The Power of Creativity in the Age of AI
Here at Digital Wonderlab we love to explore and experiment. Test our assumptions and play with technology to see what can be done. Sometimes as novices and sometimes as experts in our field.
AI is often seen as a tool of efficiency, analysis, and automation — but what if it’s also a tool for imagination?
Coming from a musically gifted family, I’ve always been interested in music production but never been able to pick up an instrument. I have merely dabbled in making ringtones on garage band over crafting beautiful songs like that of my wider family. Over the last 6 months, I’ve been exploring the creative potential of AI and specifically music creation. From what general tools like GPT can do to specific apps and tools.
From Idea to Song
It began just 2 weeks ago with an idea, late one Friday night - to create something heartfelt for the season. I wanted to write a Christmas song that captured a sense of connection and joy, something the world could use a little more of right now.
So, I turned to AI, not as a replacement for creativity, but as a collaborator. Working with ChatGPT, I refined lyrics and tone, explored the Christmas song landscape – from the good, the bad and ugly and what makes a great Christmas song. Working with my AI companion we explored emotion, messaging and phrasing. Together, we played with structure and style until Peace at Christmas began to take shape.
Then came Suno, an incredible AI music generation tool. By feeding it carefully written prompts — describing the mood, instruments, and feeling I wanted — it began composing sounds that matched my vision.
That’s when it clicked.
The Art of Prompting
Prompting isn’t just technical — it’s creative. It’s like giving direction to a band that can play anything, but only if you tell them what you want. Every word matters. Describe too little, and the output feels flat. Describe too much, and you lose the spontaneity of the process.
It’s the digital-age version of an old truth:
“Garbage in = garbage out.”
Understanding how to communicate with AI is becoming a creative skill of its own. When you learn to guide it, you unlock extraordinary possibilities.
Believe me, my first experiments were pretty awful. What amazes me is how fast you can test and learn, refine and deliver through rapid prototyping through conversations with AI.
The Result — “Peace at Christmas”
The final song, Peace at Christmas, is the product of that dance between human intent and machine capability. It’s an uplifting fast paced folk song with a catchy chorus about hope, kindness, and the shared wish for peace — something we can all resonate with this time of year.
You can listen to it here:
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6vtGChowSXZRSZ2Lfxd40S?si=VQDDBDdSQ3uhO9DnVqe48w
Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/peace-at-christmas/1851684450?i=1851684451
The fascinating fact is this song, start to finish, took me 45 mins to research, co-create and produce.
A Call to Explore
This experience has reminded me that creativity isn’t going anywhere — it’s evolving. AI doesn’t diminish the artist; it amplifies what’s possible when curiosity meets technology. Whether you’re a musician, writer, designer, coder, dancer, or dreamer, there’s a whole new world waiting to be explored — if you’re willing to play.
So, as the nights get longer and seems to never stop, my invitation is simple: listen, reflect, and maybe start your own creative experiment. You never know what “superpower” you might discover.
