AI + Marketing Tools to Grow Faster 🚀 (Free Workshop!)

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

Discover the exact tools I use daily—save time, grow your business, and spark creativity.

Hey, Reader,

Join me Thursday, March 13th at 11am PT / 2pm ET for a live workshop where I’ll share the exact AI + marketing tools I use daily to grow my business, serve clients, and spark creativity.

I’ve spent countless hours curating these tools, and now I’m breaking them down for you—what I use, why I chose them, and how they help.

What you’ll get:

✔️ My go-to AI & marketing stack (both free & paid)
✔️ A behind-the-scenes look at how I use them
✔️ Practical strategies to save time & scale faster

🔗 Save your spot here​

Let’s unlock new creative possibilities together,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🚀 AI & Social Media Marketing: Free Webinar, Last Call! 😱

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

This is going to be FUN,
informative, & maybe even
game-changing.

Hey, Reader,

I’m pumped about the presentation that I’m about to deliver live for the National Institute for Social Media and you’re invited!

Charles Darwin emphasized that those who adapt are the ones who thrive:

In today’s world, to me at least, improvising means being willing to experiment with AI and learn about its game-changing powers.

That’s why I’m collaborating with the National Institute for Social Media for a webinar on empowering AI trends for social media marketers.

It’s live TOMORROW, Tuesday, February 25th
at 10am PT / 1pm ET.

🔗 Save your spot here​

I hope to see you there,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🚀 Stop Grinding & Start Creating – A Mindset Power Move! 🧠

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

Did you know productivity
can be a trap?

Hey, Reader,

Something as simple as asking “What should I DO now?” can keep you stuck, unfulfilled, and creatively stagnant.

This email is about what to do instead.

I heard about this from the author, Martha Beck, in her podcast convo with Mel Robbins and it blew my mind.

Instead of asking “What should I do?” Beck suggests we ask: “What should I MAKE?”

🎨 The Power of a Shift in Mindset

As you read these bullet points, feel in your body the difference between “doing” and “making”:

  • “What should I do?” = Feels heavy, like obligation and pressure.
  • “What should I make?” = Feels light, exciting, full of possibility! 🎉
  • Doing keeps you in the grind. Making invites curiosity, creativity, and PLAY. It’s simply more fun.
  • Instead of “checking off boxes,” you bring something new into the world.
  • Making isn’t just about art—it’s about creating your life in a way that feels joyful and free.

So… what’s something YOU’D love to make today? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear!

📈 Marketers, Join Me Live on Tuesday!

I’ll be igniting creative sparks for marketers by illuminating the latest empowering AI trends in a webinar hosted by the National Institute for Social Media next Tuesday.

If you want to create better content with less stress or simply don’t want to fall behind, join me! It’s free (and, yes, NISM will post the recording.)

📅 Date: February 25th, 10am PT
🔗 Save your spot here​

Stay creative,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🤖 AI & Social Media: The Trends You Can’t Afford to Miss 🚀

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

AI is changing the game in social media marketing—are you ready?

Hey, Reader,

As you may well know, AI is shaking up social media marketing in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. It has totally changed how I work.

If you’re not leveraging it yet, you’re already behind—but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered, and I can’t wait to share these new “power tools” with you.

I’m honored to team up with the National Institute for Social Media for a free webinar on Tuesday, February 25th at 10am PT, where I’ll break down the AI-powered tools and trends that I’m using to supercharge content creation, engagement, and workflow.

📚 What You’ll Learn

✅ Custom GPTs & AI-Branding Tools – Get AI to write in your brand voice and get better at it every time you post.
✅ Automated Graphics & Social Posts – How to use Canva AI to bulk design inspiring quote graphics.
✅ AI-Powered Presentations – Discover the mind-blowing power of Gamma to radically streamline slide deck and PDF design, including the leverage of multiple image generation models.
✅ AI-Optimized Marketing Workflows – Meet MindPal, the Swiss-army knife of AI apps that helps streamline your creative processes with input from multiple AI “agents.”

This isn’t just theory—these are real apps you can use today; and I’m going to show you how they work with hands-on demos so that you can get started upgrading your posts, presentations, and documents ASAP.

📅 Date: February 25th, 10am PT
🔗 Save your spot here​

Let’s explore together how AI can take your marketing to the next level while also saving you a ton of time!

I’m speaking from experience: these are skills you’ll want to learn because AI is opening whole new worlds of creativity.

See you there,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🚀 Embracing the Journey: Lessons from 40 Years of Creativity 🎭

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

What Does It Take to
Stay Creative and Independent?

Hi Reader,

It’s hard to believe but true: As of last month, I’ve been a self-employed creative entrepreneur for 40 years. It’s been a journey—sometimes exhilarating, sometimes uncertain—but always filled with learning, reinvention, and, most importantly, creative freedom.

I co-created this image with my “AI friend,” Ideogram, to express the self-reflective spirit of this adventure:

🎧 Telling My Story on a Podcast

In my latest podcast interview, I got to dive deep into the lessons learned from this 40-year journey. I sat down with David Shriner-Cahn of Smashing the Plateau to talk about how I made the leap from traditional employment to media innovation, what’s changed over the years, and what still holds true for anyone looking to carve their own creative path—especially in this new era of AI and social media.

