The Edge of Art
How AI fits into my creative world
As the AI boom unfolds, I find myself torn—thrilled by the potential of generative tools but fiercely protective of the human touch in my projects. While AI can be an amazing assistant, it’s the human hand, heart, and collaboration that truly bring my work to life—and make it worth my time. This is not simply a standard of artistic integrity but also a practical and health-conscious one.
Living in Austin, TX, I’m in the midst of a whirlpool of AI excitement. This is an optimistic and growing city, eager to embrace the tech-future while maintaining a healthy relationship with the outdoors. Amidst this backdrop, I find myself reflecting on the rapidly evolving landscape—and what it means to be an artist in the 21st century.
Generally speaking, I’m excited for the future. As a creator, there are certainly new challenges—but also opportunities. Facing the call to completely outsource my work to generative AI tools is one I can’t take seriously. I have resisted (frankly, it’s simply impractical at this time), and much to Sam Wolf’s benefit (that’s my main personal project). The idea of creating my first graphic novel (Wolf’s Edge) with AI tools makes the whole process much less interesting—and would have yielded a far inferior product.
Current generative tools like Midjourney (the most advanced) are insufficient to execute my vision. For one, the ability to maintain character consistency is primitive. I can’t reliably insert my protagonist in multiple scenes without him looking vastly different from page to page. Big problem.
Another huge issue is that I have a very specific vision for how the story should look and feel. Midjourney is still a roll of the dice—and though there are ways to narrow in on what you’re trying to show, the computer is still somewhat random in its output. Sometimes, that’s a great thing and can illuminate marvelous new directions—but for actual deliverable output, it’s no bueno! It’s also plagiarism.
Another compounding issue is the built-in censors. While “community guidelines” have their place, they often unfairly block scenes deemed too violent—even when they’re not. This approach feels creatively stifling, frustrating, and unnecessarily censorious.
Ultimately, I love working with people. Our artists Artúr Várai and Gyula Pozgay are incredible. They bring amazing ideas to the table and have made creating Wolf’s Edge a joy, rather than a technocratic “clocking-in” exercise. I’ve spent many hours fiddling with a Midjourney prompt, but just a simple conversation with Artúr is enough to convey many complicated ideas and a clear vision. Human collaboration = precision.
Midjourney has been an incredible tool for brainstorming and pitching—and frankly, I’m flipping out about the potential for generative video. My aspiration is to turn Wolf’s Edge into a feature film, and generative AI video could be a complete game changer in making it a reality. In particular, one of the main characters is a baby boar. I won’t get into spoilers, but if the technology improves enough to allow us to create a convincing CGI boar, it could make our indie budget stretch much further.
This stuff is thrilling to me… but when people say that I could eventually just put my script into generative systems to make my movie for me, I wonder: what would be the point? For me, an essential part of living is the act of creating. Why walk outside when you can walk in a video game? I suppose… one ought not make the other one go extinct. There ought to be room for both.
The human experience is an embattled one. It’s at war with speed, anxiety, and measurement— all elements amplified by tech. How can we use these new tools to elevate the human experience without bringing it closer and closer to annihilation? Can they help us to let the world in instead of speeding it up? Are we capable as a race to use this stuff in a healthy way? Probably not — but as individuals… yes.
We must, on our own, shut it all off regularly to maintain our connection to one another… so that we may not lose sight of the leaves… and wind… and all the miraculous beauties that make a life worth… living.