- Don’t laugh at a joke you don’t think is funny. We’ve all done this before. It takes a lot of courage to be the odd one out and not give in to the ‘we’re all in this cosmic facetious bro-zone together’ -effect. You don’t have to say you don’t like the joke, but you aren’t obligated to laugh either.
- Tell someone how their behavior makes you feel. This doesn’t mean blaming someone else for your own emotions. It simply means asking to be heard, and standing up for how you feel.
- When you recognize a pattern in your life, don’t judge it… simply observe. My best friend once gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. I was ashamed of a strong emotional reaction I had to a situation, and after listening to my ‘why am I so sensitive’ -rant, my friend calmly said, “Mariella, your emotional reaction is not a problem. It is just another piece of information.” If we observe rather than judge, we become more empowered and efficient in changing whatever we aren’t happy with. In this situation, all I had to do was observe my sensitivity as a fact. Rather than getting stuck with figuring out why I was so “annoyingly” emotional, I could have better used my energy figuring out how to positively use the sensitivity that is an inherent part of my being.
- Every time someone uses an adjective to describe you, write it down. This is the best insecurity police ever! Believe me. If someone describes you in any way, write it down on a list. If someone else uses the same word to describe you, write it down again. If you ever have the dreaded bought of insecurity, take out the list and read: “I am…” It’ll help you get back into a more realistic perception of yourself. Although people will use negative words to describe you, only take these into account if you receive the same word from two independent sources.
- Take a few minutes every day to just be by yourself and observe what you are feeling. We can’t hear ourselves if we never listen. If too many people are chattering, it can be hard to differentiate between individual voices and white noise. Take those few minutes every day to just sit still and listen to your own voice.
- Go for a while without caffeine, alcohol or any other drug. Yup, try it. See how you feel. You may feel like life is a big game of making choices, rather than a constant tsunami of struggles and obligations.
- Develop a daily spiritual practice. One of my mentors once told me that the most efficient path to dealing with any problem during the day is by starting fresh: take a good chunk of time immediately after waking up every morning for yourself. If you believe in God, you can pray. If you don’t, you can develop another kind of spiritual routine that allows you to connect to your inner self.
- If someone invites you to something that doesn’t sound appealing to you, kindly decline. Don’t say yes, because you “should”. Is this something you want to be using your valuable time for? Yes or no? Screw the maybes.
- Get clear about what you want and what you don’t want. What do you want, and what are you willing to do to get it? If the answer is anything, then get ready to fight past the point of what you think is possible. If someone gives you a “no”, try a new method. As long as you use new approaches to getting what you want, you’re not crazy for trying again. All you’ve got to do is keep fighting until you get what you want. It’s pretty simple, actually. Now, there may be some things that you aren’t willing to do. Know what they are and stay true to them.
- Tell the truth about how you contribute to your own pain. It’s easy to blame and shame. Taking responsibility is much more difficult, but don’t externalize your pain. No one is responsible for it but you. Even if someone did directly cause your suffering, blaming won’t do a thing. It is your job to now set higher boundaries with that person. You can’t blame anyone for their actions, if you don't lay out rules for how you want to be treated.
- Figure out what your purpose in life is. If you take nothing else away from this list, remember this: take time to discover your purpose in life. If we don’t know what we’re living for each and every day, much of our precious time is wasted in activities not necessarily aligned with our priorities. The honest truth is, we could die any day. (Hate to break it to you, but it’s true.) Don’t waste your time.
- Be clear about what your conditions of access are. Giving unconditional love doesn’t mean allowing unconditional access, the same way giving love doesn’t mean allowing harm. While we want to strive to love everyone no matter what they have done or will do, we cannot give everyone the same kind of access to our own life. Know what you need for your own health, because if you aren’t healthy yourself, you won’t be able to give health to anyone else. You can try all you want, but in the end, you can’t give what you don’t have.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
StableDiffusion
The Illusion of Creativity
AI-generated music is often marketed as “artistic” or “educational.” But what does it really teach?
- That style can be replicated without understanding.
- That emotion can be simulated without feeling.
- That effort can be bypassed with a prompt.
For young creators, this sets a dangerous precedent. Why learn to play guitar when an algorithm can do it faster? Why study harmony when AI can generate chord progressions in seconds? The risk isn’t just laziness — it’s the loss of depth, discipline, and the tactile joy of creation.
I have listened to several AI-generated music covers. My initial reaction was one of considerable impressiveness, particularly regarding the reimagining of classic pop hits in diverse genres with novel arrangements. Here is one good example a-ha — Take On Me
However, after engaging with several such Ai generated song covers, a sense of emotional detachment emerged, attributable to the perceived absence of human artistry and genuine sentiment, resulting in a technically flawless yet ultimately soulless auditory experience.
Copyright in Crisis
What does the copyright law say about AI generated music, especially in field of music covers. Who is liable for copyright in this case, AI developers, people who used AI to generate music or people who published it on music platforms?
Recent lawsuits show that the music industry is pushing back hard:
- Universal, Sony, and Warner sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio in 2024 for allegedly training their models on copyrighted songs without permission Ars Technica The Lyon Firm.
- They’re seeking up to $150,000 per infringed song, arguing that the AI outputs resemble famous tracks and voices (e.g., Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson).
- These lawsuits target the developers of the AI tools — but they raise broader questions:The legal gray area is training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use Sites at USC.
But who’s liable?
Role | Legal Risk | Why |
AI Developers | ✅ High | For training on copyrighted material without licenses. |
Users | ⚠️ Moderate | If they intentionally recreate protected works. |
Publishers/Platforms | ✅ High | For distributing infringing content. |
The grey area lies in training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use. Meanwhile, AI-generated works themselves aren’t eligible for copyright unless a human provides substantial creative input — leaving them in legal limbo.
The Educational Mirage
Some argue that AI music helps people learn genres, production styles, or vocal techniques. But this “education” often lacks context. It’s like learning to paint by watching a printer — technically impressive, but creatively hollow.
True musical education involves:
- Struggle and iteration: Learning through mistakes.
- Emotional connection: Expressing what words can’t.
- Cultural lineage: Understanding the roots of sound.
AI shortcuts bypass all of this. And in doing so, they risk flattening the rich terrain of human creativity into a sterile landscape of algorithmic mimicry.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about music. It’s about the future of art, storytelling, and human expression. If we allow machines to dominate creative spaces, we risk turning culture into content — optimized, monetized, and devoid of soul.
We must ask: Do we want a world where art is made by machines, or one where machines help humans make better art?
5 Key Takeaways
- AI-generated music blurs the line between innovation and erosion in the creative arts
- AI-generated music raises questions about copyright, culture, education, and artistic expression
- AI-generated music can replicate style without understanding, simulate emotion without feeling, and bypass effort with a prompt
- AI-generated music sets a dangerous precedent for young creators by potentially leading to a loss of depth, discipline, and joy of creation
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