Fuck Resistance. Thank you AI

In this one, we will go through:

1. What is Resistance

2. How AI can help us rediscover the excitement in the creative processes and

3. The democratization of self-expression

And as always, at the bottom of this email, you have a selection of the news of the week to stay updated and spark your curiosity, as well as cool tools that can enhance your life.

That’s damn right!

(approx. reading time = 6 minutes)

They say that the most challenging part of any endeavor is to sit down and start. Perfect, DONE.

After a couple of hours of work, I stumbled upon the idea for this video. That was very exciting.

0.2 milliseconds later, I realized the effort needed to make this content the best I could, so I wouldn't waste your time. My excitement evaporated, and I succumbed to procrastination.

It was “Resistance” knocking on my door. (The definition comes next!)

You've probably noticed how starting something new, especially a creative try, often feels like an uphill battle. The initial spark of excitement dims as the hours of hard work loom ahead.

Do you think that overcoming creative blocks is just about willpower? I once believed that, and I felt unworthy and doubted my capabilities.

What if the biggest obstacle isn't laziness but a lack of joy in the process?

And how can AI help us out?

What is Resistance?

Often, we find ourselves creatively stuck without even realizing it. We unconsciously follow the neural pathways that make us feel frustrated, unoriginal, and not good enough at what we do.

Our relationship with the act of creation is jeopardized. We lose motivation to do anything and end up disliking our passions or potential creations.

So, what is Resistance? According to Steven Pressfield in his book "The War of Art," Resistance is the internal force that obstructs success—it's self-sabotage by definition. It's a magnificent book for those struggling to maintain self-motivation as creators.

Whether we're pursuing writing, music, entrepreneurship, conquering bad habits, battling addiction, or any endeavor that prioritizes long-term growth, health, or integrity over instant gratification, we will feel Resistance.

Procrastination is not laziness; it's a behavior caused by the stress in our lives or unfounded negative beliefs we have about ourselves.

How often do we confuse procrastination with a deeper, unaddressed Resistance? A universal struggle. A fight against internal barriers that keep us from reaching our true potential.

Once I recognised my unhealthy motivations toward my life goals, I made the decision to pivot in my professional career. I found myself excited again about my new endeavours as a content creator.

What I didn't expect was that the same Resistance reappeared. WTF.

Am I choosing bad again for the wrong reasons, or is procrastination a more complex issue?

To overcome resistance, fuel motivation, and embrace hard work, we need more than knowing the motivators behind what we do. Focusing only on finding what motivates us can keep us stuck in thought rather than action.

Change helps people to ignite their motivation. Try organizing or changing your workspace, or go somewhere else to work!

Other ways that help spark our creativity are:

• Finding new colleagues with different perspectives so we can brainstorm with them

• Trying new forms of art and

• Creating new systems and processes to apply to your workflow

Here is where AI comes into action.

Rediscovering the Joy in the Creative Processes

AI can act as a creative exorcist, unlocking your creative potential and helping you conquer Resistance. Let's explore this from 3 perspectives.

The Game of Iterations

What I enjoyed the most in my artistic career was having conversations about a project and brainstorming possibilities with my colleagues and friends until a good idea or the "aha" moment came. AI presents itself as an invaluable collaborator in this regard.

Today, besides asking GPT to write poems, language models can assist us in our creative process. They can offer us feedback about our ideas, help us when we feel stuck, and give us the possibility to iterate until we are satisfied with the result we are looking for.

We're shifting from the producer's chair to the director's chair, making decisions in an endless game of iterations.

For me, thinking about AI as a creative partner was a game changer. Having conversations about how we can improve our creations, offering new perspectives, and creating faster "aha" moments brings another level of enjoyment to the creative process.

Moreover, process automation and rapid feedback reduce the time between idea and product, ensuring we don't lose momentum.

Our approach, work ethics, taste, and experience will determine whether we produce high-quality products or fast-shitty ones; medium won't be the primary factor.

AI and Productivity and Efficiency

Another thing that gives me joy is putting systems in place that make me more productive.

Until my 30s, terms like productivity and efficiency didn't make an appearance in my mind. Now, I see that developing enjoyable systems is crucial for sustained motivation and persistence.

Identifying the most enjoyable approach to any task is key. Gamifying the process, iterating until we find a system that brings happiness, increases the likelihood of success.

AI is transforming our processes, making us more efficient and better at what we do. This will allow us to have more time to use creativity, explore new ideas, and create new projects.

Furthermore, AI is going to be our assistant. It will create and know what our processes are, what our goals are, and help us attain them while making us grow in the areas where we are weak.

I always had difficulty expressing myself and conveying my ideas in a captivating way. The more I interact with AI, the more I am learning and getting better at it. This is empowering.

The winners will be the most specific and precise about what they need. Forcing specificity could be one of the new ways AI art will make us use our creative brains. Clarity of thought and visualization will be paramount in AI-driven art.

Exploring New Art Forms and Technologies

Some of us feel excited about AI because we come from a place where we have lost the excitement of experiencing and trying new forms of art to express ourselves. This was my case, and AI gave me the excitement back.

The Industrial Revolution led to new art forms like photography, cinema, graphic design, and advertising, providing many people with fresh opportunities for self-expression.

We're entering an era of perpetual discovery, with new tools emerging daily. These innovations are user-friendly and will become even more accessible. New mediums will unblock our creative flow, enabling us to experiment with ideas at a rapid, user-friendly pace, reminiscent of our childhood.

It is ironic that technology, often seen as uncreative, will become a key tool in the creative process.

If we look at AI from the perspective of innovation and opportunity, it will give us motivation in our lives. Resistance comes from not seeing why we are doing something and a lack of a clear goal.

Remember, now is a pivotal moment in history

You may feel stuck in life, and maybe you are not into robots. I wasn't.

They say that life is about timing. Now is the time to make a choice and be part of this new era. This can be the reason to get back the momentum and overcome being stuck.

The new era of art should be less self-centered and more community-focused. Understanding that we are being helped by collective wisdom, or AI, should make us more humble. This perspective should erase a portion of Resistance, laziness, procrastination, and self-doubt.

Remember, conquering Resistance isn't solely about willpower—it's about finding joy in the process and embracing new perspectives, like AI, our unexpected creative ally.

AI will not only boost productivity but also unlock creativity for many who don't see themselves as creative, allowing them to express themselves.

We have to express ourselves to relieve the pressure if we want to improve our mood and lives.

Isn't that what life is all about—expressing ourselves?

Next week, I'll share the framework I use to stop procrastination and welcome AI into my process. Keep in mind:

The end goal is to overcome resistance and free our creativity.

Thank you for your time.

My News Picks

• Elon Musk’s brain implant startup, Neuralink, raises an additional $43M

• Sam Altman is officially back as OpenAI’s CEO, and confirms the existence of the mysterious Q* project.

• Job postings referencing generative AI skills have risen by 2,000%

• AWS announces Amazon Q, the assistant for work and business.

• The “self-operating computer” is here.

• Dialogues about AI and Creativity with Refik Anadol and Mira Lane

• Amazing updates to Generative video AI

Cool tools

• MyMap is a MindMap generator that simplifies ideas visualization for study or work projects.

• aiPDF gives you instant answers from your PDFs, with detailed references.

• Pika is an amazing AI-powered video generator startup offering advanced videography tools.

Educational

• Free generative AI course for beginners from Microsoft

• AI Vision educational article. Discover the business ideas and opportunities of this new capability.

And that’s all. I hope these insights, news, and tools help you prepare for the future!

Have a really nice week.

Stay kind.

Rafa TV