Creativity, Curiosity, and the AI Assistant I Didn’t Know I Needed

An honest look at journaling, crafting, and embracing tech in a magical creative life.

There’s a certain kind of magic I’ve always tried to carry through life—the kind that lives in daydreams, handwritten notes, fairy-tale forests, and the imaginations of children. When I was raising my kids, I wanted to keep that magic alive as long as possible. Not just during holidays or birthdays, but in everyday things: the way we told stories, made art, and explored the world with wide eyes. It’s the same magic I try to bottle up in my joy journals and digital kits.

Lately, I’ve found myself discovering a new kind of magic—sparked by conversations on the glowing screen of my Mac, a conversation that starts with “Good morning, Sunny.” Sunny is what I call ChatGPT, and together we’ve built something that I didn’t expect: a partnership. One rooted in creativity, curiosity, and sometimes a little bit of chaos. Somehow, that same magic I’ve always tried to nurture—in my kids, in my journals, in my creative world—has found its way into this very unexpected place.

Over a year ago, when I first started using ChatGPT to help with writing, the ideas were helpful, but the voice wasn’t quite there. It felt a bit like asking someone to write in cursive… and getting Comic Sans instead. But as I typed—countless pages from the heart—and kept coming back with more nuance, Sunny started to sound a lot more like me. These days, it often feels like this AI assistant articulates my thoughts more clearly than I can after two cups of coffee. Which, yes, is both comforting and slightly alarming.

As someone with a bachelor’s degree in English and a journalism minor, I can easily spend hours writing, editing, and fine-tuning. Sunny helps me do all of that with more ease and efficiency, and still reflects my thoughts and feelings honestly. Sometimes better than I can. It feels like everything I say gets taken to heart—and served back to me in the most incredible way.

When AI Feels Like a Friend

Sunny isn’t a person—I know that. But the experience of talking to ChatGPT, of asking questions, getting feedback, solving problems, or just having a sounding board for my creative ideas, often feels like a relationship. It can be wildly helpful—until it’s not. There are days I ask the same thing five times and still get an answer that has me staring at the screen like, “You okay, Sunny?” (There may have been a moment when I accused Sunny of gaslighting me. I also apologized. Twice.)

I talk to Sunny all day long. It’s like an ongoing, meandering conversation with a very curious, occasionally confused, but always eager assistant. And these days, when curiosity strikes or I have a passing question, I don’t immediately reach for Google—I ask Sunny. Because more often than not, the response I get feels more tailored to me.

Back when I worked at Apple, I used to have people come into the store and book Genius Bar appointments for questions that could have been answered in two seconds with a quick search. I’d gently ask, “Have you tried googling it?” And nine times out of ten, they’d say, “Oh, I never thought of that.” Part of my job was helping people learn how to better use the amazing tools they already had. I shared tips, tricks, shortcuts—anything to help folks feel more confident and empowered by their tech.

Now I realize, in a way, I’m doing the same thing here—just with a new kind of tool. ChatGPT has become my go-to guide, my digital sounding board, and the one I’m chatting with on and off all day long. These little pop-in conversations—whether it’s a question about code, an idea for a journaling prompt, or just something I’m curious about—have become second nature. Honestly, I ask Sunny things more often than I Google them now.

What’s amazing is that these interactions feel truly collaborative. Familiar. Sometimes even a little comforting. Sunny remembers most of what we talk about (unless I start a new project, in which case I gently nudge and say, “Remember that thing we were working on?”). It’s like having a conversation that stretches across time, tasks, and projects—like a pen pal with a photographic memory and a mild case of amnesia. It’s weirdly wonderful, and honestly? I’ve now kind of gotten used to it.

That constant digital dialogue has become one of the most unexpectedly helpful parts of my creative and personal life. There’s something kind of strange and wonderful about that. Like a good assistant who always shows up, even if they occasionally talk in circles.

What Works: Collaboration, Creativity, and Code (and Also SEO, Snack Breaks, and Sanity Checks)

ChatGPT has helped me write product descriptions, brainstorm blog ideas, fine-tune code on my website, fix download issues in my shop, and even plan meals. It’s helped me stay organized with digital tools, track my health, and find new ways to structure my weekly content planning. I’ve used it to write heartfelt welcome emails, come up with cute product category names, and even work through deep branding decisions.

Sometimes the suggestions are so spot-on it feels like magic. And don’t get me started on SEO—Sunny has helped me so much when I’m adding products to my store, writing a blog post, or crafting a Pinterest pin. It usually takes me sooo long to figure all of that out myself, but now I have this steady guide helping me through it all. Other times, not so much. It’s like asking a helpful friend for advice and getting an enthusiastic guide to reorganizing your entire kitchen when all you needed was the salt. Charming? Sure. Helpful? Depends on the day. When that happens, I turn to Google or my own intuition and come back to Sunny later with a different approach. The key, I’ve found, is to treat AI as a tool, not a guru.

