Adventures in AI: Peanut Butter, Prompts & a 90-Year-Old Me

This weekend, I dove headfirst into the world of AI image prompts—and guess what? I think I’m getting better at it. I mean, I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m finally starting to understand the secret sauce: be descriptive.

It’s kind of like asking someone to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when they’ve never made one before. You can’t just say, “Make a sandwich.” You’ve got to explain what kind of bread, how much peanut butter, which side the jelly goes on, and maybe even what mood the sandwich should evoke. (Cozy school lunch vibes? Fancy brunch twist? Existential crisis between the slices?)  Of course my kiddo had to send me a TikTok video A lesson in why we need to be clear with our instructions. (Hopefully it is still there!)

Turns out, I’m horrible at that level of detail. But! Progress has been made.

Now, let’s talk about that first prompt I ever wrote… or actually, let’s not. Because it was so bad I can’t even bring myself to share it. Just know this: if you ever want to feel like you’ve aged seven decades in seven seconds, try adding an age to your AI prompt. I did.
I looked 90.
Not a fun, golden-girls-glamorous 90 either.
More like “grandma wandered into the uncanny valley” energy. Yikes.

Lessons learned so far:

• Be super specific. AI is not a mind reader.

• Do not mention age unless you’re emotionally prepared.

• There’s a fine line between “ethereal lighting” and “why do I have ghost hands?”

So here I am—learning, laughing, and maybe aging a little less with each prompt. I’ll keep experimenting and share some of my favorite creations once I’m less horrified by the results.

And if nothing else, at least AI thinks I’ll age gracefully. Sort of.