Amongst professional creatives, there is a vocal bunch with a lot of angst regarding the role of AI in our processes.

The complaints and worries boil down to the following: “Why are we training AI models at Adobe and Figma to do what we do so that we can be replaced?”

This hammers home how harmful groupthink was when it started telling younger people to (1) follow their passions in their professions and (2) specialize in their profession and that the generalist was inferior.

I do not have an existential crisis over AI in the creative process. My core beliefs about it have protected me from that.

I view design work as an enjoyable way to make money…but it is not my passion.

The word “passion” makes me cringe. What’s more, I would never fuel my career with emotions.

Know what can sway emotions? Hunger. That’s how shallow emotions are for anything. They have great value in helping move things along, but as systemic fuel, emotions are a house built on sand.

As for the work, I have always believed the generalist approach to be more exciting and rewarding.

My design hero is Raymond Lowey, who championed a generalist design approach. Google him.

So here comes AI, and if you’re a passionate specialist, I can see how it is raining down the suck on your head.

AI is emotionless and passionless. It can do your work faster than you, and your clients seem not to mind.

The antidote to getting caught up in the angst of AI in the professional creative process is to shift one’s mindset away from passion and then one’s skillset.

In addition to knowing how to design in one discipline, like UI or digital products, learn how to design physical product packaging or trade show materials, such as booths.

Look to B2B. It’s vastly untapped, and the needs are plentiful.

My hot take on AI is that it will aid my best work, take over my busy work, and create opportunities for new work.