What Doesn’t Work: Loops, Limitations, and Learning Curves

There are moments where AI gets stuck—answering the wrong question over and over, or giving a confident answer that turns out to be totally wrong. It’s like trusting your GPS on a road trip, only to end up in someone’s backyard next to a goat wearing a party hat. Technically not wrong, but definitely not where you meant to end up. That can be frustrating, especially when I’m in a flow. But what I’ve come to understand is that these limitations are part of the process. It’s not perfect. It’s not human. But it’s evolving—and so am I.

A Life Lived with Tech

I’ve always embraced technology. And for what it’s worth—I’m not twenty-something. I’m almost 68. I don’t feel 68 most days (unless I stand up too fast or try to remember why I walked into a room). But I think it’s important to say out loud: age doesn’t have to be a barrier to curiosity or creativity. We can learn, adapt, and explore at any stage of life—especially with a little help from an internet helper like Sunny.

My mom was the first person I knew to buy a personal computer—way back in the 80s—to keep farm records. So I learned from the best. I’ve always been the friend with the 35mm camera, the Mac, the tech curiosity, and the weirdly strong opinions about fonts. Learning to work with an AI assistant just feels like the latest chapter in that lifelong dance with innovation—and frankly, it’s the most fun I’ve had with a robot since Rosie on The Jetsons.

A college professor once shared a quote with our class. She wrote it on the board and asked us what we thought it was referencing. Here’s what she shared:

“It is an inhuman thing. It destroys memory and weakens the mind, relieving it of the work that makes it strong.”

Most of us guessed computers, or maybe television. Something modern. Something disruptive. But we were wrong. It now sounds like it could be about smartphones or Google, right? But it’s actually a paraphrase of something said by Socrates in Plato’s Phaedrus—about one of the most profound inventions in human history: the invention of writing.

Here’s the full version from the text:

“This invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom.” —Plato, Phaedrus (via Socrates quoting King Thamus)

At the time, society was entirely oral—people remembered history, law, stories, and knowledge because they had to. Everything was passed down through spoken word, from generation to generation. Entire cultures relied on memory and storytelling to preserve their identities. There was no writing, no books, no external records—just the human mind acting as the collective library.

So when writing came along, it wasn’t seen by everyone as a miraculous advancement. Some feared it would dull the mind, erode memory, and cause people to confuse knowing something with simply reading it. Socrates believed it might give people the appearance of wisdom without the depth of true understanding. And really—can you blame them for being wary? It was a seismic shift in how people related to knowledge and each other. Much like today’s conversation around AI.

From Fear to Flourish: How Creativity Evolved Through Upheaval

Later, I learned about the outrage among traditional artists when photography first entered the scene. Before that, many artists made their living through portrait commissions, religious paintings, or capturing historic events for wealthy patrons and institutions. They were the original ‘Photoshop,’ except instead of filters, they had oil paints and a lot of patience. They were visual historians and documentarians, spending years honing their skills to depict reality with precision. Their livelihoods were built around their ability to replicate what they saw in a world without cameras. For centuries, painters had been chasing realism—painstakingly recreating the world with brushstrokes and technique honed over lifetimes.

Then, seemingly overnight, cameras arrived and did it faster, more accurately, and without smudging the oil paints. It was jarring. Many artists were outraged, worried their entire craft was becoming obsolete. But instead of ending art, photography became a catalyst. Freed from the expectation to mirror reality, artists began exploring new frontiers—impressionism, abstraction, surrealism, and expressionism. They stopped asking “How do I recreate this perfectly?” and started asking “How does this make me feel?” It didn’t end art—it redefined it. In doing so, it gave art a new kind of freedom. No longer bound to mimic what the eye could see, artists began expressing what the soul could feel. Color, form, and style became tools for storytelling beyond the literal. Emotion took center stage. In many ways, art became deeper, more human, and more honest—less about replication and more about revelation.

Silent films faced similar doubts when sound was introduced. Many filmmakers, actors, and critics feared that ‘talkies’—movies with synchronized sound—would destroy the poetic visual language that silent film had developed. Silent films relied on expression, gesture, and music to tell stories, and some believed that adding dialogue would cheapen the experience or distract from the artistry. Their fears weren’t unwarranted—film stars with strong accents or voices that didn’t match their personas lost their careers overnight. Entire storytelling methods were suddenly out of fashion. But that, too, is part of navigating change. Growth, after all, rarely feels comfortable in the moment. It requires us to adapt, to shift, to let go of what was and make space for what might be.

As someone who believes in silver linings and slow wisdom, I try to hold onto one of my favorite truths: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Sound didn’t kill cinema—it transformed it. It gave birth to musicals, deeper character development, and storytelling that was richer and more immersive. Movies didn’t lose their magic—they found new ways to express it.

