I'm not very good at celebrating my wins. I'm the type of person to withhold a reward until the work is done, then tell myself the work itself was the reward. But last year I sold my first novelette, a space horror adventure, and I decided to commission some art to celebrate its publication this year. I see artists advertise their commissions all the time, with reasonable rates, and it's fairly common for writers to commission artists for character sketches and book covers.
So, I brainstormed some ideas, and excitedly dove in to find myself an artist. Some things became very clear to me quite quickly:
Character art is not concept art. Sure, I could find someone to draw me a 3/4 character design, but finding someone to do a landscape concept (especially a scifi one) was a lot harder.
If you do find a scifi concept artist, they are likely already working full-time for a movie or game studio.
If that full-time scifi concept artist happens to have commissions open, they are commercial studio rates not priced for individuals.
Good luck getting them to email you back.
A few hours into my search, my excitement plunged into frustration and despair, and a surprising thought bubbled to the surface: I get why people use AI art.
Now, this is not a newsletter about the merits of AI anything. I abhor it. It's theft. It’s shitty and lazy. I think people using AI art for book covers are essentially crossing a picket line, and people using ChatGPT to crap out stories are pathetic. I'm not looking to debate you on this.
What's interesting to me is that someone with my values still had, for however brief a moment, the inclination to use it.
The arts have been taking a gaslight pummeling for decades now. Being an artist isn't a real job, but famous artists are very privileged. Artists are lazy parasites and an elite class of intellectuals. Anyone can make art, also it's an ivory tower skill gated off from the average person. Similar to many politically-targeted demographics, artists are simultaneously weak yet skillful, stupid yet cunning, useless yet all-powerful.
Meanwhile, tech workers were getting the opposite treatment. A tech major is the right choice made by smart people. Tech is building our future. Tech is the logical choice. Tech is better than the arts.
And yet, spend any amount of time in tech circles, and you see the “right choice” assurances aren’t enough. Instead, tech workers bolster themselves with platitudes usually applied to artists. Writing code isn't your job, it's your craft. Your code is beautiful. You have a passion for it. The best coders have an inscrutable natural talent deep within them.
Most artists with any amount of experience know that natural talent is bullshit, or at least isn't enough to take you anywhere on its own. You may have a knack for art, but you have to put in the effort to develop your skills. Tech workers writing AI algorithms, I gather, did not gain this wisdom. They came to believe their skill was anointed. At least, this is what they’re taught. This is how they are treated.
So, should an AI programmer want to be an artist, they may assume it's out of their grasp. They tried to make a picture once, it sucked, therefore they will never be an artist. And they've spent so much time being told how good and smart they are, it doesn't seem fair. They get jealous. If they’re honest with themselves, they realize they just don’t want to put in the work. They decide the computers will make art for them, stealing from artists, to put those artists in their place.
All this would be a sad yet forgettable exercise in Silicon Valley narcissism if it wasn’t for the “I want my treats” energy that everyone has been soaking in for the past several years. Life is hard, the president is evil, your rights are being stripped away, there's a pandemic, you deserve a treat. I'm not saying these things aren’t true. Things are bad, and you should be gentle with yourself. But I feel “I deserve a treat” has been twisted in the same way as “There's no ethical consumption under capitalism.” It's now a blanket statement to excuse any and all bad behavior as long as it makes you feel good.
In the case of AI art, I see this sentiment paired with “Art is a human right.” Sure, humans need art! We are creative creatures. Throw us in a pit and we will doodle designs in the dirt. But no one’s stopping you from appreciating a flower or drawing a picture of your own. Art being a “necessity” does not grant you the right to other people’s hard-won skill and labor any more than wanting a luxury car means you automatically get one, regardless if you can afford it.
This perfectly seasoned stew of devaluing artists, tech worker jealousy, easy availability, crushing hard times, and wanting treats means that even someone like me can flick their eyes over at Midjourney. But AI art isn't a necessity or a right. It's a choice, a choice to steal from hard-working people who simply took a different path from you and now make something you want. The good news? You can stop at any time. You can stop right now.
In the end, I managed to find an artist for my story, and I'm super, super excited for our collaboration. But, even if I hadn't found them, I would not have used AI art. I may like treats, but I like my conscience more.
Writing News
This coming weekend (April 14-16) I'll be at Flights of Foundry, a conference for writing, games, comics, and all forms of storytelling. It's 100% virtual and international, so for three straight days there's always something happening. I find it to be a very warm and welcoming space with wonderful energy.
I'm participating in the Reader Scavenger Hunt, and my reading slot is Friday at 10 AM Pacific time. I'll be reading “Between the Stones and the Stars,” excerpts from “The Woman With No Face,” and giving updates on my upcoming publications and projects. Registration is free (or a donation of your choosing). Would love to see you there!
Cool Shit
Hey, you want some premium human-made art?
Portland’s Nucleus Gallery puts on an annual coaster show, where artists use 4 x 4" coasters as canvases for original works. Each coaster is sold at a flat price, usually between $50-$70, and is a nice way to own original art without breaking the bank. Coasters not sold during the initial gallery opening will be available in their online store, and you can browse past years’ stock right now.
For $10 a month, you can get Weird Mail delivered right to your door. Jordan uses a variety of craft techniques to make original newspaper articles, letters, Polaroids, and other ephemera with a mystery woven throughout for you to unravel.
Even if you don't know the term, you're probably already familiar with slaptagging aka slapping stickers all over various road signs and places of business. Once you notice it, it's difficult to stop, and fun to pick out a favorite artist or two as you try to spot them all over. No slap tags nears you? Don't worry, there's Instagram.