How to write for yourself in the age of Artificial Intelligence
Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go. - E.L. Doctorow
Let's be honest: I write my articles myself for selfish reasons, and I do not apologise.
When I sit down to write, something magical happens. The swirling chaos of thoughts in my head begins to crystallise. Ideas that seemed disconnected suddenly reveal their hidden relationships.
Capturing my thinking on the page forces a clarity that simply doesn't happen when those thoughts remain trapped in the echo chamber of my mind.
I am bad at verbalising my thinking, but slightly better at writing them down.
I am bad at verbalising my feelings, but slightly better at understanding them through writing.
Writing is my personal laboratory for understanding myself.
Each article becomes an exploration of what I genuinely think and feel about a subject.
I often don't fully know my position until I've written it out, watching my opinions evolve paragraph by paragraph, sometimes surprising even myself with the conclusions I reach.
There's also an undeniable thrill in crafting the perfect sentence or finding the exact metaphor to capture a complex idea. It's a creative satisfaction that no AI-generated content could provide me.
The struggle, the false starts, the moments of inspiration; these are the experiences that make writing worthwhile.
Sure, AI could produce something serviceable in a fraction of the time, but it wouldn't be mine. It wouldn't capture my unique voice, my particular way of seeing the world, or my brain's connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
So yes, I write for myself, to better understand my mind, to experience the satisfaction of creation, and to leave my distinctive mark on the world.
The fact that others might find value in reading what I've written? That's a blessing. It's an honour that I don't take lightly, but it will always come second in priorities.
If no one read what I wrote, I would still write.
I started writing to understand myself and deal with my inner demons when I was 12, and deep inside me, I think — I will never stop, which makes me happy.
That said, I'm no Luddite.
I actively embrace AI tools to enhance and complement my work. AI delivers impressive efficiency when crafting punchy, conversion-driven marketing copy.
When my articles call for visual elements, AI-generated images offer creative possibilities I might never have imagined. When I venture into unfamiliar topics, AI-assisted brainstorming helps me grasp the broader context and explore diverse perspectives before forming my conclusions.
Case in point: just a few lines ago, I typed "Luditte", a word I've known for some time but had never looked up regarding its origins.
I asked ChatGPT for the etymology (the study of word origins), and here's what I learnt:
This balanced approach of preserving the deeply human act of writing while leveraging AI for supportive functions has transformed my creative process. I encourage you to find a similar equilibrium.
Don't surrender the profound self-discovery that comes from writing your thoughts, but don't hesitate to employ these remarkable tools where they truly add value.
The creative process doesn't need to be an either-or proposition; the most fulfilling path lies in thoughtfully combining human insight with technological capability.