👉 Listen to the full conversation here.

🤔 What Does This Mean for YOU?

If you’ve ever felt the pull to create something on your own—whether it’s a business, a creative project, or even just a more meaningful way of working—here’s what I want you to know:

✨ The path isn’t linear, but it’s worth it. Creative careers evolve. Reinvention isn’t failure—it’s growth.

✨ Community makes the journey easier. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. That’s why I started the Creativity Sandbox Community—so we can embrace the creative journey in relationship with others.

✨ AI and media innovation are changing the game. The way we create and connect is evolving faster than ever. The Grand Canyon Gap between people and technology—something that I’ve been talking about since 1990—is bigger than ever and very rapidly widening further!

This moment presents an opportunity to embrace new AI & digital media tools while staying true to what makes your creativity uniquely yours.

If that resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. How have you navigated the twists and turns of your own creative path?

Hit reply and let me know—or better yet, listen to the podcast and share your takeaways with me.

🙋‍♂️ How Can I Help?

If you’re ready to embrace your own creative journey, let’s talk. I’m happy to chat and see if the Creativity Sandbox Community or some other form of what I can offer might be a good fit for you.

📅 To book a quick conversation with me, click here.

Let’s keep creating,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🎨 Creativity, Anxiety & the Joy of Letting Go ✨

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

The Opposite of Anxiety
Isn’t Calm—It’s Creativity.

Hi Reader,

I’ve been delightfully pulled into Martha Beck’s new book, Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose. The creative sparks are flying!

Ms. Beck talks about how anxiety comes from pushing too hard and trying to control everything. But creativity (and real joy!) is ignited when we let go and allow ourselves to be pulled by curiosity. In other words, when we play creatively, anxiety doesn’t stand a chance. 🚀✨

When I was playing golf yesterday, my friend and golf coach, Bill Condaxis told me that because most people take their golf swing (and the expected results) so seriously, they don’t actually enjoy the swing. So crazy and so true!

Maybe it’s time we all ask ourselves how often do I grip too tight instead of relaxing into the flow of life and creativity?

🧘 Creativity:
The Antidote to Anxiety

When anxiety creeps in, Martha Beck explains and I agree, it usually means we’re stuck in what-if spirals and worst-case scenarios. Creativity invites us into the present moment, where curiosity and play can take the wheel. When you get creative—whether it’s doodling, journaling, playing music, or simply exploring an idea without pressure—creative play replaces anxious overthinking and a joyful flow just happens… with ease! 🙌🏼

⚡ How to Supercharge
Your Creativity with AI

One way that I enjoy a joyful creative flow is playing with AI as a creativity enhancer. The challenges of a blank page have become so “yesterday.” The magic happens when we take AI’s creative sparks and make them our own.

Beyond ChatGPT (which I use daily), two apps that I highly recommend and which you may not have discovered yet are:

🎭 Gamma – I use this app weekly in my Creativity Sandbox Community member sessions. It’s an AI-powered tool that makes it almost magical to create engaging presentations, including text-to-AI-generated images from multiple image models.
🧠 Napkin – A visual thinking and diagram design app that helps you connect and organize ideas. A step beyond mind mapping, this app helps you flesh out concepts in an almost instantaneous way that’s supercharged with creative power, and fun.

🖋️ How can I help?

Joyful, one-to-one AI creativity coaching sessions—for example on how to use th apps mentioned above, or as a life or business coach, or whatever you need—are available upon request. Just reply to this email and let’s talk.

👉 Stay tuned for my upcoming free virtual event:
“Creativity 2.0.”
It’s coming soon!

Cheering you on,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🌟 Feeling Stuck? Learn How AI Can Help Ignite Your Creative Spark! 🌟

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

Over 50 and
Ready for Something New?

Hi Reader,

Does this sound familiar?

  • You’re bored with the same old routines.
  • Retirement feels less like freedom and more like a waiting game.
  • You’re itching to create, connect, or explore, but you don’t know where to start.

If so, you’re not alone—and I’m here to help.

🎥 Here’s a quick story about how used AI to refine my mission so I’m ready to meet these challenges.​
One way that I play creatively is to use AI as my creative thought partner. This video explains how I used ChatGPT to clarify my purpose and sort out how I solve real problems.

​

🚀 I’m on a mission!​
After some back-and-forth refinement conversations with ChatGPT, I arrived at a mission statement that will help me serve you better:
​
​‘Igniting joyous creative freedom for people over 50 by blending AI and play to inspire connection, self-expression, and living a deeply fulfilling life.’

Sounds good to me. How does it sound to you?

I made this mission statement more “tangible” for myself by creating this graphic in Canva:

Then, to make it clearer, I refined it further as shown below.

🖋️ How can I help?

Sometimes, life can feel stuck or uninspiring. Here are some of the ways, I help people over 50 rediscover their spark:

  • Show you how to use AI as a fun, creative tool (it’s easier than you think!).
  • Help you reconnect with your creativity through simple, playful practices.
  • Empower you to feel more connected, expressive, and excited about life through an accountable, supportive Creativity Sandbox Community.

