Jack Myers’ new 350-page how-to book Creativity Unleashed: How AI Can Supercharge Your Ideasis now available at AMAZON for $2.99 and is your invitation to tap into your creative potential, whether you’re in business, science, art, or activism. By combining human ingenuity with AI, you can overcome limitations, inspire others, and contribute to a brighter future. Creativity isn’t just personal -- it’s collective. It’s how we solve problems, connect communities, and inspire hope. The following is an excerpt offering practical tips, tools, and ideas for using AI as a co-creator.
Let’s dive into practical ways you can start experimenting with AI as a co-creator in your own work. Here are some suggestions to help you explore tasks you might offload, ideas you could expand upon, and boundaries you might push further.
Offloading Tedious Tasks for Writers and Content Creators
Writing isn’t just about big ideas; it involves lots of detail-oriented tasks, too. Try using an AI tool like Grammarly or ChatGPT to help you polish grammar, suggest edits, or even generate starting ideas for topics. If you’re drafting a blog post, for example, you could ask an AI to provide an outline based on your main idea, or brainstorm titles and headings. By offloading these smaller tasks, you’re freeing yourself up to focus on the parts of writing that matter most to you -- your unique style, message, and voice.
Exploring New Angles for Visual Artists and Designers
If you’re a visual artist, consider using AI to generate mood boards, color palettes, or initial sketches. Tools like Midjourney or DALL-E can help you visualize ideas based on simple text prompts, giving you a starting point that you can then modify and build upon. If you’re designing a logo or branding for a client, try generating multiple AI-based variations on a theme, and use those images as a springboard for creating a final design that incorporates your personal style.
Streamlining Research for Educators and Analysts
For educators or anyone conducting research, AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity can be invaluable. Instead of combing through countless resources, you can ask the AI to provide summaries, analyze trends, or gather relevant information. If you’re preparing a lesson on a complex topic, for instance, you could use AI to break down the information into digestible pieces or brainstorm examples that make the material more relatable for students. This saves time and allows you to focus on crafting engaging and meaningful content.
Expanding Inspiration for Musicians and Sound Designers
Musicians can collaborate with AI tools like Amper Music or OpenAI’s MuseNet to compose melodies, harmonies, or beats. If you’re working on a piece and get stuck on a melody, try generating some AI-inspired variations. You could also experiment by inputting genre descriptions or moods, like “jazzy sunset melody” or “ambient forest sounds,” and then remix or adapt these outputs to fit your style. This interaction with AI can spark new ideas and inspire you to try combinations you might not have thought of on your own.
Experimenting with AI-Powered Brainstorming for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
If you’re an entrepreneur or innovator, AI can be a valuable brainstorming partner. Tools like Notion AI or ChatGPT can help you generate ideas for marketing campaigns, product features, or brand messaging. For example, if you’re trying to come up with a unique selling proposition for a new product, ask the AI to generate a list of catchy slogans or innovative features based on your product description. By letting AI give you a variety of options, you can gain fresh perspectives that inform your strategy.
Creating Hyper-Personalized Content in Marketing
Marketers looking to personalize their content at scale can use AI for audience analysis, content generation, and targeting. If you’re planning a social media campaign, for instance, AI can help analyze what topics, keywords, or visuals are trending within your target demographic, allowing you to tailor your messaging more effectively. You could also use AI to draft initial versions of posts or email campaigns and then edit them to add your unique touch.
These ideas are just starting points; the goal is to encourage you to experiment and see where AI might fit naturally in your creative routine. Remember, AI doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be a catalyst. Try it out with small projects or as an addition to your creative process and pay attention to where it helps you move past creative blocks or explore new territory. As you continue through this chapter, consider how the concepts of collaboration, creativity, and symbiosis with AI could enhance your work -- and maybe even change the way you think about creativity itself.
How to Start Using AI as Your Ideation Partner
Let’s begin with practical ways you can use AI to inspire ideas and generate concepts. AI tools are at your fingertips, ready to act as a sounding board, inspiration source, or creative jolt when you need it. As you move through this section, take action after each example, experiment with a tool, and experience the power of AI as a true partner in creativity.
Example 1: Idea Generation in Writing
Whether you’re a novelist, blogger, or content creator, we all face the dreaded blank page. AI can help you get past it. Using tools like ChatGPT or Jasper AI, you can start with a simple prompt or theme and watch as the AI generates a variety of ideas, outlines, or opening lines. Try this exercise now:
Example: If you’re stuck on a writing project, open an AI tool and type in your topic or theme. Ask for “three different perspectives” on the theme or request an outline to jumpstart brainstorming.
See the Results: Let’s say you’re writing about “the future of remote work.” The AI might give you different angles—like the impact on family life, environmental benefits, and new skill demands. Suddenly, you have ideas to work with and directions to explore.
Example 2: Pattern Recognition in Visual Art and Design
In art and design, inspiration often comes from patterns -- colors, textures, or even abstract concepts that resonate visually. AI tools like DeepDream or Artbreeder can help you experiment with these elements, suggesting color palettes, designs, or even entire compositions based on minimal input.
Exercise: Try entering a few keywords into an AI art tool. If you’re a designer working on a beach-themed logo, for instance, type in words like “ocean,” “sunset,” or “waves,” and see what combinations the AI produces.
Explore Variations: After the AI creates an initial set of visuals, pick your favorites, or ask the AI to refine the image with more specific details. As you interact with these designs, let the process reveal surprising combinations you might not have considered on your own.
Example 3: Inspiration for Musicians and Sound Designers
For musicians, ideation can often feel like searching for a melody in the dark. AI-powered music tools, like Amper Music or AIVA, allow you to generate melodies or experiment with genres, helping you break out of creative ruts.
Exercise: Choose a mood or genre -- say, “melancholy jazz” -- and let the AI generate a starting melody or chord progression.
Listen and Expand: Take a moment to play around with the notes. Even if you don’t use the AI’s output exactly, it can serve as a springboard, sparking your imagination and pushing your sound in a fresh direction.
Example 4: AI for Brainstorming Marketing Ideas
AI can be a powerful ally for marketers by generating new ideas, angles, or even content drafts that align with a campaign’s tone or target audience. Using tools like Copy.ai or ChatGPT, you can quickly generate slogan options, ad copy, or social media posts tailored to specific themes.
Exercise: If you’re brainstorming for a campaign, start by feeding the AI basic information about your product or audience. Ask it to “generate three ad slogans” for your product that appeal to a young, environmentally conscious demographic.