Work Smarter (and Save Time for the Fun Stuff)
I’m talking to you, creative professionals – and I’m talking about AI. (Part 3, with 15 more prompt ideas.)
Welcome (or welcome back!) to Multifaceted, a newsletter about finding delight and direction in a creative life made up of many different interests.
We’re back for the final installment of a 3-part series I’ve been writing about leveraging generative AI as a multi-passionate creative:
Part 1 was all about using AI to better understand your creative journey and map out your future – with 15 prompts and ideas.
Part 2 suggested using AI as a proofreading pal to help you strengthen your writing – with 15 more prompts and ideas.
Now, Part 3 will explore using AI to bring more efficiency into your creative work or business – with (you guessed it!) another 15 ideas.
Efficiency in the creative workweek
In my last post, I sang the praises of working efficiently. When we work smarter, not harder, we win back time in the day for other projects. And, for those of us dying to do all the things, that’s a pretty ideal scenario.
But efficiency is arguably even more important for professional creatives – the multi-passionate freelancers, side hustlers, small business owners, and working artists among us.
If that sounds like you or someone in your circle, and you’re open to a little AI experimentation, stick with me!
Taking advantage of AI’s insane speed and effectiveness with certain tasks = Spending less time on the bland parts of running a business = Enjoying more time for creative exploration and expression
The math makes sense. But most busy creatives don’t know how to get good results using generative AI. And it's not like they have time to spare figuring it all out.
That’s why I wanted to share one final batch of AI ideas related to creative work – specifically geared toward creative solopreneurs or small business leaders.
Writing basic transactional emails, researching what tech you need, making sales copy snappier… Those aren’t the tasks that drew you to your work in the first place.
With a little delegating, an AI tool like ChatGPT can shoulder some of these less glamorous responsibilities. Think of it as your free virtual assistant – ready to plow through pesky or time-consuming tasks on command, allowing you to focus on what you’re truly meant to be doing.
15 ways to streamline your creative work or business with AI
The specific details in your ChatGPT prompts will depend on the work you do. So, instead of sharing copy-paste prompt starters, I'm highlighting a wide range of possibilities to get your gears turning.
The easiest approach to writing a prompt? Ask for what you want as if you're emailing someone who doesn't know anything about your work yet.
Just keep in mind that not all the info you see in ChatGPT will be accurate. Some facts might be outdated or skewed. And, even though the AI has access to a lot of information, it never has the full picture. So, do your due diligence before making any big moves.
Alright… Ready to dip a toe into the future of work and free up some time in your week while you’re at it? Give these ChatGPT prompt ideas a shot:
1. Get to know your target audience
Before you can wow your clients and customers, you need to understand who they are and what they need. ChatGPT can help you develop a clear picture of who you’re trying to reach. From there, you can strategize how best to reach them.
Try asking for:
Target audience personas that provide a detailed profile on your ideal customers’ needs, pain points, preferences, demographics, and more.
Customer journey maps that outline each touchpoint from discovery to purchase, identifying moments where your brand can make an impact.
Audience segmentations so you can better understand the different sub-groups within your overall customer pool and tailor your efforts accordingly.
I recently did the audience persona exercise for my newsletter, and I already know it’s going to be SO helpful with generating new, relevant topic ideas for future posts.
2. Extract insights from customer data
You can get a lot of great ideas if you listen to your customers. But making sense of a pile of transaction records and raw feedback isn’t easy. Upload these documents into ChatGPT and ask it to draw some observations and conclusions.
A few ideas:
Analyze customer reviews and other written feedback. Ask for the AI to identify key themes, challenges, and frequently mentioned details. This way, you can more easily spot what customers love (or don't love) about your business.
Identify trends in your transaction data to highlight popular items, peak purchasing times, or patterns in buying behavior.
3. Conduct market research
You can use AI to get a competitive edge on other businesses in your industry – before they beat you to it, I hope!
Market research feels a little more approachable when you ask ChatGPT to help you out with these sorts of things:
Competitive analyses that highlight your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and unique offerings, helping you identify ways to stand out.
Summaries of current market trends to keep you updated on consumer behaviors, emerging products, or advancements in your industry.
Ideas for differentiating your brand based on the market research and target audience info you already gathered.
(Sidenote: If you couldn't tell already, my brain is constantly overflowing with creative business tactics and ideas. A lot of this comes from my professional marketing experience, mixed with my own side hustles. If you have any Qs about the tactics I'm talking about, just shoot me a note. Always happy to talk shop! ☺️)
4. Explore pricing models
At one point, I drifted into a hand-weaving hobby. (Of course I did.) Somewhere in between building a loom, stringing it up, and stuffing it with floofy fibers, I realized how complex pricing can be for artists and creatives.
