AI & Creativity - Does It Have A Place In Our Creative Practice?

AI has been the subject of intense discussion within the art community, and rightfully so. Many artists have had their work unethically crawled to help train AI models, which has led to endless digital replications and severe intrusions on copyright. The creative work that has been lovingly worked on for years, decades or even an entire lifetime has been given over to AI, and could be reproduced within seconds. At times, it can be difficult to determine which piece is from AI and which has been created by the artists themselves. 

The US-based artist Kelly McKernan has written a powerful post on Substack, about her own experience with having her artwork stolen and used by AI, and the legal battle she has been fighting in recent years. You can read about it here.

But AI isn’t just infiltrating the art world, it’s now in our phones, our computers and the software that we use daily. Adobe, which is one of the figureheads in creative software, has been pushing AI across their programmes, from Photoshop, to Illustrator and Premiere.

Love it or hate it, it’s taken the world by storm. And as much as we might resist it, many creatives are left at a crossroad. Do we embrace this new technology to speed up our workflow, or do we risk being left behind? 

This is a very difficult question, because a huge part of the work that we create comes from within us. Which is incredibly difficult to replicate, and as intelligent as AI is, I feel it lacks the human perspective that artists create. 

But rather than viewing AI as the enemy, I’ve been considering how it could support creativity, rather than replace it. AI shouldn’t create work for us, but it can assist us. 

Let’s be clear, AI cannot replace your creativity. Yes, it can generate words and images at lightning speed, but it doesn’t mean that you should use it to create work for you. By allowing it to do all the work, it can strip away what makes your art meaningful. The struggle, the mistakes and imperfections that can lead to discoveries. It can take away your perspective and voice, and let’s face it, nothing in nature is perfect, so why should you create work that is? 

The best way to use AI is as an assistant, but not an artist. 

For example, it can be incredibly helpful with the admin side of creative businesses, from proofreading emails, breaking down complex contracts and even planning schedules and goal-setting. These are the tasks that can often pull us away from creating art, so if AI can lighten the load, why not use it? 

The value of bouncing ideas off others (even if it’s AI) 

Back in university, we had weekly group critiques, where a small group of students and a tutor gathered around a table and shared what we’ve been working on. The goal of the session wasn’t just about feedback, it was also a place to spark ideas and conversation. A casual comment or a passing reference to a book or artist, often led to the most profound creative breakthroughs. 

But outside of an academic setting, many creatives don’t have this anymore. 

Most artists today work in solitude, which, while it can be comforting, it can also be creatively limiting. We no longer have those offhand conversations that solve problems or push our work in new directions. And in place of that, we’ve been turning to social media, which can be inspirational but also can be overwhelming and leave us comparing our work to others. 

This is where I’ve found AI to be unexpectedly useful. Don’t get me wrong, it will never replace the importance of human interaction, but it can be helpful in our day to day lives. 

I’ve started using AI in the way I once used those university critiques. Not for answers, but for sparking questions and ideas, especially when I’m feeling creatively stuck. 

These are a few ways I’ve been using it in my practice. 

• Talk through ideas when I need clarity.

• Get feedback on the direction I’m heading - not to dictate my work, but instead to help me refine it. 

• Find new connections between concepts which I might not have considered before. 

• Get an external perspective when I’m second guessing myself. 

Of course, it’s not a replacement for human insight. But in those moments when I need a fresh perspective, it’s become surprisingly helpful. 

How to use AI without using your creative voice.

As a surface pattern designer, I’ve found this new perspective and way of working to be refreshing. Instead of endlessly scrolling on Instagram and feeling drained, I’ve been using AI to fuel my creativity and keep me on track. 

But here’s the key, I never let it dictate my work. It could never replicate the depth, emotion and craftsmanship behind hand-drawn patterns. Nor can it replicate my own signature style and perspective of the world. All artists and pattern designers have a unique voice, and at the moment, AI can not take that away from us. 

Instead, I find that AI can be a useful tool to help spark ideas that I can explore further, and help with the admin side of my business. A lot of the times, it’s not the AI’s response itself that I’ve used, but rather it’s the idea that has been sparked from it. 

So the creativity still comes from me, I’ve just been developing ways that AI can be used as a tool to help refine and expand my ideas.

And that I think, is the healthiest way for artists to use it in their practice. 

What about you? Have you been exploring AI in your creative practice? If so, how are you integrating it while still staying true to your artistic voice? Feel free to leave a comment below, or you can drop me an email. I’d love to hear from you.