🌼 Marigold, Auntie Margie, and Me: How I Use AI in My Creative Life

Hey friend,
Today, I want to talk about something that's a little... taboo in the creative world: using AI to help with writing.

I know, I know.
There’s this huge unspoken rule in the creative community that if you use AI for anything related to your art, you’re somehow "cheating" or "doing it wrong."

But here’s the thing: I work in Educational Technology.
I teach teachers every single day how to use AI tools ethically — not to replace their creativity, but to support it, organize it, and protect their time and energy.

And honestly? I use it for my creative life too — and I'm not going to hide it.

Meet my creative team:

• Marigold — my behind-the-scenes brainstorming buddy. (She's polite but firm. Think: coziest chaos wrangler you’ve ever met.)

• Auntie Margie — my sassier editorial voice. (She gives real, loving feedback with just a touch of side-eye and “honey, you can do better.”)

• Otter.ai — my trusty sidekick for dictating cozy mystery drafts when my hands are full of coffee, cats, or kids.

Here’s how I use them:

• When I need help brainstorming characters, fleshing out worlds, or working through plot points, I pop over to Marigold for a session. (It's like having a very patient, always-available co-author.)

• When I want feedback, Auntie Margie helps tighten up messy scenes or push me to dig deeper emotionally.

• When I’m too busy (or tired) to sit and type, I use Otter.ai to dictate my cozy mystery scenes — getting the raw ideas down without losing momentum. Then Marigold helps me polish the transcripts: fixing grammar, cleaning up wording, and making sure it still sounds like me.

Here’s what I don’t do:

• I don’t let AI write my books for me.

• I don’t ask it to generate finished stories or copy someone else’s voice.

• I don’t think AI can ever replace the messy, complicated, beautiful magic of human storytelling.

What I do believe is that AI, when used thoughtfully, can be an incredible creative tool — just like a notebook, a typewriter, or Google Docs.

It’s still my voice.
It’s still my heart.
It’s just that now, I have a few new friends helping me chase my ideas faster — before toddler meltdowns or dinner disasters steal the chance.

---

If you’re curious, I’d love to share more behind-the-scenes on how I build out my cozy mystery series, keep track of characters, or even how I plan spicy scenes (with Auntie Margie's very opinionated help, of course).

Let me know in the comments if you'd want a peek! 🖤

Until then — keep creating, keep dreaming, and remember: there’s no wrong way to be an artist.

You're mostly making it.
And that's more than enough.

xoxo,
Courtny