Let’s say you’re a weaver trying to set a fair price for a new piece of work. Do you charge based on the time spent weaving, the dimensions of the finished piece, or… the cost of materials multiplied by some figure, plus a fee for your labor, plus some buffer?
There’s no one right answer. But number-crunching isn’t as stressful when you can use AI to explore different pricing models and find an approach that works for you.
Need to price out your work? Try prompts related to:
Pricing strategies for different types of creative products and services. Get a sense of the industry standards, variables to consider and pros/cons of each approach.
Pricing psychology to learn how your fee structure might impact how clients perceive your work. Ultimately, this can help you position your offerings more effectively.
Price adjustment tips so you’ll know how to update your rates as your business evolves.
5. Get a shortlist of product recommendations
My weaving obsession may have been short-lived, but I’ve had a lifelong love affair with sewing. When I needed a new sewing machine, I had some very specific specs in mind. I asked around and thankfully received a brilliant recommendation from someone who pointed me toward the machine of my dreams.
But if I had to do it again today? I’d go straight to ChatGPT.
No matter what you’re looking for, it lets you state exactly what you want. Then, it spits out a list of possible contenders.
I could see this approach being helpful for a creative professional who needs ideas for new equipment, hardware, software, products, services, midday snacks, or anything, really! The benefit is that you can compare options in a non-overwhelming way – no colorful ads and sponsored links shouting for attention.
Next time you need help finding the perfect thing, ask ChatGPT for:
A list of products that match your requirements – like your technical needs and budget – to avoid scrolling through options that won’t work.
Product comparisons for when you need to simplify your options and make a decision without glitching out from information overload.
Guidance on what features to consider when you’re not sure what the possibilities are or what matters most to you.
These prompt ideas can be helpful for your personal life, too.
When I was shopping for a lightweight stroller recently, I was unclear on the differences between two contenders that looked pretty similar. A quick check-in with ChatGPT helped me understand the differences and make up my mind.
6. Sum up essential info with a short statement
A snappy “about” statement can make all the difference when you’re presenting yourself as a creative professional. But how do you explain what you do when you do it all?
A little AI help can go a long way here. Use ChatGPT to distill key information into a punchy, impactful pitch. Consider prompts that will get you started on:
A brief bio that captures your expertise and background in just a few sentences.
A mission-vision-values statement that highlights what your creative business is all about.
A boilerplate you can tack onto press releases.
An elevator pitch that tells new audiences what you do and why it matters.
7. Write the boring bits of copy
Some multifaceted creatives love writing. Others loathe it. No matter your feelings about the craft, at some point or another, you’ll come up against critical writing tasks that are just plain dull.
Those uninspiring pieces of copy need to come out just right. And, even if they're formulaic or templated, cracking the code can swallow up hours of research and drafting time.
The thing is, ChatGPT knows what you’re trying to achieve, maybe even better than you do. So, use it to get a quick first draft together – and save your creative energy for higher art! It’ll be easier to infuse the copy with your own brand or personality when you have something on the page.
Instead of writing from scratch, start with AI-generated copy for things like:
Transactional emails like order updates, shipping notifications, and subscription confirmations.
Appointment reminders and follow-ups that keep recipients on track.
Customer satisfaction surveys based on an effective questionnaire format to successfully capture feedback.
Job descriptions that clearly outline roles and responsibilities so you can more easily attract the right candidates.
Shipping and return policies that cover all the essentials and set clear expectations.
8. Sharpen your marketing and sales copy
Even if you’re not much of a writer, you probably have some idea of what you want to say in your sales or marketing assets.
But there’s a good chance your brain-dump copy could be better suited to your audience’s needs.
Allow ChatGPT to restructure and polish up your copy to make it more audience-centered, engaging, and persuasive. Try using it for:
Building an FAQ section for your website.
Refreshing product descriptions so they’re clearer, more compelling, and more consistent.
Fine-tuning website copy to shift the focus from “me, me, me” onto your customers and what they really need to hear.
Crafting calls to action that inspire customers to move forward with confidence.
9. Develop marketing campaigns
Building a marketing campaign from the ground up sounds like a lot of work. You don't have to let this side of running your creative show stress you out, though.
