ROZZIEMANIC and AI - Finding Confidence in a Changing Creative Landscape

Are you a graphic designer who has wondered about going into social media marketing? I am. I have felt frustrated often in jobs- both freelance and full time- where I was forced to create assets based on bad strategy or less than ideal copy. I have longed to have more control of the process from start to finish. Beyond content creation- I wanted to take the panel off the front of my client’s social media and analyse the inner workings. Ever since I first studied marketing in 2021- the impulse to realise the dream rears its head every now and then, before I get design work and it recedes. This year, however, circumstances changed, giving me time and space to reflect on where I want my creative career to go. 

When I relocated to Lincoln at the end of last year, I was fortunate at first. Repeat clients and word of mouth kept work coming in. But by early spring, the pipeline had dried up. So, I began exploring digital marketing again. Not only because it’s adjacent to design, but because it's a growing field with better-paid roles and more opportunities. Yet between March and August, I couldn’t land even an apprenticeship. Without hands-on experience, even junior positions felt out of reach.

Some people turn to volunteering to gain that experience. I’ve done a little of that too, but it quickly becomes unsustainable when you're juggling other work just to pay the bills. Then it hit me: as a designer, I already had something I could market- myself. Why not use that as a testing ground? I began researching government-backed training opportunities and came across Tech Educators’ Digital Marketing with AI course.

Slight setback: I hadn’t used AI and wasn’t particularly keen to start. As an illustrator and artist, I’d been wary—like many creatives, I’d watched design and illustration roles become undervalued or displaced by generative AI tools. Today, anyone with access to Canva can pair AI-generated graphics with basic copy and call it content. All I wanted was to learn some SEO or sharpen my strategic thinking. Still, I figured it couldn’t hurt to know more.

Not a fan

My first day in the virtual classroom was jarring. Some coursemates voiced frustration over past marketing experiences. “I paid so much for social media help, and it wasn’t even that hard,” one said. I found myself worrying that few people in the group truly valued the discipline. Marketing, like design, is often misunderstood or treated as superficial. Were we here to learn the craft or just mimic the performance of it?

Four weeks in, the answer is clear: we’re learning the real thing. And, unexpectedly, I’ve found practical value in the AI tools we’ve been exploring. Once I understood how to structure a well-written prompt, a more nuanced task than it first appears, ChatGPT produced relevant, thoughtful social media ideas complete with explanations. The process saved time and offered a useful creative springboard. It also gave me a clearer picture of where AI could support my business, without replacing the human touch.

Writers like Razvan Rogoz have shown how AI can help double content output, but only when combined with strong copywriting fundamentals. Others, like the team behind Crafty Copy, argue that AI can't replicate the nuance, tone, or insight of experienced writers. I now agree. It’s not a threat- it’s a tool, and either way, once the output is received- both the content and the ideas within absolutely need review by human eyes before they go anywhere else. This is because AI is still prone to hallucinations, cliches, and exaggerations. Therefore while short-form applications (post ideas, captions) have been largely good and business relevant- I have found the long-form applications limited to say the least- and thank god, or this blog would be a much less interesting read. 

For now, AI in my business will serve specific, signposted purposes: content planning, caption generation, and SEO support. It won’t be touching the artwork. Every piece I create, from illustration to final print, is made by hand, either by me or a trusted technician in the UK.  - Roz

Bibliography

Crafty Copy. (2023) Why I don’t find AI copywriting a threat. [online] Crafty Copy. Available at: https://craftycopy.co.uk/blog/why-i-dont-find-ai-copywriting-a-threat [Accessed 23 Sep. 2025].

Rogoz, R. (2023) I’m a copywriter and here’s how I use AI every day to double my output. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@razvan.rogoz/im-a-copywriter-and-here-s-how-i-use-ai-every-day-to-double-my-output-8ee72ed9c9bf [Accessed 23 Sep. 2025].