I count on my friend and colleague Erika to bring something special to every gathering with her passion for art and creative expression. And if I’m being honest, every time I ask her to lead something art-related in one of our sessions, a part of me gets nervous: How are people going to respond to this?
It’s really my own stuff—old limiting beliefs about my relationship with art and the idea that I’m not someone who can “create” anything worthwhile. But I’ve learned to trust her and the process. Because every time I do, something surprising and inspiring happens—not just for me, but for everyone in the room.
In Erika’s recent issue of her quarterly newsletter, The Creative Edge, she’s asking profound and relevant questions for our time: “How do we grow while staying human? What happens when artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a teammate, not a shortcut? How do we keep space for connection as tools get faster and louder?”
Her answer to those questions is a practice of curiosity. She’s designing conversations, retreats, and learning journeys where leaders cocreate with AI to spark insight, strengthen relationships, and make better choices together. My clients are always asking me for team exercises, and with her permission, I want to share her latest as I think it’s a fantastic experience to bring to your team.
It’s called The Doorway. It goes like this:
1. Name your challenge. Write down a leadership challenge you are currently facing (e.g., “My team is resistant to change,” “I need to step into more visibility,” or “ I’m struggling to balance self-care with taking care of my team.”)
2. Gather your raw materials. Choose three to five elements you’re drawn to—colors, textures, values, and/or symbols. For example, think of colors you’re drawn to now, textures or patterns that symbolize your leadership, like a woven fabric or water, and symbols or images that feel meaningful right now for you (a heart, a cultural symbol, something in nature). Then think of the feeling you want to experience as you pass through the threshold (e.g., joy, courage, invitation, etc.).
3. Cocreate with AI. Prompt an image tool—such as DALL·E, Midjourney, ChatGPT, or Canva AI—to design a doorway that holds your challenge on one side and the possibility on the other, woven with your chosen elements.
4. Mentally step in. Let AI generate the image. Experiment with additional prompts until the image strikes a chord. Notice what feels alive or surprising. What do you need to leave behind? What comes with you? What action becomes obvious?
In full transparency and with a splash of vulnerability, I’m definitely not Frida Kahlo. But after a few edits, I will admit that I’m kinda liking the visual and how I feel when I look at it. And it took all of ten minutes.
Speaking of, I once visited Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City (my photo is at the top of this post). I highly recommend a visit—her spirit and artwork are alive in the space, and they can’t be compared to any museum viewing.
When I stood in front of the brightly painted doorway at La Casa Azul, I felt the same pull I did when I looked at my AI doorway image. Frida’s doors weren’t just entryways; they were thresholds into a life marked by resilience, color, and expression. That reminder—that crossing a threshold can carry both pain and possibility—makes Erika’s exercise even more powerful.
Let this practice be a creative pause button for your nervous system, and a fresh angle on a stuck problem. Visualization is a very powerful tool for helping us work through change. If we can see it, we can create it. The genius isn’t the tech; it’s the way these steps return you to presence so your choices come from alignment, not urgency. Check out Erika’s Doorway exercise as she fully presented it here.
If Erika’s approach resonates, keep her on your radar. She’s speaking this month about Becoming an AI-Augmented Leader and Building the Leadership Muscle for AI, and she’s guiding teams through Creative Resets that clear mental clutter and boost engagement in under an hour.
She’s also launching Transform Self Together, a six-month masterclass and community for coaches, facilitators, and change agents who want to lead true transformation with steadiness.
Want more of Erika? Follow her on LinkedIn, explore her offerings at Powell Consulting Group, and schedule a one-on-one. Invite her to your next off-site or learning series.Try The Doorway this week. See what shifts when you treat AI as a collaborator and your nervous system as a compass. If you make something you love, send me a peek.
