The flip side is that if you have that creative control, then LLMs have _definitely_ sucked the joy out of programming, and in the worst way.

I don't think that is true. If you have the creative control, and LLMs suck the joy out of programming, then you and I have very different ideas about what that joy was in the first place. I enjoy programming both on a very high and a very low level, and both are more fun with LLMs. On the low-level, you can use that to create the building blocks that the LLM then just has to combine. And on the high-level, you can use that to steer the design in a way the LLM would never be able to, but with the help of the LLM you can connect that high-level design much faster to the low-level building blocks.

Maybe try using them differently (I tend to use them like static analyzers I can yell at/argue with, and honestly less straining than trying to parse a Coverity report), or just avoid them. Mental health is more important than 20% gain or loss (depending on which study supports your prejudices) in productivity.