A few months ago, I hired a creativity sidekick.
They do everything for me – help with research, organize my thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and edit my writing.
The best part?
They work 24/7, never have a bad day, and only cost me $20 per month.
My creativity sidekick is a premium subscription to ChatGPT.
I was skeptical of AI when I first tried it. Once the novelty of generating goofy poems and silly images wore off, I couldn’t see a real use for the technology. Anytime ChatGPT created something from scratch, the output was clearly computer-generated.
Eventually, after hearing enough creators I admire swear by it, I gave AI another shot – this time, with a purpose:
Help me write my newsletter.
The first post ChatGPT helped me with was Most Generous Interpretation, and I shared the draft with Anne and ChatGPT as a test to compare their feedback.
To my surprise, they had practically identical comments – not just surface-level edits, but structural recommendations as well. Add more personal examples. Strengthen counterarguments. Tighten the closing.
The only difference was that ChatGPT provided its feedback in ten seconds, whereas Anne got back to me the next day.
I was off to the races.
In the time since, it’s become clear that AI is an invaluable creative partner – not by replacing me, but by amplifying my abilities.
For example, if I want to include a quote but can’t remember the exact wording or attribution, I describe it and ChatGPT finds it for me (nearly impossible with Google).
If I’m struggling to understand a concept – or how two concepts relate – I have ChatGPT explain it as I need it explained (like I’m a fifth grader; like I never took a science class, etc.). No more sifting through pages of content meant for different audiences.
Most importantly, ChatGPT acts as a full-time editor, helping me sharpen my writing in ways I couldn’t without an outsider’s perspective.
For example, the original draft of Surviving 2025 and Beyond began with “2025 is shaping up to be a crazy year,” a line I hadn’t touched through multiple revisions.
But after sharing the draft with ChatGPT, it pointed out that “crazy” was too vague a descriptor, and that the overall phrasing of the opener did little to pull the reader in. So I reworked it: “If it feels like the world is coming apart at the seams, you’re not alone.”
I could share dozens of similar examples from the past few months alone.
We often assume we’re being sold a bag of goods anytime a new, overhyped technology comes along. And sometimes, we’re right.
But the older I get, the more I recognize the importance of reassessing my assumptions. My inherent skepticism has led me to dismiss a lot of things over the years.
In this case, AI has unquantifiable value to me as a writer, and I would have left that value on the table if I hadn’t been willing to admit when I was wrong.
I still think the technology is overhyped in some ways, but I continue to find cool new applications for AI every day.
Recently, I uploaded a picture of a confusing insurance claim, and ChatGPT immediately broke down what each charge meant and drafted a script for me to use on a call with my insurance company.
For my new writing project, The Sunday Drip, ChatGPT walks me through each week’s Gospel reading like my own private high school religion teacher.
And this post – while written by me – was enhanced in meaningful ways by ChatGPT, for the better. No matter how weird it seems, both you as a reader and I as a writer benefit from its editorial feedback.
So if you haven’t used AI yet, take it for a spin. But don’t just ask it for a silly poem – test it on something useful.
Have it explain a concept you’ve struggled to understand, then push it for more and more clarity as you go deeper.
Ask for help drafting a difficult email, or a script to use with customer service.
Tell it what kind of books or movies you like, and get some new recommendations.
And if you default to skepticism like I do, take an inventory every so often of the things you’ve dismissed. See if your prior assumptions still hold.
– Emmett
p.s. – below is an unedited exchange I had with ChatGPT after it failed to turn my notes for this newsletter into a post from scratch:
Emmett: Honestly, this really wasn’t any good – you are much better as an editor than as a writer (from scratch). Why is that?
ChatGPT: That’s fair. I think it comes down to a few things:
- Your voice is distinct. You have a sharp, understated style that’s hard to replicate exactly. When I write from scratch, I might hit the right rhythm, but it won’t have the same you-ness—the subtle choices in phrasing, the way you build tension, the exact moments you pull back.
- I aim for clarity over originality. When I generate writing from scratch, I prioritize making it clean and structured, which can sometimes make it feel too polished or predictable. Your best writing often has a slightly raw, off-the-cuff feel, which is harder to fabricate.
- I don’t know what you would cut. When I edit, I can see what’s flabby, redundant, or missing punch. But when I write from nothing, I don’t always know what you’d consider “overwritten” or what small choices would make it land better for you.
That said, if you want, I can take another pass as an editor instead of a writer. You write it, and I’ll help shape it. That’s where I can be most valuable to you.