I'm an illustrator and I'm *not* worried about AI stealing my job
and you don't need to worry either
Firstly, in case we haven’t met, I’m Katie. Hiya! I draw pictures at meetings and events while people are talking and basically just turn information into pictures while people talk. Yes it’s magic.
Google and Netflix and Apple (to name a few) have trusted me to draw pictures for them live at events.
Oh no. Does it sound like I’m showing off?
Good!
I am!
😆 Glad I’ve got your attention.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re a creative brain person too.
*high five*
And if you’re not creative. I’m so sorry. You can stay though, we won’t mind.
Have you seen that AI meme about clients knowing what they want?
2 ticks, I’ll find it for you…
Here it is:
Hahahaha. **cries in we’ll-know-it-when-we-see-it**
This is the main reason I’m not worrying about all that AI chat, and neither should you.
But the other reason we can chill and carry on business as usual-ish =
If ANYONE can figure out how to use AI for good things like speeding up our creative work, it’s us illustrators and image-makers.
Of course, when you see clients using AI to create artwork to go on posters and replace creative full-time jobs etc. that’s shitty. It is really unnerving to see, I don’t doubt that for a second and I’m sorry that it’s happening.
But do you really want to work for a client who values creativity that little? I don’t! Clients who consider you the same as a blimmin’ machine to churn out pictures? No no no thank you, they’re not my clients. And I really hope they’re not your clients either.
We’re worth way more than that.
Other reasons we illustrators can remain cool as a cucumber about this AI stuff:
We are wobbly and human and can have detailed, nuanced discussions about job requirements. AI can’t do that very well at all (yet).
It’s just another tool. Like an iPad.
People have been getting cross about new stuff since stuff began. You can choose whether to spend your energy A: getting cross about it, or B: figuring out how to make it work for you. I get tired easily and I need a lot of naps. I’m choosing option B.
We’re weird.
About being weird
I’m not talking about being weird for the sake of being weird. I’m talking about letting your actual self show up in your work. No more self censorship or trying to mind-read what your client might want, especially when that client or publisher doesn’t exist yet 😅. Yes I see you. I know you because I’ve been there myself, trying to second-guess everything and bend myself into weird shapes to keep imaginary future clients happy.
Eventually I gave up though. I thought I was just going to be a nanny forever so I stopped caring what clients might think. My friend Alice has a brilliant cross stitch in her downstairs loo and it says, ‘Behold the field in which I grow my fucks. Lay thine eyes upon it and thou shalt see that it is barren.’
I love my neighbour pal Alice, and I love her downstairs loo because it reminds me what I’m doing here on planet Earth.
I’m here to flap open my dressing gown.
Wait, Katie. What?
Just showing up at the top of a creative hill and flapping open your dressing gown into the breeze like “HERE I AM, EVERYONE. THIS IS ME”. Is *so* freeing.
And better still, when you hear someone in the distance yell ‘Phwoar! Yes please! We love your work! You’re a bit weird and WE LIKE YA.” thaaaat is like catnip for illustrators and creatives.
Please imagine that your naked body is your creative work in this dressing gown/hill metaphor. Many thanks for sticking with me. 🤣
Being yourself first and having clients say ‘yes please’ after you’ve made the work that you want to make = 10,000,000 x nicer than folding yourself into a sardine tin that you think and hope and pray will please other people you haven’t even met yet. **Picks sardine chunk out of hair.**
People pleasing is so 1990s.
Anyways, enough of my AI rant.
If you’re well up for being your weird and wonky self and making your best, you-est creative work to date, then yer in luck!
Because the doors to our Good Ship 8-week-long online course Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag are opennnn!
It’d be lovely to see you in the course if you do decide to join. We start soon and the doors are only open for a few days so don’t dilly dally if you’re interested.
Click here to read all the stuff about it.
Taraaaa for now!
x Katie
Love this blog post. The link to the 8 week class doesn't work though.
Bravo! Well put.