I swear that my brain 🧠 has changed since I started using AI.
So now I’m wondering, how does short-circuiting the creative process impact our minds?
And is there a way to partner with AI and still experience the full and total joy we feel when creating on our own? Let’s dive in.
What is AI doing to our creative brains?
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi spent 40 years studying why artists and scientists pursued their work despite no promise of fame or fortune.
His discovery? The state of “flow” – that magical zone where we lose track of time and tap into our subconscious mind.
However, research shows that you don’t need to be an artist or performer to electrify your brain this way. You simply need to “think outside the box,” which could mean inventing a new recipe or making up a joke.
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross are authors of “Your Brain On Art: How The Arts Transform Us.” Their review of the research shows that creative work literally rewires our neural pathways.
In fact, thanks to neuroplasticity, consuming art—viewing a gorgeous garden or a thought-provoking painting—literally changes the neural connections in our brains.
If consuming art can do all this to our minds, creating art is even more powerful, lighting up the synapses in our brains like fireworks in a night sky.
In the photo above, I am at a writing retreat. And although you can’t see it clearly in the pic, trust me when I tell you that things are sparking inside that brain of mine.
I am in a state of flow and it feels great. I never want to give up the feeling I get when creating something new. But now, in the age of AI, will I have to?
The Impact of AI on Entering a State of Flow
When we use AI, especially if we fear it, we may not be as likely to enter a state of flow.
As a result, we may not experience the cascade of awesome neurochemicals that are released during a flow state. These include:
✨ Norepinephrine: Enhances focus and attention.✨
✨Dopamine: Associated with reward and motivation.✨
✨ Serotonin: Regulates mood and contributes to feelings of well-being.✨
✨ Anandamide: Known as the “bliss molecule,” it may contribute to the enjoyable aspects of flow.✨
✨ Endorphins: Natural painkillers that can induce feelings of euphoria.✨
Without enough of these neurotransmitters, we might experience:
💥Anxiety
💥Depression
💥Disrupted sleep
💥Digestive problems
💥Chronic pain.
It’s easy to see how a vicious cycle could start:
😂 You, the artist, are addicted to these chemicals you release when deeply focused on your craft.
😨 You fear that AI will take this “high” away.
😢 So you avoid AI and, in doing so, fail to produce as much as others who use AI regularly. You then fail to reap the financial rewards that others inevitably enjoy.
Here’s the great news which I can state confidently, as I’ve experienced it myself:
As you learn to harness AI—to control AI—your fear can give way to awe. Then you’ll be more likely to enter flow while using AI.
Dare I say, it’s the ultimate win-win!
It’s my belief that artists and creatives will be the leaders of this revolution. I want us to be the winners and reap the rewards! But we have to get in early. And yes, it’s still early.
Take the 10-Minute AI Challenge
It’s in this spirit that I challenge you to the 10-Minute AI Challenge.
This means you will try to spend 10-minutes a day trying new AI tools for the next 7 days.
I suggest trying the tools Claude, Napkin, and Ideogram to get started. No tech skills required.
You’ve got this!
So can you feel your brain changing as you use AI, or do you think that’s all nonsense? Have you tried the 10-minute challenge? If so, what happened?
Shana Burg is the Principal at Shana Burg Digital Marketing. She is also the author of Poof! The Disappearance of a Writer in the Age of AI and the forthcoming Voilà! Thrive as a Creative in our AI World.