My guest today is Safiya Robinson, a storylistener, writer, and explorer of creativity. She is the author of two books and the host of the Writing Black Joy podcast, a space that celebrates the joyful narratives of Black creatives. Her work centers joy, authenticity, and the belief that creativity doesn’t need permission. In addition, she is a keen world traveller who uses her writing to explore her experiences and philosophy on life. Safiya and I talk about our perceptions of creativity, what writing does for us, how AI may be interfering with those benefits (and when it can be very useful), the power of putting your work out there, what we’ve both learned from choral singing, and more.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

04:07 Childhood experiences with writing, music, and letter writing.

08:11 Discovering creativity as an adult, redefining what creativity means.

12:13 Leaning into creativity, starting a blog at age 39.

16:23 Making space for creativity and keeping it alive.

20:25 The impact of AI on student creativity and writing.

24:08 Outsourcing creativity to AI and the value of writing.

28:08 AI and the creative process.

32:00 When AI is useful for cover letters but not for art.

36:02 The balance between making creativity accessible and keeping human uniqueness.

40:05 The origins of Writing Black Joy.

44:10 The courage required to share creative work publicly and its impact.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

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