16 Comments
User's avatar
Teslin Taylor's avatar

Ok, well I just gobbled that right up. You took the words out of my drafted-for-publishing-soon mouth. AI as a thinking partner vs as a ghostwriter. It’s actually been the biggest unlock for me to be able to understand myself and then be able to put my beliefs and experiences and perspectives into words. I so appreciate that you acknowledge the limitations of the tool without demonising AI as the reason. Because as you mention, which was such a great point, there’s so many ways we sanitise our own thinking and voice all on our own.

(And how people feel comfortable publishing AI content without so much as a proofread is beyond me).

Thanks for your words, they very much resonated.

Max Pete's avatar

Thank you so much for your kind words and saying this!

Marco Marquez's avatar

Another great piece, never stop writing

Max Pete's avatar

🥹 appreciate you so much

Kiran Umapathy's avatar

This reminded me that one of my favorite books, Cosmic Coastal Chronicles by M.L.Fischer, is littered with typos. Yet, I love it because the writing is honest and inspirational. And it doesn't hurt that I discovered it at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, so it wasn't just another online purchase.

Sometimes I feel like my writing gets dull if I've been spending too much time writing for a company or brand. I have to make the conscious mental shift and tell myself, "Okay, it's time to be yourself now."

I don't know if it's the algorithm surfacing the content, but I've been feeling a shift toward being more human and I'm loving it!

Max Pete's avatar

yes to being more human!!!

Kayti Doolittle - Paper Ghosts's avatar

Loved this. So well said. I also believe true, unedited creativity requires safety. You have to feel safe to say the thing you really want to say. I think that's a hard skill to learn on the internet. Perhaps, that's what makes Substack special. It's a safer place to share ideas.

Max Pete's avatar

Agreed on safetly, but sometimes you just have to be unapologetically you and let people either accept that or not, and that's okay!

Ashley La Fleur's avatar

Maxxxxxx this is so effin good. Everything about this!!!!!!!!

Max Pete's avatar

❤️ appreciate you so much!

En la Compu's avatar

Max great article! I’ve been wrestling with this as I’ve started writing for En la Compu. I just want to tell stories of my journey of refurbishing computers. I sometimes double guess myself but I would much rather put out stuff that is true to my journey.

Max Pete's avatar

keep being YOU!!

Dylan Michael Julian's avatar

I set the intention earlier this year to attract my true fans by writing, sharing, and showing up more honestly and unapologetically myself. Because I want to be seen—not in my most polished form, but in my truest form (a messy human with nuanced emotions and good intentions). This post was a reminder to keep leaning into that, even when it feels too risky to be myself. Thank you!

Max Pete's avatar

So glad to hear and rooting for you!!

Grace Liaw's avatar

This needed saying! It’s too easy nowadays to leave so much of our messy and real selves behind. 🫶

Let’s not!

Max Pete's avatar

Agreed!! Thank you for the support :)