It’s such a relief to find that someone else is asking the questions about AI that I’ve been asking myself recently. What happens to us as a society when we stop thinking and problem solving? Who are we if we let computers do everything for us? What will happen to my brain if I stop using it? I work in tech, and it’s so disheartening to see so many people jump on the bandwagon of AI without questioning what they’re sacrificing. Nurturing creativity is so important for combating this increasing need for convenience; creating art, or music, or jewelry, or whatever you want. Crafting something with your hands. Reading a physical book. Any activity where I feel like I’m actively involving my brain AND my body gives me so much more fulfillment than the digital world, because it’s so much more real. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!! Yes the numbers keep changing but you truly are as young as your mind feels. You may be geting older but that doesn't mean you have to grow up!
Happy almost birthday! I turned 50 last August, and the half century mark (as my rotten teenaged children keep calling it) caused a whole ton of questioning existence and mortality and such. I get it, ma’am!
Happy Birthday, Felicia! Mine is in just a few days, and I have a similar course leading up to it.
As a writer, I run writing/storytelling courses in schools. Every year, there are students who submit AI-created stories and poems. For now, they're easy to spot, but that won't always be true. Luckily, there are students who *want* to do the creation themselves. The urge to tell stories (ours and others) goes back as far as human history, and I don't think it'll go away.
I love that comment "all I can do is me". It really sums creativity so succinctly. Very much in vein of your book Embrace your Weird.
Creativity rejuvenates us. It fills you with life, energy and enthusiasm for more. Creativity is one of the most beautiful parts of being human. It is your brain having fun. Without inspiration all around us everywhere, there would be not creativity. It is order born out of chaos of ideas. Creativity is you, what you see and do.
You will reach the Slope of Enlightment before you know it. Best of luck in your adventures in finding your creative flow
Happy Birthday and make sure to celebrate all those milestones, big and small, in creativity and in life
I hardly comment on substack stuff at all but your writing today really touched me and I was almost brought to tears while reading it on the subway. As an environmental engineer we do need to use AI to support us with code checking and writing at times. But yeah, what you wrote about the whole process is so real. Its in the process we learn, refine, change, grow, flourish and mature in our craft, whatever that may be. And the world that we live in today? Its a world of efficiency. Thats why AI is so addictive to some because you can just "get" it, like fast food, instead of a home cooked meal that takes up an hour or two, prepared with heart. And this led me to reflect, when was the last time I took time off and just be? To just breathe, to draw without thinking about time? To eat and enjoy the food without checking the clock and scroll into oblivion? To live slowly, to take time to learn, and grow, and change, to mature our craft, in life, everything, the whole PROCESS of it... embracing that is to rebel against AI and the fast life. And I believe that is the first step to actually see the beauty in this world, no matter how broken it may be. Thanks Felicia :) you rock, as always! Stay awesome!!!!
Happy Birthday Felicia! Thanks for sharing your creative journey and reflections on AI. I have many of the same concerns and a child just a couple years younger. Here’s to making art with our hands while we figure it out. P.S. I’m so excited for your painting era. 💫
Happy circle round the sun! Congratulations on leveling up! (I prefer referring to myself as a Level 51 player, myself) And, your growing understanding of creation and purpose is evidence of your Level Up, as well! Thank you for sharing your journey.
This was the most relatable thing I have ever read. Happy birthday, Felicia 🥳🎉!!!!!
p.s. When I was applying to college 15 years ago, my essay was about you and The Guild and/or MMORPG's in general. I'm glad to have stayed a fan for so long.
p.p.s. I don't know if you're ever going to read this, but at one point in the past, at a con, I was deciding whether to get a fan photo with you or see Wil Wheaton give a live talk. I ultimately couldn't find it in my heart to pay you for a cheesy fan photo doing some cheesy pose together. At the time, in my head, I was like "OMG, I have a crush on her, I am obsessed with her", and in my head the cheesy paid fan photo thing just felt like it would shatter my heart. I don't know how to explain it, but I ended up turning from you to Wil Wheaton instead. Now I'm at least as much of a fan of Wil as I am of you. Also I think it's kind of sad that women have to look youthful forever for Hollywood, but whatever, you have a job and the people who get paid don't get to set the rules.
