The Conversational Ball
Tips on small talk, the weird resistance we feel toward our own creative projects, JSON image prompts, rediscovering an AI app for iOS, and peeking under the hood of those API requests
Hey guys, here’s a few things that stood out from my previous week:
On Small Talk
A few days ago, I watched this video about mastering small talk, and it got me thinking—again—about the whole introvert vs extrovert debate. The more I hear people categorize themselves (or others), the less convinced I am that these labeling actually helps. I guess I don’t see myself as one or the other 100%. But still, when it comes to starting random conversations with strangers, especially when the topic is just… nothing. Well, I’m far from being skilled in this area.
I watched the video out of pure curiosity but was surprised to find some genuinely useful and practical advice. Things like giving longer answers so the other person has more to work with, or adding a bit of context so you’re not just tossing the conversational ball and watching it roll away. It made me think about how I interact with AI sometimes—how giving more context leads to better results. There’s a weird parallel there.
I also liked the reminder that it’s not just about talking. Listening matters, and so does being genuinely interested (or at least present) in the moment. The idea that small talk isn’t about impressing anyone or being funny, but about making it easier for someone else to jump in, feels pretty refreshing. So maybe it’s not so much of a skill to master, but it’s just about learning how to be open to the possibility of a real exchange, even if it starts with something super simple or super random.
Some highlights that stood out.
“Small talk can also signal to people that you understand how social interactions work… it’s just a little communication that says I know how to do this I’m safe.”
“Longer responses make conversations easier partly because they also give the other person more to work with.”
“Everyone is interesting and everyone can teach you something your job is just to figure out how.”
On Reactance
Last week I read this short piece about something called “reactance.” I understand the concept, even though the term is new to me. It refers to that feeling when you sense your freedom is being taken away—like when you’re being pushed to do something—and you react by trying to stand your ground or trying to reestablish that you are free to act as you please. The interesting thing that the article points out is how this is something that often times we do to ourselves. This is something I have personally experienced in the past, specifically in the context of creativity. Sometimes you start a project because you’re excited or curious, but as soon as expectations or deadlines show up, the whole thing starts to feel heavier. Suddenly, what began as fun or self-driven starts to feel like pressure.
The text suggests that coming back to the core reasons that got us started can help. For me, it’s often about curiosity, wanting to express something or just following an idea for its own sake. I have to remind myself, especially when things get busy or when I feel like I’m supposed to deliver, that the main point is to stay connected with what actually interests me. If you’re working on something and you catch yourself resisting, maybe it’s just a sign to check in with your original motivation—whatever value or spark got you started. It’s true, that bit of awareness can make a big difference and maybe even bring back some of the excitement.
Some highlights:
“Reactance occurs when people respond with negative emotion to the threat of having their freedom and autonomy taken away. When in this state, people are motivated to reestablish their sense that they are free to act as they choose.”
“We can also experience reactance against the demands we make of ourselves…that self-generated expectation becomes an onerous duty that we thoroughly begrudge and look to escape.”
“It can feel particularly perverse to find ourselves resisting and chafing against intentions that originated with us in the first place. But it’s an internal battle that many creative people will find very familiar.”
On Prompting
Last week I finally got access to image generation from ChatGPT through the API, so I started experimenting and came across a new way people are prompting for images using JSON formatting. I haven’t done a deep dive on yet, but it seems very interesting because it reminds me of how text prompts get more precise when you use XML tags—except here, JSON seems to make image instructions clearer and more likely to be respected by the model. There’s this website I bookmarked with several style templates for products and objects (though I imagine the technique could work for scenes and characters, too). I guess the same principle of being specific with structure—whether that’s JSON, XML, or simple prose prompting—really matters. I’m saving this approach for something to experiment more with later.
On Shoelaces
Are you interested in learning unique ways to tie your shoelaces? I accidentally discovered this website. I know, super random, but I never imagined there’d be someone so passionate to put something like this together.
On Shortcuts
Do any of you use iOS shortcuts for AI, especially ones that let you share selected text and run it through a custom prompt? On Mac, I do this with Superwhisper, but the iOS is a bit behind when it comes to adding context from clipboard. A while back, I built my own shortcut for this. It was great, but as I kept adding features, it got so complex that even a minor update became a hassle. At this point, I’ve more or less abandoned maintaining it because it’s just too much work for what I need.
Last week, I was hunting for alternatives and rediscovered an app called Pal Chat (no idea when I first downloaded it—I think it was during a promo, because I somehow have a lifetime license that’s no longer available). This app is a “bring your own API key” app with some basic Shortcuts support. It’s not as full-featured as my old shortcut, but it’s versatile and works with different models, not just ChatGPT. I threw together a super simple shortcut which prompts the user to select from a list of prompts, and it does the job.
There was this time when all the AI craziness was just starting out, that I downloaded and tested lots of apps. Most of them have been abanadoned, but the few that survived and continue being updated frequently, is because they actually are pretty good. So I thought I’d give Pal Chat a shoutout. Unfortunately it’s a subscription app but the free features still look pretty strong. If you know of any other iOS apps like this—ones where you can use your own API keys and send selected text to a list of custom prompts (ideally with Shortcut support and not limited to just ChatGPT)—please let me know! Always happy to test new options.
On Server Requests
If you’re into all these Mac apps that make server requests for AI using API’s, there’s something that has been very helpful to me. Whenever I’m exploring these tools, I try to understand how each application handles user content and any attached context to build its AI request. Every app does things a little bit differently—some add extra text, others keep it minimal, and some barely touch your input at all. Most applications are designed so that basic users don’t have to deal with much, but as someone who likes taking full advantage of what an app can do, I really enjoy analyzing the syntax and formatting of the requests being sent.
This past week, I discovered an app called Proxyman that’s been great for this. Basically, Proxyman lets you analyze exactly what a Mac app is sending and receiving when it makes an AI request. Well, I’m sure it can do so much more than this, but for this one thing that I needed it’s been fantastic. Super recommended. I think it can teach you a lot about how AI prompting works under the hood. The approach I had been using until now was using apps with local models and analyzing the logs in LM Studio, but this is much better.
On Cinema
Gloria (2013). I was interested in this film for a long time because of the director. It explores the life of a divorced woman seeking purpose and happiness. What sets this film apart is its portrayal of age and relationships - far from the typical Hollywood romance. Super good character study. Great and personal portrait on the complexities of the human experience. I really liked it! Synopsis: Gloria is a 58-year-old divorcée. Her children have all left home but she has no desire to spend her days and nights alone. Determined to defy old age and loneliness, she rushes headlong into a whirl of singles’ parties on the hunt for instant gratification – which only leads to repeated disappointment and enduring emptiness. But when Gloria meets Rodolfo, an ex-naval officer seven years her senior, she begins to imagine the possibility of a permanent relationship.
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the shoelace website is awesome. thanks for the share. as kid, i used to try different styles of shoelace, i thought it was "weird". good to know there are others...