Embracing Creativity: A Journey Through Storytelling, Music, and AI Innovation
Introduction
Creativity is an ever-evolving process, shaped by experience, inspiration, and the tools we choose to engage with. Over the past week, I’ve immersed myself in an intense creative workflow, balancing storytelling, music production, and the integration of AI into my artistic process.
This week was all about expanding musical projects, refining story structures, and preparing for the next phase of my writing career. With the release of Breaking the Surface, the final track in my Lake of Tears trilogy, and the launch of my heavy metal album Valhalla, my focus was on pushing the boundaries of what I can create.
I also took time to strategise for the future, aligning my upcoming book releases for 2026 and ensuring my creative projects remain interconnected. This article explores my experiences in music production, storytelling, and the evolving role of AI in artistic expression, highlighting the lessons learned along the way.
Building the Creative Foundations for 2026
At the start of the week, I knew I needed to shift gears. With multiple writing projects in the pipeline, I dedicated time to structuring my workload to focus on editing novels, novelettes, and episodic series. The priority list included:
📌 Pentague – the precursor to my Sin-Eater series.
📌 Josephine and Jason – a novella serving as a prequel to Josephine Marlin.
📌 The Adventures of Millie and Sandra – soon to be expanded into a four-book novella set, complete with a spell and ritual picture book.
At the same time, I celebrated the February 23rd release of Breaking the Surface. This track concluded my Lake of Tears trilogy, an album that delves into themes of self-discovery, transformation, and reclaiming personal power.
🔗 Listen to Breaking the Surface: YouTube Link
This final song felt like a moment of closure—a culmination of everything the trilogy had explored musically and thematically.
Valhalla: A Heavy Metal Journey Through Mythology
Midweek, my creative focus shifted toward a completely new musical direction. Inspired by Norse mythology, I embarked on an ambitious heavy metal concept album titled Valhalla, created under my AI band Wrecked and Ready.
The album concept revolves around the warrior’s journey, the call of the Valkyries, and the glory of Valhalla. Within days, I had written eight tracks, each telling a different part of this legendary tale.
This project marks my return to my heavy metal roots, adding an intense, raw energy to my growing catalog of musical works. I now have three active albums in development:
🎶 Songs for the Goddess – Ethereal, poetic pieces inspired by Cloud Walker.
🎶 Revolution – Urban fantasy storytelling through music with Cassidy and The Castoffs.
🎶 Valhalla – A mythology-driven heavy metal album under Wrecked and Ready.
Each project represents a different aspect of my storytelling and musical style, and managing them simultaneously requires strategic planning and creative discipline.
Shaping the Future with From Then to Now
Alongside music, I continued work on my From Then to Now podcast, a deeply personal series documenting my creative evolution. My plan is to release one episode every two weeks, ensuring I have a backlog of scheduled content while I shift my primary focus to editing my written works.
My long-term vision is to:
📌 Finalise the first books in each of my series for 2026 publication.
📌 Create a structured release schedule, ensuring future books roll out in a cohesive manner.
📌 Balance music, storytelling, and AI integration, while ensuring that my voice remains at the heart of every project.
This strategy allows me to maintain creative momentum while making sure each release is aligned with the broader universe of my works.
Refining Valhalla: The Role of AI in Music Production
With my heavy metal album in full production mode, I turned to Suno AI to assist with structuring instrumentals and refining sound design. While AI is helpful for enhancing technical execution, my final compositions remain deeply personal.
Producing Valhalla was an immersive process—one where I had to carefully shape the tone and energy of each track. I wanted the album to feel like a battle cry, carrying the weight of Norse mythology and the ferocity of warriors preparing for war.
First Official Valhalla Release: Call to the Valkyries
By Friday, the first song of the album was released. Call to the Valkyries captures the moment fallen warriors are chosen to enter Odin’s golden halls.
🎸 Lyrics (excerpt) from Call to the Valkyries
🔥 Ride with the Valkyries, take to the sky,
🔥 Glory is waiting, we’ll never die!
🔥 Odin is calling, the chosen must rise,
🔥 Into Valhalla, through burning skies!
🔗 Listen to Call to the Valkyries: YouTube Link
The song’s aggressive instrumentation, battle-ready imagery, and Norse-inspired chants made it a powerful introduction to the album’s theme.
The Title Track: Valhalla
As a special treat, I also released the album’s title track, Valhalla. The song is based on my old poem We Are All Alone, reflecting on battle, honour, and the warrior’s promise of eternity.
🎶 Lyrics (excerpt) from Valhalla
⚡ We walked with heroes on our way to Valhalla,
⚡ Where the wicked, where the weak, couldn’t follow.
⚡ Drowning in the blood of the fallen, raising a glass to the death we wrought.
🔗 Listen to Valhalla: YouTube Link
This track serves as the heart of the album, embodying both the mythology and musical intensity of the project.
AI, Copyright, and Creative Integrity
This week also led me to further reflections on AI and artistic ownership. While AI-assisted tools such as Suno helped refine production, I remained in full control of creative direction, lyrics, and overall execution.
As AI continues to integrate into creative spaces, artists must be vigilant about protecting their work. My approach remains clear:
✅ AI should assist, not replace, creativity.
✅ Creative ownership should always remain with the artist.
✅ The emotional depth and nuance of storytelling can only come from human experience.
I am committed to ensuring that while AI provides efficiency, it never dictates the soul of my work.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter
With Breaking the Surface and Valhalla now fully launched, I am transitioning into the next phase of my creative journey.
📌 Editing and refining my novels for their 2026 release schedule.
📌 Releasing more tracks from Valhalla and Revolution.
📌 Continuing to document my journey through From Then to Now.
As I move forward, my focus remains on blending storytelling and music, using AI as a tool while ensuring that human artistry remains at the forefront.
Creativity is about evolution, and I’m excited to see where this next chapter takes me.