Mastering Out-of-the-Box Thinking with ChatGPT – Interpreted and Written by a Human

When life throws you a curveball, and you find yourself lacking the expertise to tackle a challenging task, it’s time to unleash your inner ChatGPT out-of-the-box thinking!

With a simple prompt to ChatGPT and three outputs later, we have a master class on navigating tricky situations where you lack the skills or knowledge to succeed. Use on your own risk 😂

Prompt: “Generate an ASCII art of the Mona Lisa”.
ChatGPT had three outputs for this prompt. Each teaches us a valuable lesson.

Level 1. Padawan – Do Your Best

Me: Generate an ASCII art of the Mona Lisa.

ChatGPT’s first attempt may not be a Mona Lisa doppelganger, but hey, sometimes you have to do your best with limitations and imperfections at hand. This output suggests that even with all the flaws, you can still try to do your best. This is a great approach, although not an impressive one. Life (and employers) are not interested in things you don’t know, they are interested in how you overcome challenges. So, let’s give it another go!

Level 2. Jedi – Create a Teaser and Blame External Factors

Me: Generate an ASCII art of the Mona Lisa.

Create a tantalising teaser, something small yet impressive with just enough detail to make them want more. You can then blame external circumstances (that are beyond your control, of course) for any non-compliance and why it’s not ideal.
Hey, it’s not your fault – there were not enough characters at your disposal, that is why it is not an exact replica 😅

This approach is particularly useful when you are working on a project with limited resources. And it is a clever way of managing expectations while still showcasing your skills and potential.

Level 3. Master Yoda – A Bug, This is Not! A Feature, it is!

Me: Generate an ASCII art of the Mona Lisa.

After mastering the first two levels, you are ready.
Define your creations on your own terms! If you say it is Mona Lisa, then it is Mona Lisa!
ChatGPT’s third artwork reminds us that there are times in life when you just gotta channel your inner Picasso and boldly declare that your creation is really what you say it is! This is a feature – not a bug! Who is to argue with your artistic vision, anyway?