How One Prompt Became Four Pieces of Art: A Creative Documentation
“What happens when you don’t want to rush, but life asks you to decide? When grief, clarity, intimacy, and destiny all gather at the table of choice?”
That question lived underneath a quiet avalanche of voice notes, sleepless texts, and reflective mornings. Eventually, I brought it here — into a dialogue with GPT-4o, not for quick answers but for a co-creative excavation.
This post isn’t the story. It’s the blueprint of how the story was made.
Read the final piece here:
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✦ THE PROMPT THAT STARTED IT ALL
I wrote:
“Now I am Adedolapo Olisa the guy on Medium that we analyzed his works. I want you to create a Medium article or poem capturing the honesty and uncertainty and desire for humanity while still being true to identity and my needs.
Instead of jumping to just write, I want you to come back with questions or prompt me with thoughts that you need or context you need to complete the picture to create the story or poem.”
This wasn’t a ghostwriting request — it was a creative partnership. A shared space of inquiry.
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✦ THE QUESTIONS I WAS ASKED
GPT responded with 10 deep questions to excavate the core of the narrative. These were the ones I took to heart:
1. What’s at the core of your hesitation — fear of choosing wrong, or fear of losing potential?
2. What does love becoming look like to you, and how do you know when it’s a homecoming?
3. Which parts of you are you looking to have reflected or affirmed in a partner?
4. What does “being seen” mean to you, and is it more important than “seeing clearly”?
5. How important is control to your peace in a relationship?
6. When you compare the two women, what is each one’s gift to your journey?
7. What would you grieve if you walked away from each?
8. What would “choosing well” look like for you in action — not theory?
9. Would you like the final piece in poem form, essay form, or a journal entry?
10. Would you like multiple drafts to choose from, or one singular distillation?
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✦ MY RAW RESPONSES
These are the words I shared — raw, tender, complex:
“I fear choosing wrong because I believe there is a call on my life that isn’t common. I want to give my life the best opportunity to fulfill destiny. I can’t escape that feeling.”
“Love should definitely feel like a slow becoming, but I do want to wait till it’s become a homecoming before I decide.”
“I’m trying to learn which part of me is the most essential — but must I have sexual connection at a deep level to have a successful long-term relationship?”
“I’m yet to experience someone that actually helped with my ambition — but this one, she nurtures it without needing me to flourish. Just out of recognition that the path to impact isn’t fantasy for me — it’s real.”
“Being seen is something I’ve been starved of all my life. But I require seeing clearly. It’s how I move through life. I don’t rush. I’m like a patient lion hunting the right prey for the right appetite.”
“I don’t want to be a control freak — but I do want to lead where I must. Being in control is innate for me, but I’m constantly trying to yield that control to people or systems I trust.”
“One woman? I’d grieve her body — it was like our bodies played in the same orchestra. The other? I’d grieve her mind — her ability to impact her world through excellence.”
“Choosing well would look like shedding a lie. It would look like being a man. Accepting imperfection. Choosing to love instead of waiting for love to happen to me. It would look intentional.”
These reflections became the threads that wove the final tapestry.
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✦ HOW THE FINAL PIECES WERE WRITTEN
From this vulnerable body of thought, four distinct but spiritually connected journal entries were born. They were not written linearly, but emotionally — like veins branching from a single pulse.
Each one explored a different terrain:
• The longing for legacy.
• The question of timing.
• The grief of letting go.
• The courage to choose.
All four now live in one place:
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✦ THE ARTWORK
I wanted an image to hold the emotional weight of the writing. My only brief was:
“Honesty, uncertainty, desire for humanity. True to identity and my needs.”
GPT interpreted it as:
“A traditional-style oil or digital painting of a man standing at the edge of a vast open field, looking toward a horizon split between light and shadow. His posture is contemplative, not anxious — hands behind his back, shoulders slightly arched. The wind gently tugs his coat. The whole piece feels like a blend of decision and destiny.”
The resulting image captured everything I couldn’t explain in words.
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✦ WHY THIS PROCESS MATTERS
I’ve written many pieces on Medium — but this was different. It wasn’t just an article. It was a reckoning. A merging of technology and truth. A journey of voice, vision, and vulnerability.
I shared this documentation because I want writers, creators, and seekers to know: your questions are your craft. Don’t just write to express. Write to excavate.
I hope this behind-the-scenes process affirms your own. And maybe inspires you to ask better questions — of your heart, your past, and your calling.
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✨ If any part of this process resonated with you — especially if you’re at your own crossroads — read the full piece here and share your favorite part:
#writing #creativeprocess #relationships #aiwriting #destiny