<p>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 <em>assistance</em> and <em>authorship.</em></p><p>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&#39;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.</p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE:</strong></p><ul><li>Why discomfort around AI is <em>healthy</em></li><li>The difference between assistance and authorship</li><li>How AI can quietly shift from convenience to dependency</li><li>Why the process—not just the product—is central to illustration</li><li>Why “drawing the line” is literally part of our job</li><li>Two reflection questions to check your relationship to AI</li></ul><p><strong>SHOW LINKS</strong></p><ul><li>Paul Kingsnorth&#39;s Substack — <a href="https://paulkingsnorth.substack.com/">https://paulkingsnorth.substack.com</a></li><ul><li><em>In the podcast I mistakenly said his Substack was called Pilgrims in the Machine. It&#39;s actually called the </em><em><strong>Abbey of Misrule</strong></em><em>, which is way more badass.</em></li></ul><li>Paul Kingsnorth&#39;s website — <a href="https://www.paulkingsnorth.net/">https://www.paulkingsnorth.net</a></li><li>Rethinking Creativity in the Age of AI — A more pro-AI conversation on The Future with Chris Do and Jodie Cook — <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-futur-with-chris-do/id1209219220?i=1000737893787">https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-futur-with-chris-do/id1209219220?i=1000737893787</a></li></ul><p><strong>THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!</strong></p><p>Thanks as always for supporting the podcast. Patreon and Paid Spotify Supporters make it possible for me keep doing this!</p><p><strong>FIND ME ELSEWHERE</strong></p><ul><li>My New Book! Drawing is Important! — <a href="https://tomfroese.com/links">tomfroese.com/links</a> — look for the green book cover</li><li>Work and Classes — <a href="https://tomfroese.com/">tomfroese.com</a></li><li>Instagram — <a href="https://instagram.com/mrtomfroese">instagram.com/mrtomfroese</a></li><li>Daily Drawings — <a href="https://instagram.com/drawingisimportant">instagram.com/drawingisimportant</a></li></ul><p><strong>CREDITS</strong></p><ul><li>Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on Linktree</li></ul><p><strong>DRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER</strong></p><p><strong>My new book,</strong> <em>Drawing Is Important</em>, 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 — <a href="https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant">Pre-order now</a>! <strong>The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate</strong>! Look for &quot;get pre-order prizes&quot; after <a href="https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant">clicking the link</a>.</p>