We’re living through one of the biggest shifts in the history of humanity. I need something to help me slow down and think about it. To me, writing is that thing.

Isn’t it funny? To understand what may be the most complex technology ever built, you have to go back to one of the most basic human acts.

What is AI, really? You might argue it’s math. It is... as a container. But what’s inside is us. It’s words. It runs on them, speaks in them, thinks in them. Words are its native language. Maybe that’s why writing feels like the right tool to decode it.

To understand AI, you don’t need the latest model or its source code. You need to understand the fundamentals: humans, languages, machines, cognitive biases, emotions, love, and hate.

Think about the best work you created with AI or any tool. I bet it wasn't technical. You had a clear idea. You knew your audience. You knew what emotion you were after. That's a communication skill. The people who will get the most out of AI aren't necessarily the most technical. They're the ones who understand people, context, and language. That's always been the job.

When Anthropic accidentally leaked Claude Code's source code last week, developers rushed to study it. What they found behind thousands of lines of code was steps, loops, and structure. That was the power of Claude Code. Not the code itself, but how a team of thinkers structured a problem for a machine to solve. To build intelligence, someone still had to think, define, and communicate before anyone wrote a line of code. That comes before everything.

That’s all for now!

Bonus for readers:

I'll be teaching a free online workshop at NorthernSpark Academy on Creative Direction with AI. It's aimed at art and creative directors from agencies and studios in Northern Europe… but if you're reading this, you can register too if there are still spots. I have another one coming in May for Berlin designers, focused on creative direction and product visualization for industrial designers. I’ll announce it here and as well.

PS: How I can help you get better with AI:

• Watch my case study “Bad Design, Good Direction” to learn how to think like a creative director working with AI tools.

• Follow me on LinkedIn, where I write almost daily about my experiences with AI tools and workflows.

• Watch my web series Design Decoded to see how real creatives are using AI tools without the hype and BS.

• Subscribe to this tiny publication.

Subscribe now

Lately, I’ve been meeting people from very different worlds (design, gaming, film, even finance) and many of them are rewriting their careers in real time.

To me that doesn’t feel random… it feels like a real signal.

These are people who’ve realized their moment has arrived. AI is giving them the leverage to build studios, brands, and startups that simply weren’t possible before.

What’s striking is how much they have in common.

1- They’re often between 40 and 50. Hands-on leaders. The head of design who built a global team from scratch. The IP lead who turned early ideas into cultural hits across markets. The creative director who led complex campaigns for big demanding clients, again and again. People who have made real decisions with real consequences.

2- They want to build something meaningful with a small, agile team.

3- They understand technology, but they don’t worship it. They know the tool isn’t the point. The tool is the amplifier.

4- They’re endlessly curious. They reach out just to talk, to exchange ideas. “Can I pick your brain?” they ask.

5- Many of them are also outsiders and multicultural: immigrants, partners of immigrants, or simply people used to living between worlds. Maybe that’s why they can sense the new world forming faster than others.

To me, this looks like the next creative class: experienced enough to build, humble enough to learn, and seasoned enough to ignore the hype and cut through the BS.

They were built for the AI era.

For years, tech culture has pushed the idea that every major technological shift belongs to the young. But in design, entertainment, gaming, and media, I really don’t think that will hold. Not in industries where taste matters. Not in industries where one decision can cost millions.

So what are these people going to build? My guess: the next generation of agile studios, new creative companies, and mission-driven brands.

And the reason is simple: AI changes the economics of building. It collapses budgets, timelines, deliverables, and even distribution. That gives small, experienced teams the ability to move faster, communicate vision earlier, and produce at a level that used to require much larger organizations.

That’s why these people are so well positioned for this shift: they have the taste, judgment, and experience to leave behind slow processes and tired creative formulas, and build leaner, bolder, more culturally resonant businesses from the ground up.

Maybe they’re not late at all. Maybe this is exactly their moment.

That’s for now!

Have you seen my first case study video yet? More than 200 people saved it on LinkedIn, and a lot of you sent really warm messages after. That meant a lot to me. I’m working on the second one now. What began as a few tests with friends and some early renders (images below) is becoming a deeper exploration of where our work is going… and how vision becomes a product.

Someone might benefit from this e-mail. Forward this to them and tell them to subscribe to this weirdly rare free newsletter.

Talk soon,
Reza Bird

Subscribe now

This is a one-of-a-kind workflow… or maybe I should say, it goes beyond workflow. It’s about teaching you how to think with AI… and how to fish with AI!!

With this case study, I’m also announcing the launch of my YouTube channel. I'm planning to produce stories around AI that you won't find anywhere else… not the 'comment X to get my workflow' content, but something that real creative people can actually learn from and build on.

Here is the video, but for those who want more context, please keep reading.

Today Google released Nano Banana 2, something a lot of us have been waiting for. Why does it matter? Since November 2025, after the original Nano Banana release, we entered a new phase in AI image-making where you could actually partner with the model in both reasoning and creation. Around the same time at Vizcom, we were making Modify smarter.

What do I mean by smarter? Reasoning became part of the architecture. As models got smaller and smarter, these focused tools stopped being pure generation engines and started becoming editing and reasoning tools.

You could bring an existing image, describe what you wanted changed, and the model would understand context, maintain consistency, and execute with precision. Not just “generate something new” — but “understand what’s here and work with it.”

Then one experiment showed me the real potential.

I got the machine to produce conceptual work that was genuinely aligned with the DNA of my series Bad Design. Not a remix, and not a stylistic copy. The model actually understood the concept. That was the first time I thought: ha!!! we’re actually moving toward working with AI as a thinking partner, not just a tool. It’s not quite there yet … but this is the future.

So I built this case study around that experiment. A real breakdown of how directing a machine is different from just prompting one.

I hope this gives you something useful. Forward it to anyone who might need a spark. And follow me on LinkedIn for daily thoughts on AI and creative work.

Thanks!
Reza Bird

You’ve probably felt it too.

ChatGPT advises me not to talk like this. It says: “Reza, don’t speak emotionally. You’ll confuse people.”

Exactly. That’s the damn point!

If you’re an artist, clarity isn’t always the goal.
Sometimes your job is to make things harder.
More layered.
To shift perspective.
To break the pattern.
That’s how people feel something.
That’s how they see.

In a world full of polished, fake, optimized everything… emotion is our leverage.

So yeah, I still believe in AI. A lot.

Because it might be the thing that finally forces us to be ourselves. When everyone’s using the same powerful tools, what’s left?

You. Your taste. Your madness. Your emotions. Your decisions.

I recently directed and produced a new episode of our web series, Design Decoded, featuring legendary designer Scott Robertson.

He says the same thing, just in his own language: That curiosity, bravery, and a willingness to explore other worlds is how you tame the machine.

▶️ Watch it here

This is one of the most honest stories I’ve told about AI. Scott’s not talking theory. He’s doing the work. His approach can help any creative see AI differently. Not just as a tool, but as a way to build their own world.

Anyways…

People keep asking how we got those shots with the Waymo cars.
I usually laugh and just say, “It’s Hollywood.”

But that was damn pure luck.

And honestly, luck’s just what happens when the human weirdness gets through.
You can’t plan it. You can’t prompt it!

Massive kudos to my cinematographer Dustin Pearlman and Andrew Baxter for making it happen.

If you know someone who’d get something out of this episode or this newsletter, send it their way.

I’ll be in SF and Mexico City soon. Say hi if you’re around.

—Reza

But design isn’t dead. Every generation redefines it through its tools and tech. And I want to show you one of the aesthetics and the mindset of our time. At the end, I’ll connect it to AI so you can see the massive opportunity right in front of us.

It’s a very short read… Let’s go!

☑️ Meet Nothing
A London-based consumer tech company known for its fantastic design and mind-blowing marketing. Their entire business is built on perfect, precise design. They didn’t invent anything new… they just added great taste to everyday tech.

☑️ Look at Actual Source
It's not just an indie publisher. It’s an ecosystem that cares about beautiful, edgy design built on meaningful stories. They also master the art of blending publishing, branding, and culture into one cohesive vision.

☑️ Look at MyMind
It’s anything but a productivity app. It’s a shift from utility to experience, to emotional clarity. A private space for reflection with phenomenal minimalism.

WHAT IS THIS TREND?
This is the rise of intentional curation and design as a core strategy. Smart brands and studios are already doing this every day. You can call it design-first energy. Where taste leads and the rest follows.

