The VibeCopy Mindset

Opportunities. Everywhere.

By Jonathan James

Just like the Pet Shop Boys song, “There's a lot of opportunities.
If there aren't, you can make them.”

You notice the flyer.

It’s taped to your door — something about emergency plumbing. You glance at the font (bad), the copy (worse), the tone (none). You don’t even need plumbing help, but you’re already rewriting it in your head.

A week earlier, you started reading about RIE — a parenting philosophy a smart new friend mentioned over lunch. You expected soft advice. What you found was a system of observation, respect, and slow attention. It stuck with you. And suddenly, you’re thinking: what would a product look like that communicated with the same patience? Could this inform UX? Creative feedback? Object design?

That’s what happens when you start thinking like a vibe writer.

Your brain doesn’t just collect ideas — it begins to organize them.
It doesn’t just react — it structures the reaction.

Everyday Inputs, Systemic Outputs

You don’t need to chase trends to find insight. You just have to notice what’s already there — and let your mind work differently with it. Always be looking and listening.

Here are a few moments that shaped how I think:

• The RIE conversation turned into a deep dive on calm design, communication frameworks, and nonverbal persuasion. It made me wonder what else in our workflows could be restructured to reduce noise and increase trust.
• The plumbing flyer made me want to redesign the entire genre of local service marketing. It wasn’t just about one ad — it was about realizing there’s a missed opportunity on every doorknob.
• The back of my Safeway receipt was filled with tiny local ads, each more forgettable than the last. But that surface — that blank space — started looking like a micro-platform. What could you do with 2 inches of highly visible print space at scale?
• A friend told me he’s training to become a stenographer. Most people would leave it at that. But immediately I thought: What’s the creative infrastructure for high-trust transcription? Could you use AI to support, not replace? Where does design meet discipline in overlooked professions?

None of these are flashy. That’s the point.
They’re friction points in plain sight.

How I Capture It

The volume of sparks isn’t the challenge. It’s what you do next.

Here’s the workflow I use to avoid idea overload and turn insights into action:

1. Record it fast. Notes app, voice memo, text to self. No filters. Initial inspiration. The key is to record it, before it vanishes off into the ether.
2. Label it. “Idea,” “Platform-able,” “Thread Seed,” or “Tool?” — just enough to know how I might use it.
3. Re-enter with structure. When I revisit, I look for patterns: Does this have legs? A framework? A use case? Something teachable? This is where I bring in GPT to run riffs, build outlines, or explore directions I hadn’t thought of yet. Another big key here is to ask the questions.

Most ideas don’t need to be great.
They need to be usable.

That only happens when you give them a place to live.

This Is the Vibe Writer Mindset

You don’t need to be a copywriter to use it.

You just need to:

• Notice when something feels off
• Know that “off” is a doorway
• Trust that there’s a better system on the other side
• Build it, one small layer at a time

When you think this way, ordinary becomes opportunity.

You stop asking, “Why is this so bad?” and start asking,
“What would it take to make this unforgettable?”

Try It This Week

Pick one object, interaction, or ad that feels dull or broken.

• Rephrase it.
• Sketch the system it came from.
• Imagine one small shift — copy, placement, flow, tone — that would change how it lands.
• Capture your idea.
• Build a better version.

Some of you are probably already doing it. All-day, everyday.

Welcome to the mindset.

What’s the last “boring thing” you saw that deserved better?
Drop it in the comments — I’d love to see how you’d rewrite it.