Stop Fighting Artists - We're Doing Our Enemy's Work for Them
3 ways artists can help ourselves and not do other’s dirty work
We are doing their dirty work for them and we must stop.
Recently I saw a post here where an author was sad that their friend couldn’t post or share their perfect book cover because it was “created” by AI and they knew they would be beat up publicly, and wasn’t it a shame that people can’t just openly love things anymore without the anti-AI brigade bullying and ganging up on them.
The reactions to this was as expected: half the group said, “That’s right – people need to get on board with AI; it’s the future!” and the other half said, “AI generated art is theft, bad for the environment, and not actually art — and you’re a bad person for even thinking this!”
The comments section exploded right on schedule.
I’m not here to defend generative AI in any way. I’ve made my statement on AI and I am vehemently against representing this as a creative process in any way. To be clear: prompting generative AI to spit out words or pictures or video is in no way “creating art.”
But we need to move past the shouting match and get back to work. It’s not helping our situation to spend our time telling strangers on the internet they’re doing it wrong.
We already know that:
You can’t convince people of anything by yelling at them on the internet. We know this.
Social media (including Substack) is engineered to trigger high emotional responses. If you’re on social media and getting angry at someone, then close it out and go for a walk or look out the window. You’ve fallen into their trap.
Our techno-fascist leaders want and need us to be fighting amongst ourselves, so we are: a) not fighting them, and b) too tired after all the fighting to change the Status Quo.
That’s right: our evil overlords want us yelling and screaming at each other, super polarized and not talking or sharing with each other. It helps them maintain control.
The Status Quo wants to take away our creative process, because that is how we change - and to them, change is bad.
BUT - spending our time as creatives naming and shaming other artists is also how the Status Quo chips away at our souls.
Remember our highly polarized political landscape where family and neighbors don’t talk to each other? That is an intentional method of creating conflict to maintain control.
Getting us to yell at each other and block and scorn each other for using generative AI is just the latest tool in their toolbox.
And we fall in line, right on schedule.
How to Change
If you are, like me, fully anti-generative AI, but also don’t want to be a passive participant in letting AI-slop destroy the internet and our souls, the key is to lead by example.
Here are three ways to grow beyond our current discourse:
Stop taking the bait. If you see someone sharing AI images/words or talking about how great the tools or technology are, ignore them. We need to just stop
Create an Artist Declaration about how your creative and artist lifestyle is helping you and those around you (lead by example). Here’s mine. Talk about your perspective on art and the creative process and why you think it’s so important. Later this spring I’m going to release my full Artist’s Statement and I think it’s an important part of showing who we are as we line up to fight billionaires for control of our souls.
Go create more art and stop arguing with strangers online.
That’s it.
But, But, But!
No, seriously, that’s it.
I mean, sure, there’s a whole bunch of other BS out there to contend with. But really, for now, all we need to do is stop fighting each other and get back to work.
It’s simple enough to try for a while, right?
If we spend our time creating instead of fighting, then two things happen:
We create more.
We fight less.
I’ll write up some tips for making the appropriate life changes later. But let’s just give it a swing for now, alright?
Join Me in Leading the Fight
If you or someone you know doesn’t understand why AI-generated “art” is such a big deal, have them watch this Branden Sanderson video and share it around. He’s much more successful writer than I am so maybe his clout will help convince your friends.
You can also share this essay with other artists and friends. Help spread the word.
This year I’m pivoting my work here to spend more time discussing how we lead the fight against the Status Quo by creating art and letting everything else slide away.
Also, I’m working on a new mystery novel and will be sharing some of my own process as I figure out how to research it and write it and market it and sell it and all the other stuff that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a crazy process and I’m absolutely terrified.
But I really want to help people find their souls through art, and I can help with developing some practical and necessary skills.
More artists need to declare our intentions around generative AI, just so we can say our piece and move on. Then we need to go and create and share and support each other, build communities and stick together.
If people don’t want to come along then that’s on them.
So that’s what’s coming next from me.
Be well — more soon…
Agree with everything you wrote here! Boy am I happy our paths crossed! I’m completely against AI! My hairstylist friend told me to look up a new hair color system, (so I can learn more about the color I was buying professionally and applying myself), see I’m a retired banker and hairstylist. I told her “ok” but I’m NEVER going to use AI certainly not to even learn about the color. I’ll go personally to the Cosmo Prof and go in the store and look at everything there. I do not need AI. Thank you for writing this article and I’m very happy we’ve met!!!