How is creativity valued?

By how unique the output is? Or how resonant the message or killer the design?

No, it’s valued based on time—how long it took from idea to execution.

Because time is money.

That’s why generative A.I. is all the rage. It gets you there faster.

This leads to another question: does A.I. enhance or limit creativity?

Depends on which side you’re on.

To lean in or lean on

I think A.I. is a crutch. I think it’s a barrier, too, because you have to pay for the tools that produce the best results.

Most of all, I think it’s devaluing creative work. From music to movies, art to advertising.

Sure, as a tool it can be effective. It can be your brainstorming partner, a researcher, an editor, and a proofreader. 

It’s definitely a timesaver. No argument there. 

But what about the process? (You know, that thing we’re supposed to fall in love with.)

What about the growth and the lessons and the inspiration?

What about all that comes along with doing the work?

That’s what we’re avoiding when we turn to A.I. We’re avoiding the work—it’s laziness cloaked in efficiency.

Face it, we take the path of least resistance more often than not. 

It’s not our fault. Our brains haven’t evolved much over the millennia. Deep down, we’re still wired for survival.

Easier means using less energy. And using less energy means having more energy to survive.

But this isn’t life or death. This isn’t hunting for food or running from a saber-toothed tiger.

We’re talking about creativity, our creative worth.

From the machine or you and me

Think about it: the greatest art (or ads), the shit we talk about and study over and over again. Where did it come from?

You, the human. Your passion and your failures and your reiterations. It came from your hard working hands. From pencils and paper, brushes and canvases—lead, ink, paint.

I don’t know… Maybe I’m a Boomer disguised as an Elder Millennial with outdated opinions.

Maybe the next batch of great creative work will come from A.I. It’s not going anywhere, that’s for sure, and technology has always moved us forward.

In my line of work, clients are blinded by its potential. A.I. gets you to market quicker, with deadlines shrunken from months to weeks to days.

Even our bosses fear getting left behind. You know what they say, “A.I. isn’t going to steal your job, but someone doing your job using A.I. will.”

Well, I didn’t get into this industry to offload my creativity. 

You see, eventually I realized I wasn’t talented enough to be a professional musician. Becoming an author was even more far-fetched.

But working in advertising and marketing meant being creative and making a living. It meant working with cool people and making cool shit.

If I wanted a machine to do my job, I’d have taken an entirely different career path.

So, here I am, a blue-collar copywriter still willing to put in the work. An average flesh and blood human who believes true creativity comes from using your brain and collaborating with others.

I’m someone who believes the process matters more than speed.

Because even though creativity is traded for dollars on the hour, it can’t be rushed. 

Because it’s part of the human experience, part of what it means to be alive. And why would you want to rush that?

Because creativity comes from the soul—and the robots are soulless.

Well, mine isn’t for sale.

Is yours?