So, if you’ve noticed, I have an Etsy shop and a new shopify shop! It’s been a whirlwind for me–the idea that I could sell products with a vision in mind, but not the big expense up front is really a cool concept to me!
Now, you can be all things. The designer, the producer, the marketer–a person with many hats. It’s really cool!
Yet, that’s a lot for anyone to put on their plate. Even with all the tools available, posting listings, writing prompts, creating mockups, and testing the market all take time and money.
AI Anxiety is Real, but How Can It Be Helpful?
With AI, I’m able to do all the things that would normally limit me: I don’t have the means to hire designers, but I have the time and willingness to create things on my own. The thing is…I need help, just like everyone else. I don’t have the training for image creation. But I can write (which, AI can also do).
I’m a writer (and by expansion, a mini editor). AI creates so much now. Am I slightly frustrated that something that took me many hours with care and thought can be replaced by AI so casually? Maybe a little. But it doesn’t deter me. This is the new reality we’re in, whether I like it or not. It’s time for me to adapt, not complain.
But It is Kinda Scary
Does this mean all AI generation should pass as purely someone’s original work? No, I don’t think so at all. Do I think it’s “cheating?” No. It’s a tool and just like every other tool preceding it. Many people have access to it.
Is digital art any less beautiful than hand-drawn? Is a product created by a factory any less effective than one created by bare hands? Is a recipe more valuable if it uses a box of cake mix instead of flour, sugar, and leavening agent separately? Furthermore, is ready-made flour less valuable than a person who cares for, harvests, and mills their own? I don’t think so, but I do respect someone with the patience, skills, and resources that can build something 100% by themselves.
This makes me think of the industrial revolution. New technology initially felt threatening. Factories now create products more efficiently and expediently.
People panicked. This would mean less jobs–less dependence on people and their skills…right? Well, not exactly. People still need to run the factories. It’s a normal part of the world now. And that’s the same for AI. Somehow, people have adapted.
Maybe these comparisons don’t quite fit the situation we’re in. I respect that. I see the nuances. AI is a completely new frontier: one I find paradoxically exciting and a little frightening. All the training I’ve had in my life to become a writer can be replaced by something that has access to pretty much everything. All the knowledge of the world, all the resources (yes, sometimes both credible and not-so-credible)–it’s collected, archived, and utilized in one place.
Turn AI Anxiety Into Opportunity
There’s still room for originality. Creativity is not dead. I would argue that it’s just giving people another way to express it. We can still make things from scratch. Still build homemade, crafted things. We were previously limited, but now, we can do the things that we always wanted to do. I can build a website without coding, create art by writing, and produce without needing huge amounts of inventory. I’m not limited by my limited budget. These tools are available NOW. I think that’s cool.
So should I rail against the rise of AI? Should I pretend that things will go back to the way they were? No. I think that’s out of the question at this point.
New Exciting Possibilities
I would love to have a team, but right now, I’m just me. This is a way for me to find a spot for the heart of what I care about while also attempting to make money…because, you know. Survival. I can spread the message that you are not alone, put new ideas about flies out into the world (heehee), and use my desire to connect with others in ways I didn’t think possible.
I’m here, speaking to people I wouldn’t be able to otherwise–because of the internet. And now, I can create designs with help that wouldn’t be available to me before because of a paywall.
Maybe I’m naive, or toxically positive. But I’d like to hope not. I think people will adapt, as they always do.
By the way, none of what I write on this blog is from AI EXCEPT the parts where it’s out of my expertise–the end blurbs that state actionable steps toward healing through complex things like anxiety should and are referenced by only credible websites. The stuff about my own life, though–well, of course that’s all me! ☺️
My promise is that I will always be honest about my journey. It can be tempting to completely rely on these AI tools. I will not do that. I will keep what I know while still continuing to learn. Isn’t that all that anyone can do?
Some Topics for Discussion
Are you for or against AI? Is it a technology that can be used for good? Can we “put the toothpaste back into the tube,” or is it too late? How can AI be life-changing?
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