I can't explain it, but no matter what I'm working on — professional or personal — there comes a time when the momentum stops and my brain sort of sputters. It's probably because when I am invested and excited about something, I go all in, essentially having blinders on to everything else.
But when I run out of steam and the cursor is blinking, the stress starts piling up. Suddenly, even outlining another idea feels impossibly high-stakes and the pressure builds. To release that pressure, I've started using what I call the "fart prompt" with ChatGPT.
Yes, it's a ridiculous name, but so is getting stuck when a project starts to feel too complicated. Oddly enough, this prompt has become one of the most effective ways I've found to make progress in high pressure situations.
The problem with using AI when you’re stuck
Most people use AI the wrong way when they hit creative paralysis. Many people think AI is like some kind of magic genie lamp that can deliver the answers to everything. If only that were true!
The reality is, when you ask ChatGPT to do things like, "Come up with the perfect idea!" or even "Fix the problems with this project" you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. Prompts like that usually make the AI output feel overproduced and lifeless. Worse, it keeps you frozen because you're trying way too hard.
The reality is, AI cannot give you the creative answers you need. It can help pull those ideas out of you by asking the right questions when you're brainstorming, but that's about it. In situations when you're stuck, however, what you need is momentum. That's where the ChatGPT "fart" prompt comes in.
What is the ChatGPT 'fart' prompt?
Here’s the exact prompt I use when the pressure is on: “Stop trying to sound smart or polished. Give me the ugliest, messiest, most half-baked version of this idea possible — like a total brain fart someone blurts out before the real idea arrives.”
Surprisingly, the results are shockingly useful. The second you give ChatGPT persmission to stop trying to sound "polished," you'll get something far more real.
I've noticed this prompt works especially well with the default model, ChatGPT-5.5 Instant, which feels less like a people-pleaser than earlier models. That update, combined with being far more loose in its delivery, results in more human ideas that are more creative and easier to build on. In other words, the pressure disappears immediately.
Why this works so well
While "fart" jokes abound in my house, this is not a nod to those. Instead, it’s about lowering the activation energy required to start.
Psychologists have talked for years about how perfectionism creates procrastination loops. Your brain treats starting as dangerous because the outcome feels too important.
For me, the “fart prompt” short-circuits that. Instead of trying to create something great, you’re intentionally creating something dumb. I've personally noticed that once the stakes disappear, your brain relaxes enough to actually think again.
Ironically, some of my best ideas have come after the terrible AI-generated versions.
Here’s what it looks like in real life
- Parenting. I use the ChatGPT ‘fart’ prompt whenever parenting decisions spiral in my head like handling summer schedules, school lunch ideas, birthday party themes, friend drama or even toddler tantrums.
- Home overwhelm / life admin. From messy rooms to budgeting, divvying up chores, allowance, meal prep or garage cleanup, this prompt taps into what needs to be done and what I might be overthinking.
- Getting more creative. Big creative projects are a lot of fun and I really enjoying having something to work on outside of my professional life, but if I take them too seriously, they become less fun. AI works best when it gives us permission to be imperfect.
The problem is, my brain often freezes under pressure. AI giving polished responses makes the pressure worse. The absurdity that this prompt reveals forces my brain to loosen up, causing creativity to return.
This prompt changes everything when I'm having a "brain fart," overthinking or simply stuck.
Final thoughts
AI is not the magic answer machine we often want it to be. In fact, some of the most useful moments happen when it gives you messy, half-baked or even ridiculous ideas that shake your brain out of a rut.
That’s because AI isn’t always best used as a polished assistant. Sometimes it works better as a chaotic brainstorming partner, one that helps you escape mental quicksand before perfectionism pulls you under. Instead of waiting for the “perfect” idea to arrive, you start moving again. And momentum is often far more valuable than brilliance.
A big part of using AI to your advantage is making it act less like a machine and more like an unpredictable creative partner. A strange prompt like this one is the more likely to break you out of rigid thinking patterns and uncover angles you never would have reached on your own.
More from Tom’s Guide
- I asked ChatGPT to apply Lewis Howes’ ‘Greatness’ mindset to my life — and it completely changed how I approach work
- I ditched nightly doomscrolling for 7 ChatGPT prompts — and I'm finally sleeping better
- I gave ChatGPT permission to disagree with me with this prompt — and its responses became dramatically better
