Let’s talk about the thing I didn’t even realize was happening until it had already messed with my head: AI was quietly killing my creativity.

If you’ve ever opened your laptop, told yourself you’re “just getting a little AI help,” and then suddenly noticed your ideas feel watered down, your content feels off, and you’re second-guessing everything—you’re not alone. When I posted about this on Instagram, you confirmed that this little creep has been slipping into your business too… and not in the cute, helpful way we hoped.

So today, I’m getting brutally honest about how AI slowly started impacting my creativity, confidence, workflow, and even the way I approached this podcast. This episode is your reminder that your most valuable business asset is your brain—your original ideas—not a robot’s outline telling you how you should create.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. How AI slowly crept into my creative process without me realizing it
2. The dangerous shift from “this helps” → “this must know better than me”
3. How AI’s feedback made me doubt my instincts and dry up my idea well
4. The moment I realized AI was contributing to a huge creativity block
5. What happened when I quit using AI for outlines, brainstorming, and feedback
6. The difference between using AI as a repurposing tool vs. as a creator
7. The creative habits and practices I’m returning to in 2026
8. How to rebuild your originality in a world obsessed with shortcuts

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

RESOURCES:

1. Get Sam’s free weekly newsletter, Sam’s Sidebar
2. Subscribe to Sam's Substack Beyond Business
3. Get Sam's book "When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy"
4. My Instagram Reel on quitting ChatGPT
5. Listen to Episode 140. We Need To Talk About Dupe Culture
6. Meet Your AI All Stars Course (affiliate link)
7. Grab the Ultimate Bundle®
8. Click here to be notified when new episodes of On Your Terms® come out
9. Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!

CONNECT:

1. Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's Sidebar
2. Follow Sam on Instagram
3. Follow Sam on YouTube
4. Subscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond Business
5. Take Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"

DISCLAIMER