Summary

The author, despite initial concerns, has found that AI-generated art enhances their appreciation for traditional art-making, valuing the personal touch and meditative process of creating by hand.

Abstract

The author, who has always enjoyed art but never considered themselves a master, initially felt threatened by the capabilities of AI art generators like DALL-E and Midjourney. These tools seemed to overshadow their own artistic attempts, especially given their history of struggling to translate their vivid imagination onto paper. The author's father, an artist himself, had instilled a sense of inadequacy in them for not adhering to traditional artistic methods. However, after spending time with AI art tools, the author's perspective shifted. They recognized that while AI can produce impressive and technically perfect pieces, the joy and fulfillment of physically creating art with all its imperfections cannot be replicated by a machine. The author now sees AI art as a separate entity that complements, rather than competes with, the personal and meditative experience of traditional art-making.

Opinions

AI art tools are impressive and have practical uses, such as creating images for Medium posts, avatars, and phone wallpapers.
The author initially felt that if AI could outperform them in art, their personal efforts might be futile.
Traditional art-making involves a tactile and emotional connection that AI art lacks, such as the feeling of scribbling on paper or using paint.
AI-generated art can appear too perfect and lacks the organic and rustic charm of hand-created art, like scratchy lines and textures.
The author values the imperfections and personal touch in art, which AI cannot replicate.
AI art is seen as a tool that has its own place in the art world but cannot replace the joyful and meditative journey of creating art by hand.
The author has come to appreciate their own "scribbles" and doodles more, embracing their style without comparing it to the perfection of AI art or the traditional standards set by their father.

AI Art Made Me Worry Less About Creating Art of My Own

Generative art has its place but it doesn’t replace the feeling of creating something yourself

A random selection from the scribbles in my sketchbook. Photo by the author

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I’ve always been an artsy person, but not the best artist ever. I’ve always just had fun with it, you know?

So when I first started playing around with DALL-E and Midjourney when they came out, it got me panicking.

In a sentence I could make the AI do anything I could picture in my head.

As someone who frequently imagined a concept and then failed to put it on paper without it looking like a 5 year old had attacked the crayon pot, this was a game changer.

Let me be clear — I love what AI can create. I use it a lot for post images right here on Medium, for avatars, phone wallpapers, and more. It’s incredible.

But I’d always been taught you have to do art in the traditional way; study colour theory, perspectives, use your pencils the ‘right’ way. My father was an artist and, as it happens, a narcissist, so he made it very clear to me from a young age that he was ‘better’ at art and unless I did it properly, I shouldn’t bother trying.

And I never enjoyed art like that. I just want to scribble and doodle and make something funny.

So generative AI art felt a bit personal to me.

If a machine could do art better than me, what was the point in trying?

Why I don’t feel like that any more

After hours of playing around with AI art tools, it’s positively changed the way I feel about making art.

Sure, Leonardo AI can make portraits can looks indistinguishable from a photo, and Midjourney can render an authentic watercolour landscape. It’s amazing at fantasy style art, too — something I’ve never been able to create myself.

DALL-E 3’s version of a whimsical garden filled with black hollyhocks.

But it all feels a bit… disconnected. I know AI art has its place but typing a prompt in a box with keywords is nothing like the physical act of scribbling on paper, splodging paint into a palette, or even drawing with a digital art tool like Procreate.

Another thing is the way AI art looks. It’s almost too perfect…

I like a bit of rustic, organic feeling in art. I like to see scratchy lines, warped perspective, and textures that only a person could create.

There’s no doubt AI art can be stunning.

But as an artist, or I guess, a ‘scribbler’, AI art isn’t meant to replace the journey of creating art by hand.

It’s got its place, sure, but it can never take away the meditative, joyful act of creating art.

Even if it’s not ‘proper’.

A doodle from my drawing tablet. Photo by the author

Hugs,

Fran Holly 🌺🎴✨