WHY NOW?
Because tech got accessible.
Tools got faster.
Distribution got smoother.
And… the best minds stopped fixing and coding and started focusing on feel. They started obsessing over form, texture, and rhythm and how to shape a new world with all of this.

AI × Taste
AI will only push this trend further. With AI, you can hack old systems, curate super fast, and automate the heavy lifting. And if you have great taste and a love for good design, you can build something remarkable on top of all that freedom.

Not everyone needs to create something entirely new with new tech. With AI, you can build powerful layers on top of the old world and… helping us understand it better, live it better, and experience it in entirely new ways.

That’s it for now.

For me, it was the summer of 1996.

I was 18, in a small, humid port in the north of Iran. I sold my beloved VHS camera and used the money to buy a PC just good enough to run Photoshop 4.

I was determined to master Photoshop. I was obsessed with rock album covers and film posters… and I wanted to design my own.

There was no internet. No YouTube. All I had was a thick-ass book translated into Farsi and a cracked CD (yep, jailbroken). Iran wasn’t… and still isn’t a part of global copyright law. That was the only way to get the software.

I installed Photoshop. It worked. I opened it and… magic pulled me in.

I spent that whole summer learning. One technique a day.

Every day I woke up at 7, had breakfast, went down to this boiling-hot basement and stayed there until evening. Just me and the screen. And I couldn't even share any of those cool graphics I was creating every day, because the internet didn't arrive until the early 2000s.

Still, that summer lives in me.

When I feel broken or tired of starting over, I try to tap into that energy again.

What was that? Showing up daily, just for the love of learning, not for winning or anything else. That’s something I’m sure you can relate to.

It’s that strange thing J. D. Salinger was pointing at in the spiritual tale of Franny and Zooey.

Remember the Fat Lady? That’s who you do it for.

That summer, I was just doing it for the Fat Lady.

And I think I need her again.

We all do.

Because we're standing on the edge of something big. And the only way to meet it is by going back to that raw curiosity.

What was it for you? When was that moment?

Go for a walk. Take a shower. Blast something loud and dance or air drum like you used to.

Then find that place inside you.

Bring it into now. Frame it. Let it lead again.

Sometimes you need to tie that feeling to something real… just to feel it again and make it part of who you are today.

For me, it was the Pump album cover by Aerosmith. I found a copy of the exact tape cassette I had on eBay. Now it's on my desk, where I can see it anytime I need to remember.

That was it! Forward this email to someone who needs it today. That’s how we show up for each other.

Talk soon.

One up north in Vancouver, and one in the Bay Area.

Smart as hell, trustworthy, and a joy to work with.

But I guess that doesn't mean anything anymore.

Then an old buddy from Amsterdam slid into my inbox: "Know anyone hiring?"

We used to work at a startup that felt like the future right after the pandemic.

Now it's almost… gone.

Later that week, I grabbed coffee with a DP friend in LA. He hasn't touched a camera in weeks.

Is Hollywood dying?

And… this is all happening before AI has even really arrived. Madness!

Then I flash back to something someone said in a meeting full of filmmakers and writers: "The union will stop it!"

Man… how deep in sleep do you have to be?!!

That’s when I reminded myself: Don’t add to the chaos. Be useful or get out.

OK! Let's start from scratch:

Yes, things are falling apart. This isn't just about job losses or a slow industry cycle. Old systems are collapsing. But as always when you lose something, you also gain something. In every collapse, there's a rare moment: a chance to step out of the line, stop chasing what's safe, and build something different. If you're shifting gears and trying to reposition yourself, grab a coffee and start reading. I've put together three real opportunities for you that are opening right now. Let me break them down.

First: the rise of micro studios

You don't need to be a giant to build something high-quality anymore.

A new kind of studio is rising in film, design, and digital products: small, fast, and AI-native. We've seen agile studios before, but these are different. These are elite crews…deeply talented, wildly efficient and AI lets them scale fast with almost no overhead.

Picture a tiny team going head-to-head with Warner Bros... on a fraction of the budget. Of course, the whole equation scrambles! That's where they win.

Who are they? Teams of 5–10. Remote. Global. Giving chances to talent from the smallest cities in the world.

The founders are amazing storyteller who run on taste, judgment, and rebellion.

They love building. They experiment constantly. New tools, new workflows, new ideas. They move fast. They know how to tell stories for the internet and build direct audiences.

And wit AI, they can hold their ground against giants.

How do they start?

Two paths:

They either put together a pitch deck and raise seed money…

Or take the organic route: a few friends+ one real project + a mix of AI and traditional tools. When the project wraps, they make buzz and let it define the studio.

Second: the rise of the creative producers

I call them creative producers. They're part creative director, part producer. They think big: strategy, taste, direction. But they're also get-it-done animals.

They've been in the rooms where decisions happen… and on the sets, in the labs, in the garages where things actually get made. They lead creatives (which is messy and emotional), manage projects, fix chaos… and still roll up their sleeves and do the work when it matters.

And now? They are adding AI to the mix.

They know how to manage both machines and humans.

They come from film, design, editorial, product, project management.

Companies need these people. Haven't you seen Autodesk's report last month? Nearly half of industry leaders now say AI fluency is a top hiring priority. But here’s the thing: 58% of them can’t find the talent.

And one of the roles they’re hunting for is exactly this: a connector. Someone who can bridge it all: machines, humans, tools, story, workflow, delivery. People who understand how it all fits together.

How do they start?

They dig in… studying workflows, job listings, emerging tools. They go to events. They call five people outside their field and aren't afraid to ask real questions.

Then they connect all the dots and start testing. On a side project. With a small team. With whatever they've got.

And when they spot a real pattern (something that actually solves a problem or brings clear value), they move. They change their title, reposition themselves, and lead.

Third: the rise of the curators

Some of us aren't here to build studios or run teams. We're here to translate the shift. To name it, shape it, and explain it through newsletters, simple visuals, and sharp content. These people turn chaos into clarity.

They don't scale teams. They scale a perspective. Their viewpoint is their business.

If you're more bridge-builder than technician, this might be your path.

You're betting there's value in helping others see. In taking the big, messy, often complex world of tech... and filtering it through curiosity, honesty, and connection. Then making it usable and accessible for the rest. They don't chase hype. They chase signal.

How do they start?

They're truly obsessed with AI and this shift. They want to figure it out for themselves first. So they start eating up everything. They have the stomach of a beast: LinkedIn, talks, research papers, another report. They talk to people across fields. They connect dots others don't see.

They also know how to start small and consistent and learn in public. A thread. A newsletter. Recording themselves on a phone.

That's it.

Of course, reality is messier than this.

And… not everyone fits these paths.

But I'm sure it'll click for some.

PS: Got a few messages saying this post shifted how they see AI.

Glad it resonated :)

More soon.

It's basic, yet feels like a window into the future. In fact, most creative AI tools are heading the same way: powerful results, minimal friction. Think about it: generating quality AI video required wrestling with complex workflows like LoRA. But now, it’s becoming push-a-button simple.

But here’s the paradox: the easier these tools get, the easier they are to misuse. GPT can echo your worst instincts and make them sound like wisdom. That’s why using it well now, isn’t optional. It’s practice for what’s coming next. And doing it well demands judgment, taste, and lived experience… qualities that AI simply can’t copy.

Today, I want to show you how I use GPT to brainstorm. It’s simple and works with any chatbot or AI model.

First, the Idea. Then, the Machine.

I Don’t Start With GPT. I Use It to Break the Idea.

I never open ChatGPT to find ideas. I bring it in after I already have something real.

When I throw an idea into GPT, I’m not looking for magic. I want resistance. I want it to suggest the the safe versions so I can reject them.

That moment of rejection, that fragile fleeting moment where you realize what you don’t want, is where clarity lives. That’s where my taste and purpose show up.

the more I fight with the machine, the more I sound like myself.

Most people use GPT to write faster. I use it to think slower. To cut through the version that’s too polished, too marketing-y, too afraid… and find the real edge.

It’s not writing with a robot. It’s writing against one.

How It Works

Let’s say I’m working on a new project: a short web series about artists who left everything behind to start over. It feels strong. Emotional. But then that voice in your head kicks in:

"Is this too niche?"

"Will anyone care?"

"Should I make it more… YouTube-y?"

That’s when I open GPT. Not to polish. To break :

• “Critique this like a cynical marketer.”

• “Rewrite this if I was chasing virality.”

• “Which part is style without substance?”

• “Rewrite it like I didn’t care about money or followers and had a one-year run.”

• “What part of this doesn’t sound like Reza?”

