This research investigates how writing shapes success in the Canadian art world. Interviews reveal that artists’ written statements often outweigh their artwork in curatorial decisions, driven by institutional and funding pressures. The study highlights tensions between creativity and bureaucracy, advocating for space where art can exist beyond institutional demands.

This talk explores emotional resistance to AI through a personal storytelling project. It argues that AI adoption is an adaptive challenge tied to identity, not just technology. Using Robert Kegan’s framework, it demonstrates how testing limiting beliefs can reduce resistance, emphasizing that successful AI integration depends on addressing human concerns about autonomy, competence, and connection.

As generative AI reshapes the advertising industry, this research shows creativity is not replaced but redistributed. Through interviews and immersive fieldwork, a four-stage framework—readiness, co-creativity, validation, and execution—reveals how humans and AI can collaborate to amplify creative potential rather than diminish it.