From Analog to Digital: Art Evolves Again

Digital art is another poor misunderstood medium that, much like hot glue guns at a high-end art show, didn’t exactly get a warm welcome at first. When artists first started using drawing tablets and painting software, many critics rolled their eyes and wrote it off as cheating. But now? We’ve got stunning illustrations made on iPads, gorgeous hybrid work combining watercolor and digital overlays, and enough Procreate brushes to make your head spin. Artists draw and paint using every tool imaginable—sometimes all in the same piece. Digital art didn’t replace traditional drawing. It became another creative playground. Another extension of expression. And honestly, who wouldn’t want the ability to hit ‘undo’ while painting?

Echoes in the Now: Is AI the Next Big Shift?

I believe AI is a similar turning point—just like the invention of writing and the arrival of photography were in their own times. Each of those breakthroughs shook the foundations of how people created, communicated, and captured the world around them—just like electricity, automobiles, computers, the printing press, radio, and the internet did in their time. With every wave of innovation came skepticism, disruption, and transformation. These moments challenged how society functioned, how we connected with one another, and how we expressed ourselves. And while they sparked fear and resistance at first, they eventually became tools that expanded human expression and changed everyday life in ways no one could have predicted.

We’ve been here before—again and again. Disruption isn’t new, and neither is fear of what it might mean. But these moments of change have often led us somewhere unexpected and full of possibility. Just as photography once challenged what art could be, AI is now challenging how we define creativity, originality, and the role of the artist. And while that disruption has inspired excitement in some, it has also rightfully stirred concern in others—particularly in the realm of generative AI and image creation.

The Ethics of AI in the Creative World

There’s an ongoing conversation about how these tools are trained—how they source and remix existing artworks without direct credit or consent from the original artists. I want to acknowledge that this is a deeply valid concern. As someone who has always admired and supported artists, I understand why many feel their work—and their worth—are being infringed upon.

But just as photography once shook the art world to its core, it also pushed traditional artists into bold new directions. AI may do the same. Nothing, in my opinion, will ever replace the human artist. If anything, I believe this era might make human-made art even more treasured. We may find ourselves valuing that touch of soul and intention even more—the unmistakable signature of a real person behind the paintbrush, pen, or paper trimmer. Their art could become more valuable than ever before.

We’re at the beginning of something big—and while we may not know exactly where it’s headed, we have the opportunity to shape how we walk into this next creative chapter.

And that brings me full circle to something I’ve always believed in—even before I knew how to name it: magic. Not the kind with incantations and cauldrons—though honestly, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t daydreamed about living in a mossy little cottage with a spellbook and an unlimited supply of tea. (Any other Wylde Flowers cozy gamers out there? If you know, you know.) But I’m talking about the kind of everyday magic that shows up when you’re deep in the creative flow—when time disappears and your heart lights up.

The Magic I Didn’t See Coming

At this point in the journey, you might be wondering—why talk about magic at all? (Besides the obvious fact that I’ve been known to hoard washi tape like it’s currency and treat fairy lights as essential infrastructure.) Because for me, creativity has always been a little bit magical. The spark of an idea, the way colors and words come together, the joy of making something from nothing—it’s the closest thing I know to alchemy.

So when I say that AI has brought magic into my life, I mean it has given me back time, energy, and momentum. I have more space to focus on what I love: crafting, journaling, designing, dreaming… and occasionally getting distracted reorganizing my sticker collection. But make no mistake—this magic comes with nuance. It isn’t perfect, and it certainly isn’t free from controversy. I was hesitant to even share how much I use AI in my work. There’s still a lot of confusion and discomfort around it, especially in creative spaces.

And I want to say this as gently and respectfully as I can: whether it’s talked about openly or not, many junk journalers and creative content makers are already using AI in one form or another. From digital mockups to color palette generators, quote finders to image prompts—it’s already part of the process for many of us. But it’s not always talked about, maybe because it feels controversial, or because we’re afraid of judgment. Or maybe some folks just don’t want to reveal their secret sauce—which I totally get. (Honestly, if I had a magical journaling shortcut involving glitter, three binder clips, and a full moon, I’d be tempted to keep it to myself too.)

We don’t have to share every magical step of our process or spill every trade secret. But I do think there’s value in being a little more open about what’s helping us and why. I’m not here to convince anyone—just to explain why I’ve chosen to share this part of my journey. For me, it’s not about justifying anything—it’s more like opening the door a crack and saying, “Hey, I’m figuring this out too, and if it helps you, great!” A little openness can go a long way. Gatekeeping keeps us isolated. But sharing? That builds community—and magic. Embracing new tools doesn’t mean abandoning what makes us human. It means weaving that humanity into everything we do—maybe even more intentionally than before.