I don’t use any of the output directly. I just watch how the idea bends under pressure. Where it breaks. Where it stays true. That’s how AI becomes a mirror.

So… test ideas. Don’t finish them. Keep digging until something sharper, more personal, shows up. That’s how you slow down… by adding thoughtful pauses. This isn’t productivity. It’s a form of focus. That’s how you train the model on your thinking patterns.

Don’t use AI as a shortcut. Don’t use it to get ahead. Use it to get under. Under the noise, under the fear, under the algorithm.

In a world where everyone has the same tools, the only edge is how you blend it with your creative identity.

Key Things to Remember

• Use the pro version. The free ones lack reasoning.

• GPT is creative, but terrible at real-world constraints. It gives confident ideas that collapse under execution. Keep that in mind.

• Since its April update, it’s even more tuned to be audience-pleasing—which means if you’re not careful, it’ll try to make your ideas likable instead of honest. That’s a dangerous loop.

• Prompts matter. But don’t obsess. What you ask matters more than how you ask it. People chasing perfect prompts are usually chasing outputs. Storytellers? They keep experimenting.

At the end: working with AI takes judgment. If you have a bold, sensitive, rebellious voice… bring it. AI doesn’t fight that. It feeds on it.

That’s all for now. I just got back from Milan, where we produced stories and assets for a global design competition. It was intense and inspiring. Over the past two months, I’ve had productions and screening in Portland, New York, Prague, and Milan. Now that I’m back in LA, I’m reminded that nothing beats being still for a moment and thinking clearly.

Next up in June: productions in Boston and New York. If you’re building something new with AI or working on a next-gen studio, hit me up and… let’s grab a beer :)

Rapid digital content is our reality. Look at big studios, luxury fashion magazines, leading game studios, and dedicated publications—you'll see fewer major and ambitious projects each year. It's about lightning-fast delivery or getting left behind.

But it's on us to balance deep work with modern demands. I found myself caught between two extremes: the pressure to produce and create constantly, and the desire to dive deep into my craft and create "real work." I've experimented with various approaches to finding balance, and here's what helped me play the game on my own terms.

Fast Production + Consistent Focus = Mastery

Here's the thing: deep work doesn't necessarily mean slow work.

Deep work is not just about sitting on a project with a big idea for a long time. Instead, it can be about finding your fundamental ideas and developing them through consistent, small pieces of work that add up over time. Each piece builds on the last, letting you explore and sharpen your vision through regular practice. And repetition is the cornerstone of mastery.

MODERN CREATIVE
Quick Iterations + Long-Term Consistent Focus ➜ RESULTS

TRADITIONAL ARTIST
A Single Massive Project + Deep Isolated Focus ➜ RESULTS

Deep work today is about religious focus on your main themes, big ideas, and your original style while working and shipping quickly. This approach is what's relevant today.

But how do we achieve this?

How do we deliver quickly while maintaining quality? Some might say "just shrink your timeline and use smart deadlines" or "create systems and templates." Sure, these aren't bad ideas, but they weren't breakthroughs for me. The real game-changer was something else entirely.

Transform Your Craft for Today's Reality

Here's the real breakthrough I've discovered: don't fight the speed of modern platforms and tools—use them to practice your craft while generating income and visibility from the start. This approach is about leveraging modern creative tools, digital platforms, and innovative technologies that streamline workflows and enable rapid iteration to deliver fast while staying true to your vision.

Next to your work in conventional formats, translate your skills into forms that allow quick delivery. Here are some examples in action for different creatives:

• Filmmakers, documentarians, and journalists: Create web series, YouTube videos, and short-form content rather than waiting years for one big feature or a TV channel's green light. Best example: Cleo Abram, who transforms complex tech topics into viral videos, growing a huge following while keeping her journalistic vision.

• Designers and product creators: Build platforms that let you create instantly instead of staying stuck in months of traditional design and manufacturing cycles. Best example: Dive Design studio, which mastered rapid iteration by combining AI tools with custom 3D printing workflows. Their platform transforms concepts into physical products within days, speeding up development while maintaining quality standards. (I've just returned from NY, where we produced a video about how they built this system. I'll write about them soon.)

• Writers: Launch newsletters and build a Twitter presence rather than spending years pursuing traditional publication. Best example: James Clear, who turned Atomic Habits into bite-sized wisdom on Twitter while building an audience, reaching millions before his book became a bestseller.

• Advertisers: Turn your social feed into a living, open sketchbook and, through daily micro-collections, put your best works in front of agencies and brands. Best example: Pablo Rochat, who turned his Instagram into a playground of creative experiments, leading to work with Netflix, Apple, and major agencies.

• Musicians: Create bite-sized content from live performances and studio sessions while working on albums. Best example: Jacob Collier, who built a massive following through creative YouTube arrangements and Instagram clips while developing his Grammy-winning albums.

Let the rhythm of this modern world guide you to new forms of expression. You can start today, right where you are, with everything you already have.

Alright folks! That's all. If you enjoyed it, please forward this email to a friend who's suffering from being a creative! :)

In March and April, I'll be in Portland, Prague, Milan, and Boston. If you're in any of these cities and are pioneering AI in creative work or building sustainable modern studios, I'd love to meet. These coffee conversations often become newsletter features—Drop me a note with some details about your project!

In this issue, I'll show you how to turn your personal journal into a dataset, feed it to AI, and create a personal AI-powered mentor that helps you grow as a creative.

Let's begin.

I've got another confession to make

I do a TON of journaling. Been doing it for years and years, with piles and piles of notebooks everywhere. But I've also got this super long page on Notion that I call Daily Thoughts🔥. Yes, with a fire emoji next to it. LOL!

I've had this digital memoir since the Pandemic, and somehow I like it more than any notebooks I ever had. I can go through it anytime I want and search stuff. Also, I can write on it while I'm traveling or even in the middle of the night when something hits me and I don't want to leave bed.

Here's how I write in it: I don't force myself to write at a set time like 6 AM every day. Instead, whenever inspiration strikes, I have a fresh idea, or I'm feeling emotional, I jump in and write a quick paragraph—sometimes just a single line. It's perfect for capturing raw ideas and emotions. Some entries are actually hard to revisit because they're so raw. Here's a passage I recently read that surprised even me:

May 2022

"One of those tough moments. I feel I can't feel anything. Everything seems vague. My future is a hard path and a constant ping-pong between bills. What is the price of being independent?”

These raw reflections are the best material if you, like me, love exploring yourself. And now with AI we can go even further.

How AI Can Analyze Your Journal

AI excels at spotting patterns and making connections in big chunks of data that we humans might totally miss, especially when it comes to emotional self-reflection.

But what I want to show you goes beyond simple analysis: You can treat these journals as a dataset! By treating your journals as a rich dataset and creating a custom AI model trained specifically on your thoughts, you can build something much more powerful. Imagine! A digital mirror that understands you and engages in meaningful dialogue with you!

Think of it as having a conversation with your past self, but with the analytical power of AI. My personal dataset becomes a laboratory where I explore and understand the way I make artistic choices or mistakes. Imagine tracking your inspirations, uncovering connections between life events and your creative ideas, and understanding the pattern of your wildest dreams. Never before in human history have we had anything like this. It's eye-opening, scary, and at the same time transformative.

Mining Your Journal

The process is absolutely straightforward: I uploaded my journal entries and fed them into a customized GPT model that I trained to understand my writing style, emotional patterns, and creative process. Then I began asking questions that required analysis beyond my current state.

I'll show you the step-by-step process at the end of this article for those who want to try this experiment. But first, a quick note on privacy and security: If you're concerned about privacy, you must carefully evaluate which journal entries you're comfortable sharing. Only include content that you feel completely safe sharing with AI systems. I've been sharing my life with audiences through writing and self-portrait documentaries for years, so I'm used to being open with my experiences. But even I went through everything again to make sure I'm not revealing anything sensitive. Additionally, it's essential to use reliable paid services and make privacy your top priority. I'll cover these important points in detail later. Now, let's explore the benefits of this approach and how I use it.

The Experiment

Recently I felt totally stuck with my personal projects. Like, I couldn't move them forward in any meaningful way. It's ironic because I'm super dedicated to my professional responsibilities—I always try my hardest to deliver the best results like clockwork. But when it comes to my personal projects, those that I actually consider my creative fuel and testing ground, I get so doubtful and hesitant. I felt this heavy cloud hanging over me whenever I started something but couldn't finish it. Why? God, why? I struggled to understand. I blamed myself—called myself lazy, convinced myself I wasn't worthy of taking my work seriously. I literally tore myself apart! I'm sure many of you can relate.

