Get Creative
Make Your First AI-Assisted Creative Project
Creative work is one of the nicest uses of AI — and one of the most surprising. You don't need to be a writer to enjoy it.
In the next five minutes we're going to make something original together: a short piece of writing for someone you know.
Step 1: Pick a person
Think of someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbour, someone whose birthday is coming up. The more personal you make it, the more fun it is.
Now think of one small, specific detail about them. A hobby, a habit, a long-running joke, the way they always do a particular thing. That detail is what will make it feel like them.
Step 2: Ask for something short
Don't ask for a novel. Short pieces work best: a four-line poem, a hundred-word story, a little greeting message.
Try this — replace the brackets with your real details:
Example prompt
Write a short, funny poem of about eight lines for my friend [name], who is turning 70 and is obsessed with [their hobby]. Please make it warm and affectionate rather than rude. Mention [a small detail about them]. Use a rhyme scheme that's easy to read aloud.
Step 3: Ask for changes
Read what comes back. It'll probably be okay — it may even be lovely. Either way, you can shape it.
- "Make it funnier."
- "Make the last line more heartfelt."
- "That mentions something that isn't true about my friend — please remove it."
- "Now write a second version in a different style."
Step 4: Make it your own
Copy the version you like into a document and edit it by hand. Change a word. Add a line of your own. Take out anything that doesn't feel right.
This is the part that turns it from an AI output into something genuinely yours — it's a starting point, not a finished product.
Step 5: Check the facts
AI doesn't know your friend. It may invent details — a pet, a job, a memory that never happened. Read carefully before you send it, especially for anything sentimental.
Never let an AI-generated message stand in for a personal one in a context that really matters — a condolence, for instance. Use it to find the words if you're stuck, but make sure the finished version is truly yours.
What about images and video?
There are now AI tools that generate pictures, and others that can produce short videos. They're genuinely impressive.
Be aware, though: image tools and video tools vary in what's available on free plans, and many features are paid. Some free tools also place their logo on your creation.
We'll be exploring those in future tutorials, so do come back. Nothing here needs to be done in one go.
In short
Creativity with AI is a conversation: ask for something, shape it, add your own touches and check the details before you share it.
Ready for the next one?
Have a browse through the Learning Library — there's no exam at the end, promise.
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