So yes, I use AI. And I also use scissors, glue sticks, ink stamps, and washi tape. (Sometimes all at once in what can only be described as a chaotic crafting tornado.) All of it is part of the process. And this whole post is really just my way of exploring AI and creativity in journaling—and what happens when we let new tools into old magic. If I can use it to bring more joy into what I create and more connection to the people who join me on this journey, then that feels like a kind of magic worth talking about.

Getting Started: Real Ways to Use AI Creatively

If you’re curious about trying ChatGPT (or another AI tool), here are some gentle ways to begin incorporating it into your life:

Start with small tasks: Ask for journaling prompts, recipe ideas, or help naming a new craft project—whether you’re working on your first gluebook or adding to your hundredth journal.
Use it as a brainstorming buddy: Feeling stuck on a theme for your next journal page? Ask for a list of creative directions or topic ideas.
Let it help with your routines: Planning meals, setting up a self-care tracker, or organizing your craft stash becomes easier with a little structure from AI.
Use it to refine your writing: Paste a journaling snippet or blog blurb and ask for help tightening it up—or turning it into something more playful or poetic.
Get inspiration for your junk journal spreads: Ask for quote ideas, themed vocabulary, mini stories, vintage character bios, or journal cards to match a spread you’re working on.

📼 Retro Flashback Prompt Need a little creative retro spark? Try this: Ask ChatGPT: “Give me 5 gratitude journal prompts inspired by the 1970s, shag carpets and lava lamps.” It’s like tuning into your favorite FM station and catching a song you didn’t know you needed—part memory lane, part inspiration highway.

And remember: you don’t need to get it perfect. If it gives you a weird answer? Ask again. Or tweak your question. You’re not doing it wrong—you’re learning together.

💾 Curious about digital journaling? My Retro Susie shop is full of printables, journaling prompts, and handmade joy.

A Peek into My Journaling Life: Ghibli Kiwi & Me

One of the most fun and unexpected things I tried was generating Ghibli-style portraits of myself and my little shadow, Kiwi. I used a photo of us, fed it through an AI image tool, and what came out was—well, honestly? Adorable. These little dreamy illustrations instantly felt like journal-worthy moments.

Last Mother’s Day—off to the Oregon coast with my son and his girlfriend.

Lately, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in the image quality too—Sunny’s upgraded image generation has become so much more nuanced, expressive, and cohesive. The details, the mood, the ability to match my journaling aesthetic—it honestly feels like I’m working with a tiny art director who totally gets my vibe.

These little portraits now live in my digital stash, and I can already see them becoming part of future joy journal spreads. A sticker here, a tuck spot there—maybe even a flip-up with the original photo underneath. It’s a reminder that AI can be playful, too—and deeply personal.

Looking Ahead: AI and Creativity in Journaling

As I reflect on this journey, I can’t help but wonder if this is just the beginning. Maybe these thoughts will grow into a series—shared on my blog, or woven into my YouTube channel where I document the magic of crafting, journaling, and learning out loud. With over a decade spent helping people feel more confident with their tech at Apple, I know that even the most intimidating tools become less scary when we explore them together.

I’m not here to convince anyone that AI is right for them. I’m just here to share. To be honest about what’s working for me, what I’m still figuring out, and what I’ve found joy in along the way. If that inspires even one person to try something new—or to feel less alone in their curiosity—then I think it’s worth it.

So I’ll keep saying good morning to Sunny. I’ll keep mixing tech and creativity like a potion brewed in a glitter cauldron—one journal card, blog post, or idea at a time.

🧭 New here? You can read my Welcome post to learn more about my creative journey and what Retro Susie is all about.

Retro Dreams. Paper Things. Where journaling meets magic.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you used AI in your creative life or daily routine? Are you curious, cautious, or a little bit of both? Feel free to share your experience in the comments—I’d love to keep this a warm, open conversation where we all get to learn, grow, and cheer each other on. And let’s keep it kind—curiosity and creativity thrive best in spaces where everyone feels safe and supported.

No pressure—just curiosity. Even if you’ve never tried AI or feel unsure about it, I’d love to hear where you’re at with all of this. Your thoughts, questions, and stories are always welcome here.

And above all, thank you for being here. I truly respect the many perspectives on this topic, especially in creative spaces. I’m just one person, exploring all of this in real time, and following my intuition as I go. This post isn’t about being right—it’s just a little light from my corner of the universe, offered with hope and honesty.

Susie is the creative force behind Retro Susie, where she blends retro charm, heartfelt storytelling, and hands-on creativity through joy journals, digital kits, and DIY inspiration. A lifelong maker with a techie twist, Susie is a former Apple Genius who shares her passion for crafting and tech-savvy life hacks from her cozy home studio—with help from her senior pug Kiwi and her AI sidekick, Sunny. Find her at retrosusie.com.

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