That's when this idea hit me—what if I created a customized GPT with my memoir? After all, the answers are always within us. Maybe the answer was hiding somewhere in all those journal lines and I just couldn't see the connection. So I curated the data (my memoir spanning nearly five years), fed the machine, customized the GPT, and started asking questions.

At first, the results were disappointing. The AI responses felt only a little better than standard chatbot replies. But then I had this "aha" moment - maybe I was overthinking it. Instead of crafting complex queries, why not start with the basics? So I asked the simplest basic question: "What patterns keep showing up in my thoughts?"

The AI responded: "Fear of commitment to one path."

Bullshit! You don't know me. Just because you have access to some of my vulnerable thoughts doesn't mean you understand what's going on.

I had to pause and reflect. Deep down, I knew it was true. I wasn't able to commit to one path. Back in Iran, under a brutal religious dictatorship, I had to dance with censorship and risk everything just to create. So I became a shape-shifter: journalist, filmmaker, content strategist, creative director—switching roles whenever censorship threatened to silence me. When I finally escaped to LA with my family, that survival instinct kicked in again. I started editing because it paid the bills. Then I turned to becoming a creative producer when editing couldn't keep up with the bills. But the pandemic shattered that stability.

I pivoted to running my own remote studio and launched several successful projects. However, after suffering a concussion, I needed more structure in my work life. Managing everything alone had become overwhelming—I simply couldn't keep up with the demands of solo studio operations. That's when I transitioned into VR, a new field where I could tell stories in new forms. The job was stable but also forced me to grow in new ways. The pattern continued, one shift after another. This pattern persisted until almost a year ago.

Even though I'd finally found stable ground that perfectly leverages all my crazy diverse background, I still felt that huge creative block.

I turned to my GPT again. Here's a highly condensed version of our conversation:

Reza: "I had to change my paths. It was all about survival."

GPT: "But what happens when this protective instinct becomes your default mode?"

Reza: "Can you back up what you are saying?"

GPT: "April 2023: 'I feel close to building something beautiful and big but also I feel lost and paralyzed.'"

Reza: "Shit! Did I really write that?"

GPT: "You want to keep multiple doors open, but that keeps you stuck in indecision.

This gave me enough insight to keep reflecting. The next day, I finally connected the dots: Personal projects require a deeper sense of purpose. But I had only been practicing how to act out of necessity. What was once a necessary survival skill had become a limiting pattern⁠. My superpower was actually my weakness. My ability to adapt quickly had become a creative roadblock, making me constantly lose focus and motivation whenever I sit down to work on my own personal projects.

I actually didn't need to "fix" myself. I needed to rewire this survival instinct into a conscious strategy. There's a story about Rainer Maria Rilke being advised to seek psychoanalysis by a friend. But Rilke famously declined: "I'm afraid that if my devils leave me, my angels will take flight as well." Yes! We need our demons and challenges. But understanding and working with them can lead to something powerful.

Final Thoughts

I want to be clear - this personal experiment is not a replacement for therapy or mentorship. An experienced and caring therapist or mentor brings invaluable perspective and guidance that AI simply cannot replicate. What I've found is that this experiment can be a helpful tool for self-reflection, but only when combined with your own careful judgment and intuition.

Looking back at my experience, I've learned that finding the right questions and iterations takes time. Trust me, I stumbled quite a bit before finally discovering those meaningful insights about my creative blocks. And in the end, it was I who pieced the puzzle together and made sense of my own story—not AI.

Keep in mind that you can adapt this journal analysis technique to fit your own needs. Maybe use them to shape quotes or Tweets from your daily writings. Maybe craft a distinct tone for your newsletter. Maybe extract character archetypes from your life experiences for your book or script, or create teaching materials based on your insights. The possibilities are endless.

That's all!

As promised, below you'll find the step-by-step process for creating a customized GPT with your journals. I use a Plus version of ChatGPT, but I'm sure you can replicate this with similar apps. If you enjoyed this issue, please forward this email to a friend who's suffering from being a creative. LOL

See you next week!

PS: Don't miss my previous post on "How to Play in 2025?" which got so much buzz! Many reached out, and I also got nice comments on LinkedIn.

A Simple Guide for Setting Up Your Custom GPT

Before we begin, here are some important things to keep in mind:

• I'll be honest—even though I'm very open in sharing my life with others, I'm still careful about what I share with AI. Things close to my heart—details about my child, sensitive client information, personal financial matters—stay private. Take a moment to think about what feels right for you to share, and review your entries thoughtfully before using them with AI.

• I highly recommend using a paid AI service for this work. Free versions often lack the sophisticated analysis capabilities you need, and more importantly, they may not offer the same level of data protection. Your journals deserve both deep analysis and strong privacy guards.

Let me show you how this works in practice. First, curate your content by gathering your journal entries—if they're in physical notebooks, scan them and convert them to PDF. I also created a second PDF file called my "Public Voice" collection, which combines all my "About" pages from websites and newsletters, along with some of my articles and social media posts. Take time to carefully curate your content. The more thoughtfully you prepare the data for AI, the better insights you'll receive.

Now it's time to feed AI. GPT Editor (you need a plus version for this) is a specialized tool that helps streamline and enhance interactions with ChatGPT. Here is the interface:

This editor allows you to create specialized versions of GPT with custom behaviors, knowledge (datasets), and capabilities.

Using the Editor is simple. First, upload your PDFs to the Knowledge section, then write instructions to shape your custom GPT's behavior, personality, and boundaries. Here's how to format your Instruction section effectively:

Opening Statement → Begin with a clear identity statement:

"You are [role/identity], designed to [main purpose]."

For example: "You are a Personal Assistant trained to analyze my personal journals and provide insights.

Next, tell your AI what you want it to do:

• Identify recurring themes and patterns

• Track emotional states and their triggers over time

• Recognize critical thinking patterns

• Highlight blind spots and potential breakthrough moments

• Uncover connections between life events and creative breakthroughs

Also add these guidelines to keep the GPT focused:

Never:

• Use excessive words or complicated language

• Include unnecessary filler content or generic step-by-step instructions

• Make assumptions—always ask for clarification when uncertain

This organized setup helps your AI assistant stay focused and reliable. There's also an Actions feature that lets ChatGPT connect with other apps and services, but you won't need that for this journal analysis experiment.

Once you've configured your customized GPT, give it a name and click Create. Here's a crucial step: make sure to set the visibility to "ONLY ME" to keep your journal analysis private and secure. Now you're ready to explore and experiment! Happy modern journaling! If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to a friend who's suffering from being a creative. LOL 🌟

This is an open conversation, not a rigid conclusion—but from what I’m seeing, creatives are being pushed into two distinct tiers. One is flooded with mass-produced, AI-driven content. The other is reserved for those who know how to turn AI into something irreplaceable.

Caught between these two extremes is the middle class of the creative industry—professionals who once thrived on independent work. But this middle ground is collapsing, squeezed by automation and an oversaturated market.

Let’s get into it!

The Two Tiers Explained

1. The Low Tier (Where You Don’t Want to Be)

The floor is opening wide for amateurs and enthusiasts. It's beyond democratizing tools—AI is turning content creation into a factory, churning out work like fast fashion. Basic logos, stock assets, and a flood of cheesy social content—all getting cheaper than your morning coffee. AI tools are making it easier and faster to produce basic creative assets, and soon, content costs will hit zero. You can call this the commodity tier.

You don’t want to compete here! At least, the audience of this small publication won’t.

2. The Premium Tier

At the top, we have the vision-holders—the creatives who make work that truly moves people. And now, with AI, there’s no ceiling for them. And guess what? They’re still charging premium prices because they’re irreplaceable.

Have we seen this movie before?

Yes. Kind of! But actually, this time it's different.

Let me explain:

Remember when everyone lost their minds over DSLR cameras? High quality photography became so accessible that stock photo prices crashed. We're talking $500 to $5 per image.

Music Production? Went from needing a $50k studio to producing beats on your laptop. Web Design? From $5-10k custom sites to $10/month Squarespace templates.

But none of these ever killed the need for photographers, musicians, or designers. These technologies lowered costs but also expanded opportunities. The market split into different tiers, and the largest group was what we can call the creative middle class or independent artists. In fact, these tools created an entirely new generation of self-sustaining creatives—people like me, coming from small cities, who only got their hands on the film industry because digital cameras made it possible.

