Reclaiming Creativity in the Age of AI and Distraction

Not easy, but hey, discipline is key!

We live in a world where we’re constantly connected, our attention held captive by phones, social media, and an endless stream of information. It’s hard to escape. Whether we’re scrolling through Instagram, binge-watching videos, or mindlessly browsing, we’re consuming at an unsustainable rate. They say that if you spend 3 hours a day on your phone, from the age of 15 to 79, it adds up to a full decade of your life spent doing nothing but consuming. Ten years of watching, absorbing, and reacting, but creating nothing. Can we do something about it? Not an easy task, for sure—but not impossible either.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we reclaimed that time. What would happen if we dedicated even a fraction of those hours to creating something of our own—whether it’s writing, painting, photographing, or building something new, even a community? Ten minutes a day may not seem like much at first, but over time, small steps can lead to bigger achievements. Think of it like working out for your mind, but with much cooler results than just a six-pack.

And as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into our lives, things get even more complicated. AI is getting pretty good at creating things… art, music, text—AI is starting to do it all, and sometimes, it even does it faster. So, how can we, as humans, stand out when machines can replicate so much?

The answer might lie in embracing what makes us human and practicing less distraction.

While AI can imitate technique, it will never capture the chaos, unpredictability, and authenticity of human creativity. The process of creating—of letting ideas take shape in unexpected ways—is what truly makes us unique. And now, in this ever-advancing technological era, our humanity is more valuable than ever. Can AI be messy? Not really. Can we? Absolutely!

This is especially true in fields like street and documentary photography, and also in analog creative processes, collage included. I think that’s why I love these forms of art so much. They aren’t just mediums; they’re windows into real life. Street photography is about capturing those raw, unfiltered moments of daily life—the unnoticed gestures, the fleeting interactions, the subtle emotions. Documentary photography goes even further, telling stories that are rooted in authenticity, in the complexities of people and places. These genres are harder to replicate by AI because they depend on the human experience—the messiness, the unpredictability, and the unique connections that form between people.

Similarly, collage—a deeply tactile, hands-on process—is inherently human in its messy creativity. It’s about taking different fragments of the world—old photographs, torn paper, textures—and piecing them together to create a new narrative.

They all thrive on imperfection. AI might be able to replicate clean lines and perfect compositions, but it can’t bring the same personal touch, the intentional messiness, or the rich layers of meaning that come from physically handling and altering materials. Collage, with its raw, physical nature, is a deeply personal art form that reflects the human experience in ways machines simply cannot imitate.

Machines can create beautiful pictures, but they’ll never capture the stories behind them. They can’t replicate the raw emotions and tactile interactions that make street photography and documentary work so special. (or) Not yet, maybe. I hear you down there…

Marcel Duchamp once said: “The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.” Art is not just about creating; it’s about how it resonates with others, how it’s interpreted and understood. We create, but it’s the connection to others that truly completes the act of creation.

In a society that profits from our distractions, it’s crucial that we fight for our creativity. We need to carve out time, even if it’s just a few minutes each day. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the ideal conditions to start. Begin now, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Your ideas deserve more than a quick scroll or a fleeting moment of attention—they deserve time, effort, and the freedom to evolve.

Small steps can lead to big changes. And those little moments of creativity, invested day by day, will ultimately lead to something meaningful. Think of it like building a masterpiece, one brushstroke at a time.

The noise out there is constant and overwhelming, but we have the power to ignore it. The most revolutionary thing we can do right now is reclaim control over our attention and use it to create. Stop consuming, start making. Take the camera with you whenever you can, make research for your projects, edit from the beginning, don’t let images pile up. Cut the papers and keep them close by. Find a few minutes and do something creative or related to the creative process. Your humanity is your superpower—don’t let it slip away.