Technology vs Creativity

This morning, I was scrolling through my Google feed on my smartphone, and I came across an article advertising a huge sale on Amazon devices. I use Amazon, I use technology, but as I scrolled through all the products, I realized I didn’t have the newest and best technology for turning on lights. I think I can still find the switch. I didn’t have a glow light or an Alexa or a ring video doorbell. Does this make me antiquated? Not that there is anything wrong with the technology. I do use technology and would miss it if it were gone, but it got me thinking how technology is affecting our lives and creativity.

There is a big rumble going on regarding AI. It is rapidly taking over many daily tasks. I guess it depends on which task. It can even give you a summary of an email before you open it. Is this good? Attention spans are becoming shorter than ever. Do I use it to make chores I don’t like easier, or do I find it to be just another hurdle I must jump through. I often get ideas popping up while I am brushing my teeth or doing something away from my laptop or phone. Yes, I do not always have it on me! I have learned to leave a little pad of paper and pencil in the bathroom drawer so I can jot down the idea before it disappears into the ethers as I walk to the kitchen to retrieve pencil and paper. These little things can be helpful, but I still like to get unplugged in my studio.

The newest technology is AI and one of the biggest problems with it is theft. As the companies feed their computer brains so they can learn, are they stealing your art? Several big newspapers say they are, and they are suing them for non-payment of digital content. The same can be said of all the images on the web. Internet theft is big, but that is only a part of the technology and creativity mashup. The AI assistants that write your blog posts (not this one), or even describe your artwork, give you titles or subject ideas, and even generate painting ideas are becoming more sophisticated. These are based on all the images and words that others have already created. I know this is a big subject for a little blog post, but where do you stand? Do you embrace technology, resist it or merge your format?

I have heard some people that love using it and it helps to generate new ideas. How is that any different than sketchbooks and writing lists? Others say they will never use it and feel that it stifles their creativity. I am in the merge format group. I pick and choose what helps me. I use photoshop to edit my artwork photos, to crop, and adjust color. I keep the work true as possible. But photoshop is also a creative tool for me. I use it to merge different painting and photographs that I have made. I am not using AI to generate artwork, but using technology as a tool, just like a paintbrush or pencil. I love to take background work in process and merge it with a photograph and then layer images digitally, just as I would with one of my collage paintings. I sometimes print these out and continue to paint and collage on top of the print, or I even cut them into pieces to add as new collage elements to another piece. I find the possibilities fascinating and they spark my imagination. I still don’t want technology in every part of my life, but I do appreciate it for how it can become another tool.

What are your thoughts?