there’s so much truth in this timeless paradigm: The Joy is in the Journey. I was recently reading a book about creation when the author asked an interesting question. He said, “What would you love to create so much that you would do it for no reason other than you absolutely loved creating it?” My tendency is to think that whatever that answer is for me, I should make that my career. But when I ask myself this question with sincerity (and 45 years worth of life experience of turning everything I loved into a job), I now have different answers… What do I love so much I would do it for no reason other than I absolutely love creating it? Composing Music The creative struggle of expressing myself through music or storytelling is what helps me grow. It’s my favorite way to embody what I learn and integrate on a deeper level. Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my favorite authors and I recently watched one of her Substack videos where she responded to a reader’s question of “are you afraid AI will replace you because it can write better than you can?” She responded with humorous absurdity by saying something to the effect of “There’s already so many better writers than me. I don’t write to be the best author. I write because I love it. I write because I need it. I write because it changes me.” I realize that not everyone is a writer or an artist or musician… But all of us can get stuck thinking the outputs are all that matters. And before long, we can watch our own voice, idiosyncrasies and quirks in what we create suddenly turn to generic perfection when we give away the our creative expression to AI. We can be quick to forget that our own voice matters when we’re only focusing on the outputs. I’m here to tell you that YOUR VOICE MATTERS. Your imperfect creation is needed. Not only as an output, but because you need the experience of what authentically expressing yourself can do for you! Creation isn’t just about the end results. I’ve spent 30 years bringing my own creations into the world, from opening a piano studio at age 15 to producing a podcast with 2 million downloads. Now my favorite thing is helping other women bring theirs to life in my 1 on 1 coaching. Maybe that podcast name that has been sitting in your Notes app for two years is ready to be taken seriously. Maybe that book you’ve been trying to work on when you find the time is needing more attention. Maybe the business you’ve wanted to start after certifying and training is ready to blossom and not be relegated to “I just need to take one more online course and then I’ll be ready.” All of this requires you to trust that your own expression matters. Not just for what you have to offer the world, but what this can do for you. Trusting that your imperfect offering is worth something in a sea of generic perfection can feel scary. And that’s where I’d love to support you. If you are ready to have some team effort on bringing your gifts into the world, coaching could be the perfect fit. (Details here). In the meantime, don’t get so lost in outputs that you forget what the creative journey can offer you in the present. You are a creator. Namaste. Delightfully, If you know someone who would enjoy this email,
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