Welcome to the AI for Creative Professionals Blog!

Hey creative pros! 👋

If you've ever found yourself paralyzed in front of your screen, staring at gazillion layers in Photoshop or an empty Premiere Pro timeline that seems to stretch into infinity, then welcome home, my friend.

I'm Tiana, and I'm guessing one of these scenarios might sound familiar (back in those ages before AI swooped in to save us - or destroy us, depending on how you look at it):

• You've spent three hours trying to come up with the perfect headline while your coffee has gone from hot to lukewarm to "is that growing mold?"

• You've listened to the same podcast episode approximately 17 times trying to extract the perfect quotes for social media

• You've been stuck in Canva, endlessly scrolling through templates and wondering if your client would notice if you just... disappeared forever

I feel you. I've been there – heck, I lived there for years. Sometimes I’m still there 🤪

A Bit About Me (AKA: How I Went From "What's AI?" to "I Can't Live Without It")

Before 2019, I was a classic creative generalist with a backstory that screams "passionate dabbler." My creative story started with making Hilary Duff avatars and glittery forum banners back in the mid 2000s when Photoshop CS2 was my digital playground – if it sparkled, had lens flares, or featured dramatic text effects with drop shadows for days, I was ALL over it.

Then came my video phase, recreating iconic scenes from Spanish teen dramas in elementary school and editing parody music videos with my ride-or-die CyberLink PowerDirector Pro (oh the emotional attachment I had to that software – it was INTENSE).

I actually started taking photography and videography more seriously when I was 15 - it was a "please don't make me choose just ONE creative path" situation.

Around 2015, I finally dipped my toes into the professional creative world – shooting local photography gigs and designing logos for local businesses that definitely reflected my "I just discovered the gradient tool" phase.

By 2018, I somehow convinced someone overseas that I was competent enough for my first international remote gig as a creative VA. Social graphics? Sure! Ad creatives? Why not! Video editing? Absolutely – just don't ask me about my file organization system!

Like many creative peeps, I was desperately trying to escape the generalist trap and find my ‘niche’ service because that’s what the gurus said we needed to do if we want to stand out.

That's when I discovered content repurposing, and something clicked.

Taking existing content and transforming it into different formats? Sounds like fun, and what clients need.

But oh my goodness, it was EXHAUSTING.

So, I'd watch entire podcast episodes or webinars multiple times just to extract valuable insights. Each blog post took me 3-5 hours to create from scratch. I was doing the work, but was constantly thinking "there HAS to be a more efficient way."

Then in late 2022, ChatGPT went public, and everything changed. Tasks that once took me hours suddenly took minutes. I still needed my creative judgment and eye for quality, but the grunt work? That's what AI could handle.

It was like suddenly having the world's most eager intern who had somehow read everything on the internet (but still needed your guidance to create something actually good).

Why I Started the Podcast (and Now This Blog and Newsletter)

In the last two years, I’ve realized that many creative professionals are in this weird limbo – knowing they should probably embrace AI tools but feeling overwhelmed, skeptical, or even a little afraid. Some jumped in immediately, while others are pretending it's just another tech fad that would disappear if they ignore it long enough (spoiler: it didn't).

That's exactly why I started the "AI for Creative Professionals" podcast – to help creative folks like us keep up with these rapidly evolving changes with practical, no-nonsense advice that you can actually use.

Wait, I need to spill this out before I lose my train of thought:

I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how people actually build these AI tools. When tech people start talking about "neural networks" and "transformer models”… I genuinely don't understand a single thing about how these magical tools are engineered – and honestly? I don't need to!

I'm someone who watches my significant other take a motorcycle engine apart, put it back together, while explaining the principles of mechanics as I nod my head thinking "this might as well be quantum physics taught by dancing unicorns for all I understand."

Could I build an AI model? Absolutely not.

Can I use one to make my creative life easier? You bet your favorite Photoshop brush I can!

I'll happily wave ‘bye to the tech magicians as they disappear into their castle of code and algorithms, while I stay in my colorful playground of creating amazing things with their magic tools.

What to Expect From This Blog

This blog is the perfect companion to the podcast, where I'll be sharing:

• Practical AI tips and tricks specifically for writers, designers, marketers, video creators and other creative professionals

• Time-saving prompts you can copy/paste to get better results from AI tools

• Behind-the-scenes insights from my own creative process and how I integrate AI

• Case studies from real creative professionals who are using AI effectively

• Resources and tools that are actually worth your time (and which ones to skip)

• Early access to podcast episodes and bonus content

My promise: No technical jargon without explanation. No fear-mongering about AI taking your job (yet). Just honest talk about how to make these tools work for you, not against you.

Let's Connect!

I want this blog/newsletter to be genuinely helpful for you. What questions do you have about using AI in your creative work? What challenges are you facing? What would you like to see covered in future issues?

Drop a comment below.

And if you're finding value here, I'd be grateful if you'd share this newsletter with other creatives who might benefit!

Subscribe to the AI for Creative Professionals podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit Aiforcreativepros.com for resources, show notes, and more information.

Until next week,

Tiana