The Vanishing Middle Tier

The middle ground was all about this: making independent work, crafting artsy projects, building portfolios, and waiting for that breakthrough—all while making a living through a mix of taste and hard work. There was motivation, and more importantly, there was economic logic to keep going. I’m talking about film editors, web designers, art directors, freelance animators, and many others.

But over the past decade, storytelling and entertainment had already become fragile. Why? Relentless tech advancements, global competition, the explosion of cheap social media content creators, the downfall of legacy media and traditional studios—and now, AI is here to automate it all.

We’re at the start of a shift that will hit the creative middle class harder than any past technological leap. AI doesn’t just make tools accessible; it directly replaces mid-level creative labor. We don’t have any numbers yet, but the trajectory is clear. When Midjourney pumps out a billion images a month and companies start questioning whether they need in-house designers, we’re not looking at just another industry shift—for some it’s an existential threat.

Scroll through LinkedIn, and you’ll see it—companies trying to figure out how many jobs they can replace with AI agents. Right now, the tech isn’t fully there yet. But that won’t last long. Even if AI never fully takes over, the industry itself will shrink. Studios, agencies, and design firms won’t disappear, but they’ll get leaner, faster, and more automated—because AI will let them. The ones who only execute without strategic value? They’ll be the first to suffer.

This is what we will see soon:

• An overcrowded, chaotic floor packed with anyone who slaps ‘AI filmmaker,’ ‘AI artist,’ or ‘AI writer’ in their bio.

• A rising top tier of true visionaries—the ones who know how to turn AI into something irreplaceable.

• And a squeezed, struggling middle class of professional creatives caught in the gap—not cheap enough to compete with AI, not distinct enough to charge a premium.

How to Stay on Top in 2025

In the AI era, survival isn’t about using the tools—it’s about mastering the game. You need to become:

• A visionary who sees what others don't

• A designer who knows how to tame machines and data

• A creative director who knows what's next

• A producer with taste and strong judgment

The real value lies in how you orchestrate these tools rather than the tools themselves. Why? Because while everyone's out there generating millions of ideas, and iteration after iteration, the REAL VALUE is in knowing which ideas are worth a damn. Think about it: AI can spit out a thousand concepts in seconds, but who’s deciding what’s worth pursuing? Who’s connecting the dots, shaping the narrative, and making it all work at the highest level?

Now, let’s get tactical. If you want to play this game right, here’s what you need to master in 2025 and beyond:

Become a Strategic Thinker in 2025

Let's get real - soon anyone can make pretty pictures, polished renders, and quality-looking videos with AI.

So? While everyone wants to get better at tools, you need to see the whole game board, not just the next move. Here’s what that looks like:

• Understand the business behind the pretty pictures → It’s not enough to create stunning work anymore; you need to know what makes it valuable. Who’s buying? Why? What moves the needle for brands, clients, and audiences? Business thinking separates professionals from hobbyists.

• Learn to lead teams (both human and AI) toward a clear vision → The best creatives won’t just make things; they’ll direct workflows, managing both human talent and AI-driven automation to get the best results. Become a leader.

• Learn when to use AI and when to keep it human → The best talents are mixing AI with analog work. Watch this episode of my web series, Design Decoded to see why Dennis Tan, an industrial designer mixing his hand prototyping with AI to get the best result.

• Care about your personal brand more than ever, but build your own digital real estate → Social media soon will drown in AI-generated noise. Build a newsletter, a Discord channel, or a community—something you control.

• Develop proprietary data sets & learn to train and tame the machine → AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on. If you can create your own datasets—whether through unique research, curated archives, or creative inputs—you’ll be feeding the AI something no one else has. That’s leverage. (I’ll write about this in detail)

• Master the art of curation → When AI floods the world with infinite options, the real skill is choosing the right ones. Taste, judgment, and the ability to filter through noise will be more valuable than ever.

• Design workflows that combine AI tools in ways others haven’t thought of → The magic won’t be in using a specific tool. It’ll be in how you stack them together, remix them, and create something others can’t replicate. Think beyond individual tools—design systems.

Studios, brands, and clients won’t hire you just for what you make. They’ll pay a premium for how you think. They need people who can make sense of the chaos, not just add to it.

Whatever you do, keep it premium.

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I’m Reza Bird, a filmmaker and creative producer decoding the chaos and possibilities of the massive shift happening now. The God of creativity blessed your sensitive asses. Now, stop overthinking and get back to work!

Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for my daily thoughts.

Here’s what happened: When the fire broke, we needed updates fast. With my experience making stories for the Ukraine War and Iran Uprising, I instinctively turned to Twitter. Local updates. Real-time info. I knew how to navigate it. But it lasted only a couple of hours. Then the flood came: hate, misinformation, noise.

Even Google Maps was outdated. The city was so overwhelmed that responders sent wrong evacuation messages left and right. Official government websites were ancient and slow.

Solution? There was one app that saved millions: Watch Duty.

This app, founded by two Californians who lost everything in a 2020 wildfire, features a slick design and instant updates. It was built to work when nothing else does. And damn! It never crashed, even while a mega city was refreshing it every second.

While billionaires, politicians, and trolls drowned the internet in lies and noise, this app showed up. John Mills, the CEO, who runs the whole team on donations, subscriptions, and volunteers, wrote: "I don’t want to sell this. To who? No one should own this."

Now people are sending them love letters and they’re expanding to the states desperately in need of an app like this. Texas is next.

My point? Many of us are absolutely disappointed—by the greed of big corporations, the misinformation spread by a new generation of billionaires, and the lack of compassion in governments everywhere in the world.

That’s true. But then you see the effort of two people who cared—and you realize: they made a difference. They created something no one can crash, disrupt, or ruin.

The world isn’t fair, and it’s tough—but we have the tools and tech to fight back: the internet, AI, and no-code tools. These aren’t just for corporations anymore; they’re ours to use.

A better future is ours if we’re willing to make a move.

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Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for my daily thoughts.

If you want to know how AI can help you in your work but aren’t sure where to start, watch my new web series.

But let’s be clear: with every threat comes a chance to rise up.

In this newsletter I’m exploring new ways we can thrive in the future. Today, I’m highlighting a designer and publisher who represents the kind of creativity that remains irreplaceable—not by Amazon, not by mass production, and not even by AI.

Darren Wall is a designer and book publisher who is doing things differently. He’s raised over £1 million for books that no traditional publisher would ever touch!

Let’s look at how he’s changing the game:

Darren Wall is a hybrid designer and editor in the publishing world, recognized for his innovative approach to high-quality books on video game history and visual culture. As the founder of Read-Only Memory, a publishing imprint specializing in video game history books, and co-founder of Volume, a curated publishing platform, Wall has reshaped niche publishing. His focus is on creating beautifully designed, deeply researched books that resonate with passionate fan communities.

There Is No Fine Art

For Wall, passion drives everything. He targets cool, niche topics that hardcore fans love, like video game history and pop culture. Through Read-Only Memory, he’s released over 20 books on subjects like Street Fighter II and classic arcade games. This isn’t just a marketing strategy—it’s personal; he’s been a die-hard Mega Drive fan since the age of 10. By centering his work on video games and their culture, Wall is elevating these topics to “book-worthy” status. For him and his community, games deserve serious, beautifully crafted books, just like any other form of art.

Project-Based Approach

Wall treats each book as a unique project with its own requirements, audience, and production needs. This approach allows for tailored strategies for funding, design, and marketing for each title.

Wall ensures every one of his projects is super high-quality. Besides beautiful design, he does deep research for each book. For example, for the book Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works, he worked closely with SEGA Corporation on every aspect. SEGA gave him access to their archives, where Darren uncovered hidden treasures he used in the book. He also interviewed many SEGA game developers, designers, and musicians who had never been asked for their ideas and stories before. Darren’s method shows that you don’t need to go big to succeed—you just need to go deep.

Crowdfunding and Limited Editions

Using platforms like Kickstarter and his own curated platform, Volume, Darren gets his audience involved early in the process. It’s not just about funding; it’s about building a community that’s just as invested in these niche topics as he is.

Darren gauges real demand before even printing a single page. It’s a win-win: he knows there’s a market, and backers feel like they’re part of something exclusive and high-quality.

Here is a screenshot from one of his crowdfunding pages:

Producer's Mindset

As a commissioning editor at Thames & Hudson, one of the trusted names in traditional publishing, he’s got his hands in everything—development, art direction, even financial modeling. This full-circle approach gave him the skills to launch his own publications later.

This isn’t just about wearing a bunch of hats. It’s about mastering every part of the game. Darren’s got the mindset of a creator AND a producer combined.

