AI Isn't Stealing Your Creative Time - It's Giving It Back

Hi sweet friends,

Recently, Polaroid dropped a billboard campaign about "phone fatigue" and how AI can't recreate the feeling of toes in the sand. 

It's romantic. It tugs at your heartstrings. And honestly? It's completely missing the point.

Here's what that campaign doesn't tell you: while big companies are busy romanticizing the "authentic human experience," smart artists are using AI to handle the exhausting business tasks so they can spend more time doing what they actually love - making art. 

The irony isn't lost on me. A corporation spending thousands on a campaign about genuine moments could have used AI to create that same campaign faster, tested it better, and probably connected with their audience just as deeply.

But let's talk about what this really means for you as an artist.

The Two Paths Forward: Creativity With or Without AI

We're standing at a crossroads right now. On one side, there are artists diving headfirst into AI tools, learning how to make them work alongside their creative practice. On the other side, there are artists digging their heels in, treating AI like it's some kind of creative apocalypse.

I get the fear. I really do. When I talk to artists in my community, I hear the same worry over and over: "If AI can make art so quickly, why will anyone want mine?"

Here's what I believe with my whole heart: your art will become MORE valuable, not less.

The contrast between mass-produced AI content and thoughtfully created human art is what will make your work stand out. The world is about to be flooded with generic AI imagery, which means your unique artistic voice, your perspective, your years of practice - all of that becomes even more precious.

Where the Magic Happens

The real power of AI isn't in replacing your creativity. It's in handling all the stuff that's been draining your creative energy.

Think about it. You're already using digital tools - Procreate, Apple Pencils, iPads, Photoshop. Those are all technologies amplifying your artistic vision. AI is just the next tool in your creative toolkit.

The beautiful part is that true AI art (the kind where you're actually creating something meaningful) takes iterations, practice, and developing a style - just like any other art form. It's not about pushing a button and getting a masterpiece. It's about learning a new medium. I've written more about this perspective here if you want to dive deeper into the ethics conversation.

What AI Actually Does for Artists

AI helps me with my business every day.

I used to spend entire days buried in tasks that had nothing to do with making art. Analytics that made my eyes glaze over. Social media strategy that felt like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. Proofreading blogs until I couldn't see straight. Product descriptions that all started sounding the same after the tenth one.

I loved the creative parts - writing blog posts with personality, creating content that felt like me. But the starting-from-scratch part? The strategic planning? The endless editing? That was eating up hours I could have spent with my pencils, my paints, my actual art.

With AI, I create 30 days of social media content in an afternoon and schedule it out. I use AI to create stunning product mockups that I couldn't get anywhere else. I let AI give me a starting place for product descriptions and email newsletters, then I add my voice and personality. (Want to know which tools I use? Check out my complete list of AI apps for artists.)

The difference this has made isn't just about time - it's about mental energy. I'm not lying awake at night worrying about whether I've covered all my marketing bases. I'm not avoiding the business side because it feels overwhelming. I handle it quickly and efficiently, and then I get back to what I actually want to do: make art.

The Part Nobody's Talking About

Here's what I'm seeing in my AI classes that I'm not seeing anywhere else: breakthroughs. When artists learn what AI can actually be used for - not as a replacement for their creativity, but as a partner in the business side of things - everything shifts.

Suddenly, marketing doesn't feel like this impossible mountain to climb. Brainstorming becomes collaborative instead of lonely. That fear that kept them from promoting their work transforms back into creative energy they can pour into their art.

You can be more creative when you're not drowning in administrative tasks. You can experiment more when you're not spending six hours writing product descriptions. You can try new techniques when you're not exhausted from trying to figure out Instagram's

algorithm.

The Real Choice

In five years, I believe there will be two types of artists. Those who learned to work with AI as a creative partner, and those who spent so much energy fighting against it that they burned out on the business side of art entirely (like so many artists have over the years before AI came along).

The artists who will thrive aren't the ones defending their creative process like it's an endangered species. They're the ones who figured out how to use AI for the stuff that drains them, so they have more energy for the stuff that lights them up.

Does AI feel the sand between its toes? No. But it also doesn't need to. That's your job. Your job is to feel, to experience, to create from your unique human perspective.

AI's job is to handle your product descriptions so you can spend that time in your studio.

I Invite You

I'm not saying you have to love AI. I'm not even saying you have to use it for everything. But I am saying that if the business side of your art practice is draining your creative energy, there's a better way.

The sand isn't going anywhere. Your creative voice isn't going anywhere either. But your time? Your energy? Your passion for making art? Those are too precious to spend on tasks that could be handled in a fraction of the time.

We're standing at this crossroads together, sweet friends. And I'm choosing the path that gives me more time to create, more energy to experiment, and more joy in both my art and my business.

I hope you'll join me.

With love and lemons…