A few days ago, I posted an image of myself — a cartoon-style version of me — followed by a motivational message about growth and self-belief.
Within minutes, the reactions started coming in. Some were supportive, but others? Unsolicited advice.
Comments like:
“AI work is cheap.”
“Why not post real pictures?”
“This doesn’t show creativity.”
I smiled. Because I knew what they didn’t.
AI creation isn’t just typing random words into a machine and waiting for magic. It’s an intentional act of design thinking. It’s storytelling. It’s brand strategy. It’s psychology and art fused together by one thing — a prompt that only a creative mind can imagine.
Let me explain.
1️⃣ The Mind Behind the Machine
Every creative tool has always been misunderstood at first.
When Photoshop came out, they said it made design “too easy.”
When Canva appeared, they said it would “kill designers.”
When ChatGPT and Midjourney entered the scene, people said “AI will replace creativity.”
But no — creativity simply evolved.
It moved from pencil to pixel, canvas to command, and now, prompt to product.
AI doesn’t make creativity cheap.
It makes creativity accessible — but only valuable in the hands of those who know how to use it with purpose.
You can give ten people the same AI tool, but only one will create something that makes people stop, feel, and think.
That’s the skill.
That’s the difference.
And that’s what many people still don’t see.
2️⃣ Prompting Is Not Luck. It’s Literacy.
When I craft prompts, I’m not just typing words — I’m building meaning.
I’m writing the invisible instructions that translate imagination into visuals.
Take a “CV prompt,” for example.
Most people think it’s just telling AI to “write a CV.”
But a real prompt engineer knows how to communicate tone, industry relevance, keywords, and even personality into the final result.
A prompt can decide whether your CV sounds like every other applicant — or like you were born for that role.
That’s why prompt engineering is now a job role on its own.
Companies pay for people who can communicate clearly with machines because the way you ask determines what you get.
We’ve entered a new era where clarity is currency.
3️⃣ My Cartoon Wasn’t Just a Picture — It Was a Brand Strategy
When I posted my cartoon version, I wasn’t just trying to “look creative.”
It was intentional branding.
Here’s the psychology behind it:
- The cartoon style softens the message, making it more approachable and relatable.
- The visual storytelling keeps attention longer than text alone.
- The emotion in the image connects to the motivational message — it’s not just seen, it’s felt.
That’s the future of digital storytelling — emotion powered by intelligence.
So when someone says, “AI creations are cheap,” what they’re really saying is, “I don’t understand the value of digital intelligence guided by human creativity.”
4️⃣ The Value Is in the Human, Not the Hardware
You can’t pay ChatGPT or Midjourney to “be creative.”
You pay the person who knows how to speak to it — to guide, refine, and deliver an output that represents your brand or your story.
Just like a camera doesn’t make you a photographer, AI doesn’t make you a creator.
The real skill lies in understanding:
- Tone
- Context
- Emotion
- Audience psychology
- Design sense
- Market trends
That’s what transforms a simple prompt into a digital masterpiece.
The world is slowly learning that the AI revolution is not about machines replacing humans — it’s about humans who know how to work with machines leading the future.
5️⃣ Creativity Still Starts with Courage
Behind every creative post you see — especially one that breaks the norm — there’s courage.
Courage to try something new.
Courage to be misunderstood.
Courage to express yourself differently.
When I posted that cartoon, I knew some people wouldn’t get it.
But I also knew someone out there would — that one person who needed to see creativity expressed boldly, not perfectly.
Because that’s what creativity really is: not fitting in, but standing out with meaning.
6️⃣ The Future Belongs to Prompt Thinkers
Call them digital creatives, AI strategists, or prompt engineers — they are the bridge between imagination and innovation.
In the coming years, companies will hire people not for how fast they can design, but for how deeply they can think.
They’ll hire those who can write prompts that move markets, design systems that inspire emotions, and create digital art that sells identity, not just pixels.
That’s what I do.
That’s what many like me are already doing.
So yes — AI creations are not cheap.
They’re the product of creative intelligence.
And creative intelligence is the most expensive skill in the world right now.
7️⃣ My Advice to Creatives Getting “Unsolicited Advice”
Ignore the noise.
The world always criticizes what it doesn’t understand.
Keep building. Keep experimenting.
Let your work speak louder than explanations.
Because soon, those same people who called your work “cheap” will ask you to teach them how you did it.
Closing Thought
AI didn’t make creativity less valuable.
It made human creativity more visible.
Every time I post an AI-assisted design or motivational piece, I’m not showing off technology — I’m showing what’s possible when human imagination meets digital power.
So, the next time someone tells you AI work is cheap, smile and remember:
“AI doesn’t replace creativity — it amplifies it. The value is in the mind that prompts it, not just the machine that executes it.”
Keep prompting. Keep creating. Keep redefining what they call “cheap.”
Because when purpose drives your art, even algorithms listen.
— Adanne Udejiofor Chukwudi (Ardarrh)
Creative & Digital Specialist | Writer | Designer | AI Storyteller
