🎢 My year with AI: Missteps, mastery and yes, magic! ✨ IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

When AI jolted me out of retirement, it did more than reawaken my curiosity—it changed how I see the world.

A year ago, I was writing basic prompts and marveling at AI responses. Now? I'm having full-blown strategy sessions with an AI partner who catches my ADHD thought-bursts mid-flight, and turns them into “real stuff.”

The real “aha”? Realizing that AI's massive capabilities - from research to creativity, analysis to execution - freed my mind to think bigger.

When you've got a partner who can handle the heavy lifting, those "I can't" voices in your head... vanish.

This newsletter started as a passion project, but it's become a chronicle of possibility. And we're just getting started.

Five Wake-Up Calls from 2024:

1. The AI Acceleration is Brutal: Six months in tech used to be fast. Now AI models evolve weekly. AI has become its own teacher. If you're waiting for things to slow down, don't. They won't.

2. The BS Meter Has Flipped: Remember the "AI is overhyped" crowd? They're quietly eating their words. The reality is outpacing even the most bullish predictions.

3. The Job Market's Quiet Earthquake: It's less about dramatic layoffs - it's about quiet obsolescence. The choice isn't if you'll adapt to AI, but whether you'll do it before you have to.

4. Stealth Mode Integration: Look closely at your favorite tools. That "new feature" you like? Probably AI. It's not coming for your job - it's already in your workflow.

5. Your AI Teammates Are Upskilling Too: AI agents aren't future tech - in 2025 they're ‘today’ coworkers. And they're getting smarter, more capable, and essential every day.

The writing's on the wall: This isn't about keeping up anymore - it's about catching up. Fast.

THROUGH A-EYES

Creating graphics is one of my favorite parts of publishing this newsletter, so it was fun to review my one-year “illustration evolution” with MidJourney. Having recently been invited to join Midjourney’s new web-based app (having generated the qualifying 1000+ images) I feel positively special 👑 

PS: The downloadable file linked below is clearer.

MY ESSENTIAL AI TOOLSTACK: 2024

Along with MidJourney, the tools below are the ones that became my “go-to tool stack” during 2024. I used many (many) more - some excellent - but found myself returning time and again to these “trusted few.”

FINDING THE MAGIC

The real magical spark? The moment I realized that AI was the best ally and partner this ADHD mind could ever wish for. In a world that often feels designed for neurotypical minds, those of us with ADHD, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent traits usually struggle to capture and communicate ideas. AI can help bridge the gap between our brilliantly chaotic thought processes, and the structured demands of work and daily life. I found this to be both revelatory and empowering.

FINALLY, HOW DID THIS NEWSLETTER FARE?

I launched in February 2024 as a solo venture, with friends and family making up a small subscriber base, and grew slowly for the first few months as I refined things.

I started advertising in August 2024, attracting 1000+ new subscribers. However, too few were fully engaged, so in October I put marketing on hold and reset my 2025 growth goals.

Feedback has been positive, though I’d love more interaction. I want this guide to create real value, and reader inputs are the best way to achieve this.

THE LAST WORD

I use Grammarly.ai as my proofreader, and it sends me a monthly progress report. It tells me I’ve written 5 Million+ words over 52 weeks, with dodgy grammar but excellent vocabulary 🙂.

If you like what we do, It would be a great help if you could share this link with your network. Thanks so much! www.ai-foreveryone.com