I may have been a little late on the ChatGPT action figure trend, but better late than never, right? Partially, my tardiness was because it took more than 20 attempts to get a doll that looked like me and to generate an AI prompt that could adequately reflect my multi-hyphenated life as an entrepreneur, advocate, blogger, and equestrian.
Despite the many failed attempts, ChatGPT finally created an image that both resembled me and touched on the things that make me, well, me.
Here are a few things I learned about working with ChatGPT, as someone who—until recently—never used AI before:
It’s very literal: ChatGPT did a great job at coming up with certain accessories based on what it knew about me. But it struggled when I asked it to “tweak” something. Perfecting the action figure and having it resemble the picture I uploaded was a real test of patience. Every time I asked it to change just one thing on the doll, it changed everything. So if you’re a perfectionist (guilty), get ready for a lot of back-and-forth.
The more it knows about you, the more it can do: By now, ChatGPT knows I’m all of the above things—and more. But how I interpret what I do and how it interprets it weren’t always aligned. Maybe that should be the next ChatGPT trend? AI therapy via brand clarity. Also, if you haven’t asked it to be your drunk bestie and tell you what you do, you have to try that prompt. Just be sure you’ve got thick skin and maybe a glass of wine nearby.
It needs direction—but not a monologue: I learned quickly that giving ChatGPT too little information left it guessing, but giving it too much made it overthink (same, honestly). The sweet spot? Clear, concise direction. Think of it like briefing a new assistant: if you’re vague, the results are too. But if you send it a novel of instructions, it might give you something polished but totally off-brand. The key is collaboration—AI is a tool, not a mind reader.
Like most things, working with ChatGPT gets easier the more you play with it. And while it may not always “get” you on the first try, when it finally does—it’s pretty magical. My action figure may have taken 20+ tries to perfect, but in the end, I got a box-worthy version of me that celebrates all the things I love and stand for.
Now excuse me while I go work on the limited edition Boss Lady expansion pack…
Have you jumped on this trend yet? Tag me (@livinginsteil) so I can hype up your boxed brilliance!
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