He proves that a new era has arrived—where mastering the full spectrum of skills and combining them with new tech tools and platforms means that one person (or a small team) can achieve what once required large resources (and this is the damn paragraph you need to read again and again).

Here Is What We Can Learn From Him:

• Blend old with new: he mixes internet crowdfunding with traditional publishing. Uses internet buzz and brings it to books and magazines. He Builds online communities to shape and guide physical publications. Old and new, digital and analog.

• Less is more, and more is less: Focus on limited-edition, high-quality work rather than mass production. Prioritize deep research and quality production while everyone else is focused on mass content creation.

• Don’t give a shit about the status game or gatekeepers. Work on stuff that’s cool to you.

• Learn how to handle every aspect of your job. Do the leg work. Be patient with tasks that don’t make sense now—from editorial to financial—do it all. You will become a full powerhouse one day.

Someone might benefit from this e-mail. Forward this to them and tell them to subscribe to this newsletter here.

I’m Reza Bird, a filmmaker and creative producer decoding the chaos and possibilities of the massive shift happening now. The God of creativity blessed your sensitive asses. Now, stop overthinking and get back to work!

Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for my daily thoughts.

If you want to know how AI can help you in your work but aren’t sure where to start, watch my web series. We recently won a Davey Award for it.

I know! It's been almost two years since my last newsletter hit your inbox, and since then, much has shifted—not just for me but for all of us navigating this unpredictable time.

I’ve been thinking about restarting this tiny publication the whole time, but believe me, life had other plans. Here’s the short version of what happened: Two years ago, I hit pause—not just on this newsletter but on some of the key projects I was building momentum on. A simple trip to a pizza spot near my place, a hit to my head, and what doctors describe as a “simple, tiny concussion” turned my world upside down.

Writing, editing, and anything involving a bright screen became incredibly difficult. It took me about six months to recover. It was a scary time since we were burning through our savings. I had to adapt, to find ways to survive. I did everything it took to get back in the game—only to realize the game had become all about survival and adaptation!

Just like I had to pause, rethink, and recreate everything, the creative, entertainment, and tech industries globally were hit with their own challenges—strikes, AI, recession, mass layoffs. It feels like everyone’s been forced to adapt, rethink, and find new ways to stay in the game.

What is NXT

I’m ready to continue this newsletter. The goal is going to stay the same: decoding new tech, new mindsets, and new tools for creatives.

Over the past two years, my studio, NXT ANIMAL has gotten heavily involved in storytelling around digital products for VR and AI companies. We’ve worked closely with some of the leaders in these spaces. I’ve learned a ton from working with founders, engineers, product managers, and designers. So, I’ll be writing about the new perspectives I’ve gained and translating what the possibilities are for us.

Big bad monster called Generative AI

It’s obvious by now that AI is not going anywhere. Many artists resist this massive shift, yet every day we see more joining the wave. And sometimes all we need is just one good story to push us to try new things—and I have a few for you!

Design Decoded is a web series I’m producing for the AI company Vizcom, which is making revolutionary tools for its dedicated community of designers. These stories are all about how top designers are integrating AI and responding to this change. Friends and fellow artists have shared with me that these short documentaries have changed their attitude towards AI, and honestly, I’m in heaven every time I hear something like that.

If you’re still resisting AI, or if you’ve poked around but haven’t figured out what’s in it for you, I ask you to watch these stories. See how real creatives are navigating these new tools to solve real problems and to create. These stories are far from the fake buzz and empty promises in social media.

Design Decoded

Here’s a sneak peek at the episodes:

• The first episode features Robert Munson, a former designer at GM, reflecting on what might have been possible if he had AI when he designed the iconic Cadillac CTS Coupe. We shot this episode in Detroit, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed and learned from spending time with this humble and brilliant man.

• The second episode tells the story of Dennis Tan, an amazing niche helmet designer based in San Diego. We discovered Dennis during a project with O’NEAL in Austria. He calls himself an analog designer and has a very specific way of problem-solving by creating physical prototypes. His episode is great for those who want to integrate AI with traditional design processes, bridging the gap between digital and physical realms.

• The third episode is about Dennis Johann Mueller, a talented footwear designer in Frankfurt. He pivoted from a safe job after ten years at Braun, built a digital community, learned from them, received the emotional support he needed, and became what he had always dreamed of: a footwear designer. His story is an amazing example of new-generation creatives and how they navigate this global change.

Where Do I Begin?

Let me tell you one thing: Here’s the biggest hack about AI: You are not behind. No one is. Don't let some stupid charlatan scare you. We all are figuring this out. Here’s what really matters in this game:

1. Use AI in any way and shape. Create stuff with it. Have fun with it. Experiment enough.

2. Figure out how to bring this knowledge to your actual work. What can you innovate or improve?

That’s all! Talk to you soon.

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Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for my daily thoughts. If you want to work with my studio and create awesome stories, take a look here.

This week’s piece is a little different. Today, I have put together three narratives from three icons so we can learn how they responded to big changes in their time. Hopefully this will give us a better perspective about our own crazy time.

One 

The 1960s were a decade of revolution, war, feminism and social changes around the world. Susan Sontag is one of the activists and cultural voices who shaped that decade. Her acclaimed book, ''Against Interpretation'' is now considered to be one of the most important and widely-read critical documents of the '60s. 

Here is part of an article she wrote on the 30th anniversary of the book. She explains how her ideas and reactions were a result of major social changes in the 1960s. It’s strangely beautiful that these words still feel so alive and relevant. 

I’m aware that Against Interpretation is regarded as a quintessential text of that now mythical era known as The Sixties. 

The radical change I’d made in my own life, a change embedded in my moving to New York, was that I was not going to settle for being an academic: I would pitch my tent outside the seductive, stony safety of the university world. No doubt there were new permissions in the air, and old hierarchies had softened, had become ripe for toppling—but not that I was aware until after the time (1961 to 1965) that these essays were written. The freedoms I espoused, the ardors I was advocating, seemed to me—still seem to me—quite traditional. I saw myself as a newly minted warrior in a very old battle: against philistinism, against ethical and aesthetic shallowness and indifference.

Read the full article here!

Two

This story is from the documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas”, which I highly recommend watching. It’s better than any business master class for creatives.

ZZ Top is an iconic rock band that took an unusual path to success. How did reacting to change make them successful globally?

When MTV debuted, ZZ Top was one of the first bands to jump on the opportunity. Ironically, their record company and managers were against this move, as they believed that the medium did not fit ZZ Top’s style. 

We really stood up for it. We wanted to do something different with new technology. If you don’t do that, you'll play ‘Shuffle in C’ [their first song] forever!

-Dusty, ZZ Top bassist

We had to maintain a willingness to continue this business of experimentation. This notion of what blues should, or shouldn’t be was thrown out the window. 

- Billy, ZZ Top founder and singer

Since nobody was willing to help, Billy started to look for a talented director and had to produce the video.

The result was a hybrid mix of music, cinema, and a pop art aesthetic, which made the band international superstars. They became one of the first bands whose career was completely transformed by music video.

With the Eliminator album, they hit their commercial peak, selling 15 million copies. 

Three

Martin Parr is one of my favorite photographers. His dark humor is so unique that when you look at the world through his eyes, you think you can understand how humanity fails! 

Here I have combined three interviews and content (from Canon website, It’s Nice That, and Parr’s personal website) to show you his reaction to the explosion of new technology, digital cameras, and social platforms. 

I like photography because people think it’s easy, but it’s not. It appears to be very easy because all you have to do is pick up a camera and you don’t need any technical knowledge anymore; a camera does it all for you. That’s why all you see is lazy photography everywhere.

“Modern technology has taken the angst out of achieving the perfect shot. For me, the only thing that counts is the idea behind the image: what you want to see and what you're trying to say. The idea is crucial.

“So although technically it's easier, and there are more platforms for photography than we ever had before, getting good photographs and having a personal vision is never going to be easy. Thank God, in a sense, because that's how you can distinguish the good photographers from the excellent ones.

To sum up

It doesn’t matter how you respond to the change. You can totally embrace it (like ZZ Top) or you can define yourself completely out of it (like Martin Parr). What is crucial is that you recognize and react to it.

That is what makes you uncomfortable; and that is what makes you grow.

Till next week,

-Reza

Every week, I send out a brief and practical newsletter to hundreds of new wave creatives, founders, and creators all over the globe. Join us!

Subscribe now

• Why we, artists, hold ourselves back from making money.

• If the marriage of art and commerce is possible.

•  Shepard Fairey's career and how he grew from a street artist to  mega star working with big brands.

