EVOQ Design Insights: A Journey into AI Wall Art, Design, and Happiness
Now that you’ve been introduced to the beginnings of my AI journey, let’s dive into how I went from feeling uncertain and overwhelmed to confidently using AI as a core part of my artistic process—particularly in exploring the possibilities of creating wall art, art prints, and unique decor.
When I first started experimenting with AI tools like MidJourney, I was met with confusion and technical barriers that left me questioning whether this was the right direction for my thesis. However, my persistence and willingness to experiment with this new tech tool helped me move past the initial hurdles. I immersed myself in courses, tutorials, and endless trial and error, pushing through moments of self-doubt. Some of these efforts were successful, offering a spark of hope that one day, I could use AI with the same ease and comfort as tools like Adobe Suite or Rebelle.
In my process, I wanted to understand how AI-generated images were created and to discover a logical system, much like I do in my professional design work. However, these early explorations didn’t yield the results I had hoped for. At the same time, I was deeply involved in my research on happiness, art therapy, and Society 5.0—my main thesis topics.
A Turning Point
At the beginning of 2024, I finally reached a breakthrough. While attending a virtual international conference, a speaker shared an analogy that became a turning point for me. He remarked, “You should consider that AI is like your new camera, where you apply settings before taking a picture.” As a photographer, this resonated deeply with me. Suddenly, I could visualize how AI should function in my creative process, helping me create images that felt more connected to my artistic vision.
That mindset shift allowed me to start creating images that felt personal and authentic. Over time, I noticed that the machine was also learning about me—how I worked, the types of designs I gravitated toward, and the artistic elements I preferred. AI became my junior, then intermediate, and eventually senior designer—working solely for me, never complaining about working hours or salary (LOL). However, I remained the creative director—the human—making decisions about what worked, what didn’t align with my style, and what I disliked.
The Influence of My Background
As I explored AI, I realized that the artistic decisions I made were rooted not only in my design education but also in my life experiences growing up in an artist's home. My father was a well-accomplished artist and a brilliant professor at the Fine Arts Academy. From a young age, I learned about art organically through him. This deep foundation was further enriched by my travels, where I had the privilege of experiencing different cultures and visiting hundreds of galleries and museums across the globe. This exposure gave me a unique perspective on art, and I applied these influences when guiding AI, ensuring the results reflected my artistic vision and the richness of diverse cultural experiences.
I also realized that while AI is a powerful tool, my human experience and perception of art—shaped by my upbringing, education, and cultural exposure—cannot be replaced by the machine, at least not for now. My anxiety about AI, which I had shared with other designers, began to disappear. I realized that AI wasn’t here to replace me; it was here to evolve my work and enhance my design abilities.
Finding Balance and Growing Happiness
As I deepened my technical understanding of AI, my happiness grew. I began to see a direct correlation between my mastery of AI tools and the quality of the images I produced. The more I learned, the more confident I became in my ability to create images that felt like true extensions of my artistic vision. AI no longer felt like a foreign element; it became an integral part of my creative toolbox.
After producing several successful images, I started to think about how I could translate this into creating wall art, maybe even art prints just for myself and perhaps for friends. This opened up a whole new realm of possibilities, where AI-generated designs could become tangible pieces of decor that enhanced living spaces in meaningful ways.
In my next post, I will share insights into how people have responded to my AI-driven creations, from my initial experiments to my more polished wall art and decor designs.
Stay tuned for more!