Well, happy birthday! I used to get that same kind of Zen feeling from painting miniatures ... until I saw the end results and they were RARELY (on about five occasions they met my expectations and twice, over 25 years, exceeded them) even close to what I'd been going for... But the process was fun.
Oh, and on AI, my brother is a teacher and has been fascinated by AI since the first time he caught a student using it. He has a more positive view of it than I do (I see it as a useful tool but one that should never replace humans - assist us, sure, but we need to keep it in check! - he just seems to see it as "don't let it do all your work and it's fine")
🎂🎉🎊🎊🎉🎂 Happy Birthday Month twin 🎂🎉🎊🎊🎉🎂 I say age is just a number and you just need to go enjoy doing something for yourself and not let the number get you down 💜💐💜💐 My birthday's on the 24th and I understand how you feel - the years are going past too quickly!! 😊😊 I totally agree with you that art is a process and while it can be fun to push a button and have something made for you, it doesn't compare to the feeling of actually creating something yourself!! And that's a good point about AI and college - I agree with you about that because it seems like everything's becoming AI orientated and I don't like it either 🙈🙈 Hopefully people start to slowdown with the AI and realize that perfection isn't everything 💐💐 Have a wonderful day 💐💐
This was a really interesting and thought provoking article.
Process is the point to anything, and we’re soon forgetting that with AI.
No word of a lie, I’ve been posting up stuff on how AI could create idiocracy with President Comanche’s 3 point plan to fix everything.
While you get dumber, AI seems miraculous, but it’s not itself.
On the process part, I’ve spend so much time on creating my game world for my TTRPG. I have dozens of characters leading all kinds of factions, and only imparting a small part, I broke AI in 3 days.
It’s not a miracle.
It may not even be a great tool.
Anyways, that was a great first painting attempt, keep it up!
Have you tried stitching? Like cross stitch or embroidery? I take mine with me everywhere I go. Let’s me take a break from my phone and get my hands busy making something tangible. Definitely more portable than oil painting, but I totally understand - I love getting into the creation of the piece!
It’s such a relief to find that someone else is asking the questions about AI that I’ve been asking myself recently. What happens to us as a society when we stop thinking and problem solving? Who are we if we let computers do everything for us? What will happen to my brain if I stop using it? I work in tech, and it’s so disheartening to see so many people jump on the bandwagon of AI without questioning what they’re sacrificing. Nurturing creativity is so important for combating this increasing need for convenience; creating art, or music, or jewelry, or whatever you want. Crafting something with your hands. Reading a physical book. Any activity where I feel like I’m actively involving my brain AND my body gives me so much more fulfillment than the digital world, because it’s so much more real. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!! Yes the numbers keep changing but you truly are as young as your mind feels. You may be geting older but that doesn't mean you have to grow up!
Happy almost birthday! I turned 50 last August, and the half century mark (as my rotten teenaged children keep calling it) caused a whole ton of questioning existence and mortality and such. I get it, ma’am!
Happy Birthday, Felicia! Mine is in just a few days, and I have a similar course leading up to it.
As a writer, I run writing/storytelling courses in schools. Every year, there are students who submit AI-created stories and poems. For now, they're easy to spot, but that won't always be true. Luckily, there are students who *want* to do the creation themselves. The urge to tell stories (ours and others) goes back as far as human history, and I don't think it'll go away.
I love that comment "all I can do is me". It really sums creativity so succinctly. Very much in vein of your book Embrace your Weird.
Creativity rejuvenates us. It fills you with life, energy and enthusiasm for more. Creativity is one of the most beautiful parts of being human. It is your brain having fun. Without inspiration all around us everywhere, there would be not creativity. It is order born out of chaos of ideas. Creativity is you, what you see and do.
You will reach the Slope of Enlightment before you know it. Best of luck in your adventures in finding your creative flow
Happy Birthday and make sure to celebrate all those milestones, big and small, in creativity and in life
Happy Birthday!!! I’ll bet you have never been this old before!!🎂
Happy (advanced?) birthday Felicia!
