Dear Inklings,

First of all, congratulations to the giveaway winner, Nikki L.! Thank you to all my patrons for supporting this newsletter. Keep your eyes open for more giveaways in the future. ^-^

Welcome back to another town square gathering. For those new here, this is our interactive space where we cover a range of topics, from books to the meaning of life.

Here’s how this works:

1. Answer the question: What can you do better than AI? And/or conversely, what do you crave that AI could never give you?
2. Respond to someone else’s comment. Please don’t forget to do this!

I've been mulling over this question in my mind since coming back from Author Nation (which I promise to share about in more detail soon). Regardless of how I feel about the technology, alas, it is here to stay, and will continue to get more and more advanced at an alarming rate. I've run the gamut myself, from hating AI to tentatively trying it, to now taking a wary approach. However, I recognise that it's not going anywhere, that it's being incorporated into almost all the digital spaces and tools we use already, and that most (if not all) people are using it in some capacity (whether they admit it or not, because of the, you know, stigma).

There was a lot of discourse around generative AI at Author Nation, but I don't think anyone is in denial that it has infiltrated our daily and creative lives anymore.

The notion that AI will never write better than you is no longer true for many people. AI can personalise recommendations for one person way better than anyone else can, at a faster rate than any human.

The question is, what do we do now?

So, this question isn't tongue in cheek. It's a genuine invitation for us to consider what it is that makes us, humans, unique. I'm thinking about this very newsletter and my patron community, how I can lean into my humanness, what value I really offer beyond what AI can offer.

I'm curious to hear what you think about all this as we prepare for 2026.

Town square discussions are open to patrons only, in order to keep this space an intimate one. If you’d like to be part of this fellowship, consider upgrading your subscription.

Meet you in the comments. 🩵

A huge thank you to my patrons for keeping this newsletter going, especially my council members: Joanne L., Tiffanie C., Joanne Yi, Stanley Sze, Endora, Albert L., Matthew Long, and Mary Roblyn. And lots of love to all of my Inklings for reading this newsletter. You are what makes this space special.

With Love,