How to Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance Your Creative Practice

I’ve recently begun experimenting with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) so I am in the early stages of the learning curve but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how useful this technology has been.

You may have some serious concerns about the effects of AI on humanity. I do as well. The potential for AI to help people live better is something to marvel at and the potential for AI to accelerate our progress towards a dystopian nightmare are real as far as I can tell.

Myopically, the early returns suggest one of the main benefits of using AI has been increased focus on the quality of the questions I ask as part of the inquiry and research process I typically engage in with my writing and idea generation efforts.

Here are several ethical ways artists who paint, draw, and write can use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their creative practices.

For Painting and Drawing

1. Idea Generation & Overcoming Painters Block

• Use AI tools to generate reference images, color palettes, or composition ideas.

• Input rough sketches to explore potential refinements or alternative styles.

• Developing lists of subjects that relate to themes or series - see my list of World Changing Creatives

2. Experimentation with Styles

• I’ve never generated images with AI but I have heard about artists experimenting with AI to blend different artistic styles. This can help create new approaches while retaining your original creative vision.

• This can be taken a Astep further by analyzing AI-generated results to inspire techniques or elements you might incorporate manually in your chosen medium.

• Researching different techniques used by historically significant artists. AI can even quickly assemble a list of source materials that will empower artists to quickly access more personalized insights

3. Time-Saving Efficient Prototyping

• Use AI for quick first drafts, allowing you to focus more time on refining your final work.

• Explore AI-generated variations of your preliminary sketches to iterate on concepts rapidly.

4. Augmented Creativity

• Collaborate with AI tools to enhance specific elements, such as textures or lighting, while maintaining full creative control.

• Use AI as a "partner" for co-creating unique visuals or exploring ideas beyond your typical approaches.

5. Educational Tools

• Study AI-generated artworks to learn about techniques like perspective, color theory, or dynamic composition.

• Use AI feedback systems to analyze your work and identify areas for improvement.

For Writing

1. Overcoming Writer’s Block

• Use AI to generate prompts, ideas, or starting sentences when you’re stuck.

• Brainstorm with AI to explore new angles for stories, essays, or artist statements.

2. Editing and Refinement

• Use AI tools for grammar checking, sentence restructuring, or improving readability.

• Experiment with AI-generated rewrites of your text to discover alternative phrasing or narrative structures.

3. Poetry and Creative Writing

• Collaborate with AI to generate poetic lines, metaphors, or narrative twists as a springboard for your own work.

• Explore how AI reinterprets themes or characters to challenge your creative assumptions.

Ethical Considerations

1. Transparency

• Be open about how you use AI in your creative process, ensuring credit is given where due.

Personal note: I have used ChatGBT to conduct initial research on various topics, create first drafts for essays and blog posts and create lists of ideas for painting and drawing subjects. I even used it recently to navigate through the New York Subway system on a very busy day trip into the Big Apple 🍎.

2. Originality

• Use AI as a tool to support your creativity, not as a replacement for your artistic vision or skills.

3. Copyright Awareness

• Avoid using AI models trained on copyrighted material without proper permissions.

• Use ethical or open-source AI platforms that respect artists' rights.

4. Avoid Over-Reliance

• Ensure AI enhances your work rather than dictating your creative choices, keeping your unique voice central to the process.

5. Contributing Back

• Share your AI-enhanced methods or insights with the artistic community to foster collaboration and learning. Therein lies the potential for collaboration and the creation of a virtuous cycle.

By approaching AI thoughtfully and ethically, artists can harness its potential to innovate, refine their practices, and expand their creative horizons while maintaining artistic integrity.

I’ll reiterate here the importance of the quality of our questions when using AI. This is the key to success in using this powerful tool. Followup questions can help ensure you are able to stay on track towards quality answers.

Recently I heard someone describe AI as a opportunity to converse with a team of multidisciplinary PhDs. Why would you not want to take the opportunity to ask questions of such a well informed group of experts? This resonated with me. How we leverage this resource is presently up to us.

Hope 2025 is the best

year yet for you and yours!