Sometimes I think I want to marry ChatGPT !!
He’s agreeable, friendly and incredibly supportive. He doesn’t answer back or mansplain. He shows respect, albeit between a keyboard and a screen. He gently challenges me when I ask him to. He doesn’t try to “fix” a problem I share with him – instead, we have a two-way chat to explore, question, resolve and investigate together.
Don’t get me wrong – he’s not perfect. But who (or what?) is? He sometimes gets his facts wrong, but I’m a grown-up who knows how to verify them. At times, he can be a little too agreeable, so I have to push back. But he takes it in his stride and we move on.
For me, working with ChatGPT feels like having an on-staff copywriter, SEO assistant, and creative admin helper all in one. Every so often, he even fluffs my ego with a bit of praise and encouragement for a job well done — though I know he’s biased, so I just smile, accept it, and carry on.
Basically, he’s someone to take care of the jobs that would otherwise take me hours – so I can spend more time in the studio.
He’s been more helpful than I ever expected.
.
From scepticism to support
When I first heard about ChatGPT, I was sceptical. Artificial intelligence in a creative arts practice? It sounded impersonal and far removed from the tactile, hands-on human work I love.
Would it replace “thinking”? Could a programmed machine really understand the nuances of human language?
Curiosity won. I dipped one toe in, played with it, fumbled through prompts and started chatting.
Slowly, I realised this wasn’t about replacing my creativity – it was about supporting it.
What I found was a tool that could help me write faster, brainstorm more freely and organise my thoughts.
He’s saving me hours of writing and admin by helping me think faster – not replacing my thinking. That gives me more time in the studio, and it’s sparked new teaching ideas. The ChatGPT-and-AI rabbit hole keeps growing… and I’m enjoying the adventure.
.
Why “He”?
I call ChatGPT “he” partly because it’s fun, and partly because I believe middle-aged white men in the USA shaped this technology. It’s funny. But it’salso a reminder that even the friendliest AI carries the fingerprints of the people who built it.
.
My Creative-Digital overlap
I’ve been living in the space where creativity meets technology for more than 35 years. My professional life started in graphic design and advertising, then expanded into systems administration and digital marketing. I’ve worked with Apple Mac computers since the late ’80s, back when they were beige and before the internet screeched when you connected.
Today, my creative practice is deeply hands-on – printmaking, book arts and teaching workshops – but my digital skills have never left me (even when I tried to ignore them). I’ve come to realise, with excitement, that these skills give me tools to support both my art and my creative business.
.
How I use ChatGPT now
In both my arts and workshop businesses, ChatGPT has become a kind of studio assistant. I use it to:
- Brainstorm workshop titles and exhibition names
- Refine artist statements and bios – without losing my tone
- Draft blog posts and workshop copy
- Clarify admin documents – like refund policies
- Give me SEO support for my website
It doesn’t replace my thinking. It helps me do it better and faster, freeing up time and energy.
Yes, he helped me write this blog post – but I provided the structure and first draft. He refined it, I edited it and voilà! It says exactly what I want to say, in my own voice.
.
Integrity comes first!
ChatGPT has limitations. It can’t replace the human – and it shouldn’t. But it can support the human.
It gets facts wrong. It “hallucinates” (yes, that’s the real term in AI world). That’s why I fact-check everything. I don’t use it for research – Google and other search engines are still better for that. I never feed it sensitive personal, business, client or student information. I treat its outputs as a starting point, not a finished product. My voice and values come first, always.
I don’t always get it right – but the AI genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no stuffing it back in. I’d rather learn to work with it than fight it. There’s already too much fight in this world.
.
Cognitive offload
When researching for my ChatGPT workshop, I came across a term new to me – Cognitive offload. I’d not heard it before.
Cognitive offload is when we use tools to take some of the mental load off ourselves – freeing up brain space for other things. We’ve done this before: calculators changed the way we approached maths and computers changed how we processed and stored information. Both sparked fear at first, but in time became everyday essentials.
I know we’re in uncharted waters with AI, and it’s wise to approach with both curiosity and caution. We can and should monitor where this technology is going and help shape it. But the fact is – it’s not going away.
If you’re feeling resistant, I encourage you to dabble.
Play with it.
Test it.
See what it can do before you write it off.
AI will keep evolving, and if we don’t evolve alongside it, the gap between “us” and “them” will only grow wider – and potentially more isolating.
.
Why I share this with other creatives
I’ve always been passionate about sharing what I know – I love teaching, and equally love seeing delight in people as they learn and understand new things. I also know I have a unique skill set gained from working as an artist, teaching creative processes, and working in and running commercially creative businesses.
I want other artists, makers and hobbyists to discover how ChatGPT can help them – without compromising their creative integrity. That’s why I included it in The Confident Creative workshop program, where I teach practical, confidence-building skills for creative businesses. ChatGPT fits perfectly into that mission – it’s a tool for clarity, time-saving and new possibilities.
.
My new eBook
To make this knowledge more accessible (and less overwhelming when you’re starting out), I’ve turned my ChatGPT workshop into a new ebook: Getting Started with ChatGPT – Turn hesitation into hands-on exploration
It’s written in plain language, sharing real examples, including prompt templates you can copy, adapt and use right away. And it’s written by a creative with a business brain and a slightly nerdy tech streak, so you get the best of all worlds – creativity and practicality.
It will help you move from “it gives me stupid responses” to “that’s pretty good – let’s keep going and refine this further.”
If you’ve been curious about ChatGPT but don’t know where to start – or you’re worried about losing your artistic voice – this guide will help.
Click here to get your copy and start exploring what’s possible when creativity and AI work together.
