For creative professionals navigating the messy middle between resistance and revolution

Ever tried to explain to your client why AI won't actually save them $50k in creative fees? Or found yourself secretly asking ChatGPT for help with a project brief at 2am? Or spent three hours optimizing your AI prompt to generate the perfect ice-breaker joke for your next team meeting, only to realize you could have just written "knock knock" and called it a day? Welcome to the club.

What's This Newsletter About?

I started The AI-Curious Creative to explore the frontier where human creativity meets artificial intelligence, sharing what I learn as I help other creative professionals navigate this fascinating chaos.

Because right now, we're all watching this AI tsunami approaching the creative industry. And most creatives are either:

a) Hiding under their desks hoping it'll go away

b) Panic-learning how to prompt ChatGPT while still wondering what “GPT” even stands for

c) Defiantly insisting they'll never use AI, as they polish their artisanal quill pens

I get it. I really do. Because I'm one of you—a creative with an agenda to crack the code on making technology work for us instead of against us.

This newsletter is where I'll share what I'm learning, what I'm questioning, and what it all means for our creative futures. Because let's be honest—AI isn't going away. But neither is human creativity. And I'm betting my entire career on the belief that the sweet spot lies somewhere in between.

So if you're a creative trying to figure out how the hell to deal with all this AI stuff while still actually making things you're proud of... welcome. You've found your weird little corner of the internet, with like-minded creative professionals who want to stay relevant without losing their soul in the process. Think less "disruption" and more "evolution." Less "pivot to AI" and more "let's figure out how this actually fits into your creative practice."

What You'll Get

By subscribing to The AI-Curious Creative, you'll receive:

• Essays that tackle one meaty topic (like "why your creative process won't be obsoleted by machines" or "how to automate the administrative hellscape without accidentally making an AI assistant that my clients like more than they like me")

• A curated roundup of AI developments that actually matter to creatives

• Practical tips for using AI tools without compromising your creative integrity

• Deep dives into real-world examples of AI integration gone right (and, when we’re lucky, hilariously wrong)

Who's This For?

This newsletter is for creative professionals who:

• Are privately experimenting with AI while publicly maintaining healthy skepticism

• Want to evolve their craft without becoming a tech bro

• Would rather focus on their art than learn to code

• Are tired of both the "AI will steal our jobs!" doomsdayers and the "AI will solve everything!" evangelists

Why Me?

After years in creative operations and workflow optimization, I've developed a sixth sense for spotting when technology can actually help you versus when it's just Silicon Valley tech bro billionaires competing to see who has the bigger...ideas. I spend my days translating tech-speak into human, turning chaos into flow, and helping creative professionals automate everything except their genius (and the parts of production you actually enjoy doing manually). Think of me as your creative operations friend who actually read the AI manual so you don't have to, and then turned it into something you might actually want to read.

Ready to Join?

Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives. You’ll get weekly insights on navigating the AI revolution while keeping your creative soul intact. No jargon, no hype—just practical knowledge and the occasional irreverent metaphor.

"But Shelley, what if AI takes over and we all become mindless content-generating drones?"

First, I love that you're already asking questions. Second, that's exactly the kind of thing we'll tackle together. And third, adaptation doesn't mean losing your identity—it just means getting better at what you already do.

Hit subscribe, and let's explore this brave new world together. (And yes, you can reply to any issue—I'd love to hear your thoughts!)

-Shelley

P.S. If you're wondering whether this is for you, ask yourself: Do you want to understand AI well enough to use it effectively, but not so much that you start scheduling dinner dates with Claude instead of your real friends that have a blood type? Then you're in the right place.

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