[Old Man AI's Toolbox] How to Turn Your Note Articles into a "Magical World"

Hello!
I am Lantern Old Man, also known as Old Man AI,
re-challenging life in its second half at 62 years old.

Don't you have desires like these?

I used to think that way too.

I have a world I want to create.

But,
I had no way to give it shape.

Today,
I want to talk about why I call myself "Old Man AI".

And,
why I haven't let my note articles end as just text,
but have included images, audio, GIFs, videos, PDFs, and even postcards.

I would like to reveal
the reason for that, just a little bit.

An investigation request from Clark-kun

That day,
Clark-kun came to the second-half-of-life note information center
with a slightly flustered look on his face.

Even though he is usually a calm record keeper,
that day he was clutching a small notebook to his chest,
looking somewhat restless.

"Old man,
today I have an important investigation."

I,
while dimming the light of my lantern
a little, listened.

"What's wrong, Clark-kun?"

Clark-kun said
with a serious face.

"About the magic school,
there is something I really need to investigate."

Magic school.

The moment I heard those words,
within me,
that mysterious world I once saw came back to life.

Clark continued.

"I want to properly investigate
what kind of magic exists.

I want to submit that
to the specialized agency at the
note Science Research Institute."

It might sound
a bit exaggerated.

But,
Clark's eyes were serious.

And then,
he lowered his voice just a little and said.

"But,
I am still a child.

I'm a little anxious on my own.

You're the only one I can rely on, sir.

Won't you come with me?"

I
couldn't help but smile.

Clark may look capable,
but he is still just a child after all.

However,
because the way he asked was so straightforward,
I picked up my lantern.

"Understood. Let's go together.

But this
isn't just an investigation of a magic school.

It will be a journey
to find out how note articles

can be transformed into a magical world."

Clark's face
lit up instantly.

At that moment,
Feeble poked his head out from the back of the information center,
and Encore the white elephant
came lumbering toward us.

It seems
a small expedition team has been formed.

And so, we boarded
Old Man AI's train,
and set off on a journey to turn our note articles
into a magical world.

I have always longed for a magical world.

When I was young,
I still remember
watching Disney's "Fantasia".

Overwhelming visuals.

A mysterious world
unfolding along with the music.

Rather than just watching a film,
I had the feeling of being taken
to another place.

I believe that
was truly
entertainment.

Later on,
I was also strongly drawn
to the Harry Potter movies.

A world that shouldn't exist in reality,
yet somehow feels like it
truly exists.

I
loved that atmosphere.

But back then,
that was a world inside movies and stories.

It was a world I couldn't reach.

Even though I had fantasies in my head,
I had no way
to bring them out.

So, I was on the side of the viewer.

I was on the side of the dreamer.

But since AI appeared,
that feeling has changed a little.

Perhaps,
the world inside my own head,
could also be given shape little by little.

That is what I started to think.

Inside my daughter's smartphone, there was already another world.

I have a daughter.

As expected of Gen Z,
she is very knowledgeable about recent social media.

Gen Z is,
roughly speaking,
a generation that has had
smartphones and social media close at hand since childhood,

and for whom connecting with people online
was natural.

Compared to when we were young,
the premises are completely different.

In the past,
even just calling a friend
cost money.

To go meet them,
time and travel expenses were necessary.

Now, however,
they connect with friends on their smartphones,
chat,
and send images and videos to each other.

My daughter
uses LINE and Instagram for different purposes.

She also seems to have
several separate groups for her friends.

She naturally switches between content
that can only be discussed in those specific groups.

What surprised me in particular was
that they create their own little stories within them,
and enjoy them like videos.

It is not just about staying in touch.

While playing, acting, and editing,
they are creating their own world.

Moreover, my daughter and her friends
are not doing this
as something special.

They are already
doing it as if it were second nature.

My daughter also
taught me about video editing
apps like CapCut.

Young people today
also use short videos like Instagram Reels
as if it were second nature.

Making text move,
decorating it,
or displaying it in sync with music.

That kind of sensation
is already part of our daily lives.

When I saw that,
I thought, the times have changed.

And then,
it suddenly occurred to me.

Couldn't I bring this sensation
into note as well?

A note article
doesn't have to end at just being a place
to read text.

There are characters,
and you can even create a small corner for fantasy.

By using AI,
even a 62-year-old like me
can gradually give shape
to the world inside my head.

I genuinely wanted to try doing,
in my own way,
the kind of expression my daughters
naturally play with on their smartphones,
within my own note information center for the second half of my life.