Should selling your art make you feel guilty? Many artists find themselves in arguments with modern-day content creators over the monetization of the creative BIZ.

YouTubers and digital designers are pictured as obsessed with the profit of it all, while the majority of original musicians, writers, and painters are still struggling with the romantic idea of being a true artist in the digital era. 

Dirty money from THE MAN

From Picasso to Banksy, you can find artists and creatives who would be able to find the balance between art and money, but for many of us it remained a cursed taboo.

As artists, we need to develop a healthier relationship with money.  Especially artists who didn’t grow up in upper-class families.

What if there was a way to sell without dealing with the devil? Can we combine these two opposing elements? 

Here is a perfect example of a complex artist who found his balance.

An universal artist

He is considered as a rioter, a true contemporary artist, and managed an equal balance between his social media fame, big corporate assignments, and his commerce brand. He is Shepard Fairey, a universal artist. 

Fairy's reputation was born in 1989 when he began placing his sticker design of Andre the Giant everywhere. Who knew that a tiny sticker could blow his name up? He became widely known during the 2008 U.S. presidential election for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster. 

Over time, his career turned into a successful commercial collaboration with big names and brands and, as you could guess, he received many judgments from his original fans. 

This week, I was working on a script for my digital studio and I discovered two different interviews of him including two opposing approaches to commerce. 

Here, in an old interview from The Henry Rollins Show (2006-2007), Fairey describes his thought process behind attempting to balance art and commerce.  But what he says about “the marriage of art and commerce” is not sitting right with me: 

I decided , like Robinhood, I would take the money from commercial works and fund my own project to influence people so they can question the commercial sides of things.(6:10)

What we observe here is a great rebellion artist who wishes to not associate with the money of his works. I understand this is a very complex situation for an artist like him. He built his brand on questioning the hegemony, and is now working on big assignments with brands such as Nike. 

That’s why he tried to defend himself in an article from 2003:

I put all the profits back into more stickers and posters for the street, because that is my love, not money.

For any artist, it is true that if you don’t believe you can make it on your own, you will always find yourself fighting“the commercial side”. 

13 years later

But then I found this interview of him from 2019 with British Channel 4 news.

Something changed in him. He is no longer dealing with “the man” , he is done with trying to connect art and money, but is creating a new environment for the two worlds of commerce and art. He says: 

I personally believe that it’s possible that capitalism and a livable planet can live together (9:40) … I believe that smart people can figure out ways to make products that they are proud of and sell them to people without ruining the planet at the same time. (11:05) 

This time, you see a balanced artist that managed a biz and produced his own product aligned with his ethics, realistically. He is TRYING to shape a sustainable brand for the future of Earth.

He  doesn't want to question the commercial world anymore, instead he is battling to create his own sustainable vision of it. He doesn’t have any “Robin Hood” idea of art in a capitalistic world and is trying to find ways to push his audiences and consumers.  In his new approach, commerce is not a cheesy type of work, it’s a continuation of his creativity that impacts his audience’s lifestyle. 

From street art  to commerce

Shepard Fairey started working in an era where consumerism was booming. In a generation of Reaganism and conservative America, he found skateboarding and punk rock as a relief. Punk rock was a sort of rebellion for him, leading to his street art as a reaction to society. 

He built up his identity through working without permission on the streets. But as a talented growing artist, he had to expand his work. He couldn't stay isolated and repeat himself forever in a rapidly changing world. 

In the same interview, he answered the question of "Do you think of yourself as a street artist first and foremost"?  

I think of myself as an ARTIST.

He disappointed some fans, but it would be too safe for him to keep the title of a "legend street artist" and not try to push the boundaries.

On the other hand, "capitalism" agreed to collaborate with him, and he got to work at the same places he did so rebelliously. All brands let him keep his style and work on his terms. If you don't call this a victory, you probably will never be at peace with any state of commercialism.

Fairey describes his balance by saying: 

I feel comfortable with where I am operating within the very challenging ethical area of capitalism! 

He didn't have this vision when he was younger, but as his inner artist grew, Fairey discovered he could push back against the boundaries and create his independent image within the system. 

Have skin in the game

To achieve the balance between art and money, embrace the risk and create your own universe in this ever-changing world. Forget the traditional mind frames of art and media, try new forms like: commerce, gifs, memes, 3d printing, gaming, etc. Don’t distinguish between “high” and “low” forms of art.

However, this may come at a cost; questioning your integrity. But remember that just the title of an influential artist does not create a legacy; actions do. Stop playing safe, experiment, and also as Fairy says: GIVE A SHIT. 

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My sign of a good drummer would be, if you hear about 15 seconds of their playing and you know who it is.

Watch the whole video, but his last sentence is what we need for the future:

If your name is attached to a very specific thing, then you fucking got it.

If we want to be a successful artist, studio, or a creator in the new internet, we do not define ourselves by our work or technical skills, because there will be many. This game is about owning a corner of the internet.

“Get paid for doing what only you can uniquely do.”

― Naval

Talk to you next week,

-Reza

Ways I can help you:

• If it’s your first time here, subscribe to this free weekly newsletter. Every week, I deliver practical ideas on creative entrepreneurship and the creative economy that help many artists and creators around the world. 

• Brainstorm with me. Book a discovery call if you want to connect your dots and figure out opportunities for you to run an internet biz, successful online project, or package a tangible service. 

• Take a look at this resource page. For now, I'm curating the most inspiring Tweets that can help any knowledge and content entrepreneur. 

However, there is almost zero information about his studio out there. How could you work with great clients and see your projects become viral while your studio is only a name? 

Sit tight. I’m going to unbundle what I call a new-age creative studio. The characteristics of Sho Shibuya’s studio and his work can help us to understand the concept. 

A one-person show

Some of the most successful media companies, internet shows, and design studios of our time are simply a one-man show behind a name. I wrote about Pablo Rochat's studio last year. You can also look up Jack Butcher and his innovative media brand, Visualize Value. 

Technology and the acceptance of remote work made it possible for all of us to run a creative studio from wherever we are, and work with clients that we dream about without having a physical office or even living in a major trendy city. Now, we have access to tools that only big guys used to have in their expensive labs. Although money and connections still can boost your career, the fundamental features of a successful internet brand or a digital studio do not depend on them anymore. 

Working with meaningful clients

For modern-age creative studios, scaling is not a value proposition. Most of the time, growth involves aggressively going after projects that you don’t want to work on. When your operation is lean and agile, it helps you to pick the clients that you admire and seek. In this new style of working, instead of growing your studio or agency (which means more overhead) you will have the freedom and luxury of thinking about your impact. 

I hope I can continue to create meaningful work.

-Sho Shibuya

Also, when you are small and not limited to pleasing any one type of client, you can tie your own personal projects and your own specific style to your commercial works. That’s what makes you stand out and get away from the competition. 

Here’s the formula: 

Stay small ⟶ create unique projects for a few quality clients ⟶ charge for your originality, not by the hour or the project.

However, you can’t achieve this in one night. There’s going to be a process of transition for most artists and creators.

Personal projects as a marketing tool

Sho’s studio is a great balance between his artistic projects and commercial works. Two of his projects became wildly viral on the net, which helped him to build great PR for the studio and led to collaboration with big names.

One of his projects was an idea with a zero-dollar budget: To pass the time during the pandemic, he painted sunrise views from his apartment using the front page of the NY Times as a canvas and posting them to Instagram. Later the project turned to more social and political statements like this recent one on the Ukraine war: 

The project was picked by luxury fashion house Saint Laurent for an exhibition in Miami.

Creating a sense of community

Successful creators build a community around what they love. Sho Shibuya did this both online and offline.

To him, NYC and its diversity became a powerful drive behind his second viral project. 

When he arrived in New York in 2011, he started collecting plastic bags that were all over the city.

He loved their everyday designs and was concerned about the way that stores and customers would use them: 

The core idea is “Mottainai,” a Japanese concept that I was taught by my family and culture, which is basically the avoidance of waste, that every object has purpose and meaning.

-Sho Shibuya

Over seven years, this simple project of passion led to publishing his first book, which grabbed the attention of many New Yorkers who had the same concerns. 

Building products 

Direct marketing is one of the biggest revolutions of our time. Most internet businesses use social media to market their products to their own customers. That’s what new-gen video and design agencies, and also content studios, are adopting. 

Sho’s book was the first product of his studio and it grew organically into another creative project and product: the BIODEGRADABLE BAMBOO BAG. 

