Every Tool in the Box: My Journey into AI Storytelling

A few days ago, my daughter and I got into a conversation about my website, which wasn’t functioning the way I had hoped. I had already consulted family, friends, and acquaintances, but as life would have it, no one really had the time to assist me. So I turned to ChatGPT.

And together, AI and I repaired my site. I shared ideas I had for images, and it worked to help me bring them to life. We went back and forth until what I saw in my head appeared on screen. It also offered suggestions for how to better organize, present, and amplify my message.

As a novice in this form of advocacy, I can say honestly: I appreciated the support. Through this experience, I discovered a kind of AI storytelling — not artificial, but responsive and grounded in real need. I took advantage of every insight I could, all in service of building a nonprofit site that could support my community. This platform was never built to go viral. It was built to make sure that stories like mine—and maybe like yours—don’t go unheard.

I’ve lived through institutional neglect, loss, advocacy burnout, and what it means to rebuild from scratch. When I sat down to build Grandma Knows Best, I did so with trembling hands, a tired heart, and a determination that no one should have to fight alone. And sometimes, even that wasn’t enough to keep me going.

So I opened the toolbox.

That toolbox included my journals. My voice. My memories. My lived experience. But it also included something new: AI.

AI has helped me write when the words got stuck in grief. It’s held the structure for me when my brain couldn’t. It’s helped turn my scraps of resilience into a story.

Does it replace me? Not for a second. It reflects me. It responds to me. And it keeps me from giving up.

I know some people fear what they don’t fully understand—and yes, there are risks. But dismissing AI completely is like rejecting any other form of assistance that helps you stay creative, especially when you’re healing.

I share this to make something clear: Grandma Knows Best is hand-built by someone living and learning through it all. I use every tool available to make that possible. And I use them with care.

If you’ve ever wanted to try using AI to shape your story, your ideas, or your healing work, I’ve included a link to the tool I use [https://chat.openai.com/]. It may not be for everyone—but it has been a gift to me.

So here’s my promise: Every word on this site is deeply personal. Every visual is crafted with intention. And every tool I use is rooted in love and clarity.

Because healing is not one-size-fits-all.

And neither is creating.