Small AI Projects, Big Personal Payoffs
Purple Urple & Beyond: Fun Ideas for Personal AI Projects
Let's be real, it's been one of those weeks. My twins just celebrated their second birthday (how‽), my amazing parents are in town visiting, and I'm onboarding some fantastic new folks to my team. Life is wonderfully full, verging on a little chaotic!
So, this week, instead of a deep dive into a complex AI topic, I wanted to keep things light and share something that’s been bringing me a lot of joy and, surprisingly, efficiency: small, personal AI projects.
Why does this matter right now? Because these powerful AI tools aren't just for massive companies or complex business problems. They're accessible enough for anyone to play with, to create things that are meaningful, fun, or just make our lives a little easier. And honestly? It's incredibly inspiring to see what's possible.
The Upfront Cost That Keeps on Giving
One thing I'm consistently finding with my AI experiments is this: there's often an initial investment – time, thought, maybe some trial-and-error – to set up personalized prompts and systems. Think of it like building your own little AI assistant for specific tasks.
I saw this with the personal style guide I created to help refine my writing. It took effort upfront, but now it saves me time and helps maintain consistency with every post. That initial setup continues to pay dividends.
My next goal on this front? Building a similar system or guide to help generate the perfect image for each blog post, every single time. (Still very much a work-in-progress!)
This "invest upfront, reap rewards later" idea applies to so many potential AI projects, big and small. And it’s the thread connecting a few fun things I’ve been tinkering with lately.
Showcasing Fun Works-in-Progress
I wanted to throw out a few ideas that have been bouncing around my head – projects currently in various states of completion. My hope isn't to present polished perfection, but to inspire you and show that building with AI:
Can go deeper than a single, simple prompt.
Doesn't have to be some massive, intimidating undertaking.
Can be genuinely fun and personally rewarding!
Project 1: Remixing a Toddler Anthem - "Purple Urple"
My three-year-old daughter currently has two songs on repeat: "Ophelia" by The Lumineers (because, well, that's her name!) and Donovan's "Mellow Yellow" (because she loves colors and it's just plain silly).
Inspired by her love for the color purple, we decided to create our own remix: "Purple Urple."
The Lyrics: We used Google's Gemini to help brainstorm and write new, purple-themed lyrics in the style of "Mellow Yellow."
The Vocals: Recording a toddler is... an adventure. It involved me singing a line, hitting record on the voice memo app, having her sing it back (more or less!), and repeating. Lots of short clips!
Next Steps: Adding some simple background music or a soundtrack is next. Then, I want to create a music video to accompany this (which I’ll be using AI to help me generate).
The Grand Finale: The ultimate goal is to turn it into a music video using AI image and video generation tools to create fun, simple animations.
I fully expect this goofy little song and video to become one of her absolute favorite things to watch once it's done. It's purely a fun side project, but seeing her face light up during the 'recording sessions' has already been worth the effort. (And yes, I'll definitely share it here when it's complete!)
Project 2: Templating Memories - The Birthday Storybook
My kids love when we read stories to them, they always want to grab a book and snuggle up. They also love hearing stories about our own day and the memories we've made together. So naturally, I want to combine these - have books we can read that are all about them.
We recently had the twins' second birthday party at the park, and there were probably five to seven key, adorable moments I really want them to remember. So, another project was born: creating a personalized kids' storybook about their birthday.
The idea is to:
Turn those moments into a simple, bite-sized narrative.
Generate accompanying illustrations using AI.
Keep the text easy to read and engaging (I'm even doing a little research on what makes kids' books truly great vs. the ones that drive parents nuts!).
But here’s the “dividend” part: I don’t just want to make one book. I want to figure out a format and process – a template – that I can reuse for future big events (holidays, vacations, milestones). How cool would it be to quickly create a custom storybook capturing special family moments written and illustrated in a consistent style that could become a family series?
Project 3: Low-Effort, High-Impact Thank Yous
Birthday parties mean presents, and presents mean thank you notes! Instead of generic cards, I’m exploring how to use AI to create something more special with minimal extra effort.
The plan:
Use AI to help draft quick, fun, personalized messages mentioning the specific gift or friend.
Generate a cute, custom illustration to go with each note.
Email these personalized digital thank yous to our friends.
It’s a perfect example of how AI can enable highly personalized touches with surprisingly low lift, making the gesture feel more meaningful without adding hours to my already packed schedule.
Start Small, Have Fun
These are just a few examples bubbling up in my world. None are groundbreaking feats of engineering, but they represent a shift in how we can use AI for personal creativity, connection, and even just simplifying everyday tasks.
That initial investment in setting up a template, learning a new tool, or even just thinking through a fun idea often pays back tenfold, not just in efficiency, but in the pure joy of making something unique and meaningful.
What fun, personal AI projects are you dreaming up or tinkering with? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!