I found this video and Brandon Sanderson's talk on AI art within days of each other.

So they've collided in my brain with the question, "How can I explore this as a queer fantasy playwright?"

Because fantasy is a fantastic place to explore nuanced and controversial themes outside their charged real-world context.

I draw a lot of inspiration from party-based fantasy stories (Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons).

A party of adventurers gives me a diverse set of perspectives that I can pit against each other onstage.

Perfect for diving into nuanced conversations like our current discourse around AI.

I don't aim to solve the problem or make any definitive answers.

In writing any play, I aim to start discussions.

Because in actively engaging with art, we all grow.

In all honesty, I love the freedom I found with Shakespeare for riffing, adapting, and responding to others' works.

Because it gave new life to my own.

And yes, I did this while rewriting my novel and chewing on a new outline for a full-length play.

Rotating stories isn't flighty for me.

It's letting one thing simmer on the back burner while I give another story the attention it needs.

Hearing Sanderson's point about how the journey makes art of the artist made me pause this week.

I started to think, what if I approached my business the way I approach writing long-form?

Because I don't get upset with myself for revising based on feedback.

Stories grow in layers, but it doesn't make the previous layer bad or worthless.

Quality improves over time, but you have to start with what you've got and follow its growth.

You never know when telling someone how they've blessed you will encourage them.

Kentucky Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in 1964 and directed by Amy Attaway, gave me a completely new take on what’s possible with this play. Get ready for a lot of “I’m used to ____, but _____ happened instead and I love it.”