How I Work with AI
The Short Version
I use AI as an expanded creative palette... not a vending machine that spits out finished work.
Every piece of content here begins with my observation, my thinking, my voice. I provide the substance. The AI helps me shape and refine how I express it.
Like a potter using a wheel. My observations are the clay. The AI is the wheel that helps me shape that clay faster and explore forms I might not reach by hand alone. But I'm the potter. The clay is mine. The wheel just helps me shape it.
Where the Work Starts
Every pattern observation, every map, every piece of writing starts with me.
The AI doesn’t originate concepts. I do.
My observations from real conversations. My pattern recognition. My methodology. The “why this matters” and “what I’m seeing” must come from human experience.
Here’s an example.
When I noticed the pattern in Issue 001 (people leading with credentials instead of what they love), that came from sitting in actual conversations. Watching the strategist who wouldn’t mention their poetry. The lawyer who hid their storytelling.
The AI didn’t observe that pattern. I did.
But when I sat down to map it, the AI helped me generate variations on how to describe the terrain. Plateau. Harbor. Canyon. Volcano. I tried dozens of metaphors until I found the ones that actually fit what I was seeing.
The observation was mine. The AI helped me articulate it more clearly.
How We Work Together
I use AI as a co-pilot to…
Explore variations in how I express what I’m observing
Generate multiple ways to articulate the patterns I’m seeing
Maintain consistency across content
Iterate at the speed of thought
But the direction... what to observe, how to frame it, which patterns matter... that’s always mine.
I value what others might call AI “hallucination”... those unexpected interpretations that reveal new angles. I’m looking for the “happy accident” that suggests a metaphor I hadn’t considered or a structural approach that clarifies what I’m trying to say.
I provide the observations. The AI helps me explore ways to express them. I curate, refine, and finalize.
What This Looks Like
For pattern observations
Every pattern comes from actual conversations I’ve had, behaviors I’ve witnessed, moments I’ve observed. The AI helps me articulate what I’m seeing... sometimes offering unexpected phrasings that clarify the pattern better than my first attempt.
For maps and models
The metaphors (Plateau, Harbor, Canyon, Volcano) come from my understanding of the pattern. The AI might suggest variations or alternative ways to describe the terrain, but it doesn’t hand draw the final maps and cross-sections.
For voice consistency
I’ve developed detailed voice guidelines. The AI helps me maintain that voice across hundreds of emails, pages, and posts... catching when I drift from conversational into formal, or when I accidentally use self-talk language I’m actively trying to reshape.
For publication building
When I built this newsletter, I used AI to iterate rapidly and catch inconsistencies. But every positioning decision, every word choice, every strategic direction came from me.
What AI Doesn’t Do Here
Generate pattern observations (those come from my conversations)
Create the core insights (those come from my pattern recognition)
Write or draw in a generic AI style (I enforce my specific voice and formatting)
Make strategic decisions about content (I direct everything)
Replace human experience (every observation is rooted in real conversations)
Produce finished work (it helps me shape my observations)
Why This Matters
Transparency
You deserve to know how I work. If this doesn’t align with your values, you can make an informed choice.
Integrity
The patterns I document are real. The conversations happened. The observations are mine. AI doesn’t fabricate any of that... it helps me communicate it more effectively.
Evolution
Art and writing have always evolved with technology. Oil paints replaced tempera. Digital cameras replaced film. Word processors replaced typewriters. AI is the next tool in that evolution.
I choose to use it deliberately, with clear boundaries and human direction.
Questions?
If you have concerns about how I use AI, or you’re curious about specific aspects of my process, you can reply to any newsletter. I read everything.
This is my approach. You might have a different one. That’s fine. But this is how I work, and I want you to know that.
