“I tried to create some images with AI,” I got an early call from a client who can’t answer my question about what kind of illustrations he has in mind for his new book. “Is that really bad?” he asks.
AI is like French fries: everyone knows it’s bad for you, but we still eat it. As soon as you whisper the word “AI,” the AI haters come tumbling down on you with their usual arguments: it’s stolen art, it looks awful, it’s fake. And lately, there’s a new favorite argument: it’s terribly bad for the environment and every image costs a ton of water to create. That concern has now pushed the well-known “flight shame” from the top spot when it comes to environmentally friendly behavior. Still, everyone is using AI — whether secretly or proudly — because it’s simply “the new era.”
“Of course not,” I tell him. “You don’t want to literally use these images in your book, but it’s definitely a great tool for brainstorming.” Not everyone has a visual mind. When you interview a large group of people about how they think, some will say they play entire movies in their head, while others see nothing and only think in words.
For example, I start to shiver when someone tells a really gross story. I can see things vividly in my imagination — I can almost smell and feel them. It’s a blessing and a curse. But I realize that not everyone has that gift. That’s what makes me such a good designer and illustrator: I’m incredibly good at converting text into images.
But let’s go back to my client. I tell him that brainstorming, searching for inspiration, and creating examples is a great place to start. I then use all this input to ultimately create an original image he can use in his book. Whether that process involves an AI generator or just browsing Pinterest doesn’t really matter. Relieved that I’m not anti-AI, he says he’ll get to work and come back to me with more concrete ideas.
Not much later, I get a text from my son: “What are we having for dinner?” Oh my goodness — always that eternal what-are-we-having-for-dinner question I can never answer. No idea! But then I have a brilliant idea — I ask ChatGPT. “What’s for dinner today?” ChatGPT compliments me on my great question and gives me five different suggestions. I work with those ideas.
That’s exactly how creativity works too — brainstorm all you want, but at the end of the day, I’m the one who has to cook the actual meal.
So what are we actually going to have for dinner tonight? Now that I think about it, maybe some Dutch-style French fries isn’t such a bad idea after all. Just because it’s okay every now and then.
