The tools have changed. Creativity hasn't.

I've spent much of this week with tracing paper, graph paper and my favourite pencils spread across the desk.

It’s been so refreshing to forget about the Mac for a while and get back to basics.

Which probably explains why I'm so bored of talking about AI.

Every creative conference, podcast, blog and LinkedIn post is having the same discussion. What’s more interesting is what's happening underneath it.

We're in a world where everyone has access to remarkably similar creative tools.
You can generate images.
Write copy.
Build prototypes.
Make films.
Create presentations.

The barriers to making things are falling fast, which raises a more interesting question:
Why does some work still feel distinctive?

Why do certain ideas feel like they could only have come from one person or one team?

The more accessible the tools become, the more valuable judgement becomes.
Taste.
Curiosity.
Observation.
Knowing what not to make.

This is how it’s always been and why the conversation about AI usually misses the point. It’s not about the tools, it’s about what you do with them. And that’s what creativity is.

Oh no, have I just written another blog about AI?