I love writing. More than that, I love the process of writing – putting pen to paper, coffee in hand, often most thoughtful when lounging at home or musing in my van. It’s a bit of a cliché but few things in life bring me as much simple pleasure.
That said, I’ve become something of a ChatGPT convert when it comes to fine-tuning my messaging. It acts as my editor-in-chief, often sharpening up what I want to say.
I’m also mindful of preserving my authentic voice so readers know they’re reading about the real me. Can you imagine Chat rewriting Jack Kerouac’s On The Road? No thanks!
Chat certainly has a knack for making things sound better. But if “better” bends the truth, at what point do we allow AI to turn us into something we are not?
Lately, I’ve noticed more and more online content blending into the same generic voice. It’s relatively easy to spot an AI-generated post and some people post endlessly.
For me, this lacks authenticity and is a real turn-off. Chat can make people and their projects appear perfect – half the time, it sounds phony.
I started writing What is Beautiful? last year as a personal project – a way to release stress through journaling. Other than running (which I can’t do anymore), writing has always been my go-to stress relief.
And for the best part of a year, this website has been live with just three subscribers. I haven’t promoted it or told anyone about it unless its come up in conversation.
Then, at the start of this year, I felt the need for a change and have decided to offer my time as a consultant (enabler) again – something I’ve not wanted to do while focusing all my energy on Made Open and, more recently, Time4Good.
That’s when I decided to revisit What is Beautiful? and questioned whether to remove my personal journals. I thought, ‘How can I be taken seriously, if sharing memoirs about hugging girls at 15 or writing poems about my mum’s anxiety?‘
Then I thought – no. These experiences shaped me and people will appreciate it. It doesn’t alter what I can do for them.
So here I am – a very approachable and easy-going guy with lots of ideas and insights, fully committed to my profession and very professional to boot, but also someone who isn’t going to project an image of perfection for the sake of appearances.
The moral of this story is to embrace your true voice. Genuine storytelling, even with its flaws, is more valuable than a perfectly curated but soulless narrative.
ChatGPT wrote that last sentence 😉