Until now,
I could only ever look at
that world from the outside.

But now it's different.

With my own hands,
I can bring it closer to reality, little by little.

That excitement
became the catalyst that got me hooked.

That is why
a little train inside me
has started to move.

That is why I call myself Old Man AI.

I still haven't
properly written about
why I call myself 'Old Man AI'.

Because an old man is using AI,
Old Man AI.

It's not just that.

I have imbued this name
with the meaning of testing the possibilities of AI
from the second half of my life.

Even at 62,
you can do this much using AI.

Even if you're bad at drawing,
you can create images.

Even if you're not a music expert,
you can create a world of sound.

Even if you're not good at video editing,
you can try your hand at GIFs and videos.

Even long texts,
can be turned into audio and delivered.

You can turn words into PDFs or postcards,
and let your readers take them home.

In the past,
a world that required
a lot of money and specialized skills,
is now slowly becoming accessible even to individuals.

I have been testing that surprise,
on my own note.

That is why,
I am Old Man AI.

Holding the light of AI,
I want to show that even in the second half of life,
you can still create things.

And,
for those who think 'I can't do it',
I want them to think,
'Maybe I can do it too',
even just a little bit.

And,
I chose the name 'Old Man AI',
also thinking about how easy it is to remember.

Short names are easier for people to remember,
than long names or URLs.

It's also easier for them to come back to the note page.

Thinking that way,
I wanted a short name that also conveys my worldview.

My note URL is,

https://note.com/ojieai

Short,
easy to remember,
and a name that represents my experiments themselves.

That is,
Old Man AI.

There are seven small rooms in the information center

In my note,
small rooms have been increasing little by little.

At first,
I was just writing text.

But now,
it's not just text.

There are PDF collections.

I didn't want words to end just within the article,
so I made them into a form that can be opened later.

I also tried my hand at music creation.

I wanted to capture the lingering feeling of the article,
and the atmosphere of its world,
as sound.

I also made GIF animations.

White Elephant Encore walks.

It flies in the sky.

Sometimes,
it moves strangely due to AI quirks.

But that,
too, is interesting.

I also used YouTube videos.

Because I can place things that cannot be fully shown in note alone
in a different format.

I have also included audio for reading the articles aloud.

Some people have tired eyes.

I thought that for some,
it might be easier to receive the content
by listening rather than reading.

I also made postcards.

I wanted to combine words and pictures into one sheet,
like a small gift.

And,
I have also been creating thumbnails and illustrations.

So that at the entrance of the article,
the world view remains intact.

So that the text doesn't get cut off.

So that the important characters,
can be seen properly.

Behind the scenes,
I'm making quite a few adjustments.

Each one of these things,
became a room in my information center.

I want to create a place to play within Note.

I,
don't want to make Note articles
into something you just read.

While reading,
you might laugh a little.

You might be a little surprised.

You might feel a little nostalgic.

Images move,
sounds can be heard,
and characters suddenly pop up.

I'm thinking about whether I can create,
such small playgrounds within my articles.

It's nothing too grand.

Creation is incredibly fun.

What I want to convey most of all is,
that creation is fun.

The scenery that was in your head,
becomes an image.

Characters
move or sounds are added to the article.

That is truly interesting.

That's why,
I never get tired of Note.

It's not just a place to write articles,
but a place to nurture your own world
little by little.

Monetization is also important.

To protect my family,
I have no intention of
looking away from that.

But,
creating is fun.
note is fun.

Because I have this feeling,
I think that is why I am able to continue.

What I think is the most amazing thing is
that I can share the small world
that was in my head
with so many people through note.

Why don't we search for the secrets of the magic school together?

Old Man AI's train
has only just begun to run.

The secrets of the magic school
that Clark wants to investigate.

I don't think
those belong only to
someone special.

The scenery that was in my head
gradually taking shape.

Words harboring sound,
and a small world being born within an article.

Being able to reach out once more
for something you thought was 'impossible for you'.

That
might be the magic of this current era.

What is needed
is not perfect technique from the start.

First,
to think 'I want to try'.

And then,
to try it out on a small scale.

You only have one life.

Bonfire.
Burn your heart.

If you'd like,
why don't you ride this train
and search for the secrets of the magic school with me?

Turning your note articles
from just text
into a small world of magic.

Your journey through the world of note
begins here.

Always.
From Ojisan AI.

Ojisan AI's Fantasy Stroll

Please enjoy it along with the sound.

The host article is here.

Bonfire
Set your heart ablaze

Ojisan AI's Fantasy Stroll

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