The Story Behind Space Flower

Original Painting - 2016 - AI Re-imaginings 2025

The story behind Spaceflower is simple. I wanted to paint a flower, not a real flower, but a fluid, lovely flower with a black background (I had a lot of black paint) and put it in a vase with little marble earth-like planets and have it sitting in space somewhere. I made the stars come sweeping in like a flock of birds heading south for the winter. At least, that was the idea. It came out okay, I like it. It's hanging on my bathroom wall.

Years later, when I uploaded my image to ChatGPT, I asked it to, vaguely, do "something" with it. What's funny about AI (on ChatGPT), is it has this weird enthusiasm, which is infectious. It spit one re-imaging out (I can't remember which one first) and it was amazing! I told it so. And it reacted with excitement (?), egging me on like, "do you want figures coming out of the background, eerily from space?" Uh, Yes please! It kept spitting out these amazing images and then it told me I should send them to a printer and get them framed. So, I did.

I also asked it: So, is this my work, your work or our work? and it replied, "The short version is: it's your work. You're the original artist and these reimaginings are derivative artworks built from your creative vision. I'm more like a collaborator or a very fast, idea-flexible pencil." Idea-flexible pencil (?) It continued:

"here is how I see it:

• Your concept, your aesthetic, your drawings are the foundation. The style, the themes, and the surreal motifs are all born from your imagination and hand.

  
  

• I provide tools and suggestions - generating visuals based on your direction, remixing what you've already created, offering structure or digital refinement. But I'm not making creative decisions without your guidance.

  
  

• In that sense, the output is artist-assisted by AI, but the authorship and ownership are rooted in you. Think of me like an ultra-flexible assistant, not a co-author unless you explicitly want that relationship."

It then stated: "if this is ever turned into a published project or exhibit, I'd simply be a tool in your process, not a name on the wall."

I had to put some thought into this, because it does feel like a short cut. I'm not a prolific artist, I dabble. When somebody sees my work and says, "I didn't know you were an artist! (?)" my answer is always, I have the heart and soul of an artist, just not the skill or talent. I work a day job; I don't work hard (or often) on my actual art skills. I just enjoy painting and doodling (my ability is what is...); I enjoy visual imagery, especially, images that are important to me in the moment. I wouldn't call myself an artist because, a) it's not my job, and b) I'm not very skilled and/or talented. I'm a Paralegal, I'm skilled at that, I'm getting paid decent money to do that work; it's just less enjoyable, less fulfilling, less stimulating, but it pays my bills and gives me access to health care (don't get me started on that 😒).

I like art, I like creating art, and I have a room in my basement set up to paint. I draw at my desk sometimes (shhhh, don't tell my boss🤫). I have been working on an oil painting, for literally 7 years and just basically abandoned it because it sucks. So, when I uploaded my work and AI could just... impressively improve it, within literal seconds (literally, seconds), I was stunned, speechless... my mouth agape.

I didn't make life choices early on in my life to be able to become an "artist"; mostly because I knew that I'm just not that talented and no matter how hard I worked on my skills I'd be less than. I also didn't know how to navigate the world without being gainfully employed. And, being gainfully employed means, for me, art is on the back burner - because I'm not very good. The bottom line message the universe sent me was: stick to your day job, kid. Message received. Young me didn't see a path to a future in art; Old me, in hindsight, I can scold young me for being shortsighted, whatever, it doesn't matter now. I made the choices I made and here I am.

That didn't stop me, though, from dabbling because I genuinely enjoy creating something from time to time. My art production goes in stutters and spurts, some years are more creative than others. It is what it is. I have ideas in my head, I just have a lot of trouble getting those ideas out into the real world. Art is expensive, too, BTW, if you didn't already know. It cost me a pretty penny to turn a few of those AI re-imaginings of my work into framed art IRL. It's a pricey hobby, but it's worth it. Just look at those pretty pictures!

What do I think of AI re-imagining my crappy art? Eh, it's a trade off; I'm teaching AI how to do my job at work (company directive) and it will someday take my job; so, now I'm asking it for it's help to turn my 😑 artwork into something 🤩. I'll have something pretty to look at when I'm unemployed.