3 Secrets For Photographers, Writers, And Artists To Stay Ahead With The Rise Of AI

When AI first came out only one year ago, which feels like an eternity, isn´t that crazy?

Everyone said it was coming.

The end for writers

The end for photographers

All of us will be replaced by robots.

Is it true?

Well, in part, I guess it is.

Especially for the technical side of things like:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing, which frequently involves creating content based on specific keywords and structures, may be more susceptible to automation.
• Basic photography editing and stock photography may also see a significant impact, as AI can generate a wide range of images and perform standard edits efficiently.
• Jobs involving data entry, routine content creation, and basic design work are also at risk, as AI can automate these tasks more effectively.

However, I believe that as creatives and entrepreneurs, we should not miss out on a few enormous opportunities that arise with technological revolutions:

Here are the three biggest, in my opinion:

Secret 1: Experience or knowledge no longer dictate success

Instead, authenticity and attention are the new currencies

There has never been a better time to become a writer or photographer if you understand the power of authenticity and holding attention with captivating content.

Yes, it is true. We will compete against AI influencers like Aitana, but the creator economy is only going to get bigger and bigger and not go anywhere. It is currently valued at over $104 billion and is projected to grow to over $200 billion by 2026

Building a personal brand has become one of the most lucrative and safest career paths since no one can compete against you for being you.

There are a myriad of ways you can produce unique and authentic content. To me, writing is something I discovered very recently. And it feels like a floodgate of wisdom that was trapped inside me.

It literally became one of those “Why didn´t I come up with this before?” moments

Let me put it this way: Imagine a big house with tons of stuff and things inside and it all looks messy.

Someone suddenly opens the curtains, allowing you to see again. You clean up and put everything back where it belongs. You ensure that everything is in order and then there is clarity!

Our minds are such amazing tools to come up with ideas. Every morning, I witness that again on my morning walks.

But we are terrible at remembering and writing is the ultimate tool to make sure we can sort out what matters and dismiss what doesn´t.

Clarity is what most of us seek. Motivation is totally overrated.

After I lost my first company during the pandemic, I was lost. Losing all the money wasn´t the worst part; what really hurt me was the perceived loss of purpose. When you identify yourself with your job or that position you hold, in my case being the CEO of my own company for 12 years, that can be devastating.

The problem is when you derive your personal sense of self-worth from that identity.

In hindsight, I know that I was close to the abyss and I am lucky to be alive after my recovery from the hospital.

I did not know that writing it all down could be so therapeutic and even help me rediscover my purpose.

Don´t get me wrong, I still love photography for what it is, but photography to me is more of a spiritual practice, while writing equates discovery, wisdom, and meaningful communication.

If photography is about story-telling, as they say, then writing is about behind-the-scenes.

It answers the big question of why. It fills in the blanks and uncovers the hidden motivation. To me, the photo above wasn’t just any street art photo; it was a visual representation of my journey in that moment, when only two weeks before, I bought a one-way ticket to Thailand with my last 600 euros after my bankruptcy.

To me, it represents the beginning of the uncharted “spiritual” road

Specific knowledge is what we all gain by navigating life as best as we can.

It encompasses all the unknown stories and experiences you know to be true. The beauty of it is that there is no marginal cost of replication, as Naval Ravikant beautifully explains in his book the The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

It is deeply connected to one´s individual strengths and passions and cannot be competed against.

I myself find myself at the beginning of that journey of self-discovery, and I encourage you to do so as well.

Secret 2: Since we cannot compete against AI, adoption and a Hybrid approach is the way to go

All successful creators I know have implemented AI into their workflows.

Elon Musk recently publicly stated as well that adoption and a path of fusion, where humans become cyborgs and integrate AI into our bodies, are probably the safest way to go.

Sounds dystopic?

Well, let me break it to you: If you have a smart phone, you essentially are already a cyborg, since you basically outsourced your brain into an electric device.

AI is incredibly efficient at so many things; not using it will drive you out of business

Here are a few incredibly useful tasks AI does for me as content creator every single day

1. Brainstorm ideas
2. Come up with titles for my pieces
3. Inspires me with new perspectives
4. Outlines and structure for content pieces
5. Summarizing content reducing time when researching
6. Trend analysis
7. Keyword Reseach

And there are even more complex prompts, like a yearly review assistant: Do this after you finish reading.

You can thank me later

Secret 3: Human-less trotting paths are the most attractive ones

I call it “The Uncharted Road,” which is my personal journey.

What is your journey called?

This is a serious question. If you had to summarize your personal story, how would that look? What title would you give it? Have you ever thought about it?

Tell ChatGPT your story and ask it to come up with a great title. That’s the kind of interaction with AI that really fosters creativity. I love it.

Don´t tell me your life is boring, because it isn’t. Reply to me with your result. I want to know

We all have interesting stories and struggles to share.

Story-telling, whether visual or written, is a skill that can be learned by anyone.

Now is the opportunity to come forward with it; attention and social media make it easy for anyone to scale.

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There is one last aspect that is also irreplaceable. It is called trust, which is earned and built over time.

Trust is the foundation of every human interaction.

Do you trust an AI to tell you what the best spot is to enjoy a coffee or what lotion you should use?

I don´t.

Trust is also at the foundation of this newsletter.

Why?

Because I am betting on the fact that if I provide you with value over a long period of time in a consistent way, then I can build trust and, at some point, offer a paid product or service if you ask me for it.

But building that requires time, consistency and commitment to provide value with authenticity

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room or the best photographer or writer to build trust and an authentic brand.

All it takes is to share your passion and a genuine desire to help or inspire people to become the best version of themselves.

So I want to take a moment and sincerely thank you for reading this and being with me on that journey.

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All of this led me to go on a different path.

I call it The Uncharted Road Newsletter For Unapologetic Men Who Want True Freedom and Walk Away

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