When I was a kid, my father made roofing look like a magic trick. He’d reach into a bag of nails, grab a handful, and give his hand a shake until the nails slipped perfectly between his fingers. Then he’d tap each one twice—just enough to anchor it—before driving it clean into the shingle with a single blow. No wasted motion. Watching him work was like watching a jazz drummer in his zone—rhythmic, precise, and a little hypnotic.
These days, most roofers wield nail guns, knocking out jobs faster and with equal precision. And that got me thinking: Does switching to a nail gun make a roofer any less skilled? Or is it just the tool evolving with the times? The same question circles around writing and technology: If a writer leans on AI for inspiration or structure, does it make their work any less valid? Or is it just another way to make the craft smoother?
Some folks get weird when I tell them I use tools like ChatGPT in my writing process as if the software is doing the heavy lifting and I’m just a guy lounging in the back, feet up, sipping a latte. There's this quiet insinuation that using AI makes you less of a writer. But the truth is, craftsmanship isn’t about the tool—it’s about the outcome. Whether you’re laying shingles or crafting prose, it’s the precision, care, and effort that defines the work—not whether you swung a hammer or pulled a trigger on a nail gun.
AI, like any other tool, is an assistant, not a crutch. Stephanie L. Graham from PRSA Inland Empire said it best:
"I've found ChatGPT to be a great new resource to help get the juices flowing. I feed it a couple of prompts related to a certain problem, and that usually helps get me started." — Stephanie L. Graham, APR • President, PRSA Inland Empire Chapter – via PRSA’s LinkedIn page
You throw some ideas at it, and it throws back some sparks—it’s up to you to shape those sparks into fire. The skill is still yours; the tool just gets you out of your head faster.
Before nail guns took over, a roofer’s worth was measured in how deftly they could wield a hammer and how fast they could finish a job. But speed wasn’t the only benchmark for skill—some of the best in the business took their time, knowing that quality doesn’t punch a timecard. It reminds me of a lesson I learned in the Marines, stripping down and cleaning weapons. Our instructors drilled into us that "smooth is fast." Rushing made you sloppy. The trick was to move fluidly—no fumbles, no missteps. Writing is the same way. A tool like AI doesn’t cheapen your skill; it just helps you move through the process without tripping over yourself.
That’s the point, right? It’s not the stopwatch or the tool that defines your work—it’s the consistency, the quality, and the voice you bring to the page. AI can help you generate ideas, organize thoughts, or tighten up a piece but can’t create you. Your perspective, your quirks, the rhythm of your sentences—those are things no algorithm can replicate. Technology might enhance your efficiency, but it doesn’t replace the part of you that makes your work unique.
So, if you’re a writer using AI tools, don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re cutting corners. Your craft isn’t in jeopardy because you’re smart enough to leverage a tool. Whether it’s brainstorming with ChatGPT or bouncing ideas off a friend, the magic lies in how you shape the raw material. The real artistry is still yours—AI just gives you more room to explore.
In the end, whether you’re driving nails or drafting sentences, the tool is just that—a tool. The craft lives in the care, attention, and creativity you bring to the work. Nail guns don’t make roofers less skilled, and AI doesn’t make writers less talented. It’s about making things better, smoother, and maybe even more fun along the way.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how you got there—it’s about what you built.
