Human & AI Creativity

Dear Visitor,

Since nothing can be assumed these days, I thought I’d take a moment to write a little note here on my website. Tensions are high around the topic of AI generally and they are very high in creative rooms (creative ownership has always been a touchy subject.)

Here is what I believe: Using AI does not automatically mean compromising your values. Choosing not to use AI doesn’t make you irrelevant.

This is an awkward time. The discourse around working with AI can sometimes make is seem like it’s a communicable disease—something you catch and dread telling others about.

It’s unfortunate, because when used well AI is more like a dream-enablement tool. As a lifelong creative person, I primarily view it this way: just another tool to try out. And I know, from experience, that my creativity flourishes with new tools and the experimentation that follows.

But not everyone needs advanced technology to enable their dreams. Craft and tradition hold a place of honor around the world for good reason. Slow synthesis and organic growth can’t ever be fabricated. Humans are wild and eccentric in ways that only humans can be. Not using AI at all can be a relief, a soothing balm, and an important cultural counterpoint.

Both are creative positions: using AI and not using AI.

You may be anti-AI, feel behind and curious, or already use it every day. Wherever you are, I can help you get from A to B, decide what belongs in human hands, and help your team work better with this technology. My books are open.

Get in touch by email, or find me online at one of the places I try not to frequent too much but sometimes check (LinkedIn, IG). I also write a Substack, The Carrierfile, about AI and creativity.

— Anna

Anna Sutton spent a decade at LAIKA Studios, where she started as a painter and left as head of the Puppet Paint department. Along the way, she managed a team of artists, built workflow systems used across the department and studio, and helped put three Oscar-nominated films on screen.

Through AB Sutton Design, she helps creative studios and corporate teams build clear brand identities and practical systems that keep the work moving and the business growing.

Her focus lately is human-AI collaboration, practiced daily rather than talked about. She builds tools like Carrierfile that let people own their context and keep their AI working the way they do, and writes The Carrierfile, a weekly newsletter of hands-on "Take-Home Experiments" that show everyday people how to make AI genuinely theirs. It's all the same instinct: help people see their own context clearly, so they can better navigate the tools and systems they work with.

  • Digital products and tools, built to be clear and easy to use.

    • AI memory systems

    • Vibecoding

    • Custom websites

    • Shopify / Squarespace

    • Mobile app design & prototyping

    • Integrations

  • Shaping how a business looks, feels, and is recognized.

    • Identity design

    • Art direction

    • Graphic design

    • Illustration

    • Photo retouching

  • Defining what a business says and how it reaches people.

    • Copywriting & voice

    • Email marketing

    • Digital & print advertising

    • Social media

    • Content strategy

  • Making creative work run smoothly and ship on time.

    • Project management

    • Creative team leadership

    • Workflow design

    • Ecommerce / POS

    • RFP management

  • Hands-on work across physical and digital mediums.

    • Stop-motion animation painting

    • Soft goods patterning & prototyping

    • Leather goods

    • Small-batch manufacturing

    • Hand painting & drawing

CLIENTS‍

Impact.com / Organic by John Patrick / The Root Project / Leniva / Thought Design / LAIKA / Dogpound / Nazeerah / Second Stories / Alera Group / Crum & Forster / Envisionware / Marsh