Artificial intelligence is changing the creative landscape, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for human expression. Instead, I believe it has the ability to elevate it.

Part of this belief comes from how the rise of AI tools in writing, music, and design mirrors past disruptions in sports and games—where machines outperformed humans in speed, strength, and strategy, yet competition and creativity remain fundamental parts of the craft.

I see this as good news. It gives me hope.

One way for creators to thrive in an AI-powered world is to build the skill of stream of consciousness—the ability to generate raw, unfiltered ideas and expressions in flow state. Add in Ethan Mollick’s argument (among others) that AI is best used as a collaborative partner and it leads me to believe that those who embrace this new dynamic will produce the most original and impactful work as AI permeates further into our systems and tools.

AI is a creative partner, not a substitute

AI is a tool that expands creative possibilities, but it lacks the human intuition, experience, and emotional depth that define great art, writing, music and any other creative endeavor.

And history shows that technological advancements don’t replace human passion. Just look at:

  • Sports: Machines can outperform humans, yet people still train and compete to go faster and lift heavier things.
  • Music: AI can compose songs, but artists continue to create and perform works that resonate.
  • Chess: Computers could dominate the game in 1997, yet human tournaments thrive today.

Creativity is about the process, not just the outcome. AI can assist, refine, and organize—but it’s the cycle of divergent and convergent thinking and action that drives innovation and personal fulfillment.

Stream of consciousness: A rising creative skill

In an age where AI can generate polished content instantly, raw idea generation becomes a superpower. The ability to free-flow thoughts without immediate self-editing unlocks deeper creativity and originality.

Imagine a process where AI structures ideas, but a person originates them. We know that overthinking stifles creativity, where fluid expression (flow state) brings about some of the most genuine creative works.

Embracing AI as a collaborator enables our creativity to lean into unfiltered ideation, later refined through iteration.

In music, many songwriters already use freewriting exercises to generate lyrics before refining the ideas within them. Musicians in jam sessions build ideas dynamically, and conversationally, often pausing to figure out structure.

In writing, writers may free-write or “brain dump” before structuring their thoughts into a compelling narrative.

Separating creation from editing allows for more authentic expression in the moment, biases makers, creators, and builders to win the battle against Steven Pressfield’s concept of resistance, and move gracefully into the refinement stage of your craft.

AI as a framework for creative flow

Instead of replacing creativity, AI helps add structure to raw ideas while giving more space for immediate expression. Tools like AI-assisted music generation, writing assistants, and predictive design models all function as collaborators rather than competitors.

This helps facilitate:

  • Rapid idea structuring – AI can organize freeform ideas into clear narratives.
  • Faster feedback loops – AI can suggest variations and improvements.
  • Reduced friction – AI removes mental barriers by offering near-instant refinements.

One example I stumbled upon recently is using AI in the songwriting process (using ChordAI) to quickly recognize the chords and notes being played in a piece of music.

In my own songwriting process this helps me:

  • Recognize the chords and notes I’m played in a jam/writing session without having to stop playing and write guitar tabs.
  • Transpose and export the chords into a more shareable format, like a tab PDF or even MIDI data.
  • Replicate a piece of music if I forgot how to play it or couldn’t remember the capo/fingerings I did while in a flow state.

It’s not writing the music for me. It’s doing all the work that would otherwise vampire the time I have available to get musical ideas out so I can refer back to, build upon, and refine them later.

Embracing AI while staying human

As Large Language Models (LLMs) works their way further into our tools and systems, I believe the most successful creators will be those who:

  • Develop unfiltered creative flow, letting ideas emerge without over-editing.
  • Use AI to refine, not replace, using AI to structure and suggest, but maintaining their core vision.
  • Stay in the flow state, reducing friction and increasing resources for idea generation.

Creativity has always been about expression, experimentation, and discovery. AI can help us increase our “miles per gallon” of creative energy, but it’s our intuition and ability to connect with our deeply held truths that define great work.