His obsession with sustainability, social movements, and design all combined in this project. He designed a bag from renewable bamboo fiber to help reduce global plastic pollution. 

I’m motivated by the idea that design can help solve these problems, and I’m optimistic about what we can accomplish together.

-Sho Shibuya

Although he is donating the profits to an environmental NGO, the idea is the same: use your craft and passion to build your own product and market it online. 

It’s a wrap!

Here is a quick recap of formulas to run a successful digital studio:

• Start small and stay small

• ART / COMMERCE: don’t distinguish

• To stand out, stand for something

• Build communities

• Build products

Go and make your own things and amaze the world. And please don’t forget to share this post with other great creatives! Simply forward this email to your friends. My goal is to encourage more creatives to quit freelancing or working for others, and show them how to build a profitable digital brand based on their real values. 

I’ll talk to you next week,

-Reza 

If it’s your first time here, subscribe to this free weekly newsletter. Every week, I deliver practical ideas on storytelling and creative entrepreneurship.

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We usually live an unconventional life, question the status quo, and also help society to understand changes. For outsiders, our life is a fashionable, never-ending party! 

It’s hard to be different, though. This path is usually full of fear and doubt.

Here are three short pieces from established artists that show us we are not alone. Doubt equals truth! 

Tough guys with big hearts

The romantic song “Nothing Else Matters” from the Black Album (1991) was the song that put heavy metal on the radio and brought huge commercial success to Metallica. 

But at the beginning, James Hetfield, the front man and singer, didn't even want to play the song for band members. He was kind of ashamed and embarrassed by this “love song.” In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, he said: 

That was just one of those vulnerable places and, you know, that was just the last thing, especially in the late 80s… We built this reputation of tough guys, and we’re made of stone, and you can’t hurt us, and blah blah… I was shocked when Bob Rock and Lars both said, “That’s an amazing song!” It was a life changing experience to be okay playing this for them, and them expecting it.

A mother and a writer 

Anna Quindlen is an author, journalist, and opinion columnist with a non-linear background. I chose part of her speech at Mount Holyoke College in 1999 to show how difficult it is to find your true self. This part perfectly explains how the greatest doubt we battle with comes from what the world expects of us: 

This will always be your struggle whether you are twenty-one or fifty-one. I know this from experience. When I quit the New York Times to be a full-time mother, the voices of the world said that I was nuts. When I quit it again to be a full-time novelist, they said I was nuts again. But I am not nuts. I am happy. I am successful on my own terms. Because if your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all. Remember the words of Lily Tomlin: If you win the rat race, you're still a rat.

A failed artist

Jerry Saltz is a senior art critic at New York Magazine. He was once a young painter with big dreams who moved from Chicago to New York in the 1980s to “make it happen,” but found himself a totally lost soul in the NY art scene. He couldn’t make any meaningful connections in the creative communities and became isolated. His self-doubt finally made him quit. He tried so many different paths, and even became a truck driver until his 40s. 

He eventually started working in the art world again, but as an art critic this time. His tough challenges and experience as an artist gave him a vision and made his work stand out. He soon became a remarkable writer with a rare empathy for artists. Later, when he looked back at his artist-self, he realized that he didn’t even have the personality:

Being an artist also made me realize that I wasn’t built for the type of loneliness that comes from art. Art is slow, physical, resistant, material-based, and involves an ongoing commitment to doing the same thing differently over and over again in the studio. As my wife has said many times, “Being a weekly critic is like performing live onstage.” Every week. I love and live for that jolt. Criticism involves constant change, drama, information coming in from the outside, processing it in the moment in front of everyone, always being in the here and now while also trying to access history and experience. I can’t only dance naked in private. I have to dance naked in public. A lot.

As you can see from the case of Mr. Saltz, not all forms of self-doubt are dangerous. Some are even necessary. Some are the truth. 

Take care, my sensitive fellow creators. Talk to you next week!

-Reza

If it’s your first time here, subscribe to this free weekly newsletter. Every week, I deliver practical ideas on creative entrepreneurship and the creative economy that help many artists and creators around the world. 

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Let’s get into it!

1. How does a modern day agency work? 

Brett Williams' agency, Designjoy, is getting so much attention these days on Twitter. What’s happening?

Until a couple of years ago, Brett was freelancing for some tech companies. He was looking for a way to make an online brand and move away from freelancing.

His big idea? Running a one-man design agency based on a subscription plan. Yes! In the same way that you buy music and movies from your streaming platforms, companies can buy a monthly subscription from the studio. Everything is automated and there are zero meetings. 

This new approach to charging clients, as well as the smooth automated workflow, got the attention of especially busy software companies.

The great thing about this story is that Brett didn’t invent anything. Before him, some companies like Design Pickle were doing the same. He just repackaged what they were doing and found some new angles for marketing it in tech spaces. 

Here is a question for you: What are new trends happening right now in your industry that you can adopt? 

If you want to dive deeper into Brett’s story, you can listen to his interview at the Indie Hackers podcast.

2. How to be patient when making your own luck

This is the story of Jerry Selbee who hacked the Lottery system in Michigan state for $26 Million. 

From a young age he was always fascinated by solving difficult math problems that others struggled with. Although Jerry was a nerdy genius, he never achieved anything major in his career. He and his wife had to work hard to raise six kids. They never drank, smoked, or gambled. Jerry was a simple employee in sales and factories.

After he stopped working for others, they opened a convenience store in Michigan. Since he was able to see hidden patterns of his customers, he made the store very successful. 

But everything changed when he bought a lottery machine because of his bond with numbers. 

Jerry made very good money off of the machine. All the while he was studying how the lottery works. In 2003, he retired. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the lottery. At the same time, a new special lottery game, Windfall, was released. In this new game, if nobody won after 6 weeks, or when the jackpot hit the $5M dollar cap, they did a “Roll Down”.

This simply means the money spread downward to lower tier winners. Jerry studied those winning odds, and the timing of the Roll Down. He realized that in those final weeks, a one dollar ticket was worth more than one dollar. He had found a hole in the system!

He convinced his wife and they started buying a big chunk of tickets to prove the theory. Jerry was right! 

Next, he created an investment company, and brought in some friends with funds in. Then Jerry started buying thousands of tickets in every Roll Down. 

Although what they were doing wasn’t illegal, after a couple of years the government stopped them! Up until that point, he made about 26 million dollars with his simple technique! There are so many angles to this story, but what really moves me is how sometimes your big shot comes very late in life. Jerry found this idea when he was 68 years old! 

Here is a question for you: If you love what you are doing, your big shot will come someday. But… are you patient enough to not give up until then?

3.How to quit after burning out

Building a long-term sustainable career as a digital creator is damn hard. You have to put out so many values upfront until you get to the point when you can monetize your audience. This is the main reason why so many blogs and YouTube channels no longer continue. 

The worst part is once you stop publishing content, your traffic will drop drastically and you might end up losing so many fans. But what if you get burned out? Would you be willing to continue with poor content only to stay in the game?

In February 2022, Emily Atkin, an environmental journalist and the writer behind the well-known premium newsletter, Heated, stopped her Substack with thousands of paid subscribers. She wrote on her last post: 

When I started HEATED in the summer of 2019, I was an incredibly resilient person. I had routines, activities, and communities outside of work that kept me energetic and strong, no matter what. Two years into this pandemic, I have lost a great deal of those things, and embarrassingly have not found a way to rebuild them.

That’s why the newsletter has, frankly, sucked lately—even despite my attempt to make its system more resilient. When I switched HEATED from a daily publication to a weekly last year, I thought it was the smartest way to fix the problem, because the new schedule could withstand the inevitable days when I didn’t feel like myself. But a new system can’t fix the core problem, which is me.

Later she tweeted:

This is obviously not what I wanted to happen, but I do have lots of hope it'll work. I fully intend for HEATED to return -- I just need to take some time for Emily to return.

I strongly recommend that you read her full post and the comments if you are in the game of building an audience or want to start. 

This post is brutally honest and brave. It makes a very strong human touch that we are seeking in companies and publications that are run by creators. 

Opposite of what creators think, this is a strategy that encourages the audience to stay even longer.  

One of the comments on this post reads: 

Good for you to take care of yourself--you're very needed for the long haul.

Here is a question for you: Can I be transparent with my audience through all of my journey? Could I share my real self with them? 

That's all for now, folks.

Talk to you next week,

-Reza

If it’s your first time here, subscribe to this free weekly newsletter. Every week, I deliver practical ideas on creative entrepreneurship and the creative economy that help many artists and creators around the world. 

Subscribe now