If we stop trying to get ahead online, what becomes possible?
 
Today Ayana Zaire Cotton of Seeda School returns to the podcast to explore why she quit using ChatGPT and other AI tools.
 

She helps us slowwww down, unpack shame, and align our desire with our capacity — a process and methodology she created and calls Erotic Engineering.
 

Tune in to reconnect with your values, reclaim self-respect, and step off the path of certainty with us.
 
I also highly recommend reading Ayana’s essay — and learning more about The Powerhouse Portal at: https://www.seedaschool.com/ph

 
 
RESOURCES + LINKS
👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
👉 Join our conversation about AI in the Clubhouse
 

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

Today I’m doing something I said I’d never do… inviting my partner on the podcast!

In this Clubhouse-exclusive episode, my spouse JJ Lang joins me for an unexpected conversation about AI.

JJ is a high-level chess player and works for US Chess. They’re here to talk about how algorithms and AI engines have been a big part of the chess world for decades — and also why JJ doesn’t use Generative AI or LLMs in their work today.

I wanted to share this conversation, because:

1. It’s fun to give you a cute behind-the-scenes in to my personal life!
2. It’s good to talk to someone being told to use AI at their job alongside our conversations centering self-employment.
3. The origin of contemporary AI (at least at Deep Mind) was building chess engines. So JJ can help us understand algorithms vs AI and what computers are actually “doing” when they answer a question.

This is a nerdy, sweet conversation, and I hope you enjoy it. To hear the whole thing, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouse

When you do, you'll get access to over 40 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show.

Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

Let's get into all our feels about AI. 🌀

In this episode, I share some of the messages I've gotten from people who are using AI but feeling bad about it.

And I talk through three reasons I think many of us (especially listeners of this show) feel so much tension about these technologies.

Tune in for a lot of empathy and even more clarity. Then join our community conversation about AI in the Clubhouse!

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

• Find all the episodes in our AI series here
• The Tension of Platforms & Why I Haven’t Left Substack (Yet)
• Cut Off the Spigot: ChatGPT Alternatives
• What is Moral Injury? (from the Moral Injury Project)
• AI is African Intelligence: The Workers Who Train AI Are Fighting Back (from 404 Media)
• The Emotional Labor Behind AI Intimacy
• AI has an environmental problem (from the UN)
• AI Doesn’t Reduce Work— It Intensifies It (from HBR)
• If you want to learn about ethical approaches to AI, I recommend:
  • Shae Omonijo's work — Find her on Substack or listen to Critical Thinking in the Age of AI (on Apple & Spotify)
  • & Aggressively Human Podcast with Jessica Lackey and Meg Casebolt

 
RESOURCES + LINKS
👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
👉 Join our conversation about AI in the Clubhouse
 

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, I noticed a few spiritual practitioners talking about its ‘oracular consciousness’ and I wondered… is that a thing??

Today I’m joined by Casey Zabala of Modern Witches to talk about how AI is reshaping mystical practices in real time — and why that’s harming our intuition and agency.

Tune in to hear us discuss:

• How Casey & I have used AI in the past
• The embedded inequity and colonial power dynamics of chatbots
• The astrology of 2026 and how it’s very AI-coded
• Why using AI might be ruining your intuition
• Considering where your body and the earth exist in relationship to AI
• Holding space for the connective potential of these technologies
• What an oracle actually is

And if you want to join the conversation... come chat with us on Substack! I've opened a community thread for paid subscribers. For only $5, it's a welcoming space to share your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and questions about AI with other considerate creatives. I'll also be chiming in to cheer and answer questions.

👉 Join our community conversation about AI in the Clubhouse! https://offthegridclubhouse.substack.com/p/want-to-talk-about-ai

RESOURCES + LINKS
👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails
📔 Buy Amelia's book at yourattentionissacred.com!
 

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

Let’s be more transparent about how we are and aren’t using AI in our work!

In this episode, I walk you through key considerations and a simple process for writing a thoughtful AI policy for your creative business.

You’ll also hear how I crafted the Interweb AI policy, as well as why I was really inspired by Mel Mitchell-Jackson’s AI policy in that process.

Press play, then click right here for more notes and resources!
 

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

How are we feeling about AI these days, friends?

Ambivalent? Over it? Hopefully curious? 🧐

Today on the show, we’re kicking off a 3-week AI series, where we’ll explore the good, bad and ugly of LLMs.

Our first guest is Mel Mitchell-Jackson — who returns to the show to share their practice of AI Sobriety.

We get into why AI is a labor issue, how it’s impacting our creativity, and why we’re hopeful that locally-hosted small language models might save the day.

We also talk about addiction, accessibility, and why I’m practicing GPT-sobriety this year.

 
RESOURCES + LINKS
👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails
📔 Buy Amelia's book at yourattentionissacred.com!

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

If you’ve had a tough 2026 so far, this episode is for you.

Today, I’m sharing a nuanced and practical chat with Akua Nyame-Mensah about how we can move from a reactive to a reflective mindset and shift our trajectory in the process.

Tune in to hear Akua’s advice for changing the narrative of your business — without repressing or ignoring what’s happening in the world (or your body or your bank account).

I also share some examples of how I reshaped my relationship to money through storytelling and ritual.

You can hear the whole conversation in the Clubhouse right here. Thanks to Akua for joining me on the show!

LINKS & RESOURCES:

👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

This week, Cody Cook-Parrott returns to the show to share their new book, The Practice of Attention!

We go deep into creative attention, social media addiction, and why we can’t stop checking our email. Tune in as we discuss:

• Why creative attention is different than distraction or focus
• How tending to your attention helps you finish projects
• Experimenting with tech breaks, the Wisephone, and the Brick
• Which apps grab us: Pinterest vs Youtube
• Ways to cultivate hobbies, movement regimens & research practices
• How stepping back from social media empowers us to resist political violence

 
LINKS & RESOURCES:

👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails
📔 If you like this episode, make sure you get a copy of Cody's book! (affiliate link)

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

Let’s talk about how bad social media really is for our mental health and relationships. 🫠

In this honest and vulnerable conversation, Natalie Lue of Baggage Reclaim helps us dig into:

• Growing up without the internet
• Realizing social media is a toxic, codependent relationship
• How your subconscious “goes shopping for flaws and failures” while you scroll
• The problems with hate-following
• How to quit stalking ourselves, our friends, our exes, and total strangers online
• Why we shop more when we’re active on Instagram or TikTok
• Reclaiming your sense of self away from social media
• Why it’s not your fault if you can’t cope with using the apps

   
This one goes out to anyone struggling with the harms of social media. Listen to the full episode on Baggage Reclaim here.
 
RESOURCES + LINKS
👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails
📔 Buy Amelia's book at yourattentionissacred.com!

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid
 

I met Mel Mitchell-Jackson in the best way: through a newsletter ad, a ‘wanna chat?’ email, and many texts and virtual coffees since.

Today, they’re here to talk about their path from art school to working at Apple HQ to leaving that behind for creative self-employment.

Tune in to hear us explore:

• How to cultivate creative community
• The realities of what it takes to “make it” in art school & beyond
• Chronic illness, Long COVID & find a pace you can sustain
• 3 common traps of over-giving in online business
• Ways to center anti-capitalist values & praxis in your work
• The pros & cons of building an audience through Youtube
• & much more!

   
LINKS & RESOURCES:

👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit
🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community
💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails

📣 Learn more about advertising with Off the Grid
 

 COMING UP:
✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom
✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid