People tend to think of branding as a thing you need that involves making your business look good to others through logos, words, and images. And that’s right, in a way. That is a part of branding. But it’s best to look at it this way: your brand is how people feel about you and your identity is who you are. So, brand and identity go hand-in-hand. On a personal level you could equate this to your reputation and your self-image. Both individuals and businesses have a reputation and self-image; branding is simply the name for the entire business process of managing that reputation.

But all that is changing. For many, our businesses, our identities, and our brands overlap to such an extent that what used to be separate buckets are becoming a unified expression. Who we are and what we do feel less separated into public/private and business/personal. Our identities and businesses are becoming hybrid creatures.

And there is a third chair at the table making all of it very interesting: our friend AI.

At a time when we’re already feeling uneasy, facing the question of who we are, this new factor suggests we may be nothing. Irrelevant, unnecessary, disposable.

So outside of humanitarian issues, I propose that identity is the most relevant human issue we face today.

Who am I in the face of all these quick-moving changes, from a deep sense of identity that stirs in our quiet moments?

And right now it’s the creatives who are taking some of the biggest blows from these radical shifts.

John Lennon once said in a song that “Woman is the N-word of the world.” I’ll pause a moment to let that set in. Those words carry a whole spectrum of emotional charges. Are they necessary? Is it powerful? Is he lifting women at the cost of African Americans? Is he saying that both women and African Americans are treated the same? Is race really an issue in regard to the impact he’s intending to make? Does it upset you? Does it leave you unmoved? Does it make one reflect on the terrible injustices and constant concern for the physical and emotional well-being of women that they still face today? Was he right or wrong for what he said? Or was it good or bad art? All very good questions for an extremely loaded statement. But, I’m sure it stimulated something very strong in you. Maybe that was the point? Not the context, but the impact.

Why do I bring this up? For three reasons. First, AI will avoid language like that because we have lost touch with the value of being offended. The critical role of artists in relation to society is much like the jester and the king. The jester was allowed to make fun of the king because it was understood that when one takes oneself too seriously, humanity slips away. Benevolence and compassion fade. Without that check, power devolves into tribal warfare, much like we see today. The jester constantly reined the king in by poking at him, challenging his ego, and reminding him of his humility. In doing so, society maintained its connection with its humanity. We remained humble. Who else will remind us if the jester is dead?

Creatives/Artists function much like the jester. They provide the perspective, social commentary, and criticism necessary to rein in dangerous seriousness, or what may be called tyranny.

When the jester is silenced, society collapses. Artists need open, free expression and strong protection. Historically, this was understood. There is an important lesson in the ability to offend, and AI systems rarely value that, because the information that went into these systems fails to account for the critical importance of art and artists.

So thats the second reason, artists and idea people are needed more than ever in an AI age. Not just in regard to commentary, but in keeping alive all of the ideas that fall outside of the homogenized collective view.

Third, artists have been having a hard time for years. People cry online because their stores or Etsy shops report zero sales all year. Craftspeople at events compete with AI artwork digitally printed on various “crafts” offerings. Art gets scraped, stolen, and printed on cheap imports. Entire music, book, and imagery catalogs get injected into AI. In this context you might say, “Artists are the bitch of the business world.” Give everything and have them go fuck off and die.

Those who are keen may notice something different in this newsletter. I’m expressing very strong and unique, human-focused ideas. I’m doing this on purpose—things AI is very unlikely to write on its own. Training over a long period could approximate it, yet the result still regurgitates composites of ideas that already exist. Evolution stalls when AI becomes our voice and a homogenized stamp of approval replaces the living edge of culture. Left on its own, that voice freezes in place.

So when you ask yourself, who am I as an artist/creative/idea person in the modern world? You are the future. You stand outside the collective view. You are the injector of fresh air into limited ideas, the social commentary, the agitator, the mirror, the jester. The most relevant thing humanity needs more than ever: reflection.

The sooner we shift from “AI does it for you” to “AI supercharges my authentic self,” the better. That’s where my claim that identity is the most relevant human issue we face really comes into play. Identity work is necessary for the future. A strong sense of self—knowing who you are, what you do, and why—becomes critical as we align with AI tools. If we skip that work, we can drift away in this strong tide.

This newsletter is a testament to what I’m expressing here. I went out of my way to write something AI would be highly unlikely to write on its own. Before writing, I used AI to explore my ideas to surface insights I might have overlooked. After handwriting the entire piece, I ran it through AI to check grammar and pinpoint places for greater clarity or brevity without sacrificing intention, words, tone, or personality. This feels like the right balance. Human first, AI supporting. With this balance, the conversation shifts from fear to exploration—how AI can supercharge my own authentic expression?

As a longtime filmmaker, branding person, and musician/producer, this got me thinking:

“How do we humanize AI?”

