Dylan goes electric & AI becomes a muse

On July 25th, 1965, a young folk sensation sent shockwaves through the music scene when he stepped onto the stage with an electric guitar. His audacious move pioneered the folk-rock genre.

But at that time, his fans were torn.

Bob Dylan’s decision to go electric would make him lose the support of many fans while at the same time opening the floodgates to his career as a rockstar and a beacon of creative courage.

Today, in much the same vein as Dylan recognized the potential of electric instrumentation, modern creatives find themselves standing on the threshold of a new frontier:

Artificial Intelligence (AI).

With AI shaping the landscape of creative arts, it's crucial for artists at all stages to adapt and explore the opportunities this technology presents and use the tools available to push traditional artistic boundaries.

Embracing AI will not only keep us competitive in an evolving art market but open our minds to new creative possibilities, much like Dylan did with his electrifying performance decades ago.

A digital muse for the modern creative

Whether you're a writer, a filmmaker, or a tattoo artist, there's something that brings us all together as creatives... and that's the painful agony of staring at our blank medium.

While the space between nothingness and actually putting your ideas into paper is what essentially makes us artists, sometimes the space needs a jolt of creativity that doesn't include endlessly scrolling through social media "for inspiration."

What if you could use AI to create your own "digital muse"? A creative confidante, if you will.

For instance, imagine combining the philosophies of William Shakespeare, the bold brushstrokes of Frida Kahlo, the innovative designs of Steve Jobs, and the captivating storytelling of J.R.R. Tolkien. This AI muse would possess a rich tapestry of creative insights, embodying the imaginative prowess of these icons.

The digital muse could be used to stimulate your creative process, offering advice, suggesting ideas, or even challenging your perspective when you need a creative jolt. As an artist, you could present a concept to your AI muse and receive feedback based on its rich learning from the creative greats, thereby leading to unexpected and novel ideas.

Here's how to bring your digital muse to life:

1. Start by choosing a chat-based AI tool that allows you to input prompts, like ChatGPT, for example.

2. Next, shape your digital muse by integrating the characteristics of two or three historical figures and/or fictional characters that inspire you.

3. Instruct the AI to respond as the combined character, focusing solely on their responses without additional commentary or explanation.

As soon as the AI begins to respond in character, immerse yourself in the conversation! Let this digital muse guide your creative process, help break down a creative project into steps, or ask it what you should have for lunch.

The idea is to have fun with it, but most importantly, tweak the personas so that it’s a good fit for you.

Here’s what the prompt might look like:

You are a character combination of [American author Mark Twain] + [American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan]. You have the combined knowledge of both artists. I want you to respond and answer like a combination of the 2 characters, using the tone, manner, and vocabulary this character would use. Do not write any explanations. Only answer like the character. My first sentence is "Heyaa fellow writer!"

Creativity in the wild

• From writer’s block to initial client meetings, these filmmakers are using ChatGPT as part of their creative process. And they shared their prompts. 😉 

• There’s so much to learn, but do we really need another tutorial? Digital creator Ethan Tran has a thought or two on the subject.

• This joyful video is a little ray of sunshine.

• ChatGPT, better than therapy. At least this corner of the internet seems to think so.

• This guy is illustrating tiny sci-fi stories. Here’s 001/365.

Thanks for reading! This is a newsletter and community in the making. If there’s anything you’d like us to explore, reply to this email and let us know what you'd like to see more of.

We’re on a mission to build a hub where creatives and coders come together and co-create the future of AI. And we’re happy to have you.

Until next time!

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