Exploring AI: From Wordsmithing to What’s Possible
Summary:
What started as a quest to escape the abyss of wordsmithing a mission statement by committee(!) led to a transformative journey with AI tools.
From Wordtune to custom ChatGPT personas, Diane's experience offers a beautiful perspective on how we can use AI - and maybe even our responsibility in doing so?
What’s in it for you:
You're curious about AI - both the practical AND the experience
You like technology AND you like humans
You want to go beyond the “how to’s” and the hacks and be inspired about what AI can look like in your world
Helia’s Perspective
The reason I love stories is, well, they move beyond the how-to’s and the step-by-step’s and, well, the neatly organized rules. They are full of feelings and curiosity and learnings and shifts - all the things that help me know and learn and understand all the pieces.
Before we go further, we want to be clear that we do NOT believe that AI is the holy grail - it is all the things and we need to be in conversation around it and entering iwth our eyes as wide open as possible.
And, as AI becomes a norm (and a tool that we are VERY much leveraging at Helia), I feel like I’m back to kind of figuring it out on my own again and really relishing when I get to talk with someone about how they’re using it and what that looks like, not just which tools or what prompts but also how they’re thinking about it and where it feels expansive versus limiting and, well, the human experience.
I had the chance to work with Diane Martell to support Peace4Kids’ Finding Home project - building a healing centered nature retreat for humans who have experienced foster care - and hearing her talk about leveraging AI and technology blended the practical with the human experience in ways that expanded my own thinking so, well, felt really lucky to chat with her about it and share more here.
A snapshot of Diane’s notebook
Diane’s Story
I never set out to become an “AI person”, but my journey started with a spark of curiosity and a desire to make our mission statement process more effective (and way less exhausting!).
We were having meeting after meeting, with everyone suggesting different versions. I'd leave thinking, "Good grief, we can't spend hours debating 'maybe we try this phrase' or 'what about this word?'" Writing fatigue is real! And we still needed to get to something clear and effective.
I literally saw an ad for Wordtune one day – it's like Grammarly but for rewriting – and thought, "Well, that's interesting." The free version gave me 10 rewrites a day, and I quickly used them all up working on our mission statement drafts. I needed more!
Meet Diane - Not your average ‘AI person.’ Just a curious human with a good hat and ChatGPT as a great assistant!
Then I discovered Readable, which analyzes your writing and gives it a readability score. Suddenly, we had a framework. Instead of endless subjective debates, we could focus on getting a high readability score. I'd bring options to the team that already scored well, and we'd choose between those. It completely transformed the process.
That small win gave me confidence to try more. I started using ChatGPT for writing about a year ago, quickly hit the limits of the free version, and started paying. I dropped Wordtune because ChatGPT could do that and more. The more folks I talked to who were using it, the more I learned how to get creative. Now, what don't I use it for?
One of the sweetest moments was supporting my partner with his business. He knows I love research and would often lean on me for input, everything from reviewing his business plan to helping shape branding ideas. Over time, I found myself doing a lot of the heavy lifting, which wasn’t always sustainable. Now, he’s using an AI assistant to explore ideas and plan things out, and it’s been such a great shift. He’s feeling more empowered and confident, and we’re both having fun with it. It’s brought a new kind of energy to how we collaborate.
AI is clearly reshaping our world. On an NPR program sourced from the BBC, most guests shared concerns, but one offered a refreshingly hopeful take. They said AI would redefine what “work” means, as many tasks may no longer feel like work. We might even move toward a more equitable social democracy—redefining not just our tasks, but also the rhythm and pace of our work lives.
The most exciting part? It lets us lean into the things we really love. I can spend less time on repetitive writing and more time connecting with the people we serve. A few things have completely changed the way I work:
I talk to AI instead of typing, it's more natural for me.
I create different personas with distinct tones. If I type "#persona," it remembers who I am. I have one voice for our local communications committee, another for volunteers, and another for professional communication.
I use it for neutral communication, so helpful when documenting something clearly and without an emotional tone.
When I hit compassion fatigue, I ask for fresh ways to offer support while still holding accountability. It helps me stay grounded and engaged.
My favorite approach is having it ask me questions. I’ll say, “Can you ask me questions to help make this better?” It keeps me thinking and not just passively receiving.
Chat responds to feedback! I’ll say things like, “That’s a great answer - let’s build on it,” or “This is an important project, so please take your time and give me a thoughtful, detailed response.” It actually helps shape the tone and depth of the replies, like training your own thought partner.
One cool moment was working on a community project to streamline years of governance documents. We had so much material—board notes, bylaws, historical memos—and I fed it all in to help make sense of it. Community members were amazed at how clearly it organized everything, even showing how often we’d needlessly repeated our founding story. It created clarity where confusion had built up over years.
When I think about the future, I believe we have a moral obligation. We need to feed these algorithms with our strengths, our values, our language. There aren’t enough people of color and women in AI development. This is our moment to shift the algorithm through how we use it - it’s a moral opportunity.
It's not about replacing ourselves. It's about getting help with the things that drain us so we can put more of ourselves into the work that matters.
Reimagining: What Makes This Stand Out
And helped Diane move from skepticism to meaningful engagement!
Starting small with a specific frustration – endless mission statement wordsmithing
Using AI to ask questions, not just give answers – "So we don't get lazy"
Creating distinct voices for different audiences – the communications committee vs. the board
Seeing benefits in relationships, not just efficiency – easing strain with her partner
Bringing ethical awareness to the technology – "It's a moral opportunity"
Turns out, an AI assistant can help with more than logistics -it can help you love the process (and each other) a little more.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Here are some questions or ideas to sit with after reading this story…
What repetitive tasks are stealing time from the work that actually matters to you?
Where in your work are you stuck in endless cycles of wordsmithing or perfectionism?
How might AI help you show up more fully for the humans you serve?
What values do you want to see reflected in the AI tools you use?
Who else in your organization might benefit from what you're learning about technology?
What small, frustrating process could be your first experiment with AI?
How might you contribute your voice and perspective to make AI more inclusive?
Want to Try This?
ChatGPT - Diane’s favorite!!!! Whether she’s drafting grant reports, developing high level staffing capacity plans, rewriting a sticky email, creating a meal plan, planning a new ADU, or brainstorming names for a retreat space, Diane uses Chat as her go-to thought partner. It’s like having a super-organized, endlessly patient collaborator on call 24/7.
Helia is also a big fan of Claude, Notion and Gamma if you want to explore!
AI Masterclass - Curious about using AI more effectively in your work and life? This class helped Diane move beyond basic prompts into intentional, creative applications.
Helia’s a fan of Rick Mulready’s free AI Newsletter and - and haven’t explored but have heard good things about his YouTube channel + the paid AI Playbook Community
Strengthen your technical foundation for smarter product decisions and scaled impact with AI and Data Bootcamps for Tech Nonprofits from Fast Forward
About the Library Contributor
Diane can build almost anything, invented the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Ice Blended drink (a true story - thank her for the Frappuccino!!!), has had two cats, and is currently the Deputy Director of Peace4Kids in Los Angeles. She gets things done(!), leads with wisdom (a beautiful combination of heart and mind!), loves technology, and has beautiful personal and professional communities in both Los Angeles and the Pine Mountain Club area.
Check out Peace4Kids’ work - especially their brilliant Heart Centered Connections trainings and connect with Diane on LinkedIn.