I hardly comment on substack stuff at all but your writing today really touched me and I was almost brought to tears while reading it on the subway. As an environmental engineer we do need to use AI to support us with code checking and writing at times. But yeah, what you wrote about the whole process is so real. Its in the process we learn, refine, change, grow, flourish and mature in our craft, whatever that may be. And the world that we live in today? Its a world of efficiency. Thats why AI is so addictive to some because you can just "get" it, like fast food, instead of a home cooked meal that takes up an hour or two, prepared with heart. And this led me to reflect, when was the last time I took time off and just be? To just breathe, to draw without thinking about time? To eat and enjoy the food without checking the clock and scroll into oblivion? To live slowly, to take time to learn, and grow, and change, to mature our craft, in life, everything, the whole PROCESS of it... embracing that is to rebel against AI and the fast life. And I believe that is the first step to actually see the beauty in this world, no matter how broken it may be. Thanks Felicia :) you rock, as always! Stay awesome!!!!
Happy Birthday Felicia! Thanks for sharing your creative journey and reflections on AI. I have many of the same concerns and a child just a couple years younger. Here’s to making art with our hands while we figure it out. P.S. I’m so excited for your painting era. 💫
Happy circle round the sun! Congratulations on leveling up! (I prefer referring to myself as a Level 51 player, myself) And, your growing understanding of creation and purpose is evidence of your Level Up, as well! Thank you for sharing your journey.
Happy belated birthday. In my defense I was watching season 4 & 5 of Eureka (Hi Dr Martin!).
This was the most relatable thing I have ever read. Happy birthday, Felicia 🥳🎉!!!!!
p.s. When I was applying to college 15 years ago, my essay was about you and The Guild and/or MMORPG's in general. I'm glad to have stayed a fan for so long.
p.p.s. I don't know if you're ever going to read this, but at one point in the past, at a con, I was deciding whether to get a fan photo with you or see Wil Wheaton give a live talk. I ultimately couldn't find it in my heart to pay you for a cheesy fan photo doing some cheesy pose together. At the time, in my head, I was like "OMG, I have a crush on her, I am obsessed with her", and in my head the cheesy paid fan photo thing just felt like it would shatter my heart. I don't know how to explain it, but I ended up turning from you to Wil Wheaton instead. Now I'm at least as much of a fan of Wil as I am of you. Also I think it's kind of sad that women have to look youthful forever for Hollywood, but whatever, you have a job and the people who get paid don't get to set the rules.
Happy Birthday. You are beautiful in every way. And more talented than you know❣️
Have wonderful year ahead🌼🎂🎈🎉
P.S. I'm so glad you feel the same way about AI. What is wonderful about us is our individual creativity. We don't need to be told what to say or do.
Cathy
Well, happy birthday! I used to get that same kind of Zen feeling from painting miniatures ... until I saw the end results and they were RARELY (on about five occasions they met my expectations and twice, over 25 years, exceeded them) even close to what I'd been going for... But the process was fun.
Oh, and on AI, my brother is a teacher and has been fascinated by AI since the first time he caught a student using it. He has a more positive view of it than I do (I see it as a useful tool but one that should never replace humans - assist us, sure, but we need to keep it in check! - he just seems to see it as "don't let it do all your work and it's fine")
🎂🎉🎊🎊🎉🎂 Happy Birthday Month twin 🎂🎉🎊🎊🎉🎂 I say age is just a number and you just need to go enjoy doing something for yourself and not let the number get you down 💜💐💜💐 My birthday's on the 24th and I understand how you feel - the years are going past too quickly!! 😊😊 I totally agree with you that art is a process and while it can be fun to push a button and have something made for you, it doesn't compare to the feeling of actually creating something yourself!! And that's a good point about AI and college - I agree with you about that because it seems like everything's becoming AI orientated and I don't like it either 🙈🙈 Hopefully people start to slowdown with the AI and realize that perfection isn't everything 💐💐 Have a wonderful day 💐💐
This was a really interesting and thought provoking article.
Process is the point to anything, and we’re soon forgetting that with AI.
No word of a lie, I’ve been posting up stuff on how AI could create idiocracy with President Comanche’s 3 point plan to fix everything.
While you get dumber, AI seems miraculous, but it’s not itself.
On the process part, I’ve spend so much time on creating my game world for my TTRPG. I have dozens of characters leading all kinds of factions, and only imparting a small part, I broke AI in 3 days.
It’s not a miracle.
It may not even be a great tool.
Anyways, that was a great first painting attempt, keep it up!
Have you tried stitching? Like cross stitch or embroidery? I take mine with me everywhere I go. Let’s me take a break from my phone and get my hands busy making something tangible. Definitely more portable than oil painting, but I totally understand - I love getting into the creation of the piece!