I even hand-lettered the simpler version of this message—because that’s the kind of personal touch I enjoy:

💡 Want to learn more about how AI can help you?

✨ Grab my FREE guide: Top 3 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Creativity. It’s packed with quick tips to help you start your AI journey and have fun along the way! Click here to get it now.

👉 Stay tuned for my upcoming free virtual event:
“Creativity 2.0.”
It’s coming soon!

To your creative freedom,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🎨 Are You Ready to Play with the Future of Creativity? 🤖

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

Here’s why learning AI is becoming
a kind of creative superpower.

The world of creativity is changing faster than ever—and, even though The AI Revolution is only just getting started, AI is already transforming the creative landscape in mind-boggling ways! 🚀

And, here’s the best part: you don’t need to be a tech wizard to unlock its magic. With a playful mindset and simple tools, you can create things you probably never thought possible.

To show you what I mean, I recently did two playful experiments with AI video tools. Note: these are not polished masterpieces, but they are proof of how quickly AI can turn ideas into creative sparks.

The Power of Video Play​
Using FlexClip, an AI-powered video tool, I turned a standard template into something completely fresh in just a few minutes. This video shows that simple can still be innovative.

​

Giving Voice to a Testimonial​
With the AI video app HeyGen, I created a video avatar in order to share a powerful testimonial from one of our Creativity Sandbox Community members. Since she prefers not to be on camera, this video combines her authentic voice with a digital avatar designed to bring her story to life.

​

Why does this matter to you?

AI is your ultimate creativity enhancer! 🌟 Whether you’re:
🎥 Experimenting with video,
🎨 Unlocking your artistic side, or
🧠 Ideating on your next big project…

AI gives you the power to play, iterate, and bring your ideas to life faster and with a “leg up” from an extraordinary co-intelligence thought & action partner.

💡 Ready to explore your creative potential?

👉 Dive into my AI Creative Consulting services to see how we can create something extraordinary together

👉 Or join the Creativity Sandbox Community—a space where creativity, accountability, AI education, and joy collide.

🎉 The future of creativity isn’t just happening—it’s waiting for you to jump in. Let’s play!

To your creative freedom,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy
​“Don’t die with your creative sparks still stuck inside.”

🚀 Follow the Juice: AI + Creativity = Big Wins ✨

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

How to Unleash Your Creative Sparks with Powerful Collaborators

Sometimes, following the juice—the energy that lights you up—leads to breakthroughs in unexpected ways. Just yesterday, I experienced this firsthand while thinking about my goal of guesting on more podcasts.

AI + Creative Juice

My friend Peter reminded me that I needed a media kit in order to give podcast hosts a quick overview of why I’m a good guest. Because I have AI as a collaborator, it was easy (and juicy) to spring into action. With the help of a custom GPT tool that I’ve built for Creativity Sandbox marketing, I quickly drafted a compelling, personalized pitch.

The process was seamless:

  • My AI “partner” helped me refine my ideas into clear, impactful messaging (which I polished and rewrote).
  • Canva (using one of its templates) helped me transform this vision into a polished, professional design.

The result? A first draft media kit that I’m proud to share with podcast hosts (and you). This came together surprisingly quickly.

What I Learned that Might Be Useful

This wasn’t just about completing a task—it was about reinforcing how powerfully AI can be a meaningful collaborator, helping me (and you) unlock creative potential, especially when there’s palpable juice to follow. The Force was with me. 😃

Creativity doesn’t just flow in isolation. With the right tools and mindset, you can co-create with AI to amplify and enhance your ideas… with ease!

Sharing is Caring

👉 Please download and share this media kit, especially if you host a podcast or know someone who does.

Let’s connect to bring value-packed conversations to as many podcast audiences as possible. I love to collaborate.

Bottom line: Don’t die with your creative spark still stuck inside. Follow the juice and use AI, a guitar, a paintbrush, or whatever to co-create something impactful!

With creative curiosity,

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy

🎉 New Year, New Sparks of Creative Freedom! 🎨

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Creativity Chronicles​
Unlocking Creative Joy, One Week at a Time

Happy New Year!

As we prepare to enter 2025, we are given the gift of a fresh chapter, a blank canvas.

As I reflect on this, the highlight of the Holidays so far was seeing the remarkable new Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown.” I loved it!

My inspirational takeaway is to remember to have the courage to create on my own terms, no matter what. I hope you will do the same… even though it’s not always easy.

This year, I want to help you focus not just on lofty creative goals but on building systems and communities that support the creative life you’ve dreamed of.

As James Clear wrote in Atomic Habits:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

For me and our small very merry online band, the Creativity Sandbox Community is that kind of system—a supportive space where joy fuels practice, community sparks accountability, and your authentic self shines through. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate.

What will you create this year? Let’s find out together. 🕵🏻‍♂️

Here’s to a joyous, inspired, and wildly creative 2025! ✨

Jon Leland, AI Creativity Over 50 Guy