AI Will Make Me Lose My Mind/Job...OR NOT!

This is a story about the beauty of art and what comes with it: frustrations. 

When I'm not painting or making music, I write.

In life, nothing goes your way but the ability to change things is literally in an artist's hands. It's part of what makes us "magical"

As if we (artists) didn't have enough problems already, AI tested my core passion for the craft.

In my childhood, I remember being fascinated by the Compaq Presario computer that my dad bought and put in our house's library room. In the '90s, the internet didn't exist; we had CDs that would take forever to load if we were lucky enough to boot the computer successfully.

I was happy to repeatedly play the same game's short demo (out of the 1000 demos of one CD!).

The computer was in the corner of the room. In the middle was a huge table where I would do my homework and draw. I would draw and switch to Encarta search or Crayola Arts interactive, dabbling on the desktop for hours. I only had a mouse, and it was enough.

I tell you this story because, looking back, I realize that this step of my life was crucial for my development as an artist. I didn't know it.

A few months ago, I shared the hand picture I drew with a contact on LinkedIn, and his response was: "Get out of here! You used AI to create it, right?" I was baffled. Lucky me, I wrote an article about it, and if you still need to read it, you can go back to it afterward.

In very short years, we went from "Oh, this is digital art made on a computer" to "This is AI stuff!". It made me question my role and place as an artist in society. Nowadays, the lines are blurred: Who is who? What is what?

I accept AI; it's the best thing ever happening to the art industry because now artists can demonstrate how everything is done. We were so close to the vest in the 90s when I watched Prince and how secretive he was, not even to say what was exactly on his guitar pedalboard. "Go figure your sound, like I did for mine." He hated shortcuts—hated sampling. It symbolizes a whole generation who worked hard to get their rewards. Now, people generate things by a single phrase in an internet browser. Copied and pasted, and they have the nerve to trademark it and take you to court if you get the same results from the same sentence.

I want to show you my setup and how I always approach the craft using pen and paper, my iPad (a fantastic device), or my Wacom (don't get me started).

I will start to dabble loosely. I'm not looking for perfection but ideas. My brain functions this way, so I will eventually see new things as I progress and pause, taking a picture or screenshot to generate a new piece with a completely different story.

I drew a Marvin Gaye piece years ago, and the process was the same. I felt a sense of guilt because I would eventually finish it on the tablet, record the whole thing fast forward, and post the video on my YouTube channel.

One of my collectors saw that piece and wanted it badly on her piano in Athens (Georgia). Did she care that it wasn't a "real" painting? Not at all. She was fascinated by my story and how my mom called me Lionel instead of Marvin because one guy owned the 80s, and the other ended up being shot by his father.

The irony couldn't end there because Mommy recently wanted her hoodie with my art. Guess what she chose? I don't know what to tell you...

In the age of artificial intelligence, the art world finds itself at an intriguing juncture. AI-generated art is not just emerging; it's generating works with unprecedented proficiency and volume. This new player on the scene can produce images, all at the click of a button. Yet, in this digital deluge, we must ask ourselves: What becomes of authenticity? I tried it, and everything the system was throwing at me was garbage. It's like my palate couldn't take it—pun intended.

This is too much work; every time I had to modify the result, I was so bored that I deleted everything and started from scratch like in my good old days.

What do people know about struggle?

Authenticity in art has long been its heartbeat, a sacred element that binds the viewer to the creator's inner world. Authentic art acts as a conduit for shared human experience, channeling the intangible — feelings, thoughts, the human condition — into tangible form.

Once I finish a piece, I see people pause and think they are in God's presence.

Art birthed from AI lacks this narrative; it lacks the human condition. It is art without the hustle.

I was admiring a painter the other day, and as I was lurking behind his shoulder, the piece was coming along very nicely. And suddenly, he shoved the canvas to the ground and burst out of the room out of frustration. I ensured I stepped out of his way and heard the paintbrush cracks breaking and profanities yelled outside.

I resisted telling him: "It's ok, buddy; we can use AI next time!"

Let's cut through the noise: AI cannot replace the artist. It cannot replicate the context of personal growth, cultural and social understanding, and the rich tapestry of human experience that an artist weaves into each piece. This is the core of authenticity—the genuine expression of life as we know it, in all its glory and suffering.

And God, we do suffer! How many times have artists heard this?

There's room for all types of creation in our world. But when it comes to the art that moves us, that holds a mirror up to our existence, the kind that stirs something profound within us — that's the domain of humanity.

People will lose their jobs, side jobs, 2nd and 3rd jobs because there will be no jobs that AI can't do!

And I foresee it will be like music nowadays: most people will realize their mistakes and recognize that: what we had was better, we were lucky and we didn't know it!

My solution to "fight" AI is to first embrace it, then keep telling better stories and build my community in this newsletter, on YouTube, Patreon, and write some more and continue doing so. If LinkedIn falls, I don't care... because I am blogging already on my website and I have been doing it for years.

I hope this will inspire you and give you hope. It's not the end, we are just scratching the surface of possibilities here.

What's your take on my story? Let me know in the comment section below!

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