veryone’s a bit more creative now.
Upload a photo of yourself and generate an image as an action figure.
Use AI to write replies to emails.
Throw some assets into a template and call yourself a web designer.
The tools are powerful. The access is thrilling. We’ve never had this much creative firepower in the hands of so many people, and I genuinely love that. It opens doors. It gets people playing, experimenting, building things they never thought they could.
But using a tool doesn’t make you a professional.
And being part of the conversation doesn’t mean you’re the one doing the work.
I’ve been in boardrooms where I’ve presented weeks of work – grounded in research, tested with users, shaped with the team. And just as we get to the part where it matters, someone drops in with a line like “Why don’t we just…” followed by a paraphrased version of what’s already been said.
They feel like they’ve cracked it. You smile. You let them believe it. That’s part of the job too.
Because you know the real work doesn’t happen in a moment of insight. It happens in the delivery. In doing it again and again. Under pressure. In the grey areas. With other people. Across departments. Through feedback, pivots, blockers and burnout.
That’s what people don’t see when they treat creativity like a copy and paste prompt.
I do a lot myself, just like anyone. But that doesn’t make me a stylist, a race car driver, a developer, or a doctor. I know what I’m good at. I know what I enjoy. And I know what I’ll do even when I don’t enjoy it – because it’s part of the responsibility I chose.
I also know when someone else is better, and I get out of their way.
Yes, ideas can come from anywhere. But turning an idea into something that works, something that lasts, something people value, takes skill. It takes patience, judgment, and accountability. It takes expertise. Not just as a once-off, but daily.
In a world where everyone’s been given the opportunity to be a bit creative, how do we show real respect to the people who actually carry the creative weight every day?