In this episode, I get honest about the tension so many of us feel around AI: the uneasiness of using it while also distrusting it. I talk about why that discomfort might actually be meaningful—and how embarrassment or shame can act as a compass for finding the line between assistance and authorship.

I share a real story about how AI helps me not over-think a purchase decision with my daughter. I also share about my feelings about receiving AI-written emails. You'll learn how I think about using AI to help me without letting it replace the parts of my job that actually matter. We talk about the long game: creative confidence, limits, process, and what it really means to maintain authorship as an illustrator.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why discomfort around AI is healthy
• The difference between assistance and authorship
• How AI can quietly shift from convenience to dependency
• Why the process—not just the product—is central to illustration
• Why “drawing the line” is literally part of our job
• Two reflection questions to check your relationship to AI

SHOW LINKS

• Paul Kingsnorth's Substack — https://paulkingsnorth.substack.com
• In the podcast I mistakenly said his Substack was called Pilgrims in the Machine. It's actually called the Abbey of Misrule, which is way more badass.
• Paul Kingsnorth's website — https://www.paulkingsnorth.net
• Rethinking Creativity in the Age of AI — A more pro-AI conversation on The Future with Chris Do and Jodie Cook — https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-futur-with-chris-do/id1209219220?i=1000737893787

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Thanks as always for supporting the podcast. Patreon and Paid Spotify Supporters make it possible for me keep doing this!

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• My New Book! Drawing is Important! — tomfroese.com/links — look for the green book cover
• Work and Classes — tomfroese.com
• Instagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroese
• Daily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

• Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on Linktree

DRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

My new book, Drawing Is Important, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available Spring 2026 — Pre-order now! The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate! Look for "get pre-order prizes" after clicking the link.