AI Isn’t the Boss - It’s the Assistant: How Artists & Creatives Can Use AI Without Losing Their Soul 💀🧠
Let’s be real: AI is everywhere right now - and if you're a creative (especially one with a bit of dark humor and a chaotic brain), it can feel like the robots are closing in.
But here's the truth:
AI isn’t here to steal your soul.
It’s here to sharpen your pencils and refill your coffee.
You’re still the one running the show.
I decided to write this blog post because I’m doubling down on growing my creative biz and blog - and for me, taking action is how I show the universe I’m serious. No more waiting. And since AI is the hot topic of the decade (and let’s face it, also a very misunderstood one), it felt like the perfect time to talk about it.
So if you’re an artist, creative, or sarcastic soul like me wondering how to actually use AI without losing your voice, keep reading. This is the post for you.
1. Let’s Get One Thing Straight: AI Isn’t Replacing You (Unless You Let It) 🤖✋
You’ve probably seen the AI art debates. “Is it real art?” “Is it stealing?” “Will it replace us all?” Cue dramatic horror music.
Let me offer a spicy take: AI is a tool, not a replacement. Just like Photoshop didn’t end traditional painting (and acrylics didn’t cancel watercolors), AI isn’t here to erase human creativity. It’s just… new.
But here’s the catch: if you hand it the wheel, it will drive you into Generic Town.
AI doesn’t know your trauma, your wit, your voice, your aesthetic. It doesn’t know you scream into the void on Tuesdays or cry over fonts. It doesn’t know your favorite brush pen or that you always draw mushrooms when you’re stuck.
That’s your magic. And AI? It can’t touch that.
2. AI Is the Intern - You're Still the Creative Director 💼✨
Think of AI like your weird little unpaid intern. Super fast, a little awkward, occasionally gives you gold - but absolutely not allowed to run the meeting.
Here’s how I personally use AI to make my creative life easier (without letting it take over):
✍️ Writing Blog Outlines (like this one!)
I treat AI like a brainstorming buddy. I give it my big idea, ask for a rough outline, then gut it and rewrite it in my own voice - because no robot is as delightfully sarcastic as me.
🛒 Brainstorming Product Titles + Etsy Descriptions
Ever stared at a woodburned skull for 30 minutes trying to name it? Yeah. AI gives me a jumpstart with title options or product blurbs. But I always rewrite it so it sounds like me.
📩 Email Newsletters + Social Captions
When I brain dump a hot mess of thoughts, AI helps me organize them into a flow. But again: I’m the one writing the punchlines and tweaking the tone.
🔍 SEO + Keywords (without losing my soul)
Yes, I use AI to help find search terms, especially for blog posts and Etsy listings. But I always make sure the final content still feels human. Weird. Emotional. Real.
🎨 NOT for Final Designs
AI might suggest an idea. But my art? That comes from my sketchbook, my soul, and sometimes my slightly unhinged brain at 2am.
The rule: AI can start the conversation - but I end it. Always.
3. Warning: Don’t Let AI Run the Meeting 🧍♀️💻
There’s a dark side to using AI - and I’m not talking about the Terminator kind. I’m talking about the moment your work starts sounding like… well, everyone else’s.
AI will default to safe. It will pick bland words. It will strip out your edge. So here are a few signs AI might be creeping too far into your process:
🚩 Your captions all sound the same.
🚩 You’re second-guessing your own style.
🚩 You’re spending more time tweaking AI than creating.
🚩 Your art or writing feels hollow.
If you’ve noticed any of those, it’s time to pause and get back to YOU.
The magic, the mess, the weird little flourishes - those are what people come for. That’s what your audience connects with. That’s what sells.
Don’t let a robot erase your rough edges. That’s the good stuff.
Real Pain, Real Theft: The AI Art Struggle is Very Real 🖤🔥
Let’s not sugarcoat it: what’s happening in the art world with AI is heavy.
Thousands of artists - especially independent ones like us - have had their work scraped, copied, and repackaged by AI models without permission. Their blood, sweat, and tears fed into a machine that now spits out imitations in seconds. And worse? People are selling those AI “creations” as if they were original art.
It’s not just frustrating.
It’s violating.
It’s exhausting.
If you’re an artist trying to make a living from your weird, soulful, personal work… it can feel like you're being replaced by a copy of a copy of a copy. And all of that fear? Totally valid.
💀 You worked for years to develop your style.
💀 You’ve put your heart into every piece.
💀 And now bots are selling art with soulless perfection - and people are buying it.
I see you. I am you. And this is why I’m so passionate about drawing a clear line: AI can be a support tool, but it should never replace the human behind the work. Ever.
If you choose to use AI, do it from a place of empowerment - not desperation. Use it to amplify your creativity, not to replicate someone else’s.
We’re not here to compete with robots.
We’re here to remind people that real art - art with story, struggle, sarcasm, and soul - still matters.
And always will.
4. How to Ethically Use AI as a Creative (Without Selling Out) 🖤
AI is a tool, but like any tool, you’ve got to use it with intention. Here are my top tips for using AI as a support system - not a replacement:
🔥 1. Start with YOU
Before prompting AI, write out your messy, unfiltered thoughts. Then use it to shape or structure - not to create from scratch.
🧠 2. Reword Everything in Your Voice
Even if AI gives you a helpful start, don’t use it copy/paste. Inject your sarcasm, your weirdness, your truth. Make it unmistakably yours.
🧙♀️ 3. Don’t Rely on It for Inspiration
Use AI to break a block - not to replace your muse. Your inspiration comes from life, struggle, chaos, and joy. Robots don’t know heartbreak or imposter syndrome. You do.
🛠️ 4. Keep Control
If you feel yourself drifting, reset. Step away. Go doodle. Touch grass. Burn something (in your art, not in real life… unless it’s sage, maybe).
🧩 5. Use AI to Organize, Not Direct
Let it categorize your ideas, generate outlines, or help repurpose content across platforms. But never hand over the big decisions.
5. Real Talk: My Blog, My Biz, and Why This Post Matters 🔮📈
I’m writing this not just to drop truth bombs about AI, but because I’m in a growth season. I want to show the universe (and myself) that I’m serious about growing my creative business, blog, and art.
For me, that means taking consistent, inspired action—and blogging is a simple, powerful way to do that. It’s my voice, my story, my space. And if I can use AI to help me write smarter and post more consistently? Damn right I will.
But here’s the line in the sand: I’ll never let AI be the star.
It’s the stagehand. The lighting tech. The caffeinated assistant holding my calendar and asking, “Hey, need help with that caption?”
I’m the one with the vision.
So are you!
6. Final Thoughts: The Future Is Weird - Make It Yours 🛸🖤
AI isn’t evil. It’s not magic either. It’s a tool.
It can help you write better, work faster, and stop staring at blinking cursors.
But it can’t replace your weird, wonderful, wounded, sarcastic, chaotic brain. And honestly? That’s a good thing.
So go ahead - use AI. Just don’t crown it queen.
Let it sharpen your pencils, but keep your hands on the sketchbook.
Let it outline your blog, but write the heart of it yourself.
Let it suggest—but never silence you.
What about you?
Have you started using AI in your creative process? What’s helped (or hurt)?
Drop a comment and let’s chat.