Ask your AI sidekick to gently guide you through the whole process. It can map out a plan, offer suggestions, and break down big tasks into bite-sized steps.
Hit up ChatGPT for help with:
Planning a product launch covering everything from teasers to the big announcement and beyond.
Devising content calendars that outline what resources to publish, and when.
Building email nurture sequences to welcome new audience members while gently nudging them into action.
Brainstorming social media campaign ideas that feel right for your account and serve your audience well.
10. Create customized pitches and proposals
Whether you’re pitching a new client or submitting your book proposal to a publisher, you’ll need to make a strong first impression. ChatGPT can help turn your rough ideas into polished pitches.
Use it to kickstart things like these:
Project proposal outlines that organize your ideas.
Query letters to persuasively introduce your book manuscript, artwork, or proposal to outside organizations.
Pitch deck copy that gets your vision and value prop across with gusto.
11. Spin off existing content into new content
If you’ve already created some solid promotional assets, why not repurpose them? Your long-form content could probably use more airtime with your audience. Or maybe your last social post would lend itself to becoming a more in-depth resource.
With a little help from AI, you can atomize one larger piece into multiple, smaller pieces – or expand a little nugget of wisdom into something huge. These are smart ways to squeeze the most marketing juice out of each idea. Consider:
Creating social media posts from longer articles, blog posts, or newsletters. This lets you share big ideas with your followers in dozens of bite-sized chunks.
Developing webinar outlines inspired by your existing content to get your message out there in a new, interactive way.
Expanding social media posts into full courses or workshops. If you had a post that went viral or got a great response, ChatGPT can help you bring a topic deep-dive to the folks who need it.
12. Hash out a plan or timeline
Tackling a big project? Break it down into baby steps and it won’t be so intimidating. Use ChatGPT to turn your most ambitious, audacious ideas into actionable plans with realistic timeframes.
A few possibilities:
Project timelines that lay out each step from start to finish, giving you a clear path forward.
Weekly or monthly schedules to help you make sense of a mishmash of deadlines and fit your priority work into the available time.
Detailed itineraries for work trips, big meetings, conferences, and other activities for which you’ll need to stay ultra-organized.
13. Pull off an event
I personally love event planning – but it’s not for the faint of heart. Especially when you have a lot on your plate.
Let’s say you’re planning a launch event to coincide with the completion of a big project. You obviously want to get the project wrapped up and make the event a success, but you don’t really have the bandwidth to do both.
ChatGPT can organize every last detail for you so you can focus on your most important work and less on the nitty-gritty details. For instance, it can throw together:
Event invitation copy that communicates the right details in the right tone.
Decor ideas to help bring your vision to life.
Shopping lists so you have a handle on all the snacks and party essentials. No more forgetting the all-important napkins!
Press releases, announcements, and social media copy you can use to spread the word and stir up excitement.
A shot list for the photographer so they know what key moments to capture.
A day-of schedule to keep everything running smoothly.
14. Get ideas for new work opportunities that align with your interests
Looking to grow your business? Exploring new ways to share your expertise? Wondering about how to spin off your current work into new opportunities? Jump into ChatGPT and start brainstorming ideas that could satisfy what you’re craving in your creative work.
Try asking for:
Ideas for new product or service offerings that expand on what you’re already doing. For example, turning your tried-and-true methodology into a course or downloadable template.
Opportunities that align with your lifestyle, skill set, and availability. You might discover different ways of working, from remote gigging and project-based contracts to part-time teaching.
15. Do the tasks you don’t have the time or desire to do
Is there anything I haven’t covered yet? Well, it falls into this category with all the other tasks you absolutely must do but would really rather not.
Check in with your AI assistant and find out if it can help you get ‘em done. You’ll be surprised to see the variety of tasks it can tackle.
Why not use it to:
Craft polite “no thanks” emails to decline requests and pitches that aren’t the right fit, saving you from stumbling through awkward wording.
Flesh out fun team-building activities like creative icebreakers or trivia games that you simply don’t have time to prepare.
Put together an “out-of-office” prep checklist so you don’t forget anything major before making your escape… 🌴!
Whew! That’s a wrap on my series of all things AI for the multi-passionate creative human.
I hope you can see how embracing a little AI assistance can make a big difference in your multi-passionate life.
The bottom line is:
More efficient ways of working = More time to spare = More freedom to explore your many other creative passions
For multi-passionate people like us, that’s a pretty sweet proposition.
P.S. If you made it this far, thanks for following along. I'd love to hear if any of these prompt possibilities sparked something new for you! ✨
