Art and Systems, Working Together
Projekt Rattloch Week 19
Sorry everyone. This week’s update is late because my biscuit-addled, slightly ADD mind went on a joyful rampage. You know how I tend to flit between tasks, start a dozen things, and sometimes not finish before a shiny new idea arrives. It is a double edged sword. Sometimes it is useful. Sometimes it is chaos. Today I am choosing useful.
This week I started a five day Google AI Agents course. It is fascinating already and I will share more once I have tested things properly. What it did do was reignite an old dilemma I have written about many times. A big part of me wants to focus on my art one hundred percent. Then the doubt creeps in about money. At the same time there is the part of me that loves tech, design and AI. For years I treated this as a binary choice. Art or tech. If I leaned into one, I felt guilty about the other.
I am done with that thinking. It is not black and white. I can do both. There are no rules.
At the start of the year I was deep in AI training. Then I pressed pause to focus on Memento Vivere. That was the right call. The show demanded my full attention. Now, post Memento Vivere, I have stepped back into AI and I am astonished by how much has changed in ten months. It feels like a different landscape.
My aim has not changed. I want systems that help me make more art. Less faff. More painting. One idea I am exploring is a simple artist website builder that runs for you. Low fee, tailored to artists, almost no hassle on your side. There are free tools out there, yes, but most artists do not want to wrestle with them. With my artist’s eye and tech background I can remove the friction so you can create.
I have also noticed something about artists and their stories. The strongest work often blends who they are, what they live through, and even their past professions. My technology side can sit inside the art, not outside it. I do not want to make AI pictures. I want to use systems to create new ways of working, showing, selling and telling the story of the work. That is exciting.
What changed in AI over the last ten months
A quick snapshot of big shifts I am seeing:
AI assistants now handle multi step tasks on their own, not just chat responses.
Video generators produce more realistic clips and let you control camera, style and edits.
Tools combine text, images, audio and video in one place for richer understanding.
Long documents are easier. Models remember and search huge files without breaking a sweat.
Everyday apps now include built in AI helpers for writing, analysing and organising.
Small, efficient models run on your laptop or phone for privacy and speed.
Building with AI is easier. Starter kits, templates and safety checks save time and reduce risk.
Creators get new workflows. Storyboards, idea prompts and auto publishing free up time.
All of this makes me more confident that blending art and systems is not a distraction. It is the engine that gives me more time in the studio.
I know a lot of creatives are fearful or resistant to AI. But there’s no need to be. I’ll never use I to create my actual art, but if it can help me promote it and save time elsewhere, then so be it. Have an open mind.
Your turn
If you could have one small AI system quietly working for you every day, what would you have it do for your creative life right now? Be specific. I will read and reply to as many as I can.
Cheers,
SLART
