MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski has discovered the art AI Midjourney and finds here a place of relaxation.
Do you remember the girl who always sat at the back of the classroom by the window, doodling in her school notebook? That girl was me. Without exception, every day I would pick up my pens, press my nose almost to the paper, and draw.
Those times are over.
At some point, adulthood came, and now I have to save my time, but especially my energy. Painting and drawing are crafts that require constant practice. When I sit down and draw, the frustration is incredibly high because I no longer reach the level I had 10 years ago. Rusty, you see.
Then I discovered Midjourney.
Midjourney as a Playground for One’s Imagination
The artificial intelligence Midjourney generates images by typing text commands into a Discord bot.
All the images you see in this article were created by me using the AI.
Within seconds, Midjourney spits out various variations of the images I commissioned from it. Although my hands and the craft are rusty, my imagination is not.
Every day, images bubble up in my head that I do not want to forget.
When I have a strenuous day, it is pure meditation for me to let my imagination run wild with Midjourney.
But don’t think for a second that the AI does what you want it to. It is the rare case that Midjourney produces an image exactly the way I envisioned it. Generally, it takes a lot of practice to be able to use the text commands in such a way that you receive a result that you can work with.
The more understanding you have of visual language and the technology behind images, the better your results will be. People who learned the craft of image design have an advantage when using the AI.
Once, I asked Midjourney to create a dancer in a green dress. In my description, I emphasized the dress and how it should move with the dancer’s movements.
However, the AI has its own mind and decided that the dress alone was sufficient.
AI Decried as the Death of Art
Art AIs like Midjourney or DAL-E are subject to controversial discussions. There was much criticism when someone won an art competition with an image created by an AI.
In fact, it is true that these AIs will have a significant influence on us. People who earn their living from creating artworks are worried about their jobs. Midjourney could even radically change how games are produced.
A major point of criticism is how the AI creates its images. Midjourney scours the internet for images that the AI deems suitable based on the commands. From these, the images are then created.
One text command you can give the AI is to orient itself to a specific artist. I played around with this as well and had images created in the style of the famous surrealist Salvador Dalí.
I can understand why it annoys creators when the AI wins art competitions and can also imitate the styles of various artists.
And yes, it is quite realistic that AIs will reduce at least a portion of artistic jobs. That is what new technologies do. Since the advent of electric streetlights, there has been no need for anyone to light lamps in the evening.
I once had a fantastic art mentor who taught me the saying: “Art comes from stealing” and there is a lot of truth in that.
Because using references and looking at what others do has always been normal in the creative craft. You never needed an AI for that. You learn from people you admire, replicate their images, and eventually create something of your own from that.
Those who demonize new technologies will be left behind over time anyway. I’ve already spoken with various artists who use Midjourney as a source of inspiration. They create their own references with the AI and bring them to the canvas or further edit the images digitally.
When the first digital artists were out with their iPads and Photoshop, there were already the same debates. That this is not art and defiles the craft!
Happiness in Art, No Matter How It Was Created
One thing is for sure: Artificial intelligences cannot be stopped and are becoming smarter all the time. At the moment, we are still not at a point where they can completely replace the minds behind images or texts.
The machine still needs to be fed, and it is not yet perfect. I have always found my happiness in art, be it texts, images, or video games.
For me, what matters most is that art does something in my inner self. And I have indeed seen some AI-generated images that moved me.
That, for me, is the definition of art and will always remain so.