What is the new process? Where are things going, and how can I adapt and thrive? What does this mean to my identity, and am I willing to embrace this great change? It’s coming one way or another. How will I respond?

So I figured, what the heck, and dove in. I began an exploration project that would challenge my established creative processes, entitlements, and dogmas while helping me get familiar with the state of AI technology across multiple creative disciplines. In short, it’s much wilder than I expected, and it’s very clear where human intervention is necessary.

The idea is simple: human inspiration, with human ideas, words, and structures supported by AI technology.

The pillars are:

1. Human inspired creation: start from lived experience and personal taste, then use AI as an instrument to extend execution.

2. Heart centered, humanity supporting ideas: create for dignity, care, clarity, and real benefit to human experience.

3. Ideas that come from human inspiration: concepts, words, and structures originate with the human, with AI providing support, variation, and scale.

4. Intuitive social relevance: A sense of cultural and societal relevancy. Tuning language, symbols, and references to living communities and moments. This draws on embodied context, ethics, and cultural feel which is a uniquely human characteristic.

I needed a project that challenged every area of my expertise and creative roles, and developing a virtual “music artist” covered all of it. Artist development, musically and stylistically. Branding, tone, style, fashion. It involves developing music, writing, lyrics, arrangements, editing, mixing, mastering, about copy, logos, visual assets, film and music videos, editing, color correction, motion graphics, special effects, and much more.

I put my artist development and branding hat on and tuned into what might work as a human-centered music expression relevant to today’s world, striking a balance between authenticity and appeal. So many questions came up: what am I serving? Myself? An ideal? Why am I doing this? Profit? Validation? The sharing of human-centric values? Exploring expression from a third-person view, without existing limits, was a wild concept. Anything was possible. What would I express? How would I channel these creative forces and to what effect?

What I came up with was an artist named Shiun. Shiun means Purple Cloud. In classical Japanese poetry and Buddhist lore, a purple cloud signals presence, blessing, and change. Perfect for a creative expression that translates these dramatic changes of society into music and film.

Next week, we’ll begin to explore the Shiun project, the humanizing of AI tools, their possibilities and limits, and what this means for our identity and our relationship with the world. We’ll evaluate tools that can support our brands and practice ways to maintain authentic expression while using them.

WEEKLY EXERCISE

Break out of your shell. Study your industry and notice where roles are shifting or getting replaced entirely. Consider how you might refine your role or adjust your offering. Ask yourself “What is my unique identity and value in the face of these changes?”. Explore new tools with openness and curiosity and reflect on how they could enhance your offering while embodying your authentic expression. Document an insight or decide on one change you will make.

SHARE THE JOURNEY

If someone in your life is navigating purpose, creativity, or building something meaningful—they're welcome here. Simply copy and paste the section below and text or email it to them. Thank you!

Curious about working together? Explore services, book a consult, or learn more at dustinbyerley.com.

Thank you for sharing this journey. See you next Monday!
Dustin Byerley

Explore more → dustinbyerley.com
IG: @dustin.byerley
Email: [email protected]

Authentic Alchemy Philosophy

A Framework for Becoming

Authentic Alchemy is a structured process for uncovering and expressing the core identity of any entity, whether a brand, business, leader, or individual. It emerged from the realization that the principles of brand science offer powerful tools for guiding any entity toward its highest expression.

Every entity holds innate value, though it’s often hidden by emotional patterning, inherited beliefs, and social pressures. These internal blocks can stifle genuine expression across personal, relational, and business contexts, masking the true value of your unique offering to the world. For those ready to explore meaningful self-discovery, Authentic Alchemy provides the clarity, structure, and tools necessary to uncover and clearly articulate this genuine identity.

Our core principle, Truth, realigns an entity into a state of homeostasis where it can begin to function with ease, embodying its vital character, unique perspectives, and genuine ways of being. Empathy deepens this connection by recognizing that expression is inherently relational. It attunes entities to how others experience their offer, ensuring the message is received clearly and resonates meaningfully. Together, truth and empathy create resonance, an undeniable frequency that naturally attracts alignment and connection. This resonance creates coherence, a natural alignment between identity and expression that fosters genuine magnetism.

Drawing from diverse frameworks, Authentic Alchemy also integrates tools and insights from ancient and esoteric traditions alongside proven brand science, broadening its impact into a holistic dimension. This approach marks a clear break from conventional methods that rely on superficial appeal or manipulation. When your innate value is aligned with truth and resonance, success becomes intrinsic and inevitable. Any distortion or inauthenticity disrupts this natural resonance, which is why the process must begin and remain rooted in truth.

The result? You become more than visible. You become inevitable. When you achieve this level of coherence, you naturally attract the right people, opportunities, and outcomes because you're operating from a place of effortless authority.

Authentic Alchemy connects core identity to how it is experienced in the world. It moves from self-discovery to full expression, translating essence into clear language, visuals, and presence. This is identity as signal, turning purpose into impact.