The dangerous question that's killing human creativity (and what to ask instead)

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Click to watch (13:42) or scroll down to read on…

Hey there, innovation champions!
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Did you know I’m a singer-songwriter? However, for years, I didn't write a single new song. Not one.
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Now, I’ve never been the most prolific—or speedy— of songwriters, but still, this creative drought felt... well, let's just say it wasn't great for the ego. But every time I sat down to try, I'd think about all the reasons it wasn't worth the effort.
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Then AI came along, and that little voice in my head got louder: "Why should I even bother? AI could probably write a better song than I could."
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Sound familiar?
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Here's the thing: When I first saw AI generate thirty creative uses for a paperclip in the time it took me to think of three, I had what I can only describe as an existential crisis. When I fed AI a rough story draft and it spit back a polished article that sounded surprisingly like my voice, I thought: Am I obsolete?
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But recently, something shifted. I had a performance deadline looming—always a great motivator—and I decided to try something different. Instead of competing with AI, what if I invited it to be my songwriting partner?
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What happened next changed everything I thought I knew about creativity in the AI era. We're asking the wrong question entirely.
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The Question That's Paralyzing Us

"Is AI more creative than humans?" seems like a reasonable question. After all, AI can generate art, compose music, write stories, and yes—come up with dozens of uses for a paperclip faster than any human.
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But this question is actually dangerous because it's based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what creativity really is.
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It's like asking, "Is a telescope better at seeing than the astronomer?" The telescope doesn't replace the astronomer's vision—it amplifies it. The astronomer still decides where to look, what's worth studying, and what the discoveries mean.
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What Creativity Actually Is

Creativity isn't just idea generation. It's not about who can produce the most options fastest.
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Real creativity involves:

• Intentionality—Knowing what problem you're actually trying to solve
• Context—Understanding the nuanced needs of real humans
• Synthesis—Connecting disparate ideas in meaningful ways
• Judgment—Knowing which ideas are worth pursuing
• Iteration—Refining ideas based on real-world feedback

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This is where my Create the Impossible™ framework becomes essential:
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Play Hard: Creativity Requires Human Curiosity

When I finally sat down with ChatGPT to explore songwriting, something magical happened. I started asking questions AI never would have thought to ask:
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"What if this could capture the absurdity of this socio-political moment in a way that makes people both laugh and think?"
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"How might this connect to what people are actually experiencing right now?"
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AI can generate lyrical themes, but it takes human curiosity to ask the questions that lead to authentic creative breakthroughs. Your ability to wonder, to notice what's missing, to connect dots across your lived experience—that's irreplaceable.
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Make Crap: Humans Excel at Productive Imperfection

Here's what I discovered during my songwriting session: ChatGPT would suggest a theme, and I'd "yes, and" that idea. Then it would "yes, and" me right back. Most of its suggestions were complete flops—but some were worth pursuing.
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More importantly, AI's ideas sparked ideas in MY head. That back-and-forth creative tennis match was exhilarating in a way I hadn't experienced in years.
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But innovation doesn't come from perfection. It comes from the willingness to create terrible first attempts, learn from them, and iterate.
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My first lyrics were messy, incomplete, and full of half-formed ideas. But they were also full of insights that only I could have generated—insights born from my specific experience, my unique perspective, my understanding of what I wanted to express.
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AI helped refine those insights, but it couldn't generate them.
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Learn Fast: The Human Advantage in Sense-Making

AI processes information quickly. But humans excel at something even more valuable: sensing which directions feel most promising.
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During my songwriting session, ChatGPT generated dozens of potential lyrical directions. But I was the one who recognized which ones resonated with my artistic vision, which ones aligned with my values, and which ones felt authentic to my voice.
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AI gave me options. I provided the wisdom to choose. And when I performed that song a couple weeks later—my first new material in years—the audience connected with it in a way that felt deeply satisfying.
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Because ultimately, the song came from me. AI was simply the creative partner I'd always wanted.
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The Real Danger (And It's Not What You Think)

The real danger isn't that AI will replace human creativity. The real danger is that we'll convince ourselves it already has.
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When we treat ourselves as mere prompts—as input devices for AI systems—we diminish our own creative power. We become passive consumers of AI-generated content instead of active creators using AI as a tool.
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But when we remember that we are the creators—the ones with intention, context, and judgment—everything changes.
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Your New Operating System

Instead of asking "Is AI more creative than me?" try asking:

• "How can AI help me explore ideas I wouldn't have considered?"
• "What questions am I uniquely positioned to ask?"
• "How can I use AI to amplify my creative process without losing my voice?"

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After years of creative drought, I'm writing again. Not because AI replaced my creativity, but because it helped me rediscover it. The songs I'm creating now feel more authentically mine than anything I've written in years.
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Because I finally understood: I'm not competing with AI. I'm collaborating with it.
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Your Challenge This Week

Pick one creative project you've been avoiding because "AI could probably do it better."
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Now approach it with this new mindset: You are not a prompt. You are the creator. AI is your amplifier, not your replacement.
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Start with your unique perspective, your specific context, your particular curiosity. Then invite AI to be your creative partner—not to do the work for you, but to help you do it better.
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You'll discover something remarkable: When you embrace your role as the creator, AI doesn't diminish your creativity—it reveals just how uniquely powerful your human imagination really is.
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Ready to reclaim your creative power? Let's explore how you can lead with confidence in the AI era. Book your complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and discover how to Create the Impossible™ with your team.
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Stay curious, stay creative, and remember: You are not a prompt. You are the creator.

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​I'd love to hear from you: What's one creative challenge you've been avoiding because you thought AI could do it better? Hit reply and let me know—your story might inspire next week's newsletter!
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Senior Leaders: Ready to help your team embrace their creative power in the AI era? Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and let's explore how to foster an environment where human creativity and AI capabilities work together seamlessly.

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In just a few minutes, I can create a miniature universe. A bubble of time and space with its own systems, order, meaning, patterns…
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That's my way of doodling: theme and variations. Patterns within an overarching structure that feels unpredictable, random, amorphous. You won't find a lot of symmetry in my work, because that's me.
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But that's ME.
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Your way of doodling – and thinking, and problem-solving – might be completely different. And here's what I've learned after years of working with brilliant minds: the magic isn't in finding the "right" way. It's in discovering your way.
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Some people thrive with step-by-step systems. Others get energized by the messy, non-linear creative process. The breakthrough happens when you stop forcing yourself into someone else's framework and start honoring your natural rhythm.
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I think about this a lot when I'm working with teams. The leaders who consistently drive innovation aren't the ones following the latest methodology. They're the ones who've learned to recognize and leverage their unique creative patterns – whether that's structured planning or spontaneous exploration.
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What if your "messy" thinking style isn't a flaw to fix, but your competitive advantage waiting to be unleashed?
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👉 Ready to discover your team's unique innovation rhythm? Book your complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and let's explore how embracing your natural creative patterns can unlock breakthrough thinking in your organization.

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That's it for this week!
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Creatively yours,
Melissa

​P.S. When you’re ready to build a culture of thriving innovation, so your team can Create the Impossible™, here are three ways I can help:

1) Download my FREE Innovation Culture Assessment to evaluate where your team stands

2) Download the first 50 pages of my book, The Creative Sandbox Way™, to reconnect with your creativity

